Hi, I'm Mary Catherine, and I'm late to the party.
I just started watching Downton Abbey a couple of weeks ago. I've already burned through season one and am about midway through season two. Here are some thoughts so far. (No spoilers, don't worry.)
- Cora Crawley's voice is so annoying that I can barely watch this show. Elizabeth McGovern's complete refusal to open her mouth any wider than the height of a raisin is infuriating beyond words. I did a long rant on Snapchat a few days ago about this, and it seems a lot of people agree.
- The clothes are just magnificent. I like that the wardrobe department made the choice to let us see outfits over and over again, instead of treating the characters as though they have bottomless wardrobes. I like that we see dresses repeated.
- I get that Mary and Edith hate each other, but DAMN they're so mean to each other in season one! Woof.
- I love the love story between Anna and Mr. Bates, but they're such a physical mis-match that it's kind of unbelievable to me. I don't know why I feel that way. But I do.
- Otherwise, they've done such a good job casting people who physically represent the roles they play. One look at any of these folks and you know whether they're aristocracy or servants; heroes or villains.
- Matthew Crawley's character went from cringe-worthy to romantic hero in a matter of episodes. Kind of impressive.
- Not that I expected any different, but Maggie Smith is for sure the best part of the show.
- Thomas and Mrs. O'Brien are almost too evil. It's like comically evil at this point.
- Lady Sybil is so beautiful it's distracting. That girl has a face like a Christmas ornament.
- There are moments that are so soap opera-y and cheesy that it's hard to watch sometimes. Like at the end of a scene when a character will say something very cryptic and then the music will swell and it will cut to another scene. This is like watching Days of our Lives, which I've never watched, but you get the point.
- I wish someone had done a tally of how many times Lady Mary's hand flies to cover her mouth as she breaks down in tears. Spoiler: it's a lot.
- Besides being eye candy with its gorgeous landscapes and period dress, Downton Abbey is interesting as a bit of historical fiction. I'd honestly never considered what happened to families in the upper echelon of society during wartime.
- Even if this show devolves into ridiculousness, as least it's pretty to watch.
What do you think? Have you watched it? Is it worth sticking with?