Downton Abbey - Am I Missing Something?

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by Frontier, Feb 11, 2013.

  1. propita

    propita Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2001
    Location:
    fresno, ca, us
    He was proved right with what happen to Shrimpy. Shrimpy didn't change/modernize and they're losing the estate. Robert modernized, albeit under protest, and they've become self-sufficient.

    But I still like the idea of Daisy becoming independent. And I like her relationship with her "dad."
     
  2. The Borgified Corpse

    The Borgified Corpse Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2000
    Location:
    Ouch! Forgotten already? You were just down ther
    I still think it's really wierd that females can't even be used as the throughline to a male heir, even if females can't inherit the actual title. (And how does that make any sense in a country that has had at least 3 or 4 female monarchs by this point?)

    Personally, other than Matthew's death, I liked Season 3 far more than Season 2. The conflicts felt more natural. Season 2 mostly contrived conflicts by throwing Lavinia Swire & Sir Richard Carlyle into the mix to deliberately keep Matthew & Mary apart. (And, seriously, they had to turn Sir Richard into an absolute beast just to create a character that was too mean even for Mary. Lucky for the writers, all they need to do was cast Iain Glen. The man exudes menace just by breathing.:evil:)

    Plus, as troubled as I am by Matthew's death, I think the deaths in Season 2 were a bit too convenient. I mean, Lavinia just had "dead meat" written on her forehead the second anyone even mentioned "influenza epidemic." And William's death was also fairly convenient for Daisy. She got to marry him, take a war widow's pension, got a new surrogate father out of the deal, and never even had to perform any wifely duties because he spent their entire 2 days of marriage bedridden, dying of his war wounds.

    But, I will say that no scene in Season 3 quite matches the ecstatic high of that scene in Season 2 when Matthew & William unexpectedly returned after being missing in action. Mary seemed so much nicer during the war.
     
  3. The Borgified Corpse

    The Borgified Corpse Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2000
    Location:
    Ouch! Forgotten already? You were just down ther
    We also know he was proven right by history. From what I've heard, it took a while for the producers of the show to find a suitable location for Downton Abbey since most of those big houses were demolished after the war and split into smaller estates. The house they use on the show is one of the few left standing.

    BTW, have we ever learned anything about Daisy's family? What kind of background is she from?
     
  4. auntiehill

    auntiehill The Blooness Premium Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    Location:
    on the couch
    And now we have to wait a year for the next season. :(
     
  5. propita

    propita Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2001
    Location:
    fresno, ca, us
    Daisy says she has no family. I don't remember what happened to them. She mentioned it to her "dad."

    The reason the estate can't go through females is that it's entailed not just to the "issue" of whomever entailed it, but entailed to "male issue" only, i.e., through the male line. It wasn't uncommon at one time in England. Nowadays, in the US, it is sometimes possible to be overturned based on discrimination, the particular words would be stricken.
     
  6. The Borgified Corpse

    The Borgified Corpse Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2000
    Location:
    Ouch! Forgotten already? You were just down ther
    And yet, if Lord Grantham's title passed directly from him down to his theoretical grandson, skipping over Mary completely, you could keep the line of succession so much cleaner and yet still maintain your stupid sexism. How did the British ever expect to keep their empire when they were so busy maintaining stupid, arbitrary rules instead? :rolleyes: ;)
     
  7. J.T.B.

    J.T.B. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2005
    The rules evolved to fit an agricultural society where land equaled wealth and the aristocracy had military obligations. In the industrialized era, yeah, it seems kind of arbitrary and stupid!
     
  8. diankra

    diankra Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2005
    Location:
    UK
    It's just become an issue again because Parliament's putting through legislation to ensure that William and Kate's first child will be the heir to the throne regardless of its gender (whereas under the old rules a girl would be displaced by a younger brother). Various noble families have been saying 'If you can do it for the monarchy, why not sort out our inheritances while you're at it?' At which point JTB's point about trying to avoid separating the title and the land cuts in...
     
  9. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
  10. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Maybe Lady Shrimpy's O'Brien clone can sign up.
     
  11. feek61

    feek61 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2011
    Location:
    In the Sunshine!
    I love the show. It is very well written for the most part with great characters and interesting story lines. I also like that the entire family can watch it.
     
  12. T'Bonz

    T'Bonz Romulan Curmudgeon Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2000
    Location:
    Across the Neutral Zone
  13. cardinal biggles

    cardinal biggles A GODDAMN DELIGHT Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2001
    Location:
    potrzebie
    So, how will O'Brien make her exit? Personally, I think they'll softsoap it.
     
  14. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
    She was driving the truck that caused Mathew's accident. She'll be on the lam and running a cabal of evil staff members set to destroy Downton Abbey. Branson's questionable Irish revolutionary connections will be critical to stopping her, but will run him up against Lord Grantham and Mary. The Dowager Countess will be critical to resolving this and bringing about the final Downfall of the evil Miss O'Brien.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2013
  15. Samurai8472

    Samurai8472 Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2007
    The 4th season will end with an exciting battle in the kitchen of Downton Abbey. Mrs Hughes will sacrifice herself and Daisy will rise as head chef
     
  16. cardinal biggles

    cardinal biggles A GODDAMN DELIGHT Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2001
    Location:
    potrzebie
    There can be only one... head cook.
     
  17. Allyn Gibson

    Allyn Gibson Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2000
    Location:
    South Pennsyltucky
    I thought the Christmas special this year opened the door to O'Brien's exit. She told her rival (the lady's maid to Mrs. Shrimpie) that she wanted to travel and was jealous that her rival got to travel and she didn't. Then, O'Brien is more in tune with what Mrs. Shrimpie wants than her rival. I thought it was opening the possibility that O'Brien goes to work for Mrs. Shrimpie -- the Crawleys get Rose, Rose's parents get O'Brien.

    Plus, now that O'Brien knows that others know the phrase "bar of soap," she's not going to want to hang around Downton Abbey much longer. True, Bates doesn't know what it means, but O'Brien doesn't know that.
     
  18. auntiehill

    auntiehill The Blooness Premium Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2006
    Location:
    on the couch
    ^True. I think that would make the most sense. We'd get a replacement O'Brien and the whole plot line about the competing maids would make more sense in the grand scheme of things.

    The phrase was "her ladyship's soap." If O'Brien had a brain at all, I'm sure she'd find a way to get out fast, while the getting was good.
     
  19. cardinal biggles

    cardinal biggles A GODDAMN DELIGHT Moderator

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2001
    Location:
    potrzebie
    It appears my soap pun totally went over all your heads. :( :p
     
  20. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2010
    ^Better over our heads than under our feet. :p