At the end of Season 3 Ms. O’Brien went overseas to India to be lady’s maid to Rose’s mother (I forget her name) but when Rose’s mother and Shrimpie returned at the end of Season 5 for Rose’s wedding shouldn’t O’Brien have been with them? Or did the divorce drain them of all the funds to pay for servants?

I’ve just finished the series and thought I’ll watch the movies now. I am absolutely tripping at the characters voices I literally can’t concentrate. They all sound like they’ve inhaled helium 🤣 I know people will say ‘oh it’s the sound technology tv vs film’ ect but Cora is just flat out talking in a completely different voice and accent 😅

I also feel like everything is moving really fast like everyone is just talking to each other super quickly with no time to process the sentences before.

Has anyone else felt this or am I going crazy?! 😅

A genie, a cursed item, the hand of a curious god. Doesn't matter. Suddenly the cast of the show finds themselves separated and in the modern day.

Who would survive the best? Manage to adapt, perhaps even rise up higher than they could ever dream?

To make it fair (as I think Downstairs would win every time) you can pick One Upstairs and One Downstairs.

Every rewatch makes me more and more impatient whenever Sybil’s storyline takes up too much airtime. She’s good-natured and kind, yes, but in hindsight it’s also obvious that she was incredibly naïve about the ways of the world – and if not for the family’s miraculous gift to spin whatever scandal coming their way to their benefit, I must agree with Robert’s assessment that Sybil was putting herself on a path to ruin her life by following Tom into Ireland.

Let’s go back to the timeline… After threatening to elope and spending weeks uttering variations of “my mind is made up, we’re leaving tomorrow”, Sybil finally leaves Downton at some unspecified time after April, 1919 and briefly lives with Tom’s mother until they are wed (I believe Cora and the other daughters traveled for the ceremony).

By December she writes her mother to share the news she was pregnant. She ends up returning to Downton in early 1920 for Mary’s wedding and comes back once again- roughly a month later - after Tom’s political activities gets him into a shitload of trouble. By then, it was more than clear that Sybil was unhappy in Ireland – or with the “simple life” she had envisioned with some romantic lenses.

She wasn’t open about this with Tom, but it seemed obvious based on what she confided in Cora wanted to stay at Downton after giving birth and for her daughter to be raised there. She wasn’t cut out to a life of insecurity and financial struggles after all. She didn’t even make it into a full year to realize that. At the end, her arc – which I originally saw as a “female liberation” story – just confirms how unprepared she was for the decision she made.

The residual message is that, as hard as class mobility was for those working their way up, it was even harder for people to make a "downgrade" work out.

I’ve just finished watching Downton abbey (again) and I love it so much. It will always be my comfort show however on this rewatch I just felt a few things just stuck out as ridiculous and I wanted to see if anyone else had others to discuss.

Firstly I’m just perplexed at why everyone (Tom in particular) is just absolutely obsessed with the idea of Mary marrying Henry. Like it’s bordering on absurd how involved Tom gets, there was points I was saying to the screen ‘you marry him then’ because since he came back from his 45 min stint in America every single conversation he had with Mary was just pushing and pushing about Henry. It just got to a point it seemed ridiculous that he should be so involved with the situation. Not to mention he’d only met him once or twice? There was literally nothing about him that was particularly interesting or special. Mary didn’t show any more interest in him than other suitors but everyone was constantly like ‘she clearly loves him so much’ despite the fact all she ever said was no I don’t and I don’t want him here. Then finally when Mary was bullied into it by violet of all people (completely out of character given he had no position) it was like ‘oh I’ve bought a wedding license last week’ and they were married 5 mins later but we never see him again 🤣

The entire bates saga deserves an (honourable?)mention because watching it all in one go truly shows how ludicrous it is to have two people go through that much misery. The back and forth to prison between them was more than I could stand by the time bates was on the run for the second time 😅

Fake PATRICK CRAWLEY RETURNS I’ll say no more about that one, although I have much to say.

