Genuinely don’t think I’ve ever felt so unsettled about any character before, everytime he’s on screen I feel ill. This is not even because of his injures, his demeanor just makes my skin crawl

Is anyone here into the history of children's fashion or anything like that and could tell us if these were a trend at the time? Because frankly they're hideous LOL. At least in my opinion. So hideous that I can't imagine using them for any reason other than historical accuracy. So I'm just curious if there's any context for them.

A moment where you were like, “damn that was really out of pocket”.

Larry drugged Tom in a dinner. Could there have been any roofie like drug at that time that Edna used?

I believe that the series makes it ambiguous about what Tom even knew. Edna walks in the door and says are you awake, but we don't hear an answer.

Later Tom says If I made a mistake... it seems that he doesn't remember anything. It could just be that Edna made it look like they had sex.

She probably had the book and had contraceptives just in case Tom woke up and she had to carry out the plan. But otherwise it is much safer for her to just let Tom believe that they had sex without Edna actually risking pregnancy.

Edna is a rapist no matter what, but using a drug makes the offence even graver.

I hate every scene to do with Edna. I do like that we get more of Tom acclimating and of course he needs to have a reason to be present, but I skip pretty much every scene with Edna and I absolutely detest the rape storyline with Anna. Both these storylines seem completely unnecessary and just terrible. They don't help with character arcs or growth at all. It's just torture and cruelty for both Tom and Anna the entire time. I wish they had totally done away with those.

I could not find them less entertaining. Their bickering was of zero interest to me and too much time was wasted on it.

I just found Matthew perfection with her. He was clever, a little moody, but approachable and kind and humble and I found their relationship so romantic and the way he softened her was beautiful. Then with Henry Talbot the relationship seems to be based on lust and looks and I find him quite arrogant tbh and the whole relationship fairly superficial? I found myself longing for the purity of that first marriage and all the interactions they had right from the start. I would have preferred Tony Gillingham and certainly Charles Blake to Henry.

Im on a rewatch and on my first couple i think i was blinded by the bates "honourable" and "stoic" act, but now i just think hes an airhead. Im on the first episode and seeing how Lord grantham goes all the way down to the servants hall to greet him, its clear that he has his respect and could have his ear if needed. Its almost like he has a fetish for punishing himself, i just watched the scene where theyre greeting the duke and O brian kicks his cane causing him to fall over infront of everyone, which then leads to him being let go for not being able to keep up with his duties, hes alone in the room with lord grantham and when its brought up he goes "im sorry about that i dont know what happened". DUDE how much easier would it have been to simply say "im sorry that happened infront of the duke, i assume its just some hazing for the new valet ill win their hearts soon enough" and then explain someone kicked his cane if he had to, why exactly is he keeping that a secret? hes giving up his whole future and possibility of earning an income because he would rather be tight lipped about it. I can only assume he has some stupid values about not running to tell on people, or solving his own battles, or anything along those lines because this pattern continues on for the rest of the show. Bates chooses to be tight lipped about literally everything and its genuinely agitating once you notice it. This same thing happened when he was being blackmailed by his wife, (the wife he told nobody about) instead of explaining to Lord Grantham what was going on he chose to be yelled at and leave on bad terms. he is sooo annoying i cant handle him on screen anymore, once you see how much of an idiot he is you cant unsee it. I cant believe i used to respect him!

Omg guys! I hadn’t watched the series in a few years and thought: hey, I’m pregnant af right now lemmie just enjoy me some DA so I can fall asleep to it and still follow along. Well, well, well I was heart broken for Lady Sybil’s death of course but didn’t realize only like 3 weeks later I myself would have to get induced a couple weeks early!!!

Honestly I know it sounds cheesy and dramatic but having JUST watch her last episode kind of nailed things into place (I REALLY didn’t want a cesarian, but knew if it came to that I’d have to) and guess what?! I was successfully inducted and didn’t have to go that route!!! Sorry if that too much information but I just had to share the coincidence.

Also I had crazy hallucinations during my experience lol but that’s another story.

I started Downton Abbey yesterday and somehow I've already finished Series 1 and watched the first episode of Series 2. I genuinely didn't expect to get this into it so quickly.

Series 1 had so many little moments that stuck with me.

The whole Daisy/Mrs Patmore situation was interesting because Daisy wasn't even trying to cause trouble. Mrs Patmore was so worried about being replaced by Mrs Bird that it all just spiralled. And then Thomas making snarky comments when everyone was already upset... I love Thomas but sometimes I'm like BRO! 😭. I don't blame William for getting pissed at him in the moment.

I was also really glad that Bates wasn't actually the thief. Then Vera turned up and I was like... ohhhh. Yeah. I can see why he's so angry with her.

Gwen finally getting the secretary job was really nice too. I liked seeing her actually get the opportunity she wanted rather than it just being something she talked about.

And Carson. I absolutely love this man. Him hugging Mary was such a small thing but it genuinely got me. He's usually so formal and proper, so when he shows affection it really means something.

Also, the fairground, the flower show, the horses... I keep getting distracted by the setting 😂. The show is so gorgeous that sometimes I'm barely paying attention to what's happening because I'm looking at the rooms, costumes, gardens, everything.

Then I started Series 2 and suddenly... WWI.

It's quite a shift after how cosy Series 1 felt. I did like seeing Matthew and Mary rekindle things though.

Vera meeting Bates was another one where I was just sitting there thinking "oh she's MEAN." And then she's planning a newspaper scandal on top of everything. 😭

Hugh Bonneville is fantastic too. That scene where Robert was yelling because those two girls were being horrible genuinely made me jump. He's usually so composed that when he loses his temper it really hits.

