Happy New Year

Wishing you the best in the year to come!

Please note J'adore Downton will continue to run until the final episode in the US airing, 

so please keep checking back for photos, videos, interviews, and news.

Happiness is for This Place, in This Hour (S6 E9)

It has been nearly a week since the finale aired and I found myself avoiding writing this last episode review for days. Irrationally it seemed if I continued to procrastinate, I wouldn't have to acknowledge that the show truly ended. I could live on in a deluded limbo, never quite crossing the threshold into the Hell of life without Downton. But return to reality I must, and without the excuse of the chaotic holidays slowing me down any longer, I reluctantly compose this last synopsis...incredibly reluctant apparently. Typically it takes me about two hours to finish a review and I refuse to go to bed until it's finished. This one I began, walked away, went to bed, and avoided for another half a day before finally returning to complete it. It was difficult, and it's another marathon of a post, but I hope you enjoy this final review. 

For those of you who have followed my reviews since the first episode's post, you are well aware that I had temporarily relocated to West Sussex for the running of this season in an effort to keep my morality in tact. Come to find out I had no morality to start with, but that's beside the point. My family and I bustled through our Christmas celebration and settled down to savor the last precious hour with this endearing family and their servants. The beginning of the show started without a hitch, with the exception of my brother who spontaneously developed ADHD and would not stop flicking me, poking me, and whispering unrelated shit to distract me. I nearly killed him but thought it cruel to leave his children fatherless on Christmas Day. I shall wait until Easter. Unfortunately, in the last 45 minutes, technical difficulties ensued, our connection wavered and we found ourselves having to pause every ten minutes or so to allow the show to buffer. This led my brother to cry out in agony "Aw crap! Now we have to talk to each other!" Intermittent forced conversations aside, we reveled in the glory of Downton one last time.

We begin with the family taking a pleasant stroll and find that Henry, in the wake of wedded bliss, is continuing to grapple with the trauma of the crash. Finding no more pleasure in his favorite pastime, Henry now looks to find some purpose in life aside from lingering in his wife's and stepson's shadows. He mopes around Downton for days, because therapy is not a thing for aristocrats, before Edith echoes on a motivational speech she once received and prompts him to "find something to do!" He joins forces with Tom in their mutual affection for automobiles and decides to open up a car sales and repair shop. Both surprise Mary in revealing their new professional endeavor, and she of course gives all her support and encouragement before offering her own surprise of a tiny Talbot on the way. Perhaps it is the residual trauma he is still coping with, but I found Henry to be much weaker in personality, sulking around like a wounded and lost puppy, seeking Mary's approval in every step he took, and even timidly asked if he had miscalculated and made his wife ashamed of him with his newfound trade. This struck me as a bit off from previous suitors Mary had entertained, men who were mostly sharp-tongued and witty in their banter with her, more confident in themselves as they came with titles and inheritance. But then again, those men are gone. So perhaps the more submissive husband was what Mary needed all along, someone to crack her whip on and ride astride all around the estate.

While Henry has found his place finally, Daisy continues to hop from foot to foot on her own love life (or lack thereof) as Andy begins to show his interest more openly. After a few passes were thrown out, Daisy unleashes her claws and swats the poor illiterate back on his shaky ass. The ever omniscient Mrs. Patmore immediately diagnoses the problem as Daisy's own defense mechanism of lowered self-esteem and chasing the forbidden fruits (ha Thomas), ignoring the harvest thrown at her feet. As she slowly reaches her moment of epiphany, Andy is already done with the drama and the high school games (see kids, dating sucked ass even back in the 20s), and Andy turns away from the befuddled kitchen maid. In a desperate attempt to recapture his adoring gaze, Daisy tries for a new come and get it hairstyle with a pair of ill-fated scissors and Lady Mary's new hair dryer. The end result was a mousey brown rat's nest on top of her shoulders that even a hour's battle with a lawn mower couldn't have produced. Andy got a good laugh and Anna was forced to waddle into the kitchen later to do some serious damage control, but in the end, they finally got themselves on the same page, leaving the expectation that they would some day make a life on Mason's farm.

