#downton abbey: season five

[emcgoverns]

elizabeth mcgovern as cora crawley, countess of grantham (with hugh bonneville as robert crawley, earl of grantham) in season 5, episode 8 of “downton abbey” (november 2014) | 🎥: dir. michael engler

[queenmelancholy]

Downton Abbey | Thomas Barrow

Top 5 quotes from my favourite character under five categories

Best

/ I’m not foul, Mr. Carson. I’m not the same as you, but I’m not foul.

/ You’re not a victim. Don’t let them make you into one.

/ It is not against the law to hope, is it?

/ I arrived here as a boy. I leave as a man.

/ But remember, I will always be your friend wherever I am.

Sad

/ You are stronger than you think. And you’re wrong about me. I mind what people say.

/ There are times I would like to belong. Does that sound funny?

/ To change me. To make me more like other people… other men.

/ I envy you. A happy couple and everyone’s so pleased for you. I can’t imagine what that’s like.

/ You’ve got me wrong. You all have… It’s too late. The damage has been done.

Sarcastic

/ I don’t think that would be sensible, Mr. Bates. We can’t have you wobbly at both ends.

/ Only technically.

/ I hope not, for his mother’s sake.

/ Really? And what do you feel about transubstantiation?

/ What about the Black Bottom, m��lady?

Iconic

/ It’s Mr. Barrow to you.

/ What?

/ Because I feel like it.

/ *pouting*

/ *standing in the background looking bored*

Other characters on Thomas

/ No man is an island, Carson. Not even Thomas Barrow.

/ I don’t know if you’re a good or a bad thing, Mr. Barrow. But we’ve all been together for a long time.

/ You are your own worst enemy.

/ Can’t Barrow come up with something? / You’re right, Mr. Barrow usually has a card or two up his sleeve. / Well, tell him to get one out of his sleeve and play it. Pronto.

/ You don’t need to explain, Barrow. I wish you well. And I hope you’ll be as happy as our cruel world allows.

Bonus: Mr. Bawwow!!!

[just-two-blokes]

Me: 'Nothing makes me mad.'

Someone: 'What about Julian Fellowes not caring enough to give the CYOP storyline in season 5 of Downton Abbey more attention?'

Me: 'Forget what I said.'

[hwestil]

I want to hit Andrew with a stick.

He is so dumb. I dunno, Andrew, why WOULD a first-time mother be scared during her pregnancy? Why would she not want to go to the countryside, away from the doctors and/or midwives she knows and who know her, where she'll have no one to talk to or really confide in except her as-yet unmarried sister-in-law (because I can't imagine her trying with her father-in-law) who won't have a clue what she's going through, and who she doesn't appear to count among her friends anyway? Not like pregnancy is really risky! Not like women ever die delivering babies! Not like it's not painful even if they don't!

[nanachie]

rewatching series 1 of downton abbey and my god the amount of plot in a single episode would be spread over an entire season of television if it were made today. the Turkish man dying would have been a season finale cliffhanger, but it happens halfway through episode three. mrs patmore’s eye surgery would be a whole season arc for her - she’s off and back from a week in London for surgery within half an episode. Matthew and Mary’s will-they-won’t-they would have lasted the entire show, and they definitely wouldn’t have kissed until five seasons in. modern tv executives would get whiplash from this show about *checks notes* the day-to-day running of a minor English regency household

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

a list of some winter movies/series ❄️

hello! your friendly neighbourhood little organisation freak of a goblin is here again to give you a list of winter movies and series. this isn't a christmas focused list, just winter vibes, there's only a very very small handful of christmas centred stuff on here. as always, just close your eyes and point somewhere on this little list, or even put the numbers in a generator and go with whatever the result is ♡

spring | summer | autumn

🧣 ‧₊˚ ⋅ movies ⋅˚₊‧

star wars franchise (1977-)

the shining (1980)

edward scissorhands (1990)

beauty and the beast (1991)

the muppet christmas catol (1992) 

batman returns (1992)

the bodyguard (1992)

the cutting edge (1992, 2006, 2008)

while you were sleeping (1995)

titanic (1997)

anastasia (1997)

snow day (2000)

bridget jones’s diary (2001)

save the last dance (2001)

monsters, inc (2001)

peter pan (2003)

the day after tomorrow (2004)

family stone (2005)

ice princess (2005)

the chronicles of narnia: the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005) 

the holiday (2006)

