Thoughts on Downton Abbey series 2

[birdienl]

Now that some time has passed since the last, mindboggling episode of Downton Abbey series 2, I decided I would write down my thoughts about all the characters this season. Not that the world wide web isn't overflowing with similar posts, but here's my two cents worth....

A very long post with SPOILERS for all of series 2 are to be found under the cut!

Before I start reviewing each characters storyline, let me first say that I love Downton Abbey and this second series was again a joy to watch. Engaging characters, all played by very talented actors and actresses, an interesting historical background and a cinematography to die for, how can you not love it? Still, no production is ever perfect, certainly not in the eyes of the demanding active-in-fandom public!

Upstairs:

Mary: What can I say about this complex character without running the risk of not doing her justice? Mary Crawley is a wonderful character, and clearly Fellowes' favourite. For that reason, the character is given quite a lot of screen time to develop and there is a real flow and completeness to her story. Ofcourse this is greatly aided by the wonderful acting of Michelle Dockery, who believably makes Mary both vulnerable and haughty. Her vulnerable side was explored more this season, and I think we really got into the character's head. Unfortunately, by far the largest part of the storyline is about her relationship with Matthew. No matter how great (see Matthew), it would also be nice to see her develop in other relationships, of which we've seen some intruiging glimpses in her 'friendship' with Anna.
    Favourite scene: saying goodbye to Matthew at the trainstation (episode 1)

Matthew: Sometimes I wonder whether Matthew without Mary wouldn't be a very bland character. But we don't have to think about that, as we dó have the wonderful relationship between them. The two actors have a large amount of chemistry, making their scenes always highly charged. I believe a few of their series 2 scenes will become classics in the period drama fandom, that will be known by everyone: the trainstation scene, the singing by the piano scene. They will probably get the same status as the dive-in-the-lake scene from P&P95 or the kiss of Thornton and Margaret in North and South. And seeing all their walls crumbled down in the last episode? Thát was real acting firework!
    Favourite scene: saying goodbye to Mary at the trainstation (episode 1)

Lavinia: For a character who (we all knew it) was to be a temporary impediment between Mary and Matthew, Lavinia was suprisingly well-rounded. More than just a sweet girl, her character grew from her first wide-eyed acquaintance with the world of the gentry to an (almost) confident future Lady Grantham by episode 8. The fact her death was such a shocking scene was evidence of the fact that we all had started to love her a little.
    Favourite scene: her determined response to the Matthew-Mary kiss (episode 8)

Richard: I don't think I already know enough about his character to judge fairly about him. Intruiging he certainly is!
    Favourite scene:  I don't have one

Edith: Not counting the characters who died, I felt most sorry for Edith this season. She seemed to be tossed about and dissapointed all along. But through all that, she also made a substantial character development, quietly but beautifully played by Laura Carmichael. It's a pity her storylines were short and ended abruptly, like her working on the farm and relationship with Major Gordon. It's to hope she'll get a more prolonged storyline in series 3, I'm sure then she will really shine!
    Favourite scene: her unbridled joy while working on the Drake's farm (episode 2)

Sybil: Though my personal favourite character, I cannot overlook that she didn't have the best written storyline this season, mainly in her relationship with Branson (see Branson). For me, what was really missing was a moment in which we see Sybil realize she does love Branson enough to say yes to him. In her declaration in episode 7, it felt now as if she only consented to running away with him because she was bored with her life, while her behaviour later in the episode and in episode 8 seemed to speak of a genuine devotion to Tom. But maybe her feelings for Branson were meant to be ambiguous. I really liked the individual development of Sybil, from slightly naïve to worldwise and able to make her own choices. In this respect I also loved the interactions with her sisters; though Sybil is the youngest, she sometimes shows more wisdom in matters of the heart compared to Mary and Edith. 
    Favourite scene: standing next to Mary and helping her in nursing wounded Matthew (episode 5)

Robert: In fandom I've seen Robert being nicknamed Clueless this season. Though I understand where that comes from, I don't necessarily find his storyline bad. We may find him less symphatetic, but his character is a good example of how a certain class of people was affected by the happenings of WWI. He sees all the world around him change, and he doesn't seem to be able to keep up or find a place for himself in the 'new' world. This development was very well acted by Hugh Bonneville. I do however think what happened between him and Jane was out-of-character and could and should have been filled in differently. 
    Favourite scene: telling his family about Major Patrick Gordon/Crawley (episode 6)

Cora: From grudgingly allowing Downton to become a convalescence home in episode 2 to deciding in helping Isobel in her cause in episode 7, Cora's story is witness to the fact that the war really changed everyone. Without great fuss it was shown how Cora became more of an independen women. I think the slow drifting apart of Cora and Robert was written well, but very subtle. It really helps to watch the series twice to see this. 
  Favourite scene: letting Isobel know how she feels about her 'intrusion' (episode 4)

