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.
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!
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.
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.
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?
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!
Life of this city girl 