last holiday (2006)

eastern promises (2007)

the curious case of benjamin button (2008)

the time traveler’s wife (2009, 2022)

sherlock holms (2009)

black swan (2010)

inception (2010)

new year’s eve (2011)

the girl with the dragon tattoo (2011)

red riding hood (2011)

they grey (2011)

captain america: the first avenger (2011)

the vow (2012)

anna karenina (2012)

snow white and the huntsman (2012)

frozen (2013)

the wind rises (2013)

iron man 3 (2013)

snowpiercer (2013)

the drop (2014)

winter’s tale (2014)

the grand budapest hotel (2014)

carol (2015)

the age of adaline (2015)

the revenant (2015)

everest (2015)

krampus (2015)

split (2016)

phantom thread (2017)

wind river (2017)

murder on the orient express (2017)

atomic blond (2017)

the mountain between us (2017)

night hunter (2018)

hold the dark (2018)

the nutcracker and the four realms (2018)

alita: battle angel (2019)

anna (2019)

little women (2019)

five feet apart (2019)

last christmas (2019)

happiest season (2020)

the world to come (2020)

silver skates (2020)

spider-man: no way home (2021)

the mauritanian (2021)

black widow (2021)

something from tiffany's (2022)

ghostbusters: frozen empire (2014)

🛷 ‧₊˚ ⋅ series ⋅˚₊‧

criminal minds (2005-2020, 2022-)

downton abbey (2010-2015)

game of thrones (2011-2019)

orphan black (2013-2017)

peaky blinders (2013-2022)

critical role (2015-)

daredevil (2015-2018)

wynonna earp (2016-2021)

war and peace (2016)

godless (2017)

the punisher (2017-2019)

anne with an e (2017-2019)

the bodyguard (2018)

killing eve (2018-2022)

the mandalorian (2019-)

young royals (2021)

shadow and bone (2021-2023)

vikings valhalla (2022-2024)

the last of us (2023-)

masters of the air (2024)

[disneytva]

Dan Stevens Replaces Justin Roiland As Korvo In 20th Television Animation's ‘Solar Opposites’ Season 4 Slated For August 14

Dan Stevens (ITV "Downton Abbey", Dreamworks Animation Television "Kipo And The Age Of The Wonderbeasts") has been tapped to take over the lead role in the animated series that was originally created by Mike McMahan (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Roiland, who was ousted in January amid domestic violence charges.

The animated series, from exec producers Mike McMahan and Josh Bycel, will return with its fourth season in August 14 on Hulu,Disney+ Worldwide and Star+. Stevens will take over voicing the character of Korvo, a grouchy alien who always wears ceremonial robes and professes to hate Earth. He desperately wants to fix their spaceship so he can escape to a new planet. 

A Solar Opposites Valentine’s Day special is set for February 2024. The series, which counts McMahan and Josh Bycel as exec producers, scored an early season five renewal back in October 2022.

The series has been one of Disney's most sucessful adult animated franchises within the 20th Century Studios brand

[tangerinesgirl]

I know it might be a bit too early for Christmas things, but I had a few small ideas I wanted to share! Thought it would be fun to do a few headcanons on how the Dan characters spend the season.

I didn't include Matthew Crawley I'm sorry I had no ideas that weren't already included in Downton Abbey, but feel free to send me some!

Warnings: a few brief sex mentions (*shakes fist* Lemtov) so 18+ and mature bc of that, but mostly fluff

Herr König

- beautiful landscapes at the resort overlooking the German Alps

- will comment on this saying the only thing more beautiful is you (a bit cheesy but we love him anyways)

- cozy nights in with the log fire, snuggling into König, watching the snow fall

- he plays with your hair while you read a book

- would gift you socks lmfao

- but then quickly gives you another more serious present

- you build a giant snowman, König watching inside knowing how bitter the German snow can be, but how could you resist NOT building a snowman

- he was right and you can't feel your fingers

- König trying to warm you up with hot chocolate, cuddles and kisses

- but just his voice and German pet names are enough to melt the cold away

- he does make a damn good hot chocolate though

Adam 'Frank' Barrett

- bah humbug

- doesn't see the point

- having a kid who loves it makes him demented about the whole holiday

- would fully ruin Christmas and tell his kid that Santa isn't real

- thinks Christmas is stupid but still gifts you some jewellery

- you dragging him around the mall for shopping

- will literally shoot a radio if it plays Christmas songs

- you jokingly suggesting for Frank to meet mall Santa but he reluctantly goes through with it after saying you'll make it up to him later

