On Downton Abbey and my glorious hours of escapism
(Spoilers and pointless rambling Ahead)
The above pictures are what is approximately my neighbourhood now. I am privileged enough to have my own little oasis in the midst of Gotham so I shouldn’t complain. As I brave the heat and dust of the ‘desert’ here everyday on my way to the institute I cannot but be thankful for it.
This little digression is to set the context in which I sat and consumed hours and hours of the British hit soap opera ‘Downton Abbey’. Set in the early 1900s in a quaint little British county in York, the show is aptly named because the house is its central character. There’s something irresistible about British period drama and its sheer excesses, especially when accompanied by good acting and cinematography. Even when the drama got a tad excessive, fangirling on the sets and costumes got me through. Just as I have done several times on the red carpet clad stairs of the British era Calcutta Club as a kid, I allowed myself brief escapes into fantasy while watching the show.
I cannot deny that I loved the show despite faults I found here and there. I may talk about some of them here but this is really a Downton Abbey appreciation post. Thank you Julian Fellowes (the creator, executive producer and screenwriter of Downton Abbey) and all the actors involved in the show. Thank you to the owners of Highclere castle for letting it out for such historic reasons allowing it to become an enduring symbol of an era gone by.
I am fresh out of a one time binge of the entire series and I may not recall every little detail but I thoroughly enjoyed it especially the lifestyle, endless costume changes each as gorgeous as the other, servants plotting in the hallways and the starkly different world downstairs, the problems of the aristocrats some privileged some very human and the posh richness of their accents. And the house, oh my god. I remember the impeccably maintained period rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as portals to a world back in time, I don’t know how thrilled I’d be to actually visit Highclere castle where the show was shot. It’s on my list now.
Lady Mary was breathtaking throughout the show. Posh and snobbish, never a faux pas, a slightly startled expression while delivering, the perfect ice queen. Edith, the poor bumbling underdog was far more beautiful than they decided to acknowledge on the show, always pitted against Mary. Sybil was classically beautiful, voluptuous, free spirited and Disney princess-like. Cora, the liberated modern American in the mix, was the picture of aristocratic beauty and sophistication delivering even the harshest of words in the softest of tones. Earl of Grantham and lord of the house, Robert Crawley was less uppity and snobbish than I would have liked but he brought a certain grace and kindness to the household. Dame Maggie Smith as the dowager Violet Crawley was delightful, witty and acerbic in the perfect combination. Isobel Crawley was best described by her future beau Lord Merton, about the Crawley family he asked her “Do they know what they have in you?” With the strongest of principles and a refreshingly modern and humane take on most matters, she stood out distinctly. The butler Carson was old school and riddled with isms but dead loyal to the family. The housekeeper Mrs. Hughes was a strong and sensible woman who was instrumental in holding the fort together. Mrs. Patmore, the cook, was delightfully adorable, Mr. Barrow from footman to eventual butler a victim of his own doing, and sweet little Daisy a character you couldn’t help but admire for her evolution.
Downton Abbey had some problematic storylines. Edith was always ‘poor Edith’ in the household and looked down upon by Mary whose attitude was tolerated all through until she almost destroyed her sister’s life. Edith had really poor opinions of herself and her looks which made her believe she had to snag a man as soon as she could, that she was unworthy of love. Even when she wanted to get married to Sir Anthony Strallan who was almost her father’s age, it wasn’t because she loved him but felt it was her only shot at happiness. It was sad to see her family, despite their reservations, believed it too and Sir Anthony leaving her at the altar was perhaps the best thing he could have done for her. She met her true love Michael Gregson through her passion, writing, but even that ended tragically. Edith did get a happy ending but only after prolonged emotional suffering. In her place I would simply have left Downton for ever and started life anew in London with a real purpose. It is not like Mary didn’t have her own ups and downs despite her stony exterior. She suffered true grief with Matthew’s passing and it took her a long time to come out of it. But Mary always had a string of suitors ready to lay themselves down for her even if their only interactions had been in high society parties and events. Mary never lacked options. The ‘poor Edith’ narrative was reinforced by the way life treated her.
