Downton Abbey - The Final Series

[carolineorchange21]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 2:02pm

 

The sixth and final season of Downton Abbey will begin airing the 20th of September - I figured it was soon enough to see if anyone else is slogging it out with me and staying to the bitter, drab end?

 

I could barely finish the S5 Christmas Special. The Bates' troubles were beyond tiresome and were tacked on to what I felt was a solid first half set in a Northumberland castle.

 

I'm not sure why I'm sticking with this show. There are other, better programs that I couldn't finish - United States of Tara, Weeds, Nurse Jackie - but there is something so eminently watchable about it that transcends the now-insipid plot.

 

To be fair, I've come to like the Rose character a great deal. The writing and story lines are just as silly as everyone else's but Lily James is just so likeable as the Sybil surrogate and I enjoy her and Atticus' parts in the show. It's a pity she doesn't make an appearance in the S6 trailer:

 

 

Anyone else sticking it out? Now with Mad Men gone, this final season of DA is going to see Sunday night become cocktail night again, although for different reasons :)

 

 

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 2:16pm

Absolutely! We're marathoning the first five seasons presently.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 2:46pm

I wouldn't miss it for the world!

Though, I won't watch until it's on PBS in the US in January.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 3:21pm

Me either.  I thought they wrote Rose and Atticus out of the show.  Didn't they move to America?

[carolineorchange21]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 3:22pm

 

@JerseyGirl2

I did that last year during season 5!

 

I also watched series 1 with a friend who had never seen it while watching S5 simultaneously. I marveled at the subtle changes in character appearance and the drastic changes in technology. I also was finally able to pinpoint what it was that made the first three seasons great and what the show has been missing: Miss O'Brein. While Sybil and Matthew added enormously to the program, it was O'Brein's cruelty and revelment in her treachery that gave a needed darker balance to the piece.

 

Miss this b*tch.

 

 

 

 

Edit: Yes! I was looking up episodes for S6 and it appears Rose is not going to be featured. I thought she might show up somewhere along the lines but I can't find her on any cast list for any S6 eps. Sadness. Oh well, still have Violet and Isobel tiffs to lighten the mood. I hope both ladies survive the series but if they have to go I want a 1930s-style Thelma and Louise ending. Maybe they drive off the cliff in a Duesenberg! 

 

Updated On: 9/7/15 at 03:22 PM

[Steve C.]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 3:27pm

Wow, DA is starting so much earlier this year. It normally doesn't start until the first week of January. 

Let's remember our DA etiquette...Keep Calm and No Spoilers. (I know you can buy the whole season 6 already too, but stretching it out seems more fun that way.) 

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 4:29pm

No. It's beginning at the same time it does every year. It won't air in the US until January. You can't buy season 6 yet. It hasn't aired.

Updated On: 9/7/15 at 04:29 PM

[Steve C.]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 4:37pm

Thanks,     I remember those competing DA vs SB parties. Hopefully they have some kind of a happy ending planned for some of the staff and the Crawleys...I just don't want Violet dying..can't wait!  

[Steve C.]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 5:08pm

BTW, have you seen how the Disney execs have picked and pulled some actors from DA. I guess that's why some are written out. Lily James was Cinderella, Sophie McShera was a step-sister in the same, Dan Stevens is the Beast in the live action Beauty and the Beast. I'm sure there are more but the Disney stuff is so "promoted and promoted".

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 6:10pm

I'll watch the final season just to see if Julian gets his head out of his own *ss and gets back to writing good scripts like he did in Season 1.  Even if he could give us one quality Maggie Smith zinger per episode it would be enough.  Hire Bruce Vilanch to ghost-write them if you have to, but the Maggie Smith zinger is a must have.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/7/15 at 6:16pm

"I also was finally able to pinpoint what it was that made the first three seasons great and what the show has been missing: Miss O'Brein."

 

I totally agree with that.  When Siobhan Finneran left the show, it took a nose dive.  The only characters I was ever interested in were O'Brien, Edith and Maggie Smith.  Unfortunately Fellowes disappointed me.  O'brien left the show and he didn't know how to advance Edith or Maggie's characters.

 

But I've followed her from show to show and tried to see her in everything I could:  Benidorm, Happy Valley, The Syndicate.  She never disappoints.