- now you have a wonderful picture of him cross armed and angry on Santa's lap

- you put it on the mantlepiece every year

- you trying to lighten his mood with a snowball fight but he gets too into it and nearly decapitates you after lobbing one that's pure ice

- he pranks you by pouring snow down your jumper like a child

Travis 'Trapper' Beasley

- VERY festive

- will decorate the house until it's seen from space

- goes all out and spends way too much money

- traditional Christmas movies all day in your pajamas

- will cook all day and reluctantly says yes when you offer to help (really he likes doing it himself)

- feeds you tasters of each piece of food

- dancing and (terrible) singing in the kitchen at the top of your lungs

- Trapper wearing Christmas themed apron, socks, jumper...you name it

David Collins

- Christmas crafts!

- making gingerbread houses

- his is perfect but yours can't stand up

- he says yours is better as we won't feel bad about eating it

- shopping for Christmas trees

- you pick the perfect one (maybe a bit too big) and David carries it over his shoulder effortlessly

- fits right in with the family at dinner

- lets you win at Monopoly

Alexander Lemtov

- likes buying you clothes and seeing you in them

- not like they stay on your body long

- adamant on spending it in his home at Russia

- will tell you a new Russian tradition every five minutes

- both of you going to the market in thick leather coats drinking some very alcoholic spiced warm beverages

- you point out cute ornaments, which he later goes back for to buy in secret and give you them Christmas Day

- another big foodie, but doesn't cook himself, will pay a chef to make dinner

- afterall, it means more time spent together

- he says that in a sweet way, but he means it in a "we're fucking all day" way

- the only time you don't have your hands all over each other is during dinner

- ...only for Lemtov to fuck you on the dinner table afterwards

- feeling content, stuffed full with food (and him)

David Haller

- honestly pretty on the fence about Christmas

- never really celebrated it or had pretty traumatic ones, so you're determined to make him have a good Christmas

- spoiling him with food and gifts

- adores the jellycat you bought him

- falls asleep on the sofa watching Home Alone

- thanks you for Christmas dinner and likes spending time with your family,

- very polite, if he is a bit shy at first

- just all round a sweet guy

- wears the lil Christmas hat out of a cracker

- likes all the distractions, helping take his mind off things, wishes it could be Christmas every day now

- no but fr we were robbed of a Legion Christmas special episode imagine the possibilities

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 29 - festive occasions in the 1920s

There are times when the Crawleys wear a sort of outfit that I tentatively want to call “semi-formal”? They leave the house in these, so it’s not exactly an indoor look, and it’s day wear, not evening, but it’s often more lightweight than a coat or walking suit, and the optics go more in the direction of their garden fashions – light, mostly pastel colors, flowered hats, loosely falling robes… The occasions in question are 1st, Mary’s wedding, 2nd, a family picnic at Eryholme which at that time might become their new home, 3rd, Edith’s little disaster of a wedding, and finally, the baptism of Sybil junior.

The only occasion for which Violet bothers to get a new outfit is Mary’s wedding; for the others, she repeats a few of her already-established coats. This is stylistically familiar though, and in fact she combines it with a tulle-wrapped hat she’s worn before. I do love the cream coat; can’t quite tell the material, but it’s something softly shiny. And then she goes all extra on the cuffs and hem – this trim is easily five or six inches of piping flowers and ferns.

--------------

Remember when I said that Martha doesn’t really cross the line into tasteless? Well. I’ll admit it: This one is kind of tacky. Lady, tone down the fur and velvet; this is not a winter wedding. Admittedly, the turban-like head wrap is something I would have enjoyed a great deal more in an evening setting. Martha loves her some quirky 1920s headdresses. But for the day, the plumage seem a little much.

--------------

For her son’s wedding to Mary, Isobel got a lovely light blue walking coat that she repeats later for the Eryholme picnic, if with a less frothy hat. What I find funny during the wedding is that the cream collar with the darling birds-and-flowers embroidery makes Isobel look like she coordinated with the random extra next to her, a nameless lady in cream with a similar embroidery motif on the lapels.

