Downton Abbey - Season 3 Begins Tonight 1-6-13

[meem]

Well at least last night's episode wasn't the horrible downer of a week ago & things are looking up at long last at DA. Must admit I'm sick of Thomas thinking he's hearing hints from "Jimmy" and constantly putting his hands on the guy (why doesn't Jimmy/James knock his hand off?). Thank God Bates is coming home...no more prison scenes. I'm hoping Tom moves to Liverpool very soon. His always playing the martyr has long been annoying to me but now that he's a widower he's really going OTT. So glad that Ethel's meal was a success. Isobel has finally rescued a wretch and turned her around!

[heyang]

Overall, it is a realistic portrayal of the attitudes and the changes in society at that time. Lords clinging to the old ways while the younger people look for the new ways.

Based upon Tom's conversation with Matthew, I think Matthew will find him a role on the estate.

Jimmy doesn't discourage Thomas because O'Brien implied that he has influence that could help him get ahead in the house.

[CoyoteChris]

Lawyer....I have false memories too.....

Well, it looks like Bates is coming home so that's good news. That's been the downer that I can barely handle. I hate prison scenes, movies, etc. Trouble brewing over the estate between Lord Grantham (who's privileged world is beginning to crumble) & Mathew Crowley. Wasn't Mathew a doctor in the 1st season or am I fantasizing?

[CoyoteChris]

Jimmy doesn't discourage Thomas because O'Brien implied that he has influence that could help him get ahead in the house.

But what is she up to? Anyone see the PBS special, "Secrets of Highclere" (the castle pictured in DA) They show old country homes like this one being blow up after WWII when the taxes went through the roof in the 1950s.
The owners couldnt afford the homes but the land would produce so they kept or sold that. The National trust couldnt take all the old homes.....but certain owners found ways of making income from tours and doing weddings
and shooting parties and affairs....

[Scrufflet]

What is she up to? She can sense Jimmy's anxiety over Thomas' attention and wants to engineer an explosion where Jimmy will realize T's real intent and blow up, causing T to be humiliated and fired. She's out for revenge!
J. does want to get ahead and thinks he needs T.s help but I also think he hasn't come across gay men before and is naive. He's probably always had the attention of the females.

[heyang]

I enjoyed last night's episode because Grantham is finally becoming a bit more likeable. I was especially pleased that Tom was part of that turnaround.

Can't believe next week is the season finale.

[meem]

What I don't understand is how Carson could agree to letting Thomas return to employment as the under-butler (thus becoming Bates boss). Season 3, though, has turned out so much better than last year.

[Dee4707]

Can't believe next week is the season finale.

WHAT?? Heyang, say it isn't so, it just started!!!

[CoyoteChris]

I think they had to pump us up and make us feel good to take the cliff hanger next week! Who shot JR will be nothing compared to this....I dont think we have heard the last about Lady G's "unfortunate" spill in the bathtub.....!
(I bet somebody's gonna get preggerssssssss.....and I don't mean Mary.....)

[rallycairn]

This week's 2 hours were the best of the season, I felt. Felt more like Season 1, or at least Season 2. Sigh. Not looking forward to the ending of the next episode AT ALL. When I think what might have been ...

Is anyone unspoiled as to the end of the season? If you are DO NOT READ on!





I so, so wish Fellowes won't just immediately throw love interests at Mary. If Matthew couldn't live to bring Downton into a new age, I'd rather see Mary become a woman of means and substance rather than jumping into another relationship. But I don't think Fellowes knows what to do with characters, esp women, other than have them involved in romances or would-be romances.

[CoyoteChris]

Personally, I think the writers made a big mistake....Downton Abby was the story of Mattew and Mary. People dont love Jane Austen movies cause all the charactors die off in the end....Removing the rock of the series has taken the need to watch it any further from me. What's next? Killing Carston off? I though the season finale was wonderful till the last five minutes....they could have left things happy and left us all wanting more for season 4. Every one ups their pledges to PBS. Now, its just another Les Mis....Life's a ***** and then you die. No thank you, Downton. If I dont want happy endings, I will watch the evening news....bah humbug. If the actor didnt want to play Mathew anymore,then there are better ways around that....but I suspect that was not the case. If he is holding out for more money, I suppose they could make this last bit a dream sequence at the start of season 4, but I won't be watching.

