Downton Abbey - Season 1 Review, Part 1

In a time of a global pandemic, many have turned to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or whatever streaming services are available. I decided to binge-watch Downton Abbey instead, partially out of boredom. Like many others, I suffered a depressive spell from being cooped up at home constantly with very little to do, and a sense of uselessness at not being able to be productive. However, when I got to Season 3 of the show, a conversation stood out to me. Edith complains to the Dowager Countess that in her depression following getting jilted at her own wedding that she doesn't know what to do; her grandmother is initially sympathetic, but admonishes her, "Edith, dear, you're a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do." No doubt many have already told me the same thing, but sometimes it takes that extra push to get me to do something about it. This gave me the idea to do reviews of the show itself. If the title didn't make it clear already, this will have spoilers, so read at your own risk ;)

Left to right: Mr Carson, Edith Crawley, Robert Crawley, Mary Crawley

Episode 1

The show begins following the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, where the heir to Downton Abbey died in the sinking. Honestly, given the premise, they couldn't have picked a better year for the show to begin. The entire show covers a large range of historical subjects between the years 1912 to 1925, from key events to controversial topics. Considering the main issue of Season 1 focuses on who will inherit Downton Abbey, the sinking of the Titanic makes for an excellent starting point. The introductory montage features the routines of various members of staff; the scullery maid, Daisy, is up before dawn and makes sure the fireplaces of all the family members are prepared quietly without waking them, all before waking the rest of the staff at 6am. Once the staff are dressed in their appropriate uniforms, the housemaids and the footmen prepare the ground floor rooms, opening the curtains, setting the dining table for breakfast, and clearing away any trace of mess; then, and only then, can they have their meagre breakfast, which point the bells of the rooms begin to go off, signalling that the aristocratic family are awake. This is one of my favourite scenes in the entire series; I love studying lifestyles of people throughout history, understanding what kind of routines they might've had. I even managed to find Downton Abbey: Rules for Household Staff in a bookstore in Dubai a few years ago, which was published officially by Julian Fellowes, outlining the tasks each of each staff member.

When considering the tasks of staff members, the episode featured a new member of staff, Mr Bates, who was hired as Lord Grantham's valet; however, he is seen with a walking stick, which he explains is due to a war injury he suffered during the Second Boer War. The rest of the staff, aside from housemaid Anna, are not optimistic in the slightest, viewing him as a hindrance and potentially extra work for them. I thought this to be reflective of the stigmas against those with disabilities, whether they be caused naturally or as a result of war. This stigma is used as a means of a prank when Lady Grantham's maid, Ms O'Brien, deliberately trips Mr Bates so that he would fall in front of a large group of people, thereby humiliating him. It almost results in him quitting his job before Lord Grantham insists that he stays and they work it out together. It was interesting that the aristocrat would have a much kinder view of him than his own colleagues, but I suspect it was down to loyal ties as Bates was Lord Grantham's batman during the war.

Matthew Crawley and Isobel Crawley's entrance to Downton Abbey

Episode 2

The second episode addresses the complication featured in the first regarding the running of Downton Abbey; the original heir and his son died on the sinking of the Titanic, which meant that the earldom and Downton Abbey would need to be passed on to someone else, as the current earl's daughters are not eligible on account of their sex. Women have the benefit today of being heiresses in their own right, if parents or guardians so wish to pass on their properties and wealth. The show attempts to work their way around this issue by explaining that the eldest daughter, Mary, was to marry the heir's son so that everything would be kept in the family. Instead, young Matthew Crawley, a middle-class lawyer from Manchester, comes into the picture, and this plan is thrown out the window, but already both Mary and Matthew are aware that there is a possibility that they will be pushed to each other to marry - to this, the two react very negatively. Interestingly, it is this initial hatred for each other that hints at a strong chemistry between the two characters.