Isobel: I cannot remember much more about Isobel from series 2 besides her being annoying, and that's never a good sign. Her interactions with Matthew are touching, but as a whole I think her character was overshadowed by others this series.
    Favourite scene: when she comes into the hospital to visit wounded Matthew for the first time (episode 5)

Violet: There is no one, not even Lady Mary, who can top the sheer awesomeness of Lady Violet, played to a T by Maggie Smith. In series 2, she provided us again with a good number of funny and quotable moments, but she's more than just the comedic note. She also seemed to be the heart and soul of the upstairs family, keeping them all together, looking with her life experience more levelheadedly to everything going on. She also shows a big heart (in providing for William) and an ability to be pragmatic (in dealing with the Sybil-Branson situation). A perfectly written character, IMHO!
    Favourite scene: walking into Matthew's bedroom to tell him Mary still loves him (episode 7)

Downstairs:

Carson: Mr. Carson shows us a somewhat static character is not necessarily bad. Like the role of Violet was explicitly written for Maggie Smith, I believe the same could apply to Carson played by Jim Carter. He just embodies the faithful butler so much! The two times he was bedridden in this series gave him a change to personal conversations with Mary, which made for real gems of scenes.
    Favourite scene: telling lady Mary he is unable to go with her to her new home (episode 7)

Mrs. Hughes: Strict, but with a heart of gold and a good bit of humour, my favourite downstairs character and wonderfully played by Phylis Logan. Sadly, her character was really underused this season. She only had very slight storylines of which probably the main one was secretly helping Ethel and I didn't find that storyline very convincing at all (see Ethel). Hopefully better times are to come in series 3!
    Favourite scene: eavesdropping on Mr. and Mrs. Bates and telling Mr. Carson about the secret (episode 1)

O'Brien: I wouldn't want to call Sarah O'Brien a cardboard villain in series 1, but in series 2 she got some real depth. Her interactions with Cora and Mr. Lang showed a different side to her character, making me really interested in her. It's a pity not more was shown of her backstory, I would really like to know how and why she has become the woman she is. The line about her favourite brother in her conversation with Mr. Lang was unfortunately no more than a glimpse and a wasted opportunity.
    Favourite scene: meeting up with Thomas after he has come back to Downton, her joy and love (?) for him are written on her face (episode 2)

Bates: Was Bates really the hero of series 1, of whom everyone was in raptures? He sure seems to have lost that throne in series 2, where everyone seemed to be more able to take controle of their life compared to him. Not only was he unable to make his wife agree to a divorce, even Anna had to take the reigns in their relationship and make him marry her! It was a pity we didn't get to see them growing closer together, which sure must have happened in the years between series 1 and 2. In this series, their relationship moved along at snail's pace. As Bates was hardly in any other storylines, it is understandible Brandon Coyle's acting seemed somewhat bored and tired.
    Favourite scene: making plans with Anna for their future (episode 1)

Anna: How can you not love Anna? In series 2, she was just as sweet, strong and funny as in series 1. I think she might be even a stronger female character than the Crawley sisters, determined to make a new life for herself and quietly picking up the pieces when this doesn't work out. And in the process never forgetting to be there for others, both upstairs and downstairs. Unfortunately, her relationship with Mr. Bates suffered from sloppy writing (see Bates), but her other scenes made up for this in a good part.
    Favourite scene: the conversation with Lady Mary about love (episode 2)

Thomas: The villain of the first series seemed to be exactly where he wanted to be by episode 2 of this series. Lording over his former colleagues and practically running a house he used to be just a footman in suited him well. Though I cannot like his character, I think his scheming is written is very well. I think it was quite a brilliant move to make him practically beg for his former job as a footman in the last episode, while he wanted nothing but leave in the last series.
    Favourite scene: showing a bit of his heart to the patient Lt. Courtenay (episode 2)

William: There is probably a tv trope for the kind of role William played, so if you know which one, tell me. What I was going to say is, before series 2 everyone kind of predicted it was William who was going to die in the war, because such was his character. Does that make his storyline in series 2 any less poignant? Maybe a bit, but there was nevertheless much to love. His interactions with Daisy, especially in episode 5 are touching and the acting of Thomas Howes was wonderful here. He was a good example of the young soldiers in WWI who went to war unsuspecting of it's horrors and died bravely.
    Favourite scene: his surprise after Daisy kisses him (episode 1)

Branson: Allen Leech seems to have become fandoms favourite Downton actor for his frequent use of Twitter and his delight in talking to the fans. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his character Branson. His relationship with Sybil, which started with a beautiful declaration in episode 1, consisted of practically the same sort of scene until episode 7. And in the last two episodes, everything was resolved way too quickly. Branson could really have benefitted from an additional scene or two. Because the reasons for his actions were not always explained very well, it made him look pushy or harsh. Luckily, Allen Leech and Jessica Brown Findlay do have some great chemistry between them, which made their scenes in for example episode 7 a joy to watch.
    Favourite scene: When Sybil leaves him in the hotelroom at Gretna Green. His face.... (episode 7)
  
