Review: Downton Abbey - Series 2 (2011)

YES! AT LONG LAST! Finally, Downton Abbey - Series 2! I had been waiting for this for months! All the cliffhangers you left, Series 1, finally will be resolved, right?! Right?! My mom and I started to watch Series 2 on Masterpiece Theater, but we missed the beginning half of the first episode. We got the DVD last Monday (which came out before the series ended on Masterpiece, hence why I can review the entire series). We just finished Series 2 with the Christmas special a couple of days ago. Here is what I thought!

Note: This review will contain spoilers from Series 1. If you do not want to read about Series 1 spoilers, I suggest watching Series 1 before reading this review. Here is my review for Series 1 if you are interested.

DVD Box Art

Synopsis
At the end of Series 1, Lord Grantham announces that England is now at war with Germany -- the start of World War I. Matthew Crawley has joined in the war effort and has joined the army, having decided at the end of Series 1 that he needs to get away from Downton, leaving things unresolved with Lady Mary Crawley. The year at the start of Series 2 is 1916. The Crawleys receive word that Matthew is engaged to a Miss Lavinia Swire and is coming to Downton Abbey. Meanwhile, Mary is still in love with Matthew. There are many plots in Downton Abbey: Series 2, both with the Crawleys upstairs and the staff downstairs.

Characters
Most of the regular cast has returned for Series 2 that were in Series 1. Many of the cast members you may recognize from other period dramas. At the end of this review, I have a list of the actors/actresses that you may recognize from other period dramas. One member of the main cast has not returned for Series 2: Gwen, the maid who wanted to become a secretary, has secured a job as a secretary and has been replaced by new housemaid Ethel (I personally preferred Gwen to Ethel). There is a new addition to the cast for a couple of episodes: Andrew Lang, a man who fought in WWI, has become Lord Grantham's new valet after Bates leaves for a couple of episodes. Spoiler Later in the series when Ethel is fired, another housemaid named Jane Moorsum is hired, but her employment is also short-lived. End of Spoiler We also see the addition of Sir Richard Carlisle, a rich newspaper owner who becomes a suitor for Mary.

There is a lot of character development in Series 2. WWI has changed everything in the lives of the residents of Downton Abbey. Upstairs, Sybil becomes a nurse in order to help with the war effort at home. When Downton Abbey becomes a convalescing house, Edith begins to help out with many of the wounded officers. Mary doesn't do as much until half-way through the series Spoiler when Matthew is wounded. End of Spoiler. Downstairs, William, who has recently joined the army, and Daisy become engaged: though Daisy does not love him, she is coaxed into marrying him by the cook, Mrs. Patmore. Anna and Bates face difficulties when Mrs. Bates shows up and threatens to expose Mary's scandal. And Ethel wants to better her life and doesn't want to be a housemaid forever.

Branson teaching Edith to drive a car.

In Series 1, I really didn't like Edith: she was very spiteful against Mary. In Series 2 however, she becomes much more likable. I think that it has something to do with Edith having something to do. Think about it: in Series 1, Edith didn't really have anything to set her mind to. Sybil was helping Gwen get a job as a secretary; Mary was getting to know Matthew more. What did Edith do? Not much except spread word about Mary's scandal around. Now in Series 2, she finds that she has a talent for caring for the wounded soldiers who are staying at Downton Abbey plus she learned how to drive. Once she was given a "purpose", she focused on that and became nicer. The hostilities between her and Mary break down much more, though they probably aren't going to become best friends in any future series.

Isobel Crawley trying to run Downton Abbey

Isobel Crawley, Matthew's mother, became a little dislikable during this series for a couple of episodes. She became very pushy at Downton. She was a little pushy in Series 1, but it wasn't as annoying as she was in a couple of episodes in Series 2. When Downton Abbey was turned into a convalescing house, Isobel started to take over and "push" Cora out of her position as lady of the house. I understand why Cora was upset: it was her home! Isobel was also throwing in Cora's face that she had nursing experience and Cora didn't, so she should be in charge of Downton. Good thing Cora stood her ground. By the end of the series, when Downton was no longer a convalescing house, Isobel was toned down again.