--------------

Cora wears this long lavender coat for Mary’s wedding and for Sybbie’s baptism, a pretty rose-patterned damask with a long plain collar. I think this is supposed to be a matching set with the dress she wears under it, a lilac number with a velvet sash. The main variation between the wedding and the baptism is that for the former, she wears a ton of white fabric flowers on her hat and another huge one pinned to her lapel, whereas for the baptism she’s way more toned down, nothing on her lapel and the flowers on her hat much smaller and darker. Granted, that baptism has an overlap with mourning time.

Despite financial hardships, Cora can afford new hats all the time. What do you know. I kind of like the pleated design of the crown here, but not the overall shape if that makes sense. The sandy walking suit with the giant folded lapels will transition into her everyday wardrobe in season 4, although by then she picks a rather less flattering hat to go with it. I don’t know what these buttons are doing down there; they sure aren’t shutting the coat in any meaningful way. They just look nice, I guess.

This is Cora’s get-up for Edith’s wedding, and it has to be the first time I am aware of that the hatband was actually made to fit the cardigan. See? That’s the exact same flower embroidery. And back with a ton of white flowers on her hat. I like the jacket, but the outfit overall is a bit unspectacular, as is to be expected from a wedding guest who’s not to outshine the bride. Would probably pop more if she wore that over a red blouse.

--------------

We’ll get to what Mary wears to her wedding in a separate post, but for Edith’s wedding, she shows up in light blue chiffon and what I think is a layer of white lace. The drop waist sash, the sleeves and the hatband are all the same material, all pastel on pastel plus pearls; it’s all very rich boring white people. But at least it’s flattering. Edith gets fucked over by her outfits for these occasions.

Granted, Mary’s baptism look is really dowdy. Why is she dressed like her mother-in-law? This dress tries to do something with lavender and purple piping, but the placement of it doesn’t do much to enhance the outfit. I think she stole her mother’s jewelry again though; this is the exact necklace Cora was wearing with her beige picnic coat above.

--------------

Why. Why did they put Edith in this for Mary’s wedding? At this point, her sense of fashion has developed so much that this stupid, unflattering granny dress looks dissonant. She’s wearing a sack with a big flower on it. And what’s with the plump pin tucks in the skirt? They throw this so off balance. Ugh, anyway. The hat is quite lovely.

I found the last dress so ugly that this one, which she wears for the baptism, is already an upgrade. The color is not for Edith imo, but the drop waist has a patterned sash that is kind of nice, and while the sleeves look baggy, it at least has a pretty neckline.

--------------

Sybil got a rather nice look for Mary’s wedding. Why couldn’t Edith wear something like this? The color and weight is similar, blue chiffon, but the scarf matching the dress looks way more elegant than that strange embroidery. Any additional color is banned to the hat embroidery, which looks cute but less grand than those of her relatives because Sybil isn’t about that life anymore.

Her hat for Edith’s wedding has pretty much the same shape, the brim widening to the front and curving a bit up to form something akin to a bonnet, but it’s white with a lilac ribbon to match her dress. This dress is quite similar to Mary’s for the same event, chiffon with floral white lace, but it has some additional trim with an under layer in a darker purple, and the skirt has a little gathering on the side.

[amarimeta]

The Television Academy watching Carrie Coon deliver one of the greatest performances of the decade: No

The Television Academy watching Carrie Coon act cunty in a soap opera: Yes

no because literally WHAT GOES ON.

gilded age mutuals look away if you must but COME ON. LETS BE SERIOUS. i looooooove gilded age i love nothing television i love this stupid soapy show about my beautiful princess with a disorder and the entire town who hates her. HOWEVER. you (the academy) need to look me in the EYE and tell me carrie’s performance as bertha russell is the best she’s ever done. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING. i LOVE bertha. but she is NOT the crazy girl of all time. she is NOT the bravest girl on earth. she is NOT nora durst.

“ace you have to think about the strength of schedule” THE LEFTOVERS WAS ONLY EVER NOMINATED FOR ONE EMMY. AND IT WAS FOR ANN DOWD GUEST ACTRESS IN THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD (and his identical twin brother). LIKE THATS A WHOLE OTHER CAN OF WORMS. the show was never nominated. the writing was never nominated. the directing was never nominated. i have no love for the man but justin theroux was never nominated?? CARRIE?!?! WAS ?!?! NEVER ?!?!? NOMINATED ??!?!,!?!?! after the performance of HER lifetime, MY lifetime, every single person who ever has or ever will live’s lifetime???

do not click the read more unless you want me to complain about strength of schedule for each season. i get very specific i’m sorry.

