downton abbey season 2

[verbicide]

So, I had the hardest time starting to watch this show, despite loving season 1, because I now hate war movies/shows. And I think the first episode had a bunch of the war stuff showing Matthew and Thomas out in the field.

But, I finally got over myself, and watched it, and it was really addictive!

So, some quick thoughts:

- As intended, I hated Bates' wife. But she was almost a little too much like a cartoon villain.
- Loved watching the cat fights between Lady Grantham and Isobel Crawley.
- Though mostly I thought that Isobel crossed the line over and over again.
- Thomas needed to die in the war. What an asshole.
- It was so horrible to watch Daisy be forced to marry William.
- Though William just wanting her to have his pension and be taken care of= awwww.
- I shrieked with excitement to see Jorah Mormont, err Richard Carlisle. He played a good complex character.
- Especially loved him bitchslapping Bates' wife.
- Even if it was a bit obvious, I totally got caught up in rooting for Mary and Matthew.
- Even if it meant poor Lavinia needed to die conveniently.
- Oh Edith. Go suck on a lemon. Never have forgiven her for betraying Mary about the Turkish bloke.
- Totally shocked at the 'return' of 'Patrick' --don't believe it was really him.
- So glad Mary's secret about Pamuk is out to her family. Nothing worse than the fear of discovery--including discovery itself.
- I was sort of pissed about Bates' trial. It seemed like there were enough witnesses to his wife's insane behavior to not have him found guilty and sentenced to execution.
- But I totally cried for Anna when he was sentenced the first time, and then again when he was reduced to life-imprisonment. They need to clear his name, soon.
- And hurray for Sybil and Branson, who I think were the most adorable couple ever. Glad to see Sybil stand up to her dad and her cultural baggage!

Looking forward to season 3!

Comments

[richboye.livejournal.com]

I confess to thinking large portions of this season sucked, including how weird Isobel was acting most of the time and how truly unreasonable she was.

I must also confess to being bored to tears by the Bates/Anna conundrum.

I was hoping for a lot more acidity from Aunt Rosaumd and although the timing of the Spanish Flu was historically accurate, righter after WWI (modern epidemiologists think that was incubated the hospital camps in France where populations who had previously never mixed before [even from within Britain] were thrown into proximity, all infected that sent merrily on their ways home around the world)(1), it ended up killing only Lavinia, right? How very convenient.

I also will concede that I have a perverse sympathy for Edith.

However, I think now is the time for you to revel in the Downton Paper Dolls! (Evil Soap! Evil Flour!)


1) PBS has an excellent documentary on the subject. It's very chilling.

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

Bah, Daisy - I was pissed off at her for most of the season, except for the very end.

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

I agree that this season wasn't nearly as good as the first one, but I think it was still worth watching because I love some of these people! But you're right--Isobel was just exhausting.

I used to have sympathy for Edith, but the Pamuk thing really was a deal breaker for me. Also--that farmer dude she was macking on... was that woman at the farm his wife? Or his sister? I missed something there and didn't know how outraged I should be.

And omfg those paper dolls are HILARIOUS!!

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

I got tired of her whining, but that bit at the end with William's father was adorable.