Tag: Charles Blake

Series Review: Downton Abbey Season 5

Picture Shows: The TARDIS BBC ONE: Sunday December 25th, 2005 The legendary Time Lord, Doctor Who returns to planet earth for Christmas. Along with established sidekick Rose (Billie Piper), the re-generated Doctor (David Tenant) is once again faced with a battle against evil in a bid to protect planet earth from destruction. From flame-throwing Santas to the evil alien Sycorax, Rose and The Doctor find themselves in one of the hardest battles their friendship has had to endure... Warning: Use of this copyright image is subject to Terms of Use of BBC Digital Picture Service. In particular, this image may only be used during the publicity period for the purpose of publicising 'Doctor Who' and provided the BBC is credited. Any use of this image on the internet or for any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising or other commercial uses, requires the prior written approval of the BBC.

Rating: 8/10

I can’t believe that I‘ve watched everything there is to watch of this show right now. When is the next season coming? Next year? Can 2016 arrive now? Sherlock AND more Downton in one year? Yes, please.

This season is better than the fourth. Everyone has dealt with Matthew Crawley’s death and almost forgiven Dan Stevens for his choice to depart from the show (It is hard to hate him after seeing The Guest and knowing that he will be the Beast in the new Disney movie – also in 2016!). Even Rose managed to not annoy me so much – although her relationship with Atticus Finch and the time frame that Downton is now entering does not even hide what the writers are planning for season six. I liked her relationship with Atticus – she is a much more manageable person with him. I still hate her mother and like her father and find their divorce in the time this show plays off very interesting.

Downton 5 MAry

I thought Mary’s relationship with Tony Gillingham had great potential then just fell flat. I’m not saying she should have chosen him – I said back in my review of season four that he is not her intellectual equal, but the way the story worked out felt rushed and not properly developed. Her meeting that handsome man at the end of the Season tells me that she will have yet another suitor in Season 6. How gorgeous is Matthew Goode?! I hope he becomes a series regular in Season six!

Downton Abbey S5 The fifth series, set in 1924, sees the return of our much loved characters in the sumptuous setting of Downton Abbey. As they face new challenges, the Crawley family and the servants who work for them remain inseparably interlinked. LAURA CARMICHAEL as Lady Edith Crawley. Photographer: Nick Briggs

Edith is still in her perpetual bubble of misery and still annoying AF. Sorry, this girl just constantly chooses to make herself unhappy. She chooses to compare herself with Mary endlessly. I do hope that she and the man who she also met in the last episode can be happy, but we will see if Edith allows herself to be happy. The fire in her room was quite dramatic and Barrow’s heroic rescue of Edith was a great moment in the show, and then they just left it and a great story stayed underutilized.

Isis_6

Can we just talk about the shocking death of Isis? (No, sadly not the terrorist organisation). Who kills the dog?!?!?! I loved that beautiful animal and really felt so sorry for Lord Grantham about it.

Tom planning to leave – NO. Come back, darling. I love you and little Sybbie too much. Come back now.

carson

As for downstairs, I really enjoyed the latest romance. The Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes story has been developing for quite some time now, and it was so lovely to see a strong direction with their love story. Bates and Anna kept on being Bates and Anna – drama drama drama. Barrow still keeps on being Barrow – the second you have some sympathy for him he does something and you are just certain that you will never like him. The Spratt and Barrow bitch fest was really annoying – what is the point of either of them getting such sudden limelight?

Downton-Abbey-5-6

Some of the smaller story angles managed to stay surprisingly interesting. I usually hate when writers of the story deviate too far from the story surrounding the central characters, but Charles Blake setting up the reunion of Tony Gillingham and his fiance had some entertaining moments (and I do think that Charles had his own ulterior motives there). I didn’t really get the point of the Dowager Countess and Prince Kuragin. It is definitely the most unique attempt at romance this show attempted yet. I love Maggie Smith’s role in here and she is such a fantastic asset, but come on: We really don’t HAVE to give every female in this show a marriage proposal, do we?

I really enjoyed this season and am so happy they returned to the original glory of the show. I can’t wait to see season six and I really hope that the show ends on a high note, although I am sobbing with angst that this show is ending!

