Keeping Up With the Crawleys: Downton Abbey's Mid-series Review

I was so excited about Downton Abbey before I started watching it. There was a lot of hype surrounding this show. I was especially excited because it seemed very Austen-esque, and I love Jane Austen! However, as you- my dear readers- may have speculated from my seemingly unexcited tone, I don't think it's the best television has to offer. I have an intense love-hate relationship with Downton Abbey. I'm currently near the end of season three, hence the mid-series review (the show consists of six seasons) I love this show very much...but I also hate it. Maybe hate is too strong a word...I...slightly take exception to it. One of the reasons this might be is because a good many characters in the show die. Have a look at the image I used as a post header. Do you see how many people there are in the photo? Well, this is approximately half of the number of people that were on the show, the rest were killed off. Those of you who watch Game of Thrones know that the death rate on that show is seemingly unparalleled. I'm here to tell you that the death rate on Downton Abbey is on par with that of Game of Thrones. Really, the number of people that died in Downton (thus far) is mind-boggling, and I'm only near the end of season 3!

For those of you who have heard, but not yet decided to watch Downton because you're not sure whether or not you should invest your time to decide if it's worthwhile, I invite you to continue on reading this post. I will be listing- and expounding upon- the advantages and disadvantages of watching Downton Abbey.

1. On Downton, you hardly ever know for sure just how much time has passed between seasons/episodes and sometimes, even between scenes. That is one of the most frustrating things about this show. You're very rarely told just how many months or years have passed, and if you are, it's probably when you've started watching the next season. You have to pick that up in the dialogue or guess by assuming the ages of the children, as is the case in season 3.

2. The death toll on this show is high. As aforementioned, like those of Game of Thrones, the creators of Downton eliminated whomever they wanted, whenever, with no consideration for the importance or how beloved the character is. In fact, I just recently mourned an important character and this was not the first time.

3. There aren't many character developments and if there are, then they're very minor developments. It takes the characters, the older ones in particular, a long time to get with the times. Especially the Earl and Mr. Carson (the head butler, who arguably hasn't even gotten with the times yet), who are reluctant to let go of old traditions.

1. The Dowager Countess of Grantham aka Violet Crawley (who is played by Dame Maggie Smith) is everything. You'd think because she is the oldest and because the old ways of thinking are most entrenched in her that she would be the most boring of the Crawleys. That is in fact, not true. She is the character that gives life to the sh(ow. She's funny and very sarcastic, so much so that I don't think there wasn't a difficult situation she was involved in the show that she didn't attempt to make light of with her amusing comments. If for no other reason, you should start watching the show for the Dowager Countess, she's the best!

2. The lives of the servants and maids are just as important as the aristocrats. I found this very refreshing. In shows about royals or members of high society, the POVs of servants are rarely ever presented. On Downton, however, their lives are just as important as their superiors, if not more.

3. A warning sign comes well before a character dies. Hooray! Except, not really. I only just recently realized this- after the death of the important character I mentioned earlier (do not look it up!) I don't know if anyone else who watches Downton or even if the creators of the show realize this, but there's a pattern: If a character has a near-death encounter, then you should expect the character to die later on. (The following examples are based on real deaths of characters on the show, I won't give any names, but if you want to skip over this bit, you may do so) For instance, Character X went to a protest, he/she was hit on the head by the opposition, suffered fatal injuries and was going to die but didn't. Similarly, Character Y was drafted for a World War, went missing and was presumed to be dead. He/she was found in a terminal state, experienced a miraculous recovery and died a few episodes later. There's a character that is still alive on the show now who was on the brink of death earlier on in the show. I don't know if he/she will die, but things are looking a little grim for said character.

4. The show is very Jane Austen-esque. Now, your placement of this fact depends on whether or not you are a fan of Jane Austen. I put it under advantages because I love Jane Austen novels and this is partly why I was so drawn to the show to begin with. The Victorian and Edwardian era intrigue me so I figured I had to watch it because of it is a period drama.

So, has the list of pros and cons left you wanting to watch Downton Abbey or steering clear of it?