1. CritiqueGirl

   10

   I really enjoyed the show tonight and from what I have read the 2nd and 3rd will just get better. Apparently the Nazi Regime will be integral to the story.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
2. JennetP

   7

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I agree with jeremyp: "Downton Abbey" is much better. The last few minutes of the first series demonstrates why: though Lady Agnes and Lady Maud have spent most of the series as bigoted self-centered cows, now, as the Christmas tree is lighted and the soundtrack reaches a crescendo rarely heard outside commercials for long-distance telephone service, both ladies rock their inner madonnas, beaming beatifically at the little orphaned Jewish girl they just conspired to get rid of. The good are good, and the evil are redeemed, all but the rebellious Nazi sister, who remains evil but whose list of psychic wounds has been rehearsed so often that no doubt she'll abjure National Socialism long before Poland becomes a gleam in Hitler's eye. "Downton Abbey," on the other hand, abounds in subtle, complex characters, who do not turn into saints at the sight of a Christmas tree or the sound of a violin. Also odd, in a series that purports to be about employers and employed, is what looks like reluctance to engage seriously with issues of class. Of the "downstairs" crew, only the chauffeur struggles with questions of privilege and privation, which put him on the manifestly incorrect path of fascism, whence he correctly extricates himself and comes to heel. The rest mostly bask in the reflected glow of their betters, who regard them with paternalistic affection. When the tables are turned, as when the butler delivers Lady Agnes's baby on the bathroom floor, there's no dissonance, just a whopping pile of yes-we're-all-an-extended-family-here warm fuzzies. But some of the characters are genuinely likable, and it's fun to see the veterans from the earlier series (which I barely remember, so, for me, not too much fun), and the pre-war era is interesting, so the new series is a diverting enough way to spend a few hours. Just don't expect too much.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. jeremyp

   7

   The house is the same, at Eton Place, and Rose is still there, this time asked to hire and run staff for a new household. It's 1936 so we know WW2 is lurking, which means Nazis and Jews will be featured. We do get a Sikh, a monkey, a fascist, and an aging colonialist in the stew. We get to dislike Keeley Hawes, which is possibly why she took on the role as Lady Agnes, a snooty counterpoint to her husband's more liberal bent.
   
   Somehow the place seems emptier and, despite the new interior, mustier. Perhaps it's the smell of imminent decay, the musk of change in the social order? Downton Abbey is much more fascinating.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. jmpatison

   6

   While it pales in comparison to its eponymous predecessor, this reincarnation of Upstairs, Downstairs is well-done. The acting is quite good. Jean Marsh sparkles as does Eileen Atkins, and Keeley Hawes is both endearing at times and infuriating at others. A pretty good story line is dragged down by just slightly above average dialogue. Also of note are Helen Bradbury and Art Malik. While I recommend it, I can't do so without mentioning that Downton Abbey is a far superior and engrossing experience in every way.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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