It was almost as stupid as the break 4 minutes into X Factor. Anyway it was another corker! I love that The Dowager Countess has started laughing at her own jokes :lol: Cora and Violet's bickering was wonderful too, as was Rosamund being a fabulous bitch. Edith's story is turning out very nicely too, it's somehow quite believable and lovely to watch.

I don't know what I'm making of it thus far. I'm finding it all a bit CLUTTERED if I'm honest. There's far too much going on be it in terms of individual relationships, the ongoing war, random visits to the farm and so on and so forth. It's missing a certain subtlety it had in the first series. The charm is still there but there are too many balls in the air.

"I'm a woman, Mary. I can be as contrary as I please." One of Maggie Smith's best lines :lol:

Most of last night's episode seemed to be written as though the series was a one-off. There's no chance of the second series being shown as early as spring 2011. They said last night that it would be next year. However it wouldn't surprise me if we have to wait until 2012. Writing approx 8 hours of drama in three months is a pretty tough assignment. Then it will take months to rehearse, film and edit and fitting in filming with any other commitments the cast may already have for next year. If they try and make the second series too quickly it could end up being awful.

Hmm. I certainly wouldn't describe this series as awful but a lot of it has been disappointing. I still think it would have been better to wait until next year for the second series. There's more than a touch of "second series syndrome" about it so far.

The main issue for me is with the timeline. We're meant to believe lengthy periods of time pass between episodes, and certainly years are meant to have passed since the first episode of series one. But yet the storylines seem to move at a considerably slower pace, to the extent that each seems to exist in its own timeline. I really feel a better writer would be able to insert little changes in storylines that would make it clear that time has passed. The Sybill/Branson and Anna/Bates ones in particular have reached a point of being ridiculous.

 

I've enjoyed this series as a whole, but only when you stop takingit seriously and just think of it as an overdramatic soap opera. It's not been up to the standard of the first series at all, but Maggie Smith can at times single handedly make it brilliant.

Maggie Smith is never less than brilliant in whatever she does. Clearly some of her lines have been written specifically because she will deliver them so well.

 

The other point is well made. There's a curious mix between story lines that fit in with the general pace (generally those confined to a single episode) and others which drag out for far too long. I'm still sure that some of that is a result of the series being written and filmed too quickly.

The Dowager Countess was on fine form last night I thought, especially her tag team with the wonderfully rubbsh Cora. Her complete lack of facial expressions throughout was the cause for much amusement chex jkm, I especially loved her AGOG face where you only knew she was AGOG by looking at her eyes.

 

Very pleased the feeling returning to Matthew's genitals didn't occur in this episode, that would have been rubbish. I know Downton runs through 6 months an episode, but it doesn't make for good TV everything happening in such quick succession.

A bit disappointed with this second series of Downton if I'm honest. Its a shame that the cinematography, the music, the set design, the whole feel of it is still wonderful - but it is let down something dreadfully by the ludicrous scripts. It seems to me that Fellowes has just rushed the scripts for this second series too fast with no thought to continuity. Also - although I was really intrigued by the relationship between Bates and Anna during the first series - I really couldn't give a toss about them now. They just seem to have the same conversation in the same corridor every week (or every six months as Fellowes would have us believe.) Don't get me wrong - I still love it and it is the highlight of my Sunday evenings - but it is fast becoming a parody of itself.

 

The only two characters that I actually care about now, and just HAVE to find out what the relationship between them (I don't believe the mother/son theory by the way) is O'Brien and Thomas (I'm actually falling in love with Thomas!)

 

Kath

Edited November 1, 201113 yr by Sheila Blige

I'm still enjoying it but there's more than a touch of "second series syndrome" to it. They should have shown the series next spring thus giving another six months to come up with better scripts.

I'm still enjoying it but there's more than a touch of "second series syndrome" to it. They should have shown the series next spring thus giving another six months to come up with better scripts.