Happily ever after was finalized yet again with two who had been fox-trotting in the taunting dance of unrequited love, Dickie and Isobel. Isobel was left in the lurch after receiving an invitation from Lord Merton's arrogant asshole of a son Larry, which was abruptly cancelled when she attempted to follow up. A chance encounter with Dickie reveals that he is not long for this life as he has recently been diagnosed with pernicious anemia, a then-fatal disease. Now with his final conclusion guaranteed, the mangy old whore no longer needed Isobel for a nurse maid and did her best to shut her out so she and Larry could  mourn inherit in peace. She even refused Isobel's entry when she came to the house to visit Dickie. Of course nowadays this qualifies as felonious elder abuse, but in those days, what could be done? When all seemed lost, Isobel and Violet rode in on their millennium falcon and drew their lightsabers, crashing the vigil and rescuing Dickie from his captors. Isobel swore to marry her damoiseau in distress in spite of his devastating prospects. Miraculously, after weeks with no decline, Dickie got a second opinion from Dr. Clarkson only to find his anemia was completely treatable and he would not be dying any time soon. The two were set to marry and find love in their dying days. What I loved most of all about this plot is the fervor Violet showed in reuniting the star-crossed lovers, ignoring her own deep-seated fears of being left alone without her dearest friend to laugh with and abuse. Again she demonstrated that with all the spikes, with all the insults, the battles and wars she fought, Violet was always the champion for her family and her friends.

Sadly for Carson, his happily ever after was slightly tainted as a consistent shake in his once rock-steady hands emerged. Simple tasks such as pouring the wine or holding his tea cup became arduous and his faith in himself and his abilities to perform his duties was being shaken as well. Finally being confronted by a worrisome Lady Mary and Lord Grantham, Carson, who would have served his family loyally until his dying day, was forced to give his resignation, and this hereditary affliction robbed him of what should have been his final golden days in the abbey. The only question left was who would prove worthy to take Carson's place?

The footmen had been becoming a dying breed since the war finished and the trend had not slowed in recent years. As we know, dear Molesley had taken on a teaching position and was beginning to find his niche in the classroom when we last left him. During a stroll with Ms. Baxter, the school master Mr. Dawes approached Molesley to take on more courses in the wake of another instructor's retirement. Faced with the difficult task of leaving the house and service, Molesley shakily sets foot into uncharted territory as he tentatively accepts the position, but keeps one toe in familiarity, offering to return and assist at the house during school vacations. Whether or not this new path will also lead Molesley into Baxter's arms was left unsaid, but it gives us warm fuzzy feelings of hope.

With Molesley pretty much gone, Thomas also receives a job offer in York, and prepares for his final departure. Though he had a rejuvenated sense of life after a failed suicide attempt and felt things may be looking up for him, being one of three staff, the new employment left him feeling lonely. With another isolated life lying ahead of him, Thomas began to pine for the busy halls of the abbey, for his friends, for just one more person to plot against. Alright fine, so we'll allow that his brush with death may have embedded some decency in him and he's probably a changed man by now, so I'll lay off him. Forgive and forget, other cheek turned, water under bridges and so forth. Anyways, I had earlier predicted that with Molesley's departure, this would have been Thomas' opportunity to return to the abbey. I could not have imagined that this would instead come about following Carson's own withdrawal. With the position open and only one applicant who had absorbed years of tutelage from Carson presenting himself, Thomas ascended to the butler's throne as Carson quietly bowed out through a servant's door. Though I recognize the necessity of it, this was not the ending I wanted for Carson, and this may have been the only moment throughout the final episode that my heart fell from the euphoric cloud it had been riding. Carson's life was service, and who knows what tasks he can busy himself with now that he can no longer do what he loves, but of course, some must have their unhappy endings as well. With Lord Grantham extending his hand to Carson, not as an employer, but as a friend in a final farewell handshake, we say goodbye to Carson.

