Ahhh, those familiar opening credits... Epic and sweeping with a strong
piano and orchestral score, not showing the face of any actors, just showcasing
the titular character: Downton Abbey herself.
We've experienced an interesting world when it comes to television
titles. As a baby of the 80s every TV show that I watched had a theme song with
lyrics that burned its way into the collective conscience. It would be
difficult to find a peer who didn't know the opening songs for TMNT, Family
Matters, Full House, and Saved by the Bell. But this once seemingly required
formulaic opening sequence started to fade away with the coming of the Millennium,
LOST being the prime example.
But the micro-title sequence has almost faded
away as well, moving toward a more interesting balanced approached. Modern
titles like Downton, House of Cards, and even Orange is the New Black are much
more like that of Film. They set a theme and feeling. While you are watching
the titles you are being emotionally and sensorially (not a word, but should
be) prepared for what you are about to enjoy. So it is nice to have that
sequence back, though I do still laugh a little when I think of Simon Pegg's
description "Dog But Abbey".
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| and what a good dog but it is too |
Now that the Pilot introduced the major players, the setting, and the
conflict; the second episode is here to drive the plot forward, but also to win
our hearts. That is the feeling I get at least. Later seasons become quite
serious in their subject matter, but being the second episode, the show is
still courting us.
It starts with Mathew and Mrs. Crawley arriving at Crawley House.
Mathew is definitely the audience vehicle character. He is most "like
us" as he has a very modern life and career and has now been displaced,
although upwards instead of downwards. As an American my initial reaction to
being told I was the heir to some massive estate and am now part of the gentry,
I'd probably hoot and holler and go out celebrating. Mathew, however, in
typical British fashion (and also more interestingly) is quite grumpy. We immediately
jump on Mathew's side, as the fish out of water, and can empathize with him
with his exposition of "refusing to let them change him." Mrs.
Crawley quite correctly is making the best of a grand situation, and tries her
best to behave how this new station should, because she's knows that they
expect her to not know how to behave.
These scenes are quite excellent, Mathew and Mrs. Crawley are set up,
they have places to grow, and they are both charming in their own way. One thing that is funny and stresses the time
period of the show, is that while Mathew is grumpy about having a valet and
household staff, and how he goes on about living simply, he mentions how they
have always managed with "a cook and a maid". So while the Crawleys may have been upper
middle class, it still had quite a large amount of privilege compared to our
current middle class lifestyle.
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| Cook, Maid, & Jacket Tricks |
Plots continue, Mathew puts his foot in his mouth in front of Mary,
something we will see them both do over and over. The downstairs crew, mainly
the dreaded O'Brien, has an interesting perspective on the Crawleys, seeing how
they just" hopped up" the social ladder, she doesn't think she should
have to show them the respect the current family is entitled too.
During dinner a reference to the times is made by mentioning Mr. Lloyd
George (the future Prime Minister if you didn't know) to which the Dowager
Countess asks to not mention his name at the dinner table. At this point in time David Lloyd George would
have been the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whose American counterpart would be
the Secretary of the Treasury. . . sort of. Mr. Lloyd George enacted policies that created
the modern British Welfare State, so he would obviously be a counter to the privileged
life of the Aristocracy.
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| Dr. Clarkson & David Lloyd George look a bit similar. . . |
One of Downton's most famous Dowager Countess gems comes up in this
episode. Mathew informs Lord Grantham that he has taken a job at a law firm in
Rippon. Lord Grantham wants to clarify that he intends to include Mathew in the
running of the estate, but Mathew assures him that he will have plenty of time
in the evenings and on the weekends. Maggie Smith delightfully brings the elder
Lady Grantham to life with "What is a weekend?"
Hilarious to us modern folk, but amazingly realistic to the attitudes
of the period. This is another of those Julian Fellows clever/cute moments that
are often found in the hands of the Dowager Countess, she is from an even earlier
age so the adjustment to the 20th Century of the show is far more drastic to
her than any other character.
Another anachronistic moment happens in this scene. We get a nice
special shot of William's shoulder seam which has ripped. Below decks we
witness Carson berate young William for his "State of Undress".
Having worked in the Service Industry, I know about uniform checks and I
understand that standards are important to uphold. Carson does seem to go
overboard in his discipline of William, but this is merely a device to set up
Carson's future plot.