 

Totally agree. When Fellowes was asked to do the second series - he should have done it on his terms and said 'you'll have to wait'. Maybe they offered him a superb bonus if he whipped a series out super-quick and he thought 'hell - there are holes in these storylines you could get an oil tanker through - but hey! the oinks watching will never notice'.

 

As you've probably gathered - I can't stand Julian Fellowes (although I take my hat off to him for the DA series 1).

 

Kath

Yes I must concur with your words Kath. That series finale was an absolute farce. It's lost any of its darling subtlety and intrigue. Far too much going on at any one time and it all seems such...parody. More 'Carry On' than 'Downton'.

 

Poor characterisation this series (Lavignia, that maid was her name Rachel?) and some characters that had excellent potential (Thomas for example) have been woefully under-used or used merely as a plot link. I was never really on the edge of my seat as was the case with the first series at times. To be fair all the elements that made it so special last year WERE there but just in half-baked form.

Yes I must concur with your words Kath. That series finale was an absolute farce. It's lost any of its darling subtlety and intrigue. Far too much going on at any one time and it all seems such...parody. More 'Carry On' than 'Downton'.

 

Poor characterisation this series (Lavignia, that maid was her name Rachel?) and some characters that had excellent potential (Thomas for example) have been woefully under-used or used merely as a plot link. I was never really on the edge of my seat as was the case with the first series at times. To be fair all the elements that made it so special last year WERE there but just in half-baked form.

 

I still watched tonight's final episode (and enjoyed every second) but I did it half expecting Mrs Overall from Acorn Antiques to come in with a tray of tea and macaroons!

 

Kath

I still watched tonight's final episode (and enjoyed every second) but I did it half expecting Mrs Overall from Acorn Antiques to come in with a tray of tea and macaroons!

 

Kath

Oh I enjoyed it too. Don't get me wrong I still love 'Downton' but its capable of so much more and alas the finale was fairly predictable yet very watchable.

 

Perhaps it set the bar too high for itself with such a sublime first series that it was never going to ever be able to compete with.

 

Jake

 

Maybe it's because I'm easily silenced by a few marvellous one liners and some fabulous overacting from Cora but I thought the series finale was wonderful. Lavinia certainly gave Cora a run for her money in the how to extract every ounce of FEELING from every single scene without the ability to actually ACT stakes this week with her death bed whisper vox.

 

Dame Maggie was on fine form once again with the best set of one liners she's had to date. Even Robert got one this week, huzzah.

 

I'm not afraid to say I was genuinely fearful my beloved Cora might cark it (despite having read spoilers saying she wouldn't). I'm not sure how I would have coped had there not been someone there to stare at the screen irregardless of the subject matter pulling strained faces trying to convery something.

 

I can't say I care AT ALL about what happens to Bates though, he's so annoying and not someone I ever need to see in any state of undress EVER thank you very much ITV.

 

As for S2 V S1, of course the first was better, they set the bar so ludicrously high they were never going to top it, but I think for all the faults it had this series it wasn't much of a come down and in terms of entertainment it's still one of the best things on TV.

"Is that a promise?", the proposal!, pregnant off-screen Cybil!

 

What a wonderful episode.

I laughed my head off at the 'Is that a promise' line, it was SO perfectly delivered from Dame Maggie QoL.

 

I thought the whole thing was nigh on perfect, it was very slow moving though, but it still got a lot of ground covered and wrapped up most storylines so they can start afresh in S3.

Swinging 20s for series 3!

 

I assume Bates and Cybil (with baby) will make proper returns too.

I do hope we end up at the end of the 20s at some point and they all lose their money in the Depression.

...it was very slow moving though...

Eh? It was lightning paced! Bates' entire court case (months worth) was covered in two hours! Matthew and Mary finally got it together! I thought it was a BRILLIANT episode. Gives me lots of hope for series 3.

 

Eh? It was lightning paced! Bates' entire court case (months worth) was covered in two hours! Matthew and Mary finally got it together! I thought it was a BRILLIANT episode. Gives me lots of hope for series 3.

 

 

Really? I thought it only covered a few weeks around Christmas/New Year 1919/1920.