Farewell, Downton Abbey

[osprey_archer]

I read the spoilers for Downton Abbey’s Christmas special, and you know what, I am done. I stopped watching midway through episode 5, when it became clear that something horribly horrible was about to happen, but I figured I would go on eventually...but no. No, I think I’m done. It’s gotten to the point where I start each episode in a state of dread, and really, why do that to myself?

Oh well. The first season is still one of the most sublime seasons of television I have ever seen, season one of Veronica Mars not excepted. We will always have season one, Downton Abbey! I will cling to it and pretend that Sybil/Branson went totally differently than it did in season 2 & 3.

One of the things I loved about Downton Abbey is that it presented Sybil and Branson’s activism seriously. They aren’t the focal point of the show, and I think it’s pretty clear that the writers didn’t particularly think through Branson’s political opinions - but they’re not presented as a punchline - the joke being, of course, “activists,” because caring intensely about something is obviously hilarious. (Think Arrested Development.) That’s just so rare: of course I cling to the pairing.

I have a couple of fics, actually, that I still want to finish, my disaffection with season 3 notwithstanding. First: Sybil & Gwen & Branson have a picnic when the car breaks down (or I should say “breaks down”: Gwen & Branson have been scheming). There will be cuteness! cocoa! and class tensions! I am saving this for when I need to write something to cheer myself up.

Also one about Sybil sort of accidentally watching Branson take off his uniform, because I have a thing about Branson’s uniform. (One rather hopes Sybil doesn't, because I'm pretty sure "So could you wear your old chauffeur uniform sometimes, Tom? It's so sexy!" would go over like a lead balloon. No, wait, there goes another fic bunny. No.) I am saving that one for a day when I feel incapable of shame.

Comments

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

I was done after the end of S2. What a let-down after S1, at least for me. I haven't seen S3 at all and am not interested in it. I never saw the last year's Christmas special, either.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I did see the S2 Christmas special, and it was just enough better than the rest of S2 that I thought maybe things would get better in S3. HA. HAHAHA.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Oh no! Too bad...

What *manner* of bad is it? (I don't mind things that might whiff of spoilers--in fact, I don't mind spoilers--but other people might)

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Warning, gentle readers! Here be spoilers!

In the first episode, someone drugs Branson so he acts like a total ass at the Crawley's dinner table the first time he and Sybil visit Downton. It's mortifying and also pretty pointless - it would still be mortifying if he was an ass on purpose, but at least it would develop his character.

Then in episode three Edith gets pulverized by the narrative (http://osprey-archer.livejournal.com/249485.html). (Why did I not stop watching then? Surely the writing was on the wall?)

And in episode five, my favorite character dies.

Apparently at the very end of the Christmas special, they kill off Matthew (in a car accident! Of all pointless deaths!), although it would not surprise me if they find a way around that at the beginning of S4.

I realize that this is History and people die, but that doesn't mean that Downton Abbey needs to be the "Everybody dies!" show.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Now I'm even happier in my decision to quit at the end of S2.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Oh Downton Abbey. I don't even -_-

The business about Branson just seems STUPID.

and so many deaths why???

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

They forgot it was possible to plot without killing people off? I don't know! It is ridiculous!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Do

not

want

[silverusagi]

Yeah, it's going downhill pretty fast, lol. The end of the Christmas special was sort of laughable, really. Not dramatic or anything, just weird. And pointless.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

It is so saaaaaaad. I loved season 1 so much, so it really hurts to watch it fall apart like this.

[roma-ardens.livejournal.com]

I dunno if you remember me, but we had that conversation about Sybil and Tom way back before S3 started. I just wanted to say... I am so done with Downton Abbey. So. effing. done. There was absolutely no need for Sybil to die. She was living in another country, and JF brought her over just so he could kill her off in childbirth, of all things. And people are actually lauding this as a brilliant move on his part, saying it brought Sybil back full-circle to her feminist storyline. Ugh. I've honestly never been more pissed with a TV show before.

I just can't believe we went from S1 to... this. I had so many issues with S2, but for some reason I kept telling myself 'S3 will be better, it just HAS to be' and my God was I wrong.

I hate what he did to Sybil and Tom as characters. He took away everything that made them 'them'. He made Tom look ridiculous for loving and wanting to fight for Ireland (although he's been doing that since S2) and Sybil just became a pregnant prop, wandering in background. Actually, after S1, it's been solely JF writing the scripts; but in S1 there were two writers who helped him for two episodes, and they both featured Sybil and Tom. So I'm just going to pretend Downton ended at S1 and the way that they were written in S1 (by people other than JF, who understood socialism and feminism and political activism) is the way I'll think of them.

I hope you do continue to write S/T fanfic. Particularly AU fanfic. (: I feel like if more AU fic is written, it'll just make it that much easier to divorce myself from the canon and pretend it never happened. LoL

Anyway, sorry for the extra-late comment, it's just been sitting pretty heavy on my shoulders and I'm happy to see there are others who think this show has become a complete joke.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I do remember you! Let us commiserate about the mess that JF has made of the best pairing ever!

I should have just quit after the episode where the guy slipped something in Tom's drink and Tom looked ridiculous and drunk over dinner. Everything he was saying was true, but the way he was saying it and the fact that he was clearly making Sybil miserably uncomfortable made him look ridiculous: it's probably the most screamingly uncomfortable scene all season, the part where Edith gets jilted at the altar not excepted.

But I figured it had to get better.

The fact that JF felt compelled to bring them back to Downton really wrecked Tom & Sybil's storyline, in my opinion. They needed to be off having ADVENTURES somewhere - reporting on Soviet Russia or something! - not returning repeatedly to Downton.

It would have been hard to integrate Adventures in Soviet Russia with the rest of the show, but I would have been just fine with a spinoff movie.

I mean to rewatch S1 (to blot out the horrid memories of season 3!), probably this summer; and I intend for there to be more fanfic then.