So, Lavinia... I'm not quite sure what to make of her. I don't hate her, but I don't like her a lot either. Maybe it's because I want Mary and Matthew to get married, but I'm still not sure about Lavinia as a character... She wasn't a bad character, but I'm not really fond of her either. Looking at Masterpiece's Character voting page, most people don't really know what to make of Lavinia either. She was on the "Love" side of the scale for one episode, but right next to the middle line, but for the most part, she is right on the middle line: not on the "loathe" side or the "love" side.

Scenery
Still lovely! Though there were some scenes that took place in the trenches during the battles of WWI (which were gritty), the scenes that took place at Downton were still lovely! The camera filter they used while filming this season of Downton Abbey seems to make everything look more washed out than the previous season. It works because of the serious time that everyone was going through with the war. Colorful scenes are not tossed out all together, however, and you do see some colorful scenes.

Mary and Matthew sing at a concert.

Music

Still awesome! There are some new pieces that are used in Series 2 that weren't in Series 1, which are very good. Also, in one episode, we hear Mary and Matthew sing (though I think Matthew had the better voice). A couple of months ago, the Downton Abbey soundtrack was released that has songs from both Series 1 and 2, plus a couple of vocal songs. I've just gotten the soundtrack, but even just from watching the series, the music is great.

Costumes

Sybil in her nurse's uniform. Branson is speaking to her
at work.

The costumers of Downton Abbey have done it again! On the DVD, there is one of the special features that talks about costuming. One of the things that it said was that jewelry was much more simpler than it was before the war, which would make sense since most of the money people had would go to the war effort. But I digress. There were a number of very nice costumes, though I think the costumes from Series 1 were better (though the costuming for Series 2 is very, very good). Costumes range from 1916 to really 1919 (The Christmas episode ends on New Years Day of 1920). The skirts for the dresses become a little shorter, but not like the skirts of the 1920s (we'll probably see those next season). A lot of the dresses are very ornate (though not as ornate as Series 1), but they become simpler towards the end of the series. Many of the men are also in uniforms. The special feature on the DVD talks about how the costumers paid very close attention to the medals that were on the men's uniforms, making sure they are period accurate and in the right order. Also making an addition to the costuming are nurses uniforms, mainly worn by Sybil. Nurses uniforms are worn by other nurses, but Sybil is the only member of the main cast that wears a nurse's uniform.

Cliffhangers

Matthew with Lavinia when they are newly engaged.

I created this section because, as you may know, Series 1 ended with so many cliffhangers. At the end of Series 1, almost nothing is resolved upon: Matthew and Mary's future is in jeopardy, Branson (the chauffer) and Sybil might have a future, but it's not certain that Sybil likes him enough, O'brien, Cora's lady's maid, has massive guilt (which is rightly deserved), and who knows what will happen with Anna and Mr. Bates! By the end of Series 2, most of those cliffhangers from Series 1 are for the most part resolved... Mostly... Series 2 did a better job at resolving those cliffhangers: though there are some cliffhangers that exist, the still existing cliffhangers are not as horribly open as they were from Series 1, but they're open enough that you still want to watch Series 3. I won't say exactly how each of the cliffhangers are resolved, but just know that there is some resolution at the end of the Christmas episode.

Overall: 4/5

Downton Abbey External

Why must I wait a year for Series 3? Why? Probably between Series 1 and Series 2, Series 1 was probably better (but then the first series in period dramas are usually the best). But I still really liked Series 2. Unlike a couple of other series that I have watched, I don't detect a downfall of Downton Abbey in the second series. I have a good feeling that there will be at least a couple more series (unless Series 3 is a disappointment *hoping that it's not*). Series 2 did not end with nearly so many cliffhangers as Series 1 (all the cliffhangers at the end of Series 1 were just cruel!), but it's open enough that you want to watch Series 3.