Matthew's middle-class background becomes considered his vice in this season, definitely more prominently in this episode. His grievances with being provided with a butler/valet, Mr Molesley, demonstrates a certain character development within the episode. While initially very much against the thought of even having a butler or a valet, as he feels he can do everything without one, Lord Grantham convinces him that in spite of personal views, Matthew has a part to play as the future Lord Grantham: "Your mother derives satisfaction from her work at the hospital, I think. Some self-worth...Would you really deny the same to poor old Molesley? And when you are master here, is the butler to be dismissed, or the footmen? How many maids or kitchen staff will be allowed to stay? Or must everyone be driven out? We all have parts to play, Matthew, and we must all be allowed to play them." I somehow got the impression from this that Lord Grantham might've held the same opinion at one point, perhaps in the early days of his earldom, and someone else might have given him the same advice.

The side plot of this episode focuses on Matthew's mother, Isobel. Having been trained as a nurse, married to a doctor, and being the daughter and sister of a doctor, Isobel is no stranger to medical matters. Up until this point, I figured there would be very little hope for what a woman could aspire to in terms of careers. Even nurses were not held to high regard at this point, unless one was Florence Nightingale. However, Isobel subverts this expectation, not just for the audience but for the characters. The lead doctor, Dr Clarkson, remarks, "When you made your offer, I thought you might be a 'great lady nurse' and faint at the sight of blood." Instead, Isobel is tenacious and insists that Dr Clarkson attempt newer medical treatments for illnesses that would've normally been deemed impossible to treat.

Mary Crawley and Kamal Pamuk

Episode 3

If one thought the idea of having pre-marital sex today was scandalous, it was far worse in 1912, especially for members of the aristocracy. In this episode, Lady Mary is seduced by an attaché with the Turkish Embassy, Kamal Pamuk, despite her initial expectations that Mr Pamuk would be a "funny little foreigner with a wide, toothy grin and hair reeking of pomade." Instead, she finds herself deeply beguiled by his presence, since he is unlike the rest of the men of her social circle. Although she attempts to ward off Mr Pamuk's advances to maintain her virtue, she succumbs to her passions - but this results in Pamuk's sudden death due to unknown causes. The consequences are severe, even though Mary is able to hide her sin with the help of Anna and her mother, Cora, by bringing Pamuk's body back to his room. Cora even points out that her hiding Mary's secret is not even for Mary's sake, but for the family's reputation, hinting that the virtue of a young woman reflected heavily on how her family would be viewed. Unfortunately, such an ideal is still being upheld today, especially in countries like India, and amongst ultra-conservative families. Perhaps this issue might hit some closer to home than others.

The ability to reach Mary's room in the first place is thanks to footman, Thomas Barrow. Episode 1 reveals to us that Thomas is a closeted homosexual - I would have referenced that when I explored that episode, but I figured this would be a better opportunity. In Episode 1, we see that homosexuality can be used as a form of blackmail; Thomas uses it against the Duke of Crowborough in hopes of gaining a better position, although his threats prove to be empty when the Duke throws away any written proof into the fire. Episode 3 brings this issue back when Thomas wrongly thinks Mr Pamuk took an interest to him, and he even makes the move to kiss him. Pamuk, knowing this can be used as leverage, forces Thomas to lead him to Mary's room to keep him quiet. Fortunately for Thomas, he doesn't have to worry about his secret coming out.

Summary

I didn't want to explore the entire season in one post; I felt that to do so would make the post very tedious to read, and it would leave the reader on a bit of a cliffhanger if I did it halfway through the season. I debated whether to explore Episode 4 in this post, as Season 1 contains 7 episodes, but considering the themes later on, it made more sense to leave it here. Three episodes into this amazing series, and already there's much to consider. The show does not disappoint when it comes to engaging the audience, and throws in many controversial topics to keep it interesting. Some might have wondered whether the show would be able to keep up its momentum in ensuring that there was something to explore as the show went on, and there will be many who will disagree with me when I say that there was.