A side note here, the "State of Undress" cracked me up. We
live in an amazingly casual society here in the USA. Jeans are acceptable at
almost any establishment and for some reason wearing a tie immediately means
"dressed up". I think this is not a necessarily good thing. Menswear
is relegated to horrible work wear, most men hate wearing the suits because they
are required, and variety in men's clothing is slowly disappearing. The world
of Downton is definitely too far deep in the opposite camp, but it is nice to
watch a show so meticulously costumed, especially in an era where even lower
class characters take pride in their appearance and clothing had real style.
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| I'm a farmer, and I have more style than you |
An interesting idea comes up in this episode, the concept of identity.
I often find that the subject of identity is the basis of many of my blogs and
even an underlying part of my fiction as well. O'Brien, in all her
horribleness, goes on a tirade about how terrible Mr. Crawley is and how he
isn't a "real" aristocrat or whatnot. She is deliciously smacked down
by Lady Grantham. Mathew continually
struggles to find his place. He is so strongly holding onto his old situation
that he insults everyone around him. Poor ol' Mosely complains to Bates that he
just stands there "like a chump, watching a man get dressed."
Remember a couple of paragraphs back before my tangent about clothes? Of
course you do. Up to this point we've seen Carson as a rock. Someone who takes
his job seriously, does it very well, and cares for "his
family". I think this may be
Carson's only personal plot until the fourth season. We see Carson get a letter, then we later see
him stealing food from the pantry. What could be happening? Well that identity issue comes up again, this
time in the form of Mr. Charles Grigg. Grigg
is blackmailing Carson with revealing the identity of his past. Might I also
add that Grigg is dressed excellently, in a tan/orange plaid suit with a bow
tie and tan bolwer.
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| Grigg, no one wants to deal with your shit, nice bow tie though |
Interesting enough Carson's "Bear witness to my shame."
really isn't all that bad. He was once a vaudeville performer. Not a big deal to us, but to Mr. Carson who
has held such a high standard for himself and others, he now seems himself as
some sort of liar or con. His "shame" in his identity and his
desperation to hide it lead him to steal from Downton in the form of food, and
to have put others under him in an awkward position. While Carson attempts to give his notice, Lord
Grantham won't hear of it. Quite on the contrary Robert tells Carson "I'm
rather impressed."
Robert also displayed a side of his identity that we have yet to see
him flex. Robert pays off Mr. Grigg and then lays it down that if Mr. Grigg
should return he would have him arrested and prosecuted. Grigg tries to assert
himself by telling Lord Grantham that times are changing and how can he think
he can get away with this dismissal, to which Lord Grantham responds with the
pimpest line ever, "I think it, because it is true." Dope.
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| "Bring me my fur coat, large hat, and pimp cane." |
Oh, also in this scene we have a grand moment from young Sybil who
stays with Mr. Bates "in case any explanation is needed." Sybil understands
her position in the world better than her sisters, and empathizes more with the
staff, which is probably why we, the audience, love her so so much.
Mathew continues with this identity crises and asks Lord Grantham if it
was alright if he sacked poor ol' Mosely. Lord Grantham drops some knowledge.
Why deny people their jobs? And once again Robert gets a fantastic line,
"We all have different parts to play and we must be allowed to play
them."
If that wasn't a distillation of the theme of the episode in one line,
then I don't know what is. Mathew takes this lesson and applies it immediately
when dressing for dinner. He allows poor ol' Mosely to do his job, compliments
his work, and shows him the respect he deserves. While the audience may have
empathized more with Mathew and his more modern sensibilities, we can now
understand the times better.
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| RAWR! |
Besides the identity kick of the episode, we also get a few seeds
planted for down the road. The first mention of Evelyn Napier who will make his
first appearance soon and then makes for a much more interesting plot in season
four. William attempts to flirt with
Daisy, though she is currently interested in Thomas. We also had an excellent
scene of Thomas and Daisy dancing "The Grizzly Bear". That dance
scene served multiple ideas. It sets up Daisy's crush, but it also showed that
Thomas has a good side. Thomas' is a hard character to empathize with, but
showing that the hard working downstairs folk still have time to have good ol'
fun, and that Thomas is part of it, that he isn't just scheming all the time
like O'Brien, helps immensely. Also the
Dowager Countess v Mrs. Crawley gets its first real battle with the hospital
plot. First shots fired!
So that's episode two. It was mostly a character study. Letting us know
better who is who and what they want. There wasn't much plot movement, but in a
show so early in its run, this was a prime example of gaining the audience's
support. These characters have become more loveable and more interesting, so
you for sure would be coming back for episode three.
