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Season 1 Rating: DSQ=11, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=3, Scale E=3
Season 2 Rating: DSQ=12, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough
Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=3, Scale E=3
Season 3 Rating: DSQ=11, SP=4 / Can't Get Enough
Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=3, Scale D=2, Scale E=2
Early 20th Century, Drama, Upstairs/Downstairs, Aristocracy, Class
This is a truly fantastic series that seduces viewers subtly, just like the characters do each other. I found the first season amazing in the quality of cinematography, costume, set decoration, story, and characters. The acting didn't thoroughly amaze me (except for the amazing Maggie Smith) but I was drawn in by every nuance of the world. I liked to watch the interactions, the gossip, the upholding and then bending and sometimes breaking of rules. I especially found the Crawley sister relationships interesting (I had a fondness for Sybil).
The second season got even more interesting, twists and turns of the plot got more risky and the characters bloomed. Anna and Bates' relationship was definitely the highlight, Sybil running off with the chauffeur was exciting. Ultimately, the changes brought about by World War I added a new dynamic to the world of Downton and its inhabitants.
I just recently finished watching the third season and, interestingly, I was slightly disappointed. While many of the stories were surprising, most were predictable or too melodramatic. The characters didn't really grow --with the exceptions of Tom Branson and maybe Edith-- and way too much death happened (I was willing to believe in a little, but not a lot). I was hoping for the writers to do more with the dramatic changes in Britain at that time, though the introduction of Rose does start this. I was also hoping to see a little "behind the scenes" stability in the family but instead those years are skipped over. Oh well. Still a marvelous show and I am excited for the fourth season.
The second season got even more interesting, twists and turns of the plot got more risky and the characters bloomed. Anna and Bates' relationship was definitely the highlight, Sybil running off with the chauffeur was exciting. Ultimately, the changes brought about by World War I added a new dynamic to the world of Downton and its inhabitants.
I just recently finished watching the third season and, interestingly, I was slightly disappointed. While many of the stories were surprising, most were predictable or too melodramatic. The characters didn't really grow --with the exceptions of Tom Branson and maybe Edith-- and way too much death happened (I was willing to believe in a little, but not a lot). I was hoping for the writers to do more with the dramatic changes in Britain at that time, though the introduction of Rose does start this. I was also hoping to see a little "behind the scenes" stability in the family but instead those years are skipped over. Oh well. Still a marvelous show and I am excited for the fourth season.
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