Monday 7 November 2011

Downton Abbey (again)

Every week, we watch in fascination as another episode of unlikely plot and clunky prose crosses our screen, to a background of beautiful buildings and pretty frocks. Come on, fellow-writers! Couldn't we all do better than this? Last night's highlight, after the miraculous recovery of Matthew, who leapt from his wheelchair apparently healed, and the next day (or thereabouts) took the lovely Mary in his arms for a quick waltz round the drawing room:

Mary: Can you dance without your stick?
Matthew: You ARE my stick.

Isn't that lovely? No-one has ever called me their stick before (sigh). And there's m'lord, kissing the maid, telling her, "I want you with every fibre of my being". Aaaaah. Bless.

I wouldn't miss it for the world. Roll on the next series.

12 comments:

  1. If it was the other way round (a gal telling a guy that he's her stick), she'd be accused of obscenity.

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  2. Hey Frances...nice story line over at the porch! Love the drama!

    *wink*
    Hawk

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  3. Hi, Librarain. I suppose it's better than being her crutch...

    As for you, Houston, I'll see you back at the porch. I'm not easily scared, you know.

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  4. Frances,

    I'm sure you ain't...but unlike ladies of your background, us Irish lass' through history have always been warriors...we're not to be tangles with...but you're welcome to try. ;-)

    Hawk

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  5. Downton Abbey defines "guilty pleasure". I do find the anachronistic dialogue heinous, though. Last night I'm sure I caught Branson saying "No problem" to Lord Snooty.

    Somewhere during the course of the second series it's smoothly segued into self-parody. I hesitate to imagine what Series 3 will bring...

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  6. Hi Frances,
    How about Bates and his new wife. Would a man ever say to his honeymoon bride, "I'm not worthy of you!!" Then how about when the dad told Sybil "You'll get some money, not much." Oh my god, a woman in love wouldn't have still been there would she?

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  7. Tim, guilty pleasure is spot on. As for series 3, bring it on!

    Hi, Susan. You're right. And honeymooning in a posh bed at the behest of her ladyship...well, what can I say? As for Sybil, I fear for her future happiness (legalised nooky notwithstanding).

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  8. I know - it's fab! I agree with Tim about the self-parody but the storylines (as distinct from the dialogue that goes with them) are just compelling. I do wonder, though, what Maggie Smith feels about being given a constant stream of (admittedly hilarious) one-liners. Not that she doesn't nail every one as you'd expect of an actor of her talent but still...

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  9. When they brought the gramophone out I expected him to introduce it as his state-of-the-art music centre.

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  10. Alis, I wonder abotu Maggie smith, too. But she manages to make even the worst cliche sound fresh and amusing. (See you tomorrow!)

    You too, Keith? I shall be bereft now it's fnished (but I shall NOT buy the boxed set).

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  11. I can see I'm going to have to watch this.

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  12. Aliya, I'm sure you'd love it, whatever the reasons (we've just had lunch with friends who LOVE it and think it's beautifully written and acted. I thought John was going to come to blows with them. It seems to arouse strong feelings!).

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