Downton Abbey III Thread
With all of the pundits still talking about the death of Sybil, I'm still waiting for the plot development with Bates. It's hard to say what will happen with Tom; I think it will be bad, but who knows?
Looking forward to defense dominating this episode, after Sybil's passing last week. Something is going to happen between Lord and Lady Grantham. Edith's ground game might not yet be developing; hard to see where this week's beakout will be. Dr. Clarkson is rumored to be out for a week. Is Mr. Carson playing hurt right now?
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:46 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:57 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 9:09 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 9:50 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^
Keg's over that way, brah.
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:46 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:24 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
a Downton Abbey thread?
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
PRICELESS!
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:52 PM ^
Might sound complicated but the affair that Lord G almost had may come back to life and Lady G will leave before that happens...driving him to it....but seeing the error of her ways comes back to save the family from the terrible brake up because she is pregnant again....
Yeah...definately off topic!
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:54 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:57 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:55 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:58 PM ^
in NYC, at least, they're repeating the new episode at 10:00 pm as well. Or in case your VCR isn't working and you want to study the plays in more detail.
February 3rd, 2013 at 8:59 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 9:25 PM ^
Serious question: tell me why I should watch this show. Are there any other shows that you could relate it to so that I could get an idea? I tried once for 10 minutes and was bored out of my mind. But I like "serious" shows and my friends love it. So...?
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:28 PM ^
If you like British period soap operas like Upstairs/Downstairs, it's a really good example of the genre. The writer & creator is Julian Fellowes, who wrote the excellent 'Gosford Park'. The first season was terrific, with lots of good character development and thrilling plot points. However, the second & third seasons are more exaggerated, drama-for-the-sake-of-drama, and not as good as the first. It can be slow in spots, but the fun is in the dialogue, the costumes/set design and the house and all its riches.
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:36 PM ^
albeit it takes place in the early 1900s. It is essentially a soap opera, a soap about the British aristocracy and the day-to-day dramas that likely took place on an English estate/manor house. That being said, the acting is a lot better than in any soap opera I can think of, and it is an interesting window into what life likely was on one of these British estates, many of which went the way of the dodo in the 40s and 50s. Many a manor houses were torn down simply because they were just too expensive to maintain , in large part because the "nobles" had zero concept of money (sort of like most of the brats on my Super Sweet Sixteen), just spent what the previous generations amassed, and made poor investements, if any. Most of the "lords/nobles" were complete degenerates who could not manage a chicken coop, let alone an estate that emplioyed hundreds of people. It is a lot better than your typical soap although it does have many of the dramas that typical soaps do (love triangles, sabotage, etc.)
February 4th, 2013 at 1:31 AM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 2:17 AM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 9:16 AM ^
When the Maggie Smith dowager sat on the swivel chair in Matthew's office, that had to be one of the funniest moments ever on TV.
February 3rd, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^
...and it is downright offensive. It's kind of like watching the emmys, or the golden globes, or the screen actor's guild award- a bunch of self-important assholes staring down their noses at the little people.
February 4th, 2013 at 8:29 AM ^
I don't think you understand the point of the show.
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:10 PM ^
Really, WTF?
February 3rd, 2013 at 10:54 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:04 PM ^
Helmet to helmet hit on 3rd down... No call. PI on 4th... No call. Rediculous holding on the safety... No call. SF has reason to be pissed.
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:08 PM ^
SF has no reason to be pissed. No chance any of those calls are being made except for the holding on the safety and the penalty for that is a safety. Crabtree has clearing pushing off on the DB.
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:15 PM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 9:15 AM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^
If it's not even debatable then why has it been hotly debated ever since it happened? Fine, they could have called holding instead of PI. That's a minor distinction that doesn't change the fact that there is nothing in the rules that says the ref is supposed to speculate whether the WR ran the route correctly...
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:23 PM ^
You do know that not only Cybil dies, but Matthew dies as well??!!! /spoilerbombed
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:25 PM ^
February 3rd, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^
Hysterical. Love the show, but agree, it's OT as fuck.
I'm now going to start a Derrick Green thread over on pbs.org.
February 4th, 2013 at 12:35 AM ^
February 4th, 2013 at 12:50 AM ^
I love me some Downton Abbey and all, but on MGoBlog? Seriously?
February 4th, 2013 at 8:30 AM ^
I think he was being what do you call it oh yeah ironical.
February 4th, 2013 at 7:21 AM ^
This thread topic is hilarious! Good job Section 1.
February 4th, 2013 at 9:15 AM ^
The show is fantastic... slow starting as some have mentioned, but I've only gotten through Season 1, so thanks for the spoiler! (not really that bothered.)
I didn't see S2 on netflix, however my gf is in brussels and she has access to S2, so she's been going through the whole season.
February 4th, 2013 at 9:21 AM ^
...but there is a great cricket match coming up soon. Keep an eye on Molesley!
That's about as close to sports as the show gets...unless you count hunting.
February 4th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
Who is the cricketer in the cast? Cricket used to be rather more high-class. Hence the MCC/Lord's. But I think that cricket is well down the social ladder these days. Happens, when something like that gets to be hugely commercially successful.
Re: Shooting and hunting (two very different things, in early 20th centrury Yorkshire), as I am sure know, "Sport" =/= "sports".
But I think that there were nearly as many Michgan football alums in this week's Downton Abbey as were in this year's Super Bowl.
February 4th, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
I thought, "This might piss some people off..." And naturally, that instinct made me want to hit Save right away. What sealed it for me, was knowing that the Super Bowl was in a lengthy timeout; and I thought that would give me cover for what I wanted to do anyway.
But in reality, I thought the topic -- the Off Topic -- would be a good Rorschach Test of the MGoBoard. Who would get it? Who would play along? Who would laugh? Who would get angry? Who would demand my man card?
I am so pleased with the results.