Is Downton Done?

So season 5 has officially ended in the US of A and as the ripple effect of airings begins for the rest of the world, the cast of Downton is already gearing up in filming season 6 in the UK. There is, however, an ominous cloud looming over this season as rumors swirl that this may be the final one. Official representatives of ITV have shot down the reports, but of course no season 7 deal has been created at this time, and no one knows (or is willing to say) if one is in the works. Even the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes has thrown his hands up in the air declaring his status as a pawn in the grand scheme of things. He shared with the New York Times that he no longer owns the rights to the show, which were sold to NBC Universal. As the show’s true Lord and Master, the company will dictate whether the show will end or whether Fellowes will be forced to continue churning out script after script well into the 1950s like a chimp chained to a typewriter (he refuses to leave his award-winning brainchild in the incapable hands of some halfwit screenplay writer).

In spite of ITV's efforts to pour water on the blazing fire of speculation, hints from Fellowes and other stars indicate that whether or not season 6 is it, the end may be nigh all the same. Fellowes’ remark that he would rather not breach World War II echoes on statements he made long ago regarding the concerns of aging the stars to match the times as he slowed the show’s progress through the 20s. Maggie Smith, who plays the dowager countess noted that she most likely cannot go on for much longer and joked that the dowager is reaching relic status at the age of 110 (actual calculations reported Violet is approximately 82). Additionally, as we learned in season 3, with Downton comes opportunities for the show’s up and coming stars, and a handful of the actors have landed Hollywood films as a result of their exposure.

As the lights of Tinseltown get bigger and brighter on the horizon, it’s inevitable that more stars will go the way of Jessica Brown Finley and Dan Stevens (though hopefully with more grace and decorum than the latter could muster in his exit) and explore other options. Though some have argued that the stars have plenty of opportunity to film in the DA off-season, Downton films for approximately 7-8 months, depending on the need for reshoots and any filming delays. That leaves limited time to audition for projects, and they are typically restricted to films that are committed to a fall/winter production schedule. Being that they’re newer names on this side of the pond, fewer production companies will be willing to work around their Downton obligations.

But even if all the current stars commit to the full duration of the show, does that mean that the show should go on? As I reviewed the episodes of season 5, one recurring concern I had noted was that the show was becoming somewhat redundant in the story lines. There were striking similarities to previous seasons such as Baxter’s/Bates’ revealed criminal history, infidelity (or near infidelity) in the Grantham marriage, random bachelors sneaking into the bedrooms of Crawley women at night, more servants running off to better themselves, and the arrest of another Bates for murder. Likewise, there were ongoing plots that were beginning to wear on us: the monotonous cruelty of Thomas has become so standardized that when Anna found him sulking over the loss of his only bosom buddy Jimmy, there wasn’t an ounce of pity left for his self-inflicted isolation; Edith’s infinite misfortune was becoming so depressing and yet so expected that one just wanted to scream at the TV “leave Edith alone already!”; Mary’s back to looking for a man, Tom’s still feeling out of place, Carson still hates change and the dowager is still running the whole show. Additionally I found the long drawn out plot-lines frustrating with multiple visits from investigators throughout the season (they're back again?) before finally leading to Anna’s arrest, multiple episodes dedicated to whether Baxter would be sacked, and even more shows dancing with Isobel’s proposal. Was this to build climatic suspense or were these just fillers for air time? While Fellowes maintains drawing out the course of events was to avoid that "soap opera" feeling, after two episodes, it's time to wrap up an issue.

On the other hand, the show has not lost its luster just yet. There were some fresh climaxes as well in this season, like young Rose’s wedding, Mary’s pushing the envelope of ladylike conduct, Edith’s discovery of usually elusive joy, and the long-awaited engagement of Carson and Mrs. Hughes. Fellowes has created a period drama surrounding the entwined lives of multiple characters and the ever-fluctuating events of a house that has kept our eyes glued to the TV for 5 years (well, more like one year glued to Netflix, another to the DVD player, then 3 years on TV…I was late to the Downton party). The show continues to acquire nominations and has garnered multiple awards, most of which were really Maggie Smith wins but included one very unforgettable Joanne Froggatt win at the 2015 Golden Globes. The ratings are still peaking as Downton’s season 5 premiere scored 10.2 million viewers (in comparison, this was only .1 million shy of Breaking Bad’s epic series finale, which yielded 10.3 million). We love these characters, we love to hate these characters; we have gone on many adventures with them and we’re still riding on their tails for the next one…at least I think they’re still wearing tails…whatever, let’s be real, we watch the women’s fashions way more than the men’s in this show.

In spite of my misgivings of season 5, I still laughed, I still cried both tears of sorrow and joy, and I still cursed like a sailor who stubbed his toe. When a show can no longer elicit this barrage of feelings, that’s when it’s truly time to go. There are still endless opportunities for season 6 which can make or break the fate of the show. Maybe it will be another chapter in a book that’s not quite finished. Maybe they will follow in the footsteps of Vince Gilligan and go out on a high note instead of dragging on for years only to wither and give way to a network cancellation. I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to the Crawley family and their employees, but neither am I willing to watch this beloved family slide into a mundane existence. I suppose only time will tell, but to quote a beloved film I watched today, “a lady [or a Lord, or a Countess] always knows when to leave.”