Updated On: 9/7/15 at 06:16 PM

[Hulmeman]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 6:20am

I was lucky enough to go to Downton Abbey (AKA Highclere Castle) last August. It doesn't disappoint! I entered the drawing room like Carson, sat in the music room like the dowager duchess and swept down those stairs like Lady Mary. When I say "swept" I mean as in vacuumed cleaned though, like Daisy.

[Steve C.]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 6:45am

A bit off thread topic, but did they ever record Petula Clark in Sunset Boulevard? Thanks.

[Hulmeman]

Posted: 9/8/15 at 6:58am

Steve C. said: "A bit off thread topic, but did they ever record Petula Clark in Sunset Boulevard? Thanks.

Yes, they did, it was on a short CD with just 3 songs. (Polydor 576433-2). The songs are also on a couple of compilation albums.

 

"

 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 9/12/15 at 6:57am

I totally agree about missing O'Brien.  She was pivotal. Thomas needs an evil co-conspirator for full effect.

i was disappointed that they didn't allow Miss Bunting to cause more havoc. I'll continue to watch no matter what.  It's worthwhile viewing simply for the costumes alone.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 9:50pm

The first episode was so good... it was a pleasure to have my warm friendship with this show rekindled.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 2:45am

Are the US PBS episodes still edited differently than the original Brit eps or has that practice changed now?  

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 9:12am

Not sure. The only obvious difference might be if they handle the Christmas special differently in the US, since it just airs as a regular episode here, and not nearly a month after the series ends and has a longer running time.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 2:20pm

Is there a Christmas special this year or does the series end with this season?

N/m - google is my friend. There will be a special this year.

Updated On: 9/21/15 at 02:20 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 8:26am

"Are the US PBS episodes still edited differently than the original Brit eps or has that practice changed now?"

I think they do edit them still.  PBS sticks very closely to the 1 hour program length and Downton Abbey usually runs to 1 hour 10 minutes.

[haterobics]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 12:05pm

Oh, the US runs them at an hour? Yeah, episode 1 in the UK was like 1:07 for the first episode...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/22/15 at 6:11pm

Yes, the US runs them in hour segments.  Which is weird, because if PBS has a show that runs 45 minutes (like Doc Martin) they will fill the rest of the hour with something like a Rick Steves segment.  But if the show runs more than an hour, they will cut it to fit the time slot.

 

I bet that in this season's first episode, they will cut that scene where Mrs. Patmore goes to see Carson the first time.  That scene really didn't have much purpose and Julian probably threw it in so that PBS could cut it.

 

Usually with the Christmas episode, they will do fundraising.  They'll have a special guest star in and they will show the first 20 minutes of the show, then gab with the star (Do I really need Hugh Bonneville telling me to send money to PBS?) then show another 20 minutes, then gab some more.

 

PBS holds Downton Abbey until January because they know it's a popular show and January is a tough month to get money, so they fundraise in January off of Downton Abbey.

 

Thank goodness for the internet, so that we can watch British shows without having to resort to our channels. I'm enjoying Ruth Jones in "Stella" a show which will never appear on American networks.

Updated On: 9/22/15 at 06:11 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 9/27/15 at 7:44pm

No, PBS assuredly no longer edits it--they stopped doing that after season 1 (when the edits weren't so much done for time but idiotically due to things--like conversation about the inheritence hierarchy--that they thought Americans wouldn't get.)  Downton Abbey airs on ITV in an hour including commercials installment--only the premier, the finale and the Christmas specials are extended and PBS in the past has aired those in a 90 minute slot.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/9/15 at 11:19am

I need a last few moments recap of episode 8. The version online cut while the character was watching the children play. I have no idea if that was the end or not, but it seemed very abrupt. Someone please inbox me if someone showed up or something else happened!

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 11/10/15 at 2:46am

Thank you! I guess I did see it all.

 

SPOILERS FOLLOW:

I really enjoyed the episode on the whole. The scene with Mary and Violet was just beautiful. Edith losing the love of her life YET AGAIN was a bit tiresome, but I assume he'll be a big part of the Christmas episode. I wanted Mrs. Pattmore to get with Mr. Mason. Maybe that's in the finale, too. Mary getting her happy ending after being such a raging bitch the entire episode pissed me off. I still can't get over that. Maybe we are supposed to be left with the knowledge that Edith's happiness is her daughter (thought why she would take off to London so often without her is beyond me.)