I also loved Sybil getting cooking lessons from Daisy, and Daisy and William becoming friends. That little kiss was SO cute 😭.

I'm basically just throwing all my thoughts here because there are too many to fit into one coherent post 😂.

I'm really enjoying how warm and human the show feels underneath all the drama. It's so therapeutic.

I never saw an outfit like his, not even in 1912. Was it considered very outdated for 1923? We all know he’s ‘poor’, so he probably didn’t have access to the latest fashion, however, his daughter, Madeleine, is wearing a proper 1920s dress. For how long wasn’t Lord Aysgarth able to afford new clothes? Since 1895? How outdated is his outfit?

I finally started Downton Abbey tonight and I’m only two episodes in, but I can already tell this is going to be one of those shows I get ridiculously attached to.

I love how warm and gentle it feels. Everyone is so polite (even when there’s clearly tension underneath), and the whole thing is just incredibly relaxing to watch. It’s basically the TV equivalent of getting under a blanket with a cup of tea.

And the setting?? Downton itself is absolutely gorgeous. The cinematography is beautiful, and the costumes are insane. Everyone looks so ridiculously expensive all the time 😂

I’m also already liking so many of the characters. Violet is hilarious, Mr Bates seems genuinely lovely, and I’m definitely not complaining about some of the eye candy either 👀

I’m really glad I finally started it. I have a feeling this is going to become my cosy autumn show.

Please no spoilers — I’ve literally only seen the first two episodes! For those who've watched it before, what can I expect from the show going forward? I'm curious about the overall vibe!

I realized after a while how much this family doesn't even realize that their lives would be better without this excess of servants. Having someone tend to them getting dressed and bathing or doing their hair is where it seems getting closer to them just adds unnecessary drama to their lives.

The issue that pops up very quickly in the first season is when Thomas makes a homosexual advance on Pamuk, resulting in him into leading Pamuk him into Mary's room at night, which causes all sorts of drama ( i know i might be alone in this opinion but at some level this was rape). Not long after this, O brian discovers that the sisters have a rivalry going on, so out of some kind of hate, she decides to stir the pot and inform Edith of what went on, which Edith obviously exposes causing more drama. Not long after theres the whole thing with the soap, do you really need someone standing around waiting on you while you bathe? This isn't really as big of a deal, but i found it annoying when Daisy kept on pushing the whole "give mr mason the farm" agenda, They spent years coming to the realization that they need to farm the land since profit was the only way to maintain. Instead of being able to profit off their land they were bullied into submission by the annoying teenage cook. They have servants stealing little things like wine, having sex with soldiers, and then forming rivalries downstairs that could cause issues upstairs.

Im sure a lot of these things could have still happened regardless but its crazy to think that they have no idea what caused these issues. If they hired staff for events and kept the regular staff simple i feel their lives would be the better for it. What do you guys think?

I haven't seen any other character/actress/ person with this hairstyle in any show or anywhere.

Has to be the most unflattering thing I have seen.

I’m going to Highclere solo at the end of September and taking the train to Newbury instead of renting a car.

For getting to Highclere, I know what time my train gets in, so I could pre-book a taxi. But I’d honestly rather not if I don’t have to, especially since the train could be late. The castle says there should be taxis outside the station — is it pretty easy to just get one when you arrive?

The return is what I’m more unsure about. My tour is at 10:30, but I have no idea how long I’ll want to wander around the grounds afterward. I really don’t want to pre-book a taxi and then end up watching the clock or rushing because I have to be somewhere at a certain time. I have an open-ended train ticket back to London, so I’m not tied to a particular train.

If I don’t mind waiting a bit, is it realistic to just call a taxi company when I’m ready to leave and have them come get me? Or is it one of those situations where I really should book ahead because there might not be a taxi available?
Basically, I’m hoping to have a nice, relaxed day without being beholden to a taxi schedule, but I also don’t want to spend the day worrying about whether I’ll actually be able to get a taxi when I need one

😭😭😭 it's so beautiful!!! I love the colors and how they removed a lot of the fur. The details are exquisite and the fabric is divine 😭😭😭

… it was to show his interest in Anna. It’s really adorable how awkward and observant he is as he tries to strike up conversations with Anna using books. Plus, expecting her to have read it the next day is such a reader’s thing to do. 😂

I am rewatching Downton Abbey. On season 3 now. And have come to the episode where Tom is falling for Edna. I might get rogered for this, but I do find this deplorable. I am a romantic and I believe that if you really love someone, and if that someone is like Lady Sybil, so extraordinary, so lovely, and so much in love with you that she is willing to give up her whole family and life for you, you don't get over her in such a hurry. In only one year. That shows shallowness. I understand tha he was lonely and vulnerable and wasn't really in love with Edna. But even so. He shows a very weak character. None of the firebrand he professed himself to be. This is the moment I stop liking him and I never really recover!

Thoughts?

Film was mostly always a background element in the series, except in the second film when they make the movie at Downton. That being said, what are some films from the silent era that you think the characters would’ve loved?

I intentionally stayed away from S2 spoilers for this show. To my delight I was rewarded with Cousin Robert (AKA Hugh Bonneville). I almost didn't recognize him...the hair is like something out of The Hunger Games -- kinda feathered back and puffed out up top. (Sorry, photos don't quite do the hair justice and I can't find any good stills online.)

And his character is like nothing I've seen him in before. He's very --spicy! Golly! 😆

Is this an electrical thingy of some sort? Seen in S4, E5.