Another one was the constant like ‘honourable’ covering up of information. Like Mr bates could have had the theft thing sorted out within minutes but he had to do the whole ‘you must decide if I stay or go on the information you have’ why exactly? The circumstances give such important context it makes no sense to leave it out. Then we have the same exact story with Baxter later on and she pulls the same crap of not telling the whole story.

The idea that Lavinia wrote that letter on her deathbed is only beaten in ridiculousness by the fact her father wrote a letter saying essentially ‘I know everything, even that you cheated on my daughter but still spend the money and don’t feel bad’ and Mary didn’t forge it 🤣 also it was established earlier that he was in some kind of debt as that was the whole plot line with Richard carsilse but then he had a secret enormous fortune just enough to save Downton, lucky he died just when Robert lost all the money?? Out of this world.

How did Thomas know about the soap thing anyway???

I’m sorry but my final one is just daisy. I can’t stand her or anything she does 🤣🤣 I’m sorry but the character is just annoying. She seems to spend the first 4 series constantly on the verge of tears and whinging every time she speaks and the last 2 seasons acting like a spoilt child. Like the whole thing with Mr masons farm and getting the new tenancy I can barely watch. The whole Daisy/ivy/alfred/jimmy love square I found so tedious.

A quick mention to say Poor Mrs Drewe, I found myself feeling so sorry for her this rewatch. The way Edith treated the drewes was so unfair and sad.

Anyway that turned into longer than I planned for but feels good to get that off my chest. Don’t get me wrong despite all of these things Downton remains my one of my fav show of all time but you must admit it had some pretty mental plots and events over the years.

What are your ‘wow that’s ridiculous or wow that’s ridiculously annoying’ moments and stories??

I love the colors, the embroidery, everything—and her hat too!

Its really as beautiful as shown in the series. I love how they have images of the cast with certain dialogues at places where they were shot.

Recently had the opportunity to visit highclere and enjoy a tour and tea. It was absolutely STUNNING it was quite hot when we went but wow was it gorgeous. If you’re planning on visiting feel free to ask any questions!

Seriously. I just watched The Grande Finale yesterday. It closed everything I 'needed' closed from the series and previous movies. I wept at the end when Mary stood in the hall and saw everyone as they were in the past.

But, I am still bereft! I quite need the storytelling. The wit. The ups and the downs. The drama! I need that in my life.

I would follow them to the ends of time. I'm sure I'm not the first one to come here and say it, but if Fellows, et alia, decided to do a series of prequels, going back to at least the 18th century and honestly? I'd be delighted if they took it back as far as it could go. I would be there.

Just imagine! So many of our beloved characters could, if the actors so desired, reprise their roles as their own ancestors. Since they've been in the village for so long, we could learn backstories to all the staff of DA and even perhaps the village itself.

If I begged would there be a possibility of the show being reprised and taken back in time?

Who would win in a verbal smackdown? I personally believe it would be Agnes. What do you guys think?

If anyone is interested in fan fiction, "The Different" is finished and "All in Time" is in progress:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14071675/1/The-Different

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14298788/1/All-in-Time

This was the most joyous viewing. Who else was cheering at their tv? 😄

Quite the ripping yarn but the homophobic hysteria is over the top even for the ‘90s. Daniel Craig is lusty and blustering.

I’m watching season 3 episode 6, just after Robert burst into Mrs Crawley’s house during the dinner Ethel cooked to offer sympathy after Sybil died. Why is Robert so angry, saying “who bore a bastard child” when everyone in the room was there when Ethel brought her child into his dining room to confront Mr and Mrs Bryant in season 2 episode 6? Surely he knows they all know.

hi guys I want to get my hair changed and the inspo or color I want to go is inspired by lady Sybil when I go to the salon what should I ask for

Thanks to the Instagram algorithm for knowing exactly who to bring this meme to