DOWNTON ABBEY Season 4 Discussion Thread - SPOILERS WITHIN

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 3:39pm

Since talk is now turning to season/series 4, I thought a new thread was in order. Mormonophobic posted this link about another cast member leaving the show. :-( Updated On: 3/1/13 at 03:39 PM

[MotorTink]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 3:56pm

Just saw that. They have the perfect way to write that person out based on the last episode though soooo should be interesting to see what they do

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 11:04pm

Do we need spoiler warnings?

In case:

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

Oh no! And here I've been clinging to my soap opera theory that her "nephew" and the reason she's been so obsessed on him is actually her illegitimate son!

Odd, I did think during the Xmas special they were gonna send her off to India (? I think it was India) with Rose's family since she seemed keen on the idea... So that's the obvious out, but to do it off screen is kinda meh... No final moment with Thomas?

[Scripps2]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 5:04am

You just can't get the staff nowadays.

[romantico]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 12:16pm

Guess who returns in Season 4?

http://www.deadline.com/2013/03/shirley-maclaine-returning-to-downton-abbey-6-new-cast-members-join/

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 12:29pm

How absolutely delicious!!!

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 3:26pm

Oh no, I'm sad. O'Brien is one of my favorites. (The thread title says SPOILERS so I'm guessing it's okay to talk about it openly?) Eric, you could have been right - that may have been the plan, until the whims of the actors were taken into account, that is. Like the Matthew/Mary trouble-in-conceiving storyline which I imagined would take longer to play out. I hope she returns at some point.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 3:35pm

Brilliant! I hope she's used a bit better...

Jay--thanks for pointing out the lack of need for spoilers... I missed that somehow. I agree that the Matthew/Mary thing would have probably gone on longer--but knowing the outcome they wanted to give her some happiness (and an heir). With O'Brien it just seemed like there was no other reason I could think of as to why she would be quite so obsessed with seeing Alfred advance--and if they gave her the backstory of having an illegitimate child it would go someways to explaining why she is as she is (something the actress vaguely alluded to in an interview.)

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 3:48pm

Well that's how it is in my mind too, even if Julian Fellowes never actually writes it. He could have easily squeezed it in last season instead of overly concentrating on the repetitious and anti-climactic Bates storyline. I really hate Bates. Couldn't have been him to leave, could it? No, just my three favorites.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 3:50pm

Some British drama was in here tonight and the actress that plays O'Brien was on. It was quite funny to see her with blonde hair in a bikini.

[Wynbish]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 5:41pm

Tom Cullen cast as Lady Mary’s new love interest for Downton Abbey series four

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 5:43pm

I ain't mad at dat.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 7:29pm

He may not be Tom Ellis, but I'm fine with Cullen, too.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/26/downton-abbey-casting-for-first-black-character-3515326/

[SweetLips]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 12:04am

PLEASE-no more Shirley Maclaine-who was she trying to be--The Unsinkable Molly Brown?? Dreadful diction/badly written,[were her table manners supposed to be that crude?],wardrobe most unflattering and very aging.Her minimal scenes with Maggie Smith didn't gel and the only one that worked for me was when it was time to say 'good-bye'-forever I had hoped.This stunt casting wasn't necessary,except for ratings.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 12:22am

Pretty sure her manners were meant to be that bad--or at least they were meant to be bad compared to the others (maybe she exagerated it more than she was meant to.) My only gripe was she seemed to be on simply because they liked the *idea* of her playing an American role on the show. I hope this time they really have a reason for her character to be on (by reason I mean something to do--not just because there's a family wedding)--and I'm gonna put my trust in that they do.

Downton doesn't really need any ratings increase casting Shirley *might* give them, I think it was just poorly thought out.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 1:47am

It certainly IS rating through the roof Eric, without Shirley-now Debbie Reynolds would have been amazing !

[canmark]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 9:05am

Tom Cullen, the guy who starred in Andrew Haigh's Weekend? Oh, good casting. And Julian Ovenden apparently appeared on Smash in the Dramaturg episode. I only saw part of that episode. What character did he play?

Updated On: 3/3/13 at 09:05 AM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 3:28pm

Umm he sang JFK. For the life of me I am completely bewildered as to what Ovenden has to do with thi thread at all... Was he in Downton and I missed it? In Weekend and I blinked? Cullen is a handsome Welsh actor and Ovenden is a handsome Brit actor and so they are both from the UK?

[Wynbish]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 3:30pm

Ovenden is listed as joining the cast in the Tom Cullen article


Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is popping up as well Updated On: 3/3/13 at 03:30 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 4:46pm

Oh! Thanks for the correction. Hrmm, the black character is meant to be a singer too.

[It's a fine life!]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 4:55pm

I love this show SOOO much. I've been A Downton Abbey fan since before it was the hit that it is. I can't help but be outraged, however, at Matthew's death. I know it gives way to some very interesting story lines in the 4th series. But now with O'Brien gone and Thomas actually warming his way into my affections, I can't help wondering just what we're in store for.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:00pm

And Nigel Harman is joining the cast as a new valet. I'm sure Thomas will be keen to lend him a hand...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:04pm

I know, Chi Chi!!!! I wonder what we're in store for, as well!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 6:22pm

He picked up an Olivier for going down on his knees; something else that Thomas may come to appreciate.



Updated On: 3/5/13 at 06:22 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 3:09pm

The gay indie film Cowboys and Angels from about 10 years back was on a movie channel here this morning. I hadn't seen it since it first came to DVD--it's a fairly low key and typical coming-out (complete with drug issues) gay movie, but better than most similar ones I think. Anyway, I mainly remember having a crush on one of the actors--and only now realized it's because he's played by a very young Allen Leech--aka Branson with club kid hair as one of the leads. And yes there is nudity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWIh99qA5qQ