Downton Abbey

[ricardienne]

...it's like every. single. line. is not quite arch enough to be arch, but too too obviously genre-savvy to be genuine. Costumes are pretty, though, and Maggie Smith (+ her hats) pretty much makes it worthwhile. OH! And there was a bonus Trollope reference, even though I think it was designed to highlight the boringness of the guy who mentioned Trollope.

BUT. I just watched the third (UK) episode, and WHAT THE HELL?

I just feel that rape should not be played for a "well, she really wanted to consent underneath her social conditioning that made her fight him, and, OH LOOK comedy since he had a heart attack and now we have to drag the body through the house!"

Yeah...no.

Badly played, Masterpiece Theatre, badly played.

Comments

[mhuzzell.livejournal.com]

Yeah... and patriarchy is benevolent and if you just work hard enough you can better yourself and your situation.

TBH I can't even remember the writer's name 'cause I called him Fascist McFascist once and now can't think of him as anything else.

Still think I'ma have to watch the second season though. So hooked!

[achyvi.livejournal.com]

Is it still worth watching, even despite the weirdness?

[traboule.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I stopped taking everything seriously at that point and just laughed for the rest of the episode because it was too silly to think about. I mean - he DIED? I still can't believe it. I'm sure it was horrible for Mary and Cora and Anna (and, obviously, Daisy), but it's simply too farce for words. The whole construct is so artificial that I can't even bring myself to take it seriously enough to comment on the ambiguity of the sex.

I know I should, but I just can't. #Englishmajorfail