While all of this was going on downstairs, a small miracle was taking place upstairs. After working far much longer than she should have into her pregnancy, Anna's bulging body could take no more, and she gushed amniotic fluid onto Lady Mary's carpet, leaving her room now smelling not only like a tart's boudoir but a midwife's apron. Of course, never one to be visibly rattled, Lady Mary only flatly states "ah, your water has broken" with no more urgency than if she had found a hole in her stocking. The doctor was summoned and Henry ran to fetch Bates, who was found in a bubble of obscurity. Really Bates, she has been on the verge of exploding for the past week, and when someone comes rushing up to you saying "You better come quickly!" your first thought isn't about your severely pregnant wife? Get upstairs for god's sake! Because this is Downton and not Call the Midwife, we don't rejoin Anna until the excitement is over and she has a tiny bundle nestled in her arms. Christmas Day was an emotional one for my family for reasons cited weeks ago on this blog, and though I expected to cry much more during this show, I suppose my tears were all but spent. I cried once, and only once the first time I watched this episode, and it was when little Baby Bates was revealed. After everything Anna had been through, and everything she had lost in the process, this was her sliver of sunshine that she so desperately deserved. Survivors of rape are shattered when they are first attacked, and it takes years to recover and rebuild yourself into whoever you were before, though you can never quite get there because you are eternally changed. But moving on, finding your happiness again, finding whomever you want to be and making it happen is the essence of hope and resilience. Anna was such a beacon for that, and this child is her new beginning. I will avoid jokes about the Bates Motel since I have already made so many in the past, but it was not lost on me that Anna did in fact, have a baby boy, and while a fan on Instagram is running a poll for the baby's name, I would avidly avoid Norman.

In atypical fashion, I am moving up Downton Tidbits. First off, we have Denker and Spratt, still arguing and embittered with one another like two children sparring for their mother's undivided attention, affection, and approval, A visit from Lady Edith tips off the eavesdropping Denker to Spratt's alternative life as a journalist, and yet again Denker makes a final attempt to rid herself of the bothersome Spratt the Pratt. Cloaked in a seemingly innocent discussion, Denker let the cat out of the bag to the Dowager, who, always quick to catch on, immediately recognized another of Denker's plots. It is a wonder that the Dowager allows this English novella to continue under her roof, but I imagine she keeps them around as live in entertainment and nothing more, though her careful hand guides the plot in the end. Denker was unsuccessful in her scheme as Violet praised Spratt for his editorial contributions and declared him the oracle of women's advice in the household. Lord Grantham has been throwing a tantrum now that his responsibilities have dwindled with Mary and Tom taking on the estate because Cora's own responsibilities have grown in her position at the hospital. She has taken time from visits and preparing for weddings to attend meetings and public obligations, leaving LG alone with his puppy. But in the changing times of the 20s when women were finding their voices and their places in society and the working world, this was so crucial to Cora's developing identity above and beyond mother, wife, and Lady. Eventually, in her brief return to Downton, Rose dragged Robert to a town meeting where Cora was speaking and the light bulb over his head clicked on and he finally saw how important this was to his wife. Violet too finally buries the hatchet and acknowledges Cora's hard work, extending the olive branch for once and for all. Baxter finally broke free of Coyle's grip over her when Thomas prompted her to leave him behind for good, and now she can bask in the sunshine with Molesley for once and for all. Tom and Laura Edmonds have caught each others' eyes and love appears to be blossoming finally for the former chauffeur. And in a flash of a moment, we saw a piece of our beloved Sybil in her tiny daughter when Thomas was preparing to leave Downton and he advised the little ones to 'be good.' Without missing a beat and embodying the rebel spirit of her mother, Sybbie proudly proclaims "no we won't!"