SEASON 1 - 67th primetime emmy awards

BEST DRAMA

game of thrones season 5 (WINNER)

better call saul season 1

downton abbey season 5

homeland season 4

house of cards season 3

mad men season 7 part 2

orange is the new black season 2

haven’t watched house of cards or homeland (to be fair i DID watch homeland s5 for miranda otto like five years ago), haven’t watched oitnb in YEARS, haven’t gotten to mad men season 7 OR downton season 5 yet. HOWEVER. i do not care. take downton s5 off from there. mind u i bought the downton collectors boxset two weeks ago i have all the dvds i have a stupid ass bell TAKE IT OFF AND PUT THE LEFTOVERS ON THERE!!!! or take homeland season 4 off idc what happened on it but why is tracy letts a main character on a show nominated YOUR WIFE IS BEING ROBBED TRACY!!! DEFEND HER!!! wait i just realized i hadn’t even mentioned game of thrones season 5 being the winner. i can’t say anything at this point i just have to laugh.

lead actor jon hamm won for mad men again idk what happens in s7 i haven’t even finished season 1. as a newsroom and better call saul enjoyer i will not advocate for either of them to be removed so get rid of kevin spacey and put theroux up there. would carrie have been nominated as lead for s1? i think she’d be supporting no? in which case take emilia clarke off for game of thrones I’M SORRY I’M NOT HATING BUT WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC HERE. IT IS SEASON 5 GAME OF THRONES. YOU ARE NOT OUTDOING NORA DURST. supporting actor christopher get your ass up there!! jonathan banks get your ass down here. i will sound like a jonathan banks hater in the rest of this post and i’m not we just need to be serious here as a collective. mike ehrmantraut could never do the leftovers. sorry. (jim carter nom for carson on downton is actually for me personally which i think is beautiful).

mother’s mercy winning for best directing AND best writing is insane. game of thrones we will never forgive you for many things. (unrelated how did bcs five-o get a best writing nom and not any other episode of season 1. mike lovers have too much power in our society. we need to kill them.)

SEASON 2 AKA THE STRONGEST SEASON OF TELEVISION YOU CAN EVER WATCH IN YOUR LIFE - 68th primetime emmy awards

BEST DRAMA

game of thrones season 6 (winner)

the americans season 4

better call saul season 2

downton abbey season 6

homeland season 5

house of cards season 4

mr. robot season 1

AGAIN. GAME OF THRONES WINNING BEST DRAMA LIKE YOU ARE NOOOOT SERIOUS PEOPLE. YOU ARE JOKING. americans and bcs <33 downton season 6 i’ve heard awful things about you. homeland season 5 HEY that’s the season i watched!! yea get rid of game of thrones and put the leftovers in there and MAKE THE LEFTOVERS WIN. IMMEDIATELY.

lead actor idk get rid of kevin spacey again. lead actress tatiana maslany i know you were working overtime im so sorry unfortunately i’m taking this away from you. please understand i’ll give it back to you for a different year but this one is carrie’s. btw im replacing claire danes on homeland in terms of nominations. supporting actress i cannot believe i am taking this away from maggie smith but we are giving this to either ann dowd, regina king, or amy brenneman. MIND YOU REGINA KING WON FOR SUPPORTING IN A LIMITED SERIES SO I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE HER THE DOUBLE WHAMMY but if you want to argue its ann dowd i will not fight you. also get maura tierney off of that nominations list NOT HATING ON MAURA simply hating on the affair. we need to be serious. supporting actor i’m taking down jonathan banks and kit harrington sorry putting up christopher eccelston and kevin carroll. i’ll let the academy decide who wins but it IS between them two. no one else. sorry.

battle of the bastards winning both writing and directing again hey guys not sure if i’ve mentioned this before but i hate game of thrones the television show that cannot hurt me and isn’t real!!! and also THAT SEASON WAS NOT GOOD. directing wise we’re getting rid of the door for game of thrones and writing wise we’re getting rid of battle of the bastards CONGRATULATIONS THE LEFTOVERS SEASON TWO EPISODE EIGHT INTERNATIONAL ASSASSIN YOU ARE THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER!!! THE BEST EPISODE OF TELEVISION EVER!!!! YOU DID IT!!! YOU HAVE NOW WON BEST DIRECTING AND BEST WRITING YIPPEE!!!!