[merrywidow]

It's become very soap operaish, which I've never cared for. I'd like to see Anna & Bates become parents & hope that Edith & her editor create a scandal.

[heyang]

Personally, I think the writers made a big mistake....Downton Abby was the story of Mattew and Mary. People dont love Jane Austen movies cause all the charactors die off in the end....Removing the rock of the series has taken the need to watch it any further from me. What's next? Killing Carston off? I though the season finale was wonderful till the last five minutes....they could have left things happy and left us all wanting more for season 4. Every one ups their pledges to PBS. Now, its just another Les Mis....Life's a ***** and then you die. No thank you, Downton. If I dont want happy endings, I will watch the evening news....bah humbug. If the actor didnt want to play Mathew anymore,then there are better ways around that....but I suspect that was not the case. If he is holding out for more money, I suppose they could make this last bit a dream sequence at the start of season 4, but I won't be watching.

Dan Stevens didn't want to continue in the role. As per an interview with exec producer, they couldn't figure out a way for Matthew to disappear that would make sense. He wouldn't leave Mary and baby and she probably would've followed him anywhere. That would be 'disrespecting' their love story too - for him to just disappear and/or go away for an extended period of time. Also, as the heir to Downton, it wouldn't have made sense for him to leave the estate for an extended period of time, especially since he didn't have other properties to manage. If they had been at WWII stage, then perhaps they could've had him captured by the Germans and recast him when he was released at the end of the war.

By writing him off, this leaves more story open for Lady Mary as the mother of the heir, widow, etc. If Matthew had lived and been off screen, there wouldn't be as much for Mary to do.

If there's one thing that's common amongst soaps, it's:
If you are ecstatically happy, something bad is about to happen.
If you don't have a love interest, you're pretty much a supporting character that just listens to the other characters.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/02/17/do...matthew-death/

Mini-spoiler: season 4 starts 6 months after the finale.

I read somewhere that the 3 seasons of DA have encompassed 10 years already? I know the finale jumped to 1 year after the prior episode. Then there were 4 years between season 1 and season 2.

[CoyoteChris]

I am sad but absolutely support Dan Steven's decision. He has one movie in the can, one in produciton, and another in pre-production. As a handsome romantic male actor, he is in his prime and has to make his name NOW if he can, not in two or three years.
Remember, shooting a season of DA is probably like shooting three plus movies plus, and while I dont know what they offered him dollar wise, that also may have been a factor. Good luck to him and all they have to do is replace him with Brad Pitt and no one will care...oh, wait a minute, I think Brad might be too expensive....LOL...

Dan Stevens didn't want to continue in the role. As per an interview with exec producer, they couldn't figure out a way for Matthew to disappear that would make sense. He wouldn't leave Mary and baby and she probably would've followed him anywhere. That would be 'disrespecting' their love story too - for him to just disappear and/or go away for an extended period of time. Also, as the heir to Downton, it wouldn't have made sense for him to leave the estate for an extended period of time, especially since he didn't have other properties to manage. If they had been at WWII stage, then perhaps they could've had him captured by the Germans and recast him when he was released at the end of the war.

By writing him off, this leaves more story open for Lady Mary as the mother of the heir, widow, etc. If Matthew had lived and been off screen, there wouldn't be as much for Mary to do.

If there's one thing that's common amongst soaps, it's:
If you are ecstatically happy, something bad is about to happen.
If you don't have a love interest, you're pretty much a supporting character that just listens to the other characters.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/02/17/do...matthew-death/

Mini-spoiler: season 4 starts 6 months after the finale.

I read somewhere that the 3 seasons of DA have encompassed 10 years already? I know the finale jumped to 1 year after the prior episode. Then there were 4 years between season 1 and season 2.

[louisa05]

I think the fact that the show has spanned somewhere around ten years ( it began in 1912) makes it all more plausible. We have seen all this death and heartache in three seasons and it seems like too much. But in a ten year span, in an era with less advanced medicine, shorter life expectancies, and a world war in the mix, it is not so strange.

I also read that Julian Fellowes (writer and creator) felt like he was in a corner with Matthew. He couldn't write him out by having him leave and keep it plausible at all without writing Mary out. He said he would rather lose a "downstairs" actor than one playing a family member as servants can move on in one way or another but the family would not just disappear. And both Dan Stevens and Jessica Brown Findlay (Sybil) chose to leave the show.