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Series Review: Downton Abbey Season 4

Picture Shows: The TARDIS BBC ONE: Sunday December 25th, 2005 The legendary Time Lord, Doctor Who returns to planet earth for Christmas. Along with established sidekick Rose (Billie Piper), the re-generated Doctor (David Tenant) is once again faced with a battle against evil in a bid to protect planet earth from destruction. From flame-throwing Santas to the evil alien Sycorax, Rose and The Doctor find themselves in one of the hardest battles their friendship has had to endure... Warning: Use of this copyright image is subject to Terms of Use of BBC Digital Picture Service. In particular, this image may only be used during the publicity period for the purpose of publicising 'Doctor Who' and provided the BBC is credited. Any use of this image on the internet or for any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising or other commercial uses, requires the prior written approval of the BBC.

*THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Rating: 8/10

This is the first time since the onset of the show that I’ve felt a slight dip in the quality. It still remains really good and my favorite show ever, but it is decidedly less fantastic as the previous three. Honestly, the death of Michael might be the main reason. Michelle Dockery did a fantastic job bringing Mary’s grief so well to life – Mary Crawley has never been a perfectly friendly person or a very kind one, and Matthew made her into the best person she could be. Her grief has so many stages – the stunned mourning, the tumbling tears and her eventual decision to start taking a part in Downton’s management and her son’s upbringing was wonderfully done. I also for the first time thought that Michael’s mother, Lady Isobel (Penelope Wilton), did a fantastic job in her role. I’ve been annoyed by her and mildly entertained, but I’ve never before thought that she’s particularly amazing in the acting department. Her relationship with Lady Violet was also beautiful and how the two ladies evolved and became really good friends.

Downton S4 Lilly

I really dislike the decision of Lady Rose MacClare’s inclusion in the storyline. She’s annoying AF and I just can’t bring myself to like the character. Her mother is downright atrocious and I could not enjoy this story arc even if they brought Matthew back to life and made him a part of that particular story line. I also just can’t get a liking to Lily James. Maybe it is because of the mediocrity Cinderella turned out to be, but I just don’t enjoy her in here.

Oh, Edith. Just when I think that this poor girl actually has a chance of happiness and finds an interesting, engaging man, he goes and gets into a fight with some Nazis. Furthermore, she’s pregnant. One thing this show has done excellently is portray how lives have really improved for women. I mean, we still are underpaid and an alarming amount of women are still being abused, but at least we can get contraception relatively easy and it is not the end of the world if you get pregnant out of wedlock.

I really felt sorry for her because in giving up her child, not only did she give up the girl she carried for nine months but also the only memory of the man that she would have ended up really happy with.  (Great job to Laura Carmichael for her work here!)

I'm still in such awe of this castle <3
I’m still in such awe of this castle ❤

Bates and Anna.LeSigh. I’ve mentioned before that the melodrama becomes too much for me sometimes and it peaked here again. I was so sad for Anna and her whole horrible experience and thought that also excellently showed how backwards female rights were in the 1920s. I thought it was well done and all, but the subsequent death and surrounding drama was too much. Honestly, can these two just be married and happy now and neither one in prison?!

Mr Carson and Mrs. Hughes.Two of my favorite characters finally edging towards a romantic entanglement?Hells yes.

I really disliked the whole crown Prince story and his dance with Rose. WHAT MADE THEM THINK THAT WE WOULD WANT TO WATCH THIS NONSENSE? ROSE ISN’T EVEN A DAMN CRAWLEY MAN.

Sarah Banting was such a pain man. I get that they are trying to show that Tom knows that this is not his life, but really, Sarah Banting was not so cool.

Tony Gillingham

I really liked the inclusion of both Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) and Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden). If Mary ends up with either of these men, I would really choose Charles Blake for her. Let’s face it – Tony is incredibly gorgeous and so sweet, but Blake challenges Mary and is her intellectual equal.

Downton S4 MAry

Overall, there were some great decisions made and some not so great ones. I think I’ve had to deal with the departure of my dear Matthew – that scene killed my soul in Season 3 – and I only recovered by Season 5 😀 This is a great season, just not my favorite, but builds well enough that season 5 took over from this with great success.

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