Ethel: I never really warmed to Ethel and I'm not sure what the reasons are. It might be that I've seen to many movies with an illegitemate child storyline (Catherine Cookson overload?) or her storyline seemed to be overshadowed by the others. I didn't find the acting of Amy Nuttal very convincing, besides her comedic moments in the first episode. Maybe the actress is better suited to a role in another sort of series.
    Favourite scene: naïvely asking Mrs. Patmore for some crépe suzette (episode 1)

Daisy: From the downstairs characters, Daisy seems to have made the biggest leap from series 1 to 2: from a shy naïve kitchen maid, to a wife and war widow. Objectively, her story was really interesting, but the execution was sloppy. This was not because of a lack of acting talent by Sophie McShera. She convincingly acted the part of a confused young women dragged along a path she doesn't want to go, but was not asked to act any other emotion. The story was repetitive and Daisy's character showed little progression during series 2.
    Favourite scene: the marriage scene (episode 5)

Mrs. Patmore: Seriously, did she have a real storyline this season besides pushing Daisy? I guess in a large house such as Downton the cook is an important person, but otherwise they could've shoved Mrs. Patmore in a cupboard for most of the episodes and hardly anything would have been missing. I hope for better times for her in series 3.
    Favourite scene: scolding Ethel (episode 1)

Mr. Lang: Kudos to Cal Macaninch for played the shell-shock victim Henry Lang so well! Though the character had the potential to become one-dimensional, he really had some interesting and varied scenes with many different characters and he brought out a whole different side of O'Brien. It's a pity his character was only in two episodes.
    Favourite scene: talking with O'Brien in the hallway (episode 2)

Jane: A character only introduced to become a love interest for the seemingly happily married Robert is not likely to become a favourite. And she definitely wasn't a favourite of mine. I found her story clichéd and poorly executed (see Robert). When she was first introducted, I thought her character had potential to become interesting: a war-widow with a child who becomes a maid. But this potential was not fullfilled.
    Favourite scene: her introduction, after that it went downhill ;-)

Molesley: Series 2 seemed intent on making us dislike Molesly, though he did have a more substantial role than in series 1: wiggling his way out of fighting in the war, walking around after Anna like a love-sick puppy, acting jealous when you're not chosen to be Lord Grantham's valet are really not the things to do to become a beloved character! I did however really liked the actor's (Kevin Doyle) comedic timing in his interactions with Mrs. Bird in episode 4. And ofcourse I feel sorry for him for always seeming to draw the short end of the stick.
    Favourite scene: giggling over tea with Mrs. Bird (episode 4)

My, my, I didn't think this post would get so long! Hope I haven't bored you all to much and if you've kept reading unto here, please let me know if you agree with me about series 2 of Downton or not!

Comments

[themirrorofsin.livejournal.com]

Oh Edith became such a love in this series. Ahh I felt for her so much!
Nice in depth study of everyone - though thoughs on Vera?

for me the characters that made this series were: O'Brien, Violet, Cora, Edith and Mary. All others just became a bit meh (even Thomas who, for most of it, didn't do anything which makes me sad!)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Poor Edith! Sometimes I wanted to step through the screen to give her a hug...

Vera, well, I don't think I've seen enough of her to really have thoughts about her, sorry!

[themirrorofsin.livejournal.com]

Lol this :D

That's okay... just wondered.

[deeplyunhip.livejournal.com]

I agree with you that Jane had a lot of lost potential!

And that Edith and Mary were riveting this season!

[plumeriandeity.livejournal.com]

So totally agree with your comments! I enjoyed the series but honestly, halfway through I got so bored and just wanted things to HAPPEN. The Bates storyline was so overdrawn and irritating. I love Anna but OMG her unwavering "I'll stand by you" thing was so annoying (probably because Bates was so slow on getting things done).

Robert/Jane was so icky. I can't get over how gross the whole thing made me feel. I don't know how it happened - it was uncharacteristic, unexplained and just totally random.

Agree - Isobel was amazingly annoying.

Sybil/Branson was underwhelming -- everyone's talked about how much of a jerk Branson was and how Sybil doesn't completely seem like she loves Branson and that's why she wants to leave. I dunno, everything was just a bit weird.

LOVED Edith -- can she please find happiness? She's so amazing and awesome.

I know Mary can be awful but I still love her character. I think it's because she's so aloof but at the same time, she's maturing a little bit that makes me love her character.

I wanted Daisy to just stop whining and just accept that she did marry William and she deserves to honour his memory and get to know William's family.

On that note, poor William :( I really liked him and I was sad he was killed off.

Violet = made of win, always and forever.

OK, I'm done :) Hope you are well, by the way!