February 6, 2012 - 4:44pm
'Downton Abbey' RECAP: Save the drama for your mama
BY JENNIFER XU AND KAYLA UPADHYAYA
- PBS
The resplendently rendered British period drama "Downton Abbey" is back on our TV screens after nearly a year of waiting. Magazine Editor Jennifer Xu and Senior Arts Editor Kayla Upadhyaya recap the fifth episode of the fiendishly addictive show.
Kayla: I hated this episode. I usually reserve this kind of hatred for truly terrible shows, but I guess it just especially stung because I know "Downton" can do better. And it usually does do better. This episode just completely stands out, and not in a good way. Maybe it's not such a bad thing if people opted to watch the Super Bowl instead of "Downton" this week.
Jennifer: I am SO with you on this one. There were very, very, very few things I enjoyed about this episode - it was so, so telenovelaish. The mummified Canadian man, in particular.
Kayla: That plot was terrible. Fellowes took everything I dislike about soap opera and crammed it into an episode.
Jennifer: It's not even worth a conversation whether the Canadian is the real Patrick or not - I just don't care.
Kayla: I don't care either! And it's really odd that Fellowes through this dumb story into the mix when it focused so much on what the show is all about: Who is going to inherit Downton Abbey? That's the question central to the show, and you would think that Fellowes would treat it with a bit more finesse than sloppily concocting this Peter/Patrick story that no one — including the audience AND most of the characters — cares about.
Jennifer: Yeah, and to have him "conveniently" leave at the end of the episode made me wonder why Fellowes introduced him to the plot at all. He was there basically to eat up the airtime. Which brings me to someone else who eats up the airtime: ETHEL. Oh my gosh I am so over her drama.
Kayla: Yeah it made me care even less when he just disappeared. And Ethel has been annoying me as well, but I found her a bit less frustrating than the continuation of the Anna/Bates saga this week. "Downton" can drag out story lines longer than any other show. It makes watching the show seem a bit like a chore. Give me more scandal and melodrama that doesn't make me yawn, please.
Jennifer: I honestly think "Downton" could be better off not introducing new characters or new plotlines and just having the existing ones hang out and talk a bit. I think a lot of the appeal of Downton has to do with these super rich people and their almost trifling problems (compared to us regular folk). A lot of my favorite scenes involve Mary and Violet saying really condescending lines - I need some of that back! And the one scene that I liked in this episode was when Mary was talking to Ethel about mummy man and was all like, “He isn’t like anything to look at." Bring on the bitch Mary!
Kayla: As usual, Mary is my favorite in this episode. And even though I'm not a huge Sir Richard fan, I liked their scenes together this week. Sir Richard is a schemer just like Mary and their plan to purchase this estate from the family who just lost their won in the war grabbed my interest ... especially when Sir Richard attempted to bribe Carson into following them away from Downton! Can you imagine Downton without Carson? Because I certainly cannot.
Jennifer: I feel like it's not going to stick. Some drama or other is going to draw them apart. But I liked that move because it demonstrated how much Sir Richard loves Mary (although sometimes he doesn't really show it) and how much Carson loves Mary too (albeit in a different way). I hope there's more of that in future episodes - I still don't think "Downton" has jumped the shark despite the utter ridiculousness of this episode. I'm looking forward to this 2 hour Christmas special a couple of episodes down - I have faith in its good-ness.
