Downton Abbey Season 2 (2012)

Yes, I am in a clear majority here. I adore Downton Abbey. So sorry to see the second season end--the ten hours just seemed to fly by, and my only consolation is that there will be a season three. My husband thinks I am nuts. He sees it as a soap opera set against an elegant British estate with eroding lines between classes and a war for added drama. I don't disagree with that, but it is richer than it appears on the surface. The first season opened with the downing of the Titanic, and the second with World War I in full swing. These are two iconic events, and they changed things in significant ways. Rather than read about those things in a book and try to contextualize them within the history of the 20th century, Downton Abbey allows us to see those changes through the eyes of those who are experiencing them. At that time in England there is a rigid class system that everyone seems to more or less buy into. The service staff have unrealistic expectations placed on them that they largely adhere to--they are on call 24/7, they rarely get any time off, much less a day a week, they are not to be married or have relations in order to stay in service, and they have to watch the people they work with break every rule and have almost no consequences, while they would be sacked immediately for far less reason. At the beginning of season two, the Earl of Grantham wants nothing to change. By the end, he has been through a daughter marrying the help, his house being taken over for the war effort, his eldest under the threat of a scandal, and he has testified at a murder trial. The times they are a changing. Like it or not, welcome it or not, it is happening. Can't wait for season three!