My newest love, Downton Abbey

I know it the day where I normally post about Weight Watchers, but I don’t really have an update this week. I’ve been sick. I fell off the wagon a little bit. Blah, blah, blah.

Plus, I can’t get my newest obsession out of my head to really think about anything else. I was going to skip writing at all today, but then I thought why not tell you about my love for Downton Abbey.

Have y’all watched this show? It is simply amazing. Quite possibly the best show I’ve seen on television ever. It is cleverly written with great plot twists, and the acting is superb. My only complaint is that there seem to be only seven episodes per season. Here is a rundown of the characters.

Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham played by Maggie Smith – I love, love, love her. I want to be this character when I grow up. She is the perfect blend of meddlesome, witty, and caring. She doesn’t mind handing out the sharp barb or sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong. David said, “she always leaves the room with a zinger.”

Robert, Earl of Grantham played by Hugh Bonneville – He is the steadfast leader of the family that feels honor bound to take care of his family legacy.

Cora, Countess of Grantham played by Elizabeth McGovern – She is an American that saved the family legacy with an influx of cash when she married Robert. Together they have three daughters, but no sons to inherit the estate and title. She is often in an uncomfortable partnership with her mother in law to do what they think is right for the girls in the family.

Lady Mary Crawley, the oldest daughter played by Michelle Dockery – Mary is having to come to grips that her life is not going as easily as she had planned. At times Mary is her own worst enemy with the situations she finds herself in and the decisions she makes. Disappointed that she will not be allowed to inherit the title and estate, she searches to find the proper husband.

Lady Edith Crawley, the middle sister played by Laura Carmichael – The quintessential middle child and “ugly duckling” of the family she is constantly at odds with her older sister. The biting lines the two trade back and forth are some of the best in the series.

Lady Sybil Crawley, the youngest sister played by Jessica Brown-Findlay – Sybil is the sister that loves a good cause. As the youngest she isn’t worried about finding an appropriate suitor or as involved in the family issues. Actually she is too busy trying to find her own… but in a good way. Sort of.

Matthew Crawley played by Dan Stevens – Matthew is the reluctant heir. After the current heir dies in the sinking of Titanic (don’t worry, this isn’t a spoiler), a frantic search is made to find the new heir. As a distant third cousin and son of a “middle class” doctor he has had no relationship with the family until he was needed.

Isobel Crawley played by Penelope Wilson – She is the widowed mother of Matthew. Having been raised in the professional middle class she comes to the family with an entirely different set of values that often has her butting heads with Violet and Cora. The scenes that pit her and Violet at opposites are some of the best. Both of these actresses are stunning.

That’s the family, but what makes the show so fantastic is that it also follows the stories of the servants as well. I can see this post is already getting too long so I’ll write another next week discussing the personalities of the staff.

Do y’all watch the show? What do you think about it? Who is your favorite character? If you aren’t currently watching but want to you can find season one streaming on Netflix and all of the current episodes from season two or available on PBS.

Tagged as: Downton Abbey, entertainment