Finally, in the homestretch, we must fawn over Edith's big evening. We last left her a spinster after Bertie had discovered she lied about her maternity with Marigold (it only seems fitting to finally use the child's real name for the final review), and Bertie ran for the hills. With a little more scheming from Mary and help from Rosamund, Edith found herself face to face with Bertie at the Ritz, and before we knew it, the engagement was back on, but there were still obstacles to be overcome. Edith, wary of living her life in secret, mulled over telling Bertie's mother the truth about Marigold in spite of her exceptionally high moral standards. But the revelation went south, and Bertie's mother forbade him from marrying Edith, which he promptly bypassed and prepared to announce his engagement at a dinner party later that night. His mother ultimately caved and welcomed Edith into the family, and the wedding preparations began. We held our breath as we had traveled down this road before, but Bertie showed up at the alter and stayed there, and they rushed off to begin their life in wedded bliss. This was the moment of the night, when finally dear Edith got the happy ending she so aptly deserved, and I gushed through it all. With this desolate road she has traveled and so much heartache she has endured, some at the hands of fate, some at the hands of her scheming bitch of a sister, all was finally right in the world of this once tragic spinster. Poor Edith is poor Edith no more, surprisingly due in part to her sister, who for once used her powers for good instead of evil and healed her sister's heart.

"Sisters have their secrets"

Final Crew Instagrams

Chris Croucher made a brief appearance on the final episode..."who spotted my cameo?" 

Jessica Morris finally burst out from underneath the blanket credit of Milk Publicity..."Got my name on the credits after five years. So proud to be a small part of this amazing show. Together we made British television history and had the most amazing time doing it. Feeling a little teary and emotional...that's all folks!"


And a Tweet from Thomas for good measure...

Santa Claus is coming to Downton

Carson baby, just slip a Sable under the tree for me...

I saw Elsie kissing Santa Claus, underneath the mistletoe last night...

Merry Christmas

 Not looking forward to the end tomorrow, but here's to a little Christmas cheer...

Drawing credit to the.downton.sketch

BAFTA Celebrates Downton

Thanks to ElizabethMcGovernForum on YouTube for the videos

Time Magazine 20s Slang

The Game for Horrible Aristocrats

Lady Filthy Mary...

Watch What Happens Live Full Version

Mom's question of the night: What's a twink?

Downton Globe-Trotters!

Hey Downton fans! Have you ever gotten bitten by the Travel bug? Have you ever wanted to see the world? Or even the beautiful sights that you catch a glimpse of every week during our favorite show? No this is not one of those annoying Viking Cruises advertisements you see at the beginning of every single DA episode, this is a DIY travel guide to visiting and viewing all the sights and filming locations of Downton Abbey throughout the UK. Marne from Wayfair.co.uk sent me this amazing resource that they have researched and put together themselves and have listed ALL the places the cast and crew have filmed throughout the six years of the show. For the diehard Abbey fan, this is a necessity and a must! The map below allows you to see the various markers and places you can go, and if you visit the link above, you can see a nice summary of the main attractions.

So whether you live in the UK and are looking for something to do on holiday, or if you're planning a trip to the UK sometime in your life when you're old and shriveled and your student loans have finally been paid off, check this out and plan your journey through the cities, villages, and countrysides of Downton Abbey.

Another People Video

US Promo Tour Shenanigans

The best candids and behind the scenes shots from the US Tour

People Interview

The View!

The cast visiting the View...

Watch What Happens Live!

The Wife shit-faced at the wrap party...love it




Update:
More video...Lady Mary is more likely to be a lez...this interview just can't get any better





More photos from the delectable Far Far Away site, more here!

Behind the Scenes

Here's some videos from Getty giving a behind the scenes look at some of the promo tour stops, click the links to go to the site, I THINK you need Quicktime for the videos to play, but don't quote me on that...

The Cast Behind the Scenes at Good Morning America
I love how Hugh squeals at the end and Kevin has to cut him off...

Car mix-ups outside of an event and Victoria Brooks settin' shit straight...
Come on people, get your shit together, it's Michelle's car!