Content-wise, Downton Abbey: Series 2 has a couple of scenes that you may wish to skip, but nothing is extremely bad. There are some WWI battle scenes and some hospital scenes, one of which includes a biological conversation. There is a very brief scene in Episode 4, but if you pay attention, you can see it coming and it doesn't last long. There are a couple of implications throughout and in Episode 8, a scene happens that could have been bad, but nothing happened (plus to me, the scene was a bit implausible). Also in Episode 8, there is a scene Spoiler after Anna and Mr. Bates get married End Spoiler that you may wish to skip, but it's not very long. There is also a scene in the Christmas episode, but looking at the clues, you can figure out when it's coming (and you don't see anything). Again, there's nothing too severe content-wise, but just some things to keep in mind.

Overall, I would recommend Downton Abbey: Series 2.

Downton Abbey: Series 2 is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Series 2 is made up of 8 episodes, plus a Christmas episode. The first and last episodes are 67 minutes long, and the rest are 53 minutes. The Christmas episode seemed longer than most of the episodes, but I don't know for sure how long it is.

Recognizable Actors/Actresses

Actor -- Role in Downton Abbey -- Other Period Dramas

Hugh Bonneville -- Robert Crawley -- Mr. Grandcourt from Daniel Deronda

Michelle Dockery -- Lady Mary -- Ermina Whyte from Return to Cranford

Maggie Smith -- Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham -- Lady Gresham from Becoming Jane and Betsey Trotwood from David Copperfield (1999)*
Jim Carter -- Mr. Carson -- Captain Brown from Cranford

Brendan Coyle -- John Bates -- Robert Timmins from Lark Rise to Candleford and Nicholas Higgins from North and South*
Dan Stevens -- Matthew Crawley -- Edward Ferrars from Sense and Sensibility (2008)* 

Penelope Wilton -- Isobel Crawley -- Mrs. Hamley from Wives and Daughters

Samantha Bond -- Lady Rosamund Painswick -- Mrs. Weston in Emma (1996)

Iain Glen -- Sir Richard Carlisle -- Adam Bede in Adam Bede, Mr. Preston in Wives and Daughters

Maria Doyle Kennedy -- Mrs. Vera Bates -- Titanic (2012)

Robert Bathurst -- Sir Antony Strallan -- Mr. Weston in Emma (2009)*

*Only in the Christmas Episode

Another Downton Abbey Banner

I've gotten on a bit of a "Downton Abbey banner roll" lately. I've made another banner, but this one is made with screenshots from Season 1. Click on it for the full size picture.

God Bless,  

New Banner (Finally!)

I've created a new banner! I've been watching the new season of Downton Abbey recently (by the way, good! I'll have to review it soon!) Slight spoiler, but Mary and Matthew sing at a concert together, and for the past week, I've had the song stuck in my head. So I created a banner for it:

 God Bless,
 

Are These Songs the Same Song? (Little Dorrit, Downton Abbey)

Comments are very much appreciated! This has bothered me for months ever since I first watched Downton Abbey. I remembered when I first watched Downton Abbey: my mom and I were on the second episode and this song came on...





The first thing I thought was "Hey! That song is in Little Dorrit!" I could have sworn that it was the same song!

Watch from 0:00 to 0:44
I am asking for your opinion: are these two songs the same? They seem to have the same melody and the same musical instruments. Comments are welcome! 


 God Bless,
 

LolPeriodDramas

Years ago, my sister introduced me to Lolcats. I didn't understand it at first, but now I've grown an appreciation for it.

In case you have never heard of Lolcats, let me tell you what they are. Basically, they are pictures of cats with captions. Usually these captions have very horrible grammar that looks like internet lingo (or lolspeak). The captions purposely have misspellings and bad grammar (which could be one of the reasons that I didn't get it at first: I'm very grammar conscious).

People have done Lolcats pictures with non-cat pictures. It really could be anything: dogs, TV shows... maybe even Period Dramas?

I've been experimenting with making Lol captions with period dramas. Let me know what you all think.

Who knows, if these are a success, I may start up a blog about them... but that might not be for a while.


 God Bless,
 

Lists: Top 10 Favorite Heroes

Due to the great response to my "Top 10 Favorite Heroines" post, I put together my Top 10 Favorite Heroes! Enjoy!

1. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) 
Probably a very obvious answer from me! I didn't always like Mr. Darcy (c'mon, he was a bit of a jerk at the beginning of Pride and Prejudice), but after a while he grew on me once his character improved, and now he's my favorite hero! Yes, he was a bit arrogant at the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, but his arrogance decreases as the plot progresses; he's also a good brother and takes it upon himself to bring about the marriage of Lydia and Wickham after their scandal.

To me, Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy, period. He has the look of arrogance in the beginning, but then as Pride and Prejudice goes on, he has that more of a caring look. He also did all of Mr. Darcy subtle looks really well.

2. Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility)

While reading/watching Sense and Sensibility, how can you not feel sorry for Colonel Brandon? All the stuff that he had to go through and yet he doesn't complain about it. As much as I like Marianne Dashwood, I still thought she was really mean about Colonel Brandon (Willoughby made fun of him and she went along with it). He was able to act like a gentleman while Willoughby was apart of the party.

I did like David Morrissey's Colonel Brandon, but it seemed like something was missing for him in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility. To me, Alan Rickman did a better job in the 1995 movie.

3. George Knightley (Emma)
Oh, Mr. Knightley. He tries to help Emma by telling her that she is wrong, but she doesn't listen (well, most of the time). Mr. Knightley is very caring, a great brother-in-law to Emma, a great uncle to John and Isabella's children, and (we can be sure) a great husband for Emma. He helps out his neighbors whenever he can (sending Mrs. and Miss Bates food, saving Harriet during the dance when Mr. Elton snubbed her, etc.). Overall, Mr. Knightley is a great guy and a gentleman!

Johnny Lee Miller is my favorite Mr. Knightley. I did also like Jeremy Northam's Mr. Knightley, but I think Johnny Lee Miller's was closer to the Mr. Knightley in the book... at least to my memory.

4. Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey)

When you first see Mr. Tilney in Northanger Abbey, you might find him a little odd (I know I did), but in a good way. When you get to know him more, you can see that he likes to tease his sister Eleanor and Catherine a little bit in a friendly way. Once you know more about him, you can see that he's a caring brother and a great husband for Catherine.

I've only seen the 2007 version of Northanger Abbey (unless the Wishbone episode counts), and despite the problems it had with the screenplay, the actors were well cast. J.J. Field's Mr. Tilney was very well done.

5. Arthur Clennam (Little Dorrit)
I like how Mr. Clennam tries to help out the Dorrits: he's trying to right a wrong that he thinks his family business may have done, and how many people would go through the trouble of finding out who they wronged? Plus, when he loses all his money and is in debt, he doesn't run away from his obligations, but faces them and is accountable for them. He messed up and took the consequences of it. In this world where people tend to run away from their responsibilities and obligations, Arthur Clennam is a good example of what people should do: accept responsibility and face the consequences of your actions.

I've seen both the new and older version of Little Dorrit, and I think Matthew McFayden's Arthur Clennam is the better one. His was much better acted than Derek Jacobi's Arthur Clennam, plus Derek Jacobi was just too old.

6. Edward Ferrars (Sense and Sensibility)

I don't like that Edward had Elinor like him when he wasn't supposed to, but I will say that he does do the honorable thing by staying engaged to Lucy even though he doesn't love Lucy anymore, but instead loves Elinor. He sticks to his duty even when it becomes very hard.

I prefer Dan Stevens's Edward to Hugh Grant's. Hugh Grant just looked too sickly for the role.

7. Septimas Harding (The Barchester Chronicles)
Mr. Harding was such a sweet old man! I felt sorry that in the first part of The Barchester Chronicles that Mr. Bold was going to sue him because of his salary. He was almost instantly likable, which is what you need in a series/miniseries/movie/etc. in order for people to like it. And, considering The Barchester Chronicles is an 80s miniseries, the acting has to be very good since there aren't the effects that newer period dramas have. Donald Pleasance played Mr. Harding very well. I'll definitely have to watch The Barchester Chronicles again to see what I've missed.

