"Downton Abbey Season 1" is so good!
I watched the beginning a few years ago, and felt a bit slow, so I didn't read it. Today, I finished it in 7 hours at the original speed.
The relationship between the male and female protagonists has the feeling of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". It is that the woman is not used to the man at first, and then slowly falls in love with each other. However, the initial social status of Pride and Prejudice is that men are higher than women. Downton Abbey is female high male low here. The female protagonist Mary is the eldest daughter of the duke, and she dresses up to socialize and waits for marriage. The male protagonist Mathew is her distant cousin, a middle-class lawyer.
Duke Robert and Duchess Cora have three daughters, Mary Edith Sybil. Mary is a woman who cannot inherit the title and estate of the duke, which is to be inherited by Robert's distant cousin, Mathew. Cora is the daughter of a rich American. She married the Duke of the British aristocracy with a generous dowry and saved Downton Abbey, which was facing financial crisis. Robert's father asked his daughter-in-law to sign to give up the ownership of the dowry and fully inject the dowry into Downton Abbey. property. So this money is linked to the estate title and is acquired by the heir together. Mary and the two sisters can get it unless the estate is sold and turned into money, but they cannot inherit the title. There are several other people at home, including butler Carson, housekeeper Hughes, maid and chauffeur.
The eldest daughter Mary has a beautiful face and a dignified temperament, and has many suitors. The second daughter Edith is jealous of Mary's high status and being liked by everyone. The third daughter, Sybil, is a feminist who loves politics. She helps the maid find a job as a secretary, and has participated in many political gatherings to fight for the right to vote for women. After a banquet, a handsome Turkish ambassador broke into Mary's room to have sex with her, and died of a heart attack. Mary, her maid Anna and her mother Cora moved the body back to the room. Edith later found out and wrote to the Turkish embassy to destroy Mary's reputation. After getting along with Mathew many times, Mary developed a good impression of each other. Mathew proposed, Cora suddenly became pregnant, possibly a boy, so Mary did not agree to the proposal in time when Mathew was uncertain about inheriting the family property. When Cora had a miscarriage and Mathew wanted to go back to Manchester, Mary was heartbroken.
The eagerness of the noble lady to marry, the jealousy among sisters, the intrigue among servants, the different personalities of servants, the difference in the way of life between the nobles and the middle class, the political environment and changes in the status of women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in England, etc. All are portrayed in great detail, and everyone is real, with strengths and weaknesses.
The framing of the English country manor is beautiful, and I really like the dignified and slightly humorous way of communication. Anyway, it's a pretty good show.
View more about Downton Abbey reviews
