Downton Abbey Withdrawal
Life will go on now that Lady Mary and Matthew have gotten together. They will go through the 20′s together – can’t help but hope and wonder if they will do a “Midnight in Paris” spin with the Hemingway set. And how will they they weather the rise of the Third Reich? After all, Mary’s American “Grandmama” (Shirley MacLaine) is about to appear, and her name is Martha Levinson, widow of merchant Isidore. Whom will they hide in the Abbey?
But oh dear, Sunday night will feel empty without the doings of the Crawleys and their staff. What I noticed during the final episode was the way language enforced class. That is, Lady Mary and Anna could have been true friends, except that Anna addressed Mary as “My Lady.” The demand to attach a formal title to every communication provides a constant reminder of who’s who in the room. The address of “My Lord” and “My Lady” serve to elevate and separate the individuals from each other. Yet the tension – and the intrigue and fascination – of the series is centered on transcending those enforced class differences to reveal the humanity of the individuals as well as the extent to which relationships go beyond class.
And I am left with so many questions: What of Lady Edith’s would-be beau? Will O’Brien ever confess her betrayal to Cora? Will Thomas serve Lord Robert loyally; that is, can Thomas ever reform? Will there be an heir? What part will Lady Sybil and Branson play from Ireland? How long will the Dowager Countess live? Will Bates’ sentence be lifted? And did he actually murder his evil ex-wife?
Until they re-appear, Sunday nights will be dreary indeed.
