Downton Abbey

[contrary]

For those of us either in the UK, or anxious enough to pay up through iTunes UK, here's the season 3 thread for Downton!

[contrary]

...and now back to the 20s costuming and Mary's dress...

it was amazing. the veil and headpiece...swooooon!

The 20s clothing really complements (compliments?) Edith, too. I did not think Sybil looked as good as in previous seasons. Something about the hair/eyebrow combo.

Shirley MacLaine is so much prettier than that! The hair/hats/dry red lipstick did her no justice at all, but maybe that was on purpose. I do hope her character gets a lot more developed. She’s so talented, and the writing in Ep 1 made her such a one-dimensional stereotype.

I did love Isobel and Violet plotting Branson’s jacket for the wedding…are you quite finished? Good, now put on the coat. HAAAA. He’s so earnest, but he knew he was licked.

[sippin0nsunshine]

Ohhh I love Branson! He's so handsome. And Sybil...I couldn't quite pinpoint it but something was different. I went back and looked and realized that her hair was shorter than in previous seasons, and she just didn't seem like the cheerful Sybil we met in season 1.

Edith annoyed me. Her snide comment to Mary before the wedding was so bitchy. Obviously she's still jealous of Mary.

[contrary]

Edith was snide, but i let that one go because Mary was SO bitchy to her for the entirety of S1.

S2 lost a lot of those sibling relationship moments, and bitchy or not, I'm really hoping we get it back in S3. It certainly didn't seem to bother Mary or Cora, who just exchanged an amused look.

Branson is crazy handsome, but I would not be able to live with someone that completely principled. Good moral fiber is fine, but some days you need to laugh til you snort, and discuss bad hair choices.

[sippin0nsunshine]

Oh definitely. I really want to see Edith with Sir Antony. I think a lot of Edith's "attitude" comes from being the middle child between Mary, who's the princess and so entitled, and Sybil who is the baby and a "whirlwind". Maybe Edith would do good with Sir Antony or that farmer guy she was working with last season.

As for Branson, I agree. He's too tightly wound and needs to have fun. At first I thought Sybil would loosen him up a bit but it seems he's tightened HER up.

[contrary]

Yeah. I did not like that scene with he and Sybil in bed at all...he seemed manipulative, and she acquiesced too readily. Of course, that could be my own baggage, too!

I am getting the distinct vibe that Sir Antony doesn't like Edith in "that way". He waffles between looks of subtle horror, or looks of romantic indulgence. I can't figure out which he means.

Anna and Bates...snore. I hope they don't spend all season getting him out of jail.

Matthew...ugh. Last season, I was annoyed with him martyring himself to Lavinia's memory. Finally he decides to marry Mary...and now this big inheritance falls in his lap, and he's martyring himself again.

(edited to make to into too)

[Guest Anonymous]

I liked Lady Mary's tiara and veil but the dress did nothing for me. It was certainly very 1920s, but the trashy press had overhyped it as being something brides would emulate, and I can't see that happening anytime soon. I loved the grandeur of the whole event though. I thought that Lady Sybil was intentionally dressed and made up to look plainer this season to reflect her newly elected working class lifestyle.

I don't really get into the characters enough to feel annoyed or otherwise for them. The scripting often feels like a condescending historical narrative for the (presumed to be unintelligent) ITV viewer, and the only person I want to be annoyed with is Julian Fellowes, but I can't help just switching off and giving into it as my Sunday evening guilty pleasure. I love love love Maggie Smith and would watch anything she is in. :mrgreen:

[sippin0nsunshine]

I LOVE Maggie Smith. When I first started watching I didn't think I could see her as anybody but Prof. McGonagall but Violet proved me wrong! It's the perfect role for her. :)

[Guest Anonymous]

:D Possible spoiler about Sir Anthony Strallin (sp?) for US viewers who may not get to see the copious trailers we get over here:

From the trailers it looks as though he and Lady Edith do get together but that Lord Grantham tries for force him to end the relationship for some reason... is that how other UK viewers interpreted the trailer or am I way off?

[contrary]

huh. I wonder why Lord Grantham would disapprove? I know there's an age difference, but it's not as if they present Edith (who i think is lovely, btw) as having many options.

[Guest Anonymous]

http://downtonabbey.wikia.com/wiki/Sir_Anthony_Strallan

Very poor wikia write-up, but see links to newspaper spoiler articles.