SEASON 3 (my beloved) - 69th primetime emmy awards

BEST DRAMA

the handmaid’s tale season 1 (winner)

better call saul season 3

the crown season 1

house of cards season 5

stranger things season 1

this is us season 1

westward season 1

sorry handmaid’s tale you are not keeping the win. you can keep the nom i guess. get rid of stranger things for me. anyways the leftovers season three you ARE THE FATHER!!! (but also hiii better call saul season 3)

lead actor i like sterling k brown so he’s keeping the win but once again goodbye spacey and theroux enjoy your nomination. lead actress elisabeth not only are you not getting the win i might take the nomination from you too. sorry. carrie coon needs it more. we need to be on the right side of history. supporting actress ann dowd won which i can’t BE TOO UPSET ABOUT but im taking millie bobby brown’s nomination away and giving it to amy brenneman like i’m sorry but we need to be serious here. supporting actor i’m taking jonathan banks and mandy patinkin down and putting up christopher eccelston and kevin carroll. OBVIOUSLY.

AND OF COURSE ANN DOWD IS WINNING FOR BEST GUEST ACTRESS LIKE. alexis bledel sweetie i’m sorry but that award is not yours. but please take a picture with alison wright for me i would enjoy that.

best directing went to handmaid’s tale offred. i’m sure it was a good ep. anyways taking that down and taking stranger things ep 1 down and putting both most powerful man in the world and book of nora. book of nora is winning probably. (also taking down bcs witness and putting up chicanary. like come on here folks). best writing ALSO went to offred yea sorry. it can stay up i guess i’m just taking down stranger things ep 1 and putting up book of nora which will be winning. (notice how chicanery was properly nominated here).

well that’s all from me!!! so happy that everything i just wrote actually happened!! i can’t believe the leftovers won so many emmys BUT IT WAS WELL DESERVED!!

[emcgoverns]

elizabeth mcgovern as cora crawley, countess of grantham (with richard e. grant as simon bricker) in season 5, episode 4 of “downton abbey” (october 2014) | 🎥: dir. minkie spiro

[the-ellia-west]

Get to know better

tagged by @aestheic-writer18 Thank you so much!

Last song - Heaven knows by Five for Fighting

Favorite color - My favorite color is Probably like deep Maroon or Blood red

Currently Watching - Season 6 of Downton Abbey

Sweet/Savory/Spicy - 100% Savory, but I also like sugar

Relationship Status - Single and not looking for anyone currently

Current obsession - Currently 3 obsessions, The Game At Dead of Night, Specifically watching it on YouTube because people's horrified screams are funny - Of course, because for some reason it won't leave, Jakkon and Rose Storyline - and I've got my passion for TCOT back, so I'm gonna WORK

Last thing I searched - Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe because they taste good and you can screw off if you want to argue with me over that

@sunnyjustice @agirlandherquill @vyuntspakhkite-l-darling @baconandeggs-25 @clever-naming-convention @darkandstormydolls @illarian-rambling @phoenixradiant @pastellbg

[just-two-blokes]

My Downton Abbey ‘Roman Empire’ is the fact that the CYOP Storyline in the fifth season of DA was explained so badly that there are still so many people who don’t understand what has happened in it and therefore remain oblivious to the horrors that happened behind the scenes of these kind of ‘therapies’ that were executed in the 1920’s and later.

The scenes in the fifth season that would have explained everything better were cut. Even though the topic would have been important enough to cover from the beginning to the end.

[starlitsemantics]

Downton Abbey cutting scenes that are incredibly character relevant in the versions they release outside British live TV has given me ridiculous trust issues - a rant.

In season three, the middle Crawley daughter, Edith, gets engaged to a man she was close to before World War I, Anthony Strallan. He's class appropriate and liked by her father, if considered a bit boring. He's also somewhere between twenty and twenty-five years older than her and, after the war, has lost (most of?) the use of his right arm. Prior to the war and his injury, this match was considered a good one.

In the run-up to their engagement and wedding, multiple family members of hers express doubt as to her chances of long-term happiness, including her father asking Anthony to break things off (which he then takes back at Edith's tearful request, in which she points out, correctly, that her chances of happy marriage to a young uninjured man are very slim after WWI).

We get to the wedding day and as the ceremony begins, Anthony says he can't do this, tells her that she can't waste herself on him, and leaves her standing in a white dress in front of all her acquaintances and relations. Why?