8/9/10 (Tied). Robert Crawley, Lord of Grantham (Downton Abbey)

I've got three heroes from Downton Abbey that I like, but couldn't choose in what order. Robert is a great master of Downton. He cares for all of his employees and the surrounding area. He doesn't mope around about the entail, but instead teaches the way to run Downton to his third cousin and heir of Downton, Matthew Crawley. He also tries to be a good father to his three children and a good husband to Cora.

Hugh Bonneville played Robert in Downton Abbey. Hugh Bonneville does a very good job acting here. I can't wait to see what's in store for Robert in Series 2

8/9/10 (Tied). John Bates (Downton Abbey)
Poor Mr. Bates... He arrives at Downton with a limp and most of the staff thinks he can't do his job... But he persists at his job and he gains everyone's respect (well except for a few). He's almost in an Edward Ferrars position except he's actually married instead of engaged: he loves Anna, one of the maids, but he remembers his duty to his wife. He tries to do the honorable thing while at Downton. I wonder what will happen with him in Season 2 (I'm hoping they don't ruin his character like what sometimes happens when series go on).

John Bates is played by Brenden Coyle. I first saw Brenden Coyle in Lark Rise to Candleford as Laura Timmins's father, Robert. I must say that I like John Bates better than Robert Timmins: Robert became too much of a jerk after awhile.

8/9/10 (Tied). Matthew Crawley (Downton Abbey)

At first, you have to warm up to Matthew a little bit since he tries so hard not to change (and since the Crawleys at Downton Abbey are one of the first characters we've seen, it might be a little easier to side with them). But then when Matthew gets settled in near Downton, he really tries hard to learn how to run the estate. He takes an interest in fixing up the cottages in the surrounding area and as Robert's family likes him more and more, we start to like him more and more.

Dan Stevens, who also played Edward Ferrars in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility, plays Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey.

I will say that I started to read Mansfield Park a little while ago and Edmund Bertram looks promising. Maybe he might bump someone off the list in the future? But as for now, this is the list of my top favorite heroes!


What do you think of my list? Are there some heroes in my list that you would include in your top favorite heroes? Who would you include in your list? Leave a comment!

 God Bless,
 

Congrats, Downton Abbey

Congratulations to Downton Abbey for winning four Emmys last night!

Outstanding Miniseries or Made for Television Movie

Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special - Brian Percival

Outstanding Supporting Actresses in a Miniseries or Movie - Maggie Smith

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Dramatic Special - Julian Fellowes

Read my review of Downton Abbey here!

Definitely can't wait for Season 2!

 God Bless,
 

My Top Ten Favorite Heroines

As promised, I have here my top 10 favorite heroines from period dramas. Enjoy!


Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet

1. Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

I think that part of the reason for my being drawn to Pride and Prejudice was Elizabeth’s personality. My personality is very similar to Elizabeth’s: I have strong opinions and I stick to them, I’m not afraid to stand up for myself, both of us stick to our morals and convictions, and both of us have a similar sense of humor. I think in all my years of reading, she was probably the first character that really stood out to me as being someone that I've seen in my daily life (in this case, me). In fact, nearly all of Jane Austen's characters are very realistic and very relatable, but Lizzy is probably the most relatable to me. She is such an awesome character: in addition to what I've said above, she is smart, witty, clever, and quick. She's a definite delight to watch/read about.

I think that Jennifer Ehle portrayed Elizabeth's witty personality well and said her lines they way Elizabeth would have said them.

Emma Thompson as
Elinor Dashwood

2. Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)

Elinor is remarkable because she goes through so much (losing her home and having to move far away from it, finding out that the man she loves, Edward Ferrars, is actually engaged to another woman who he doesn’t love, having that very woman constantly rub in her face that she's engaged to Edward, and having to watch her sister’s grief over a bad break-up) and yet she is able to keep a stiff upper lip and does whatever needs to get done. Because her mother and sisters can't put aside their emotions to make important decisions, Elinor steps up to manage many of those important decisions with her sense and reason, even while she's going through all the rough stuff in her life.

I liked both Hattie Morahan's and Emma Thompson's Elinor, but I think that Emma Thompson was closer in acting as Elinor though she was significantly much older than Elinor should have been.