The show started with the Titanic disaster. It mentioned the chilling Romanov family assassination in the passing and the first world war featured majorly showing how England couldn’t remain aloof from changing times around the world. End of the servant class seemed imminent and life downstairs was always abuzz with gossip and anxiety. While changing times for the family upstairs meant less servants and possibly a smaller house, for the servants it meant being out of a job completely. Mr. Molesley had to suffer for a while in odd jobs till he was inducted back into service at Downton and finally found permanent employment as a teacher in the village. The historical backdrop also influenced the storyline including Downton briefly turning into a convalescent home for soldiers of the first world war.
There were questionable elements of sexism, although some things were shown quite sensitively. Mr. Bates and Anna’s inexplicable love story was based on their deep bond and unquestioned faith towards each other but what reason did anyone have to trust Mr. Bates’ story so blindly at first? In case of Anna it was love sure, but could the others really have known that he was innocent? The Mr. Green incident was very unfortunate but Mr. Bates couldn’t have known he would do something like this. Does it justify the unnecessary jealous outbursts when he saw Anna having a good time in the other man’s presence? Robert had a brief affair with a servant but flew into a fit of rage when his wife’s long term admirer flirted with her. Things did get resolved on that front and he was ashamed for his behavior later but did he ever meet the consequences of his actions (like the poor maid who simply had to leave)? (On this note it was a treat to see Mrs. Hughes make Mr. Carson cook a full meal after he kept complaining of her cooking post marriage. A special mention also for a sensitive depiction of Mr. Barrow and his struggles with sexuality although he was, for a long time, a sort-of evil character to boot.)
Julian Fellowes, member of the Conservative party, has tinted the show with a certain nostalgic sadness. People have written about how he has glorified an exploitative power structure. Even Tom Branson, former chauffer and then son-in-law to the Crawley family, eventually gave up his radical political views and affiliations to lead a comfortable life as estate agent and motorcar dealer. Other complaints have been about the kindness shown towards the servants which apparently did not reflect reality though I do believe there must have been households where they were treated relatively well. And while certain elements of the show have made me tear up, many made me feel absolutely nothing, especially Mary’s later romances.
Despite my attempts at minor fault finding, I thoroughly enjoyed a show that let me escape for many hours to a world that is foreign and fantastic. Just like I felt while watching the Crown, I never actually wanted to swap places with them. They were as privileged as they were trapped by their very births and working class people seemed to lead much more enriching, albeit harder, lives. I would hate to live in a huge house where I don’t even have full access and little to no privacy (I can’t even dress on my own). Houses had character, were privy to your secrets, and despite their size really suffocating, holding you back from the real world. Custodian of Downton was a full time job and before they had financial struggles, Robert took sitting idly and spending Cora’s money very seriously. Looking for an heir was his life’s only purpose since Downton could not have a female owner and he only had daughters. Downton was similarly thrust upon Matthew who gave up his law practice and life in the city despite being openly critical about this way of life and poor little George had his future decided for him before he could even speak. Mary too was indoctrinated into a future-for-Downton way of life and she was really insensitive towards Matthew when he was conflicted about taking Mr. Swire’s money. Somehow it all worked out for the house. To me a life like that just feels suffocating, if not sad.
The upstairs downstairs divide between two very different classes of people has been used elsewhere including in Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar winning ‘Parasite’ (not necessarily inspired by this show). A lot of modern day Britishers are descendants of people who have led lives in service in various capacities, people whose stories have just been wiped out. This documentary does a good job of discussing some of them, their lives and hardships and how things changed with the world wars. A large part of what enriches the show is life downstairs and it certainly highlights its relevance.
Perhaps my fascination with the show is partly my fascination with period pieces in general. As a commentary on British aristocratic society I enjoy satirical works (like Oscar Wilde’s plays) more that critique the English upper class and talk about their hypocrisies. Perhaps a lot of my fascination for the show is in its sheer visual beauty. But I am thankful for the countless hours of escapism Downton Abbey provided, my brief flights into fantasy and an appreciation for a certain way of life. And I cannot wait for the 2022 release of the next Downton Abbey movie.