Downton Abbey

Having not seen the show, I have to say that I’m intrigued and want to watch more. Downton Abbey reminded me of Renoir’s The Rules of the Game, but without the sense of irretrievable and dividing loss.

Edit (8-2-2020): Reader, I binged the entire series and it was very satisfying. For the first three seasons, the show managed to hit the highs of great drama series without stooping to the hilarious lows of a soap opera. After season three, that balance starts to shift in the opposite direction. I recall the episode where Lord Crawley gets a stomach ulcer and spews blood at a dinner party – I just laughed in incredulity at the contrived nature of it all and in its somewhat ham-handed execution.

I will admit that I am extremely nostalgic about the show (that GD theme song will be stuck in my head for the remainder of my days), with a narrative that feels strangely comforting, despite all the despair contained within, and will likely watch it again while creating this blog and after I’ve gone through Parks and Recreation, King of the Hill, and 30 Rock in the background.