Claire Foy as Amy Dorrit

3. Amy Dorrit (Little Dorrit)

Amy is so sweet! She supports her family very humbly, and even though her family is ungrateful to her (with the exception of her uncle, Frederick Dorrit), she still supports them and obeys her father. Even when her and her family become rich and when her whole family becomes very snobbish (again, the exception of Frederick Dorrit), she still remains very humble and wishes to be useful and helpful despite the fact that everyone around her is telling her to "be a lady" and "do nothing all day."

Claire Foy was wonderful as Amy Dorrit. They did a good job in making her look young and you could believe that she's about 21. She also portrayed the quiet and humble nature of Amy very well.

Felicity Jones as Catherine
Morland

4. Catherine Morland (Northanger Abbey)

Catherine can be a bit imaginative and naive, but at the same time, she is very open and artless: she means what she says (“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.”) and she is also always honest, which are both very good qualities. She is a genuine person and could be counted on for an honest answer.

Though I think that there needs to be a better adaptation of Northanger Abbey, I thought that Felicity Jones in the 2007 adaptation portrayed the honest, naive Catherine well, although they should have kept her imaginations down and to more innocent imaginations instead of the ones that could be mature.

Romola Garai as
Emma Woodhouse

5. Emma Woodhouse (Emma)

I’ll admit it, when I first started reading Emma, I found Emma to be very irritating: she seemed to want to control everyone and there were times where you think “Why don’t you just listen to Mr. Knightley?!” But by the time I finished Emma, I grew to really like her character. Yes, she is a bit controlling and thinks she knows everything, but she means well and simply wants to help her neighbors out. She does learn that she never had a talent for matchmaking and is able to realize her mistakes.

Romola Garai is the best Emma that I've seen. Just like when I read the book, I found her Emma to be a little bit irksome, but when the miniseries went on, I grew to like her Emma. She portrayed Emma's well meaning nature very well.

Stella Gonet as Beatrice Eliott

 6. Beatrice Eliott (House of Eliott)

Between Beatrice and Evangeline (Bea and Evie respectively), the two Eliott sisters, I’ve always liked Bea a lot more (though I liked Evie in Series 1, but once she went to Paris, they tried to push that she was more "worldly" and "sophisticated", which got very irritating very quickly). Bea was always a lot more mature and sensible than Evie, who was more childish and based her actions and decisions on her emotions. Bea also had a mind for business, which really sticks out to me since I’m interested in business: she really cared for her business and carefully made decisions concerning her business. She also had the creative mind for fashion and sewing.

Stella Gonet portrayed Bea. She was very elegant and mature in the role of Bea. It was a pleasure to watch her.

Kate Winslet as Marianne
Dashwood

7. Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)

Poor Marianne: she doesn’t quite keep the stiff upper lip that Elinor maintains throughout Sense and Sensibility. When struck with grief, Marianne becomes consumed with this grief to the point that she becomes sick and nearly dies. When she recovers, she realizes that she should not have acted in that way and she becomes determined to mend her ways. Marianne’s self-realization and determination to fix her faults is something that anyone should aspire to obtain.

Kate Winslet was great in her interpretation of Marianne. Though Kate Winslet could be a little over-the-top in her emotional portrayal of Marianne, I think it works since Jane Austen meant to show that Marianne's over-emotional personality is a bit ridiculous.

Elizabeth McGovern as
Cora

8. Cora, Countess of Grantham (Downton Abbey)

Cora, Countess of Grantham, was an American who married Robert Crawley, Lord of Grantham. She really cares for her daughters, especially Lady Mary whose chance of finding a husband had been made difficult. She sees that she has to get her daughters married, so she tries to find them suitable husbands (yes, it does sound similar to Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice: the difference is that Cora tries to find husbands for her daughters with a great deal more dignity than Mrs. Bennet).

Elizabeth McGovern portrayed Cora in Downton Abbey. She was sweet and very enjoyable to watch. My only issue was that her accent sounded like it was a fake American accent and Elizabeth McGovern is actually American.