This registered to me as absolutely bizarre when I first watched it, and in the years following. I was pretty into their 'ship, thought it was cute, especially the way they bonded in season one. I also felt it would be cool to show someone who was clearly traumatized by the war actually getting an ending that didn't fall into the three established categories of: cure, death, so sad the show can't possibly be expected to deal with it. Alas. Crucially, I also thought it went very nicely with Edith's other development in season two - less self absorbed, more observant and considerate of others, interest in machinery and farming, both of which are things we know Anthony is also into, even some interesting things comparing her to Cora and Isobel in terms of her lady of the manor style.

I thought it was a huge missed opportunity (still do, by the way), but I also thought it was kind of baffling for him to do. The reasons he (and others, especially Violet) put forward against the match throughout the season read to me as ones we were supposed to see as surmountable problems to be solved - because they are. Strallan is wealthy, and compared to Robert, clearly actually on top of recent industrial developments. He can hire a nurse and also be married. We see this logic (can't do x, hire someone to do x) in his very first appearance after his injury - he has hired a chauffeur. Disability does not prevent a loving relationship. Edith would probably be widowed earlier than usual, but being a wealthy 45 year old widow, potentially with children, is hardly a terrible fate for women of her class.

So why does he jilt her, and why does he do it at the end of the aisle?

If he was so unsure about marrying her that a few snide comments make him willing to take such drastic action in front of everyone, those same comments in the weeks prior should have prompted him to do this in literally any way that was less awful to her.

If he's just not that into her, why come when Robert invites him back. If anything, not coming probably improves Robert's opinion of him there. He also wouldn't tell Edith he enjoys seeing more of her more than he should - that is a flirtatious line even I managed to clock.

Does he just not get the importance/finality of it until he's standing in the church? The man's been married before, so while it's a possibility, I don't really think so.

Does he think doing this publicly is the only way to get Edith to back off given her previous insistence?... Not if I'm meant to find either of them at all sympathetic, to be honest, and I think JF wants me to, at least a little.

So the conclusion I arrived at is effectively that he is not entirely stable and incredibly susceptible to outside influence, partly as a result of trauma and injury doing a number on his sense of self. Which is tragic, but also means it probably would indeed be very difficult to build a whole new marriage from the ground up. Not a satisfying ending, but oh well. There's always fanfiction.

The Andith fandom is mostly to be found on fanfiction.net, and I think is filled with some ridiculously talented writers. They've built gorgeous fanon for Anthony's family, staff, and background, and some of them share the same fanon. So my first instinct when I read multiple references to a conversation between Anthony and Edith where she tells him she loves him not in spite of his injury, but because of it, and that she wants him to be her life's work, I thought this was another part of that shared fanon. After all, I'd never seen it, and I've watched Downton Abbey once every couple years whenever I got a particularly bad cold. Edith is my favourite character alongside Gwen and Mrs Hughes. Surely, I would have remembered.

But, it seemed clunky. Out of place in a fanon that, by and large, is understated and subtle, preferring gradual revelation rather than such a blunt, spelled out, character motive rant. So I began to investigate. I'm not that good at investigating. Eventually, it took reference to another piece of dialogue I had no memory of but is mentioned on the Wikia page (the bit about Consuelo Vanderbilt), to get me to a reddit thread that explained. There are multiple cuts of Downton Abbey, and the one I've been watching on Netflix is different to what was aired in the UK. It also referenced the episode the scene is meant to be in, so I was able to find it on YouTube (looking for 3.03 deleted scenes should do it, if you're curious).

The scene is pretty bad. It segues extremely awkwardly from Anthony mentioning meeting Consuelo to the life's work bit. Edith's line here is actually worse than I'd seen mentioned. She loves him "[because] of [his] needing to be looked after." Yikes. I can sort of see the sentiment, but it's phrased so terribly poorly. Now, having a character fail to find the chill, witty answer to their partner being pessimistic isn't terrible. It took me a good while to consider how Edith could have responded to "soon you will be wheeling me around" (in my opinion, the one line on the show Anthony's actor does terribly), but there are ways to respond that aren't so bizarre. Saying she wouldn't mind, or that that's really a long way off, or that at least they'll be buying the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs are all in my read authentic to Edith's character outside that scene and less awful than what she actually says. They're not perfect responses. But they don't confirm so explicitly the thing Anthony himself fears ("I don't need a wife, I need a nurse" - Edith here is all but promising she sees her roles as his wife as being his nurse, which means it's much less likely he'll be able to see her blossom and set her free, and much more likely she will effectively force him to become a burden to her), and the things he's been told he is imposing on her.

