Downton Abbey returned to PBS for season 4 last night. I’m not going to recap it here, but I did want to open up this post to reader comments about season 4. As the weeks go by, please feel free to use the comments here to share your thoughts with me and other readers.
The first comment shall be mine. It was lovely to see everyone back again doing the things we love them for much for doing. Hurrah!
Much of the first episode was about grief. My other comment is that it’s a little simplified to think that grief can be overcome in such ways as those demonstrated here, but it’s also a bit exaggerated to think that grief can be so overwhelming that life stops.
What are your thoughts?
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Happy New Year, Virginia! And, thank you!
Regarding grief, I think that grief can be overwhelming to someone who has a history of depression or a history of other losses that have never been fully healed and resolved. I think you’re right that it is simplified to think that grief can be overcome by luring Mary into running her share of the estate and luring Isobel into her former life of charitable works. But, Julian Fellowes has to perform miracles to bring grief-stricken Mary and Isobel back to life, for the sake of his show.
As an older woman, I’m hoping for more of Isobel and Dr. Clarkson, together. (Almost like Last Tango in Halifax.) He had almost proposed to her, losing his inhibitions due to alcohol. And, she made it clear that she had a full life with no need of marriage. Perhaps, she will reconsider now that she has lost her only child. Anyway, I hope for a romance between the two.
It’s tough watching Thomas up to his old ways. It’s tough watching the reappearance of Edna. The plot thickens!
Whee! Yes to an elder romance on Downton Abbey. Hope your wish comes true.
Kudos to Julian Fellowes:
1.for finding a neat way to write O’Brien off the show. Probably the best thing for O’Brien is to find other employment and adventure. I think she needed to leave her dark past and conflict with Thomas behind her.
2.that, although Major Clarkson was at first annoyed by Isobel (in the last series), his feelings for her grew into affection and warmth.
3.that the relationship between Mary and Edith has become cold again. Kudos to Julian Fellowes for showing us the self-satisfaction and jealousy that can arise between siblings.