Downton Abbey: Season 2 (Original UK Edition)

Ever since the end of season one on DVD I have been waiting for the release of season 2 of Downton Abbey. I think every review I read was more negative than positive so I was prepared to be disappointed. Sometimes I regretted having preordered season 2. Then on Thursday evening late season 2 arrived. Now, less than 48 hours later, I am longing for season 3.

I enjoyed the development of the story lines carried over from season one. Trying to tell a story with so many characters is a daunting task. And most probably terribly expensive. I have always regretted only one season of Berkeley Square, a series about the same time in history, with just as huge a cast of characters. Maybe the huge success of Downton Abbey will revive Berkeley Square, just as the Abbey has awakened nostalgia for all things Edwardian, including clothing styles.

I appreciated the softening of some characters and the hardening of others. For me, the process of personal change and cultural change is most interesting. Sybil's enthusiasm, impulsivity, is tempered by hard work over time, and leads her to strong convictions based on her own experience. Edith is rewarded from time to time for her devotion to others, but one still wonders why she is so pliable, so willing to seek a place to belong. Are there people who come into the world incomplete unless they have a place to lavish their love? And Mary; she is strong, aware of her peers and what is expected of her, but even when she takes the road always travelled, she does it in her own way.

In my opinion, the acting during season 2 is better than season one. Yes, there are a couple of places where reality leaves and people sing like in old time movies, but this is a movie of a bye gone era so I think it has the right to not only have historical content but historical style. And although one could say that Downton Abbey is no place to learn history, even the Bible says to tickle the baby's palate with honey to get him or her to eat solid food.

My husband and I were glued to Season One and Season Two on Masterpiece Theatre so we naturally wanted the series for our collection at home. It is just fantastic! The acting is superb; the costumes wonderful and the setting is magnificant. The various plot threads are well done (sometimes moving along a bit quickly while others - Bates and Anna - going more slowly). We both thoroughly enjoyed every minute and now must wait patiently but eagerly for Season Three. I hope this Series never ends and would highly recommend the DVDs for anyone who wants to enjoy a trip down memory lane during the last days of British rule and splendour. It is pure fun, escapism, humour, tragedy and an exceptionally good historical re-creation and of course wonderfully entertaining.

The greatly anticipated second series of Downton Abbey picks up two years on from the first series in 1916, in the middle of World War 1. Downton Abbey has been converted into a convalescent home for injured servicemen and the action covers the period from the Battle of the Somme up to the end of the war. As in the first series, topical events of the period, political, economic and military are covered.

The wartime scenario and the convalescent home setting provide an excellent background for some interesting story lines. The combination of excellent plot lines, great acting and the superb setting display all that is best in TV period drama. This time round we have eight more episodes to add to the seven in the first series. As befits wartime, the costumes are not as flamboyant as in the first series but they are thoroughly researched and appropriate to the period.

There continue to be many superb individual performances but mention must be made of Maggie Smith. What a stroke of genius to cast her as Violet. She dominates every scene she appears in and often has some very funny lines.

This DVD includes the Downton Abbey 2 hour Christmas Special which is probably the single best episode of Downton Abbey to date. High drama here with a cliffhanging murder trial as well as the usual romance, drama, betrayal etc one would expect!

The UK has a long tradition of producing fine period dramas and this is the most successful since the early 1980s when NEW Brideshead Revisited - Brideshead Revisited (director (Blu-ray) took the world by storm. Peak viewing figures in the UK are 11m which is an astounding number for that market. It is pleasing to learn that a third series is already planned and we now know that this will cover an 18 month period from 1920 to 1921. This one is likely to run and run and I would not be surprised to see Downton Abbey continuing up to the 1930s eventually.