It also undercuts Edith's character development from season two. Making his injury about her, and failing so categorically to see that he values independence and being useful and would hate to feel like a burden to his wife, are things I might have expected of season one Edith, not season three.

So while what I missed explains his decision making somewhat better than its absence, I don't think it's worth it. Ultimately, Edith's character development is more important to me than a spelled out explanation for why we get yet another character with a disability summarily written out. So now I've found the answer to my confusion, I will proceed to ignore it.

Still. I think their marriage could have been neat. Edith could still have made waves writing her letter to the editor. Robert could still have felt entitled to interfere given he clearly doesn't trust Anthony to take care of her. We could have seen a happy marriage that still empowered Edith's journey to modern woman (on-screen, unlike so much of Sybil's) and also addressed the trauma of the war and the economics of country estates in a way that went beyond Robert being an absolute idiot when it comes to money. Then again, I don't trust JF to have done that super well, so maybe it's all for the best we're getting to enjoy the fandom instead.

Anyhow, time to go through other "deleted scenes" to find out if I have other radically weird reads of characters before I embarrass myself by talking about them publicly.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Scottish actress Rose Leslie, born on February 9th 1987 in Aberdeen.

Leslie was born Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie in Aberdeen, near Lickleyhead Castle, where her family has lived for more than 500 years. Leslie’s father is the Aberdeenshire Chieftain of Clan Leslie. She went to the local primary school in Rayne, before going to Millfield, a co-ed public school in England. It was at Millfield that Rose really cultivated her love for acting, as the school had an excellent drama department.

After five years at Millfield, Rose went on to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) to earn a bachelor’s degree with honours in 2008.Rose’s first acting job was in a television documentary series, called Banged Up Abroad in 2007, she then appeared in the BBC film, New Town, in which she received a Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Acting Performance - New Talent Award. In 2010. Downton Abbey fans might remember Rose in the TV Series, as Gwen Dawson, for 7 episodes. Later that year, she appeared in the play, Bedlam, at the Globe Theatre in London. In 2011. She was back in Edinburgh in Edinburgh the same year in the fab BBC series, Case Histories , as Laura Wyre for 2 episodes. In 2012, Rose played Lena Holgate in the episode, Vera: The Ghost Position, in the detective television series, Vera

In 2012 Rose would make her iconic appearance in the 2nd season of the HBO epic fantasy series, Game of Thrones, opposite Kit Harington as the wildling Ygritte in 17 episodes. 2015 saw Rose featured in two episodes of the excellent Luther, with Idris Elba. Miss Leslie also starred in American legal and political drama The Good Fight, which finished it’s run in 2019.

2021 saw Rose in the BBC drama Vigil, she then took the lead role in TV series The Time Travellers Wife , an adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s novel,unfortunately it received negative reviews and wasn't renewed for a second series, she also appeared in the latest remake of Death on the Nile. Rose was back on our screens lately in the second helping of the BBC drama Vigil, playing Detective Kirsten Longacr

Rose can trace her heritage back to King Charles II, another notable bloodline takes her back to Frasers of Lovatt.

Rose married her GOT co-star Kit Harington at Kirkton of Rayne church in Aberdeenshire in June 2018, her hubby also has the same royal lineage going back to Charles II, not surprising given the Stuart line’s propensity in spreading their seed!

[pers-books]

Jodie Whittaker recently seen filming for her new series Toxic Town with Aimee Lou Wood.

Jodie Whittaker really said 'Gay Rights 2023'!

Toxic Town is a four-part limited series starring Jodie Whittaker that's set to bring the story of one of the UK's biggest environmental scandals to life on Netflix.

Penned by His Dark Materials and Help writer, Jack Thorne and produced by Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones' Broke and Bones, this Netflix series follows three mothers as they take on a David and Goliath-style fight, with the show telling of the toxic waste spillages in the Northamptonshire town of Corby and the subsequent legal battle that has been dubbed by many as "the British Erin Brokovich".

So far, there are five stars currently attached to Toxic Town. They are: former Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, Sex Education season 4 star Aimee Lou Wood, Bank of Dave's Rory Kinnear, Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle, and The Full Monty star Robert Carlyle.

(Source)