Joanne Froggatt as Anna

9. Anna Smith (Downton Abbey)

Anna, one of the top maids in Downton Abbey, is a really hard worker and a sister-figure to Gwen, a younger maid who wants to find another job that would allow her to move up in the world. She also goes to great lengths to find out Mr. Bates’s past to clear his name at Downton. I can't wait to see what's next for her in Season 2!

Joanne Froggatt was Anna in Downton Abbey. She was very caring and it was great to watch a character who was like a "big sister".

Julia Sawalha as
Dorcas Lane

10. Dorcas Lane (Lark Rise to Candleford)

Dorcas has her faults: she is very meddlesome, has a taste for trouble, and, when provoked, she can be very quick with her tongue. At the same time, she just wants to help out her neighbors all while keeping with post office regulations. She has respect for the post office regulations, but if they cause a problem she tries to work around them to help out her neighbors. She also tries to teach Laura Timmins, her cousin’s daughter, the right way to work in a post office. She also tries to maintain a professional appearance even though she might be going through something rough.

 Julia Sawalha, a very well known period drama actress, portrayed Dorcas Lane. I first saw Julia Sawalha as Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice; Dorcas is probably the opposite of Lydia: she has a care for the rules and is very dignified. This shows that Julia Sawalha can be a very versatile actress. She did a great job in Lark Rise to Candleford.

 

 
So there's my list. What do you think of it? Would you put some of the same heroines in your own list of favorite heroines? Would there be any that you would add to your list? Leave a comment!

 God Bless, 
 



Review: Downton Abbey - Series 1

I had heard about Downton Abbey before it came out on Masterpiece Theater, but I didn't think too much about it. When my mom and I were at Barnes & Noble, we picked it up and bought it along with North and South (which I will review soon). I knew there were a lot of actors and actresses from other period dramas, so I was a little curious about seeing them in Downton Abbey.

Box Art

Synopsis
When the Titanic sinks, the heir of Downton Abbey it is discovered was on there and presumed dead, leaving the future of Downton in question. Robert Crawley/Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Earl of Grantham and lord of Downton, feels that his daughter, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), should inherit Downton, but the entail will not allow her to. Downton instead will have to go to Matthew Crawley, Lord Grantham's third cousin and a lawyer.

The episode plots include plot lines that involve both the Crawley family upstairs and their servants downstairs. For example, in addition to the whole entail business, there is the sibling rivalry between Lady Mary and Lady Edith, the maid, Gwen, looking for a secretary job, Matthew and Isobel Crawley adjusting to life near Downton, etc. The episodes continue one after the other, so one episode will end with a cliffhanger that will lead into the next episode. In that respect, it kind of acts like a miniseries, but it is actually a new TV series (in fact, Series 2 is already in production, so I hear!).


Characters
There are a lot of actors and actresses from different period dramas... A lot. At the end of this review, I'll list the ones that you may recognize. I set it up in a table (kind of) that includes the actor or actresses name, their character in Downton Abbey, and another period drama they were in.

A small group of the servants that run Downton Abbey.

In addition to the lives of the Crawley family, it was also interesting to see the lives of the servants. In a lot of period dramas, you don't usually see what needs to happen to get food on the table for a grand party at a big estate: it's just there. Usually, you don't get the back stories of the servants, unless they happen to be a main character in the story, but even then, it might be only one or two servants. In Downton Abbey, you really get to know most of the staff that runs the estate and a little bit of their back story. Not only do the Crawleys have their family secrets, but so do the servants. Past lives of the servants come into the episode plots as one of the main focuses. Sometimes, the plots of the servants intertwines with the Crawley's plots, and vice versa. Somehow, most of the plot lines are intertwined by the end of the episodes.

Maggie Smith was hilarious in Downton Abbey! She plays the part of Lord Grantham's mother, Lady Violet. She constantly goes to Downton and voices her opinions. She has had a couple of funny remarks during her visits or when she comes for dinner. One of the plots that goes on is the "rivalry" between her and Isobel Crawley, Matthew Crawley's former nurse mother.

Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville
and Elizabeth McGovern)



Lady Grantham (or Cora, her name) was supposed to be American, but I didn't think that her accent sounded American. The actress was actually born in America, but I didn't think she sounded American, unless I am mistaken with her accent and it's just an accent that I am not familar with. She was a likable character, although you had to feel sorry for her because she places a lot of trust in O'brien, her maid, except O'brien is out for her own interests.

Brenden Coyle left Lark Rise to Candleford to be in this new series. Let me say... His character here (John Bates) is so much more likable! In Lark Rise to Candleford, his character, Robert Timmins, was getting more and more disagreeable to me, but here he's a lot more likable here. Here he is Lord Gratham's old friend who becomes his valet. At first, a lot of the other servants do not think that he should be working there since he has to use a cane to get around, but they do accept him and befriend him eventually. He really is a sympathetic character.





Scenery
As usual, BBC succeeds in bringing an interesting period drama with lovely scenery! The colors are absolutely stunning. Scenes take place inside of Downton Abbey, both upstairs where the Crawleys live and downstairs where the servants work and live. Scenes do take place outside on Downton's grounds and inside a hospital and a cottage.




Lady Mary dressed for dinner.



Costumes

There must have been some of the best costuming that I have seen in Downton Abbey. A lot of the evening dresses are very ornate and very pretty to look at. Some of the dresses had transparent sleeves, which I usually do not see in period dramas (at least the ones that I have seen). Some of the day dresses are also very nice to look at.

Some characters seem to favor a particular outfit. Lady Violet is seen often in her purple hat and outfit during the daytime making calls at Downton. Lady Grantham, when on an outing, has a white jacket with black frogs (not the animal, of course) around it.

The hats are very striking. I was never a fan of the big hats of the early 1900s, but I did like some of these. They were trimmed very nicely with bows, ribbons, and flowers.

Music
The music is much more serious in Downton Abbey than most other period dramas. In Episode 1, I thought I detected a soundtrack piece from Little Dorrit (2008). If you have seen Little Dorrit, you remember the music that plays whenever Fanny Dorrit and Mrs. Merdle meet? I think that song (or an incredibly similar one) played during the first episode. If that is the case that it is the same song, that song keeps with the serious nature of the show.


Overall: 4.5 5/5
Why, oh why did it have to end with so many cliffhangers? I really wanted to know what happens next! Well, I guess I'll have to wait for next year to see Series 2... Anyway, this was a really gripping series: at the end of each episode, I really wanted to know what happened next! There was a chance to get to know each of the characters, upstairs and downstairs. Just a warning: there were some mature themes and accompanying scenes, although I would say that the scenes were mostly in the first couple of episodes (the 1st and the 3rd, specifically). In the rest of the episodes, there is a scandal that is talked a lot about, but that was about it. I would still watch this at your own discretion. But overall, this was a very good series: great costumes, great acting, and lovely scenery! I can't wait for Series 2 to come out!

Downton Abbey - Series 1 is available on DVD and Blu-Ray. There are seven episodes in it, the first and the last being one hour long while the others were about 45 minutes long.

Recognizable Actors/Actresses

Actor -- Role in Downton Abbey -- Other Period Dramas

 

  Hugh Bonneville -- Robert Crawley -- Mr. Grandcourt from Daniel Deronda

Michelle Dockery -- Lady Mary -- Ermina Whyte from Return to Cranford

Maggie Smith -- Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham -- Lady Gresham from Becoming Jane and Betsey Trotwood from David Copperfield (1999)*
Jim Carter -- Mr. Carson -- Captain Brown from Cranford

Brendan Coyle -- John Bates -- Robert Timmins from Lark Rise to Candleford and Nicholas Higgins from North and South*
Dan Stevens -- Matthew Crawley -- Edward Ferrars from Sense and Sensibility (2008)* 

Penelope Wilton -- Isobel Crawley -- Mrs. Hamley from Wives and Daughters

Samantha Bond -- Lady Rosamund Painswick -- Mrs. Weston in Emma (1996)

* Information from Melody from Regency Delight ~Jane Austen etc.~. Thank you, Melody!