SummarySeason two begins in 1916, with heir Matthew Crawley fighting in the Battle of the Somme while the staff at Downton tries to keep things as they were before the war, even as the estate serves as a military rehab center.
SummarySeason two begins in 1916, with heir Matthew Crawley fighting in the Battle of the Somme while the staff at Downton tries to keep things as they were before the war, even as the estate serves as a military rehab center.
Every bit as good as the first season and sometimes even better, Downton Abbey: Season 2 features the same cast of characters we grew to love along with a few delightful additions. Few other shows can provoke such a vastly diverse set of reactions to its characters throughout the course of a series, changing your perspectives on once beloved or once despised characters.
Although season 2 has more soapy elements than season 1, it is still more entertaining and fans would not be disappointed. Downton Abbey remains as one of the best televesion shows in modern days and we are witnessing a real TV phenomenon.
Downton Abbey lacks surprise and is stretched precariously thin, a house full of fascinating people with not nearly enough to do, all caught in a loop of weak storylines that circle round but never fully propel.
I've never liked a period drama before, but this got such good reviews, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did! I watched both seasons over the course of four days, and now I just want more. It's written incredibly well. There is SO much dialogue, but it's all worth hearing. Little quips here, wise advice there, etc. The music is also spectacular. I'm of the belief that a show without good music loses some of its emotion, but the music is present in this show, and it's beautiful. And of course, no show is any good without great characters, and I must say, every character shown on the box is fleshed out realistically, and plays a large role in the story. This show is certainly not for everyone, but it's at least worth a viewing.
Much like the first season, the second season creates a captivating world in its sets and costumes, but the writing is lazy and cartoonish. Eight years pass from the beginning of the first season to the end of the second season, and no attempt whatsoever is made to age the characters. In one episode, some attempt is finally made to give the villains some depth and motivation, but it's fleeting, and many of the characters remain one-dimensional. For a soap opera, this is probably the best of its kind, but the writing is too weak to validate all the accolades.
Not a bad show, but another of he endless glimpses of British history that the British TV and film execs cannot seem to shake, and get to modern times. But this is what the people of the British Isles relish too, like those old Music Hall shows. WWII seems to have put an end to the British quest to portray themselves as modern ambitious and talented people in a complex world. Instead every program, and so many movies, wallow in the Jane Austin's and counterintelligence groups that once did live in Britain and only stay on in some people's minds. Hooray to those viewers who like this material, but hey it might be time to move on.
Downton Abbey was a solid period soap opera in its first season. Season two devolved into a lot of nonsense, almost like bad daytime soaps. Very disappointing.