[sippin0nsunshine]

It seems in the first (or second?) season, Cora disapproved of Sir Anthony, saying she'd rather watch paint dry. In the sneak peak "next time on..." segment I saw yesterday, it seems it was Violet who put Lord Grantham up to shooing Sir Anthony.

[bbtlover]

I'm so jealous! I have to wait until January to get so see this awesome show. I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through you until I can see it for myself.

[Loveday]

I'm so jealous! I have to wait until January to get so see this awesome show. I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through you until I can see it for myself.

Me, too. I keep telling myself to stay away from spoilers, but I can't help myself. I can't wait til January, I want to know everything NOW.

Oddly, though, I don't want to actually watch the show online anywhere; I'd rather wait and watch it on a bigger screen in January. :lol:

[Claddagh]

I've seen the pictures of Mary's dress. While pretty it doesn't do anything for me.

I want to see what Sybil's dress would've looked like!

[Deleted03]

Ohhh I love Branson! He's so handsome. And Sybil...I couldn't quite pinpoint it but something was different. I went back and looked and realized that her hair was shorter than in previous seasons, and she just didn't seem like the cheerful Sybil we met in season 1.

Edith annoyed me. Her snide comment to Mary before the wedding was so bitchy. Obviously she's still jealous of Mary.

she's pregnant too, isn't she? could it be why she's less cheerful

[contrary]

Sybil is pregnant, and kind to the point of annoyance. Edith is the middle sister, who is supposed to be "the ugly one".

[nokidsmom]

Me, too. I keep telling myself to stay away from spoilers, but I can't help myself. I can't wait til January, I want to know everything NOW.

Oddly, though, I don't want to actually watch the show online anywhere; I'd rather wait and watch it on a bigger screen in January. :lol:

Same here. I can't help myself but look at the spoilers!

[ADoyle90815]

Same here. I can't help myself but look at the spoilers!

That's true for me, and I can't wait until January.

[rock_girl]

Matthew irritates me so much. It's like one more big bad event would tip him over into self-flagellation and hair shirts.

I want the pendant that Cora was wearing during the little dinner party. You don't see much of it until everyone's left, but it's really quite lovely, especially when worn with the longer strand.

[contrary]

THANK YOU! Matthew makes me crazy! I just want to smack him and his smug, self-righteous self. He's supposed to be "good" and "honorable" and the underdog who's fit to be the next Lord Grantham...but he has none of Lord Grantham's complexity or humor.

He's flat and smug and I want to barf most of the time. I know he and Mary have always been end-game, but I think she's going to walk all over him and be bored to tears.

[rock_girl]

I think one of the things I dislike about Matthew's character is the actor playing him. As much as I like Sense and Sensibility (oh, Colonel Brandon!), Edward Ferrars is just irritating. Not too far from the hair shirt himself. So every time Matthew starts up I just want to slap him and say "Edward, stop being an idiot". You're right, though, Matthew is not especially complex. He's either making a fool of himself or playing the martyr. I'm hoping that the new series will have him moving beyond Matthew the embarrassed heir, Matthew the patriotic soldier, Matthew the wronged suitor, Matthew the failed suitor and finally Matthew the stoic wheelchair user.

One thing I did really like was the scene in which Martha's maid went down to the kitchen to inform the staff of food restrictions. I know the producers are meticulous about costuming and props in the series, but was the no marrow, goat's milk only, no crab thing a fad diet of the time? All I can think of is the Kellog brothers and their dedication to enemas.

Also, I'm a bit confused as to why Anthony Strallan didn't say anything about Tom's drink being spiked until after the effects were obvious. He could have been drinking something deadly. I quite liked Anthony up until this episode but now I've gone off him.

[celestial]

Also, I'm a bit confused as to why Anthony Strallan didn't say anything about Tom's drink being spiked until after the effects were obvious. He could have been drinking something deadly.

I wondered the same thing. I mean, he did exclaim, "Good God!" or something when he saw it if I remember correctly, but then he never followed up on that until Tom had already made a fool of himself. :think:

[rock_girl]

I think it was "I say, what the devil!" Oh man, I love the way these people talk. Maybe he thought it was inappropriate to cause a scene? Maybe he harboured prejudice toward the naughty chauffeur for rising through the ranks? Whatever it was, he was very disappointing. Not sure I'm in the Edith+Anthony camp any more.

[celestial]

I think it was "I say, what the devil!"

That was it! I know, I love they way they talk, too. I think he probably felt awkward about saying something or was questioning whether he really saw what he thought he saw. Still should have spoken up sooner, though.