Americanized Downton

Here's a clip of the cast on Stephen Colbert, I'm hoping to find the whole video, but if not, I'll upload the ghetto cellphone recording I did...

The cast recites Downton script in American accents, Michelle recreates Britney and Allen goes Tim Dunn on us all

The Cast on The Talk

Some lovely pics and the video of the cast on The Talk, again these photos come from the Far Far Away site, visit them for more pics!

The Wife on Seth Meyers

Top 12 Moments From Final Season Cast Q&A

Here's some highlights from the PBS Q&A, courtesy of Yahoo! And isn't this white background gorgeous? I'm too lazy to retype this lengthy synopsis, so enjoy this copy and pasted optically conflicting eyesore...

Downton Abbey’s final season premieres Jan. 3 in the U.S., but some of the cast joined executive producer Gareth Neame for a sneak peek in NYC Monday night. Following the screening, they took part in a lively Q&A moderated by The New York Times’ Dave Itzkoff. Here are the Top 12 moments. (No show spoilers.)

1. About 18 minutes into the chat, when Itzkoff asked if the cast hangs out on set according to position — downstairs with downstairs, and upstairs with upstairs — Michelle Dockery (Mary) deadpanned, “I never talk to Daisy” while Elizabeth McGovern (Cora) concurred: “There is a line to be drawn.” Dockery then reached across Hugh Bonneville (Robert) to grab McGovern’s hand and quipped, “We stick together don’t we, mummy.” Jim Carter (Carson), Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes), and Kevin Doyle (Molesley) then got up from their seats and left the stage. When they returned, Carter was carrying a bottle of wine to replenish Bonneville’s glass. “We live to serve,” he cracked. The audience roared. 

In truth, there is some segregation, simply because the downstairs scenes are filmed at a studio 90 miles from the castle that stands in for Downton, Carter said. Also, he added, “There’s an immense amount of frock envy downstairs. Daisy and Anna the maid envy Lady Edith and Lady Mary’s dresses enormously. So a lot of bitterness goes on, in a very understated English way.” (Logan, whose Mrs. Hughes had one frock for day and one frock for night — “And you looked gorgeous in them both,” Carter interjected — was not, for the record, envious of the five costume changes Dockery would do in a day of shooting.) 

Note: If you’re wondering about the prop Allen Leech (Tom) employed on stage, he visited Yahoo TV a few hours before the screening to play our“Branson or B.S.” trivia game and asked to take his paddle with him. Look for that video leading up to the show’s return.

2. Asked to name something specific that they’d miss from the show (as opposed to the cast and crew at large), McGovern said, “I’m gonna miss regularly reiterating the plot with Hugh Bonneville in the bed every night. And never, by the way, having any sex, as far as I can tell.” (”Unlike the Carsons,” Logan joked.) Dockery said she’ll miss someone we haven’t met yet, their style consultant on the show, Jacques. Cue Leech saying, “Heeey” in a deep voice that sounded like the French cousin of South Park’s Big Gay Al. It’s tough to get a perfect transcript of his monologue over the audience laughter, but here’s our best attempt: “Hi, I’m Jacques. I mainly turn up on the days when the ladies have new costumes. I sit and give a little bit of a dissection of why they’re wearing them. Such as Mary, tonight, you know what this says? It says, ‘Hey, I lost my husband. Boo hoo.’ … You have a little bit of a slit for the cleavage. It says, ‘Heeey.’ And the rest of it speaks for itself.” (Watch a clip here.)

“Barrow’s very fond of him,” Dockery added. Doyle said he couldn’t follow that and that he’d never seen Leech do that character before. “Oh, he’s commented on you,” Leech replied.

3. Maggie Smith was not at the screening, but that didn’t keep the cast from telling stories about her. In short, she’s as full of one-liners as the Dowager Countess. Dockery recalled Smith hitching her skirt up a bit, as all the ladies must do when the sound guy needs to put their mic pack on their leg, and telling him, “[Coughs] Control yourself.” McGovern remembered Smith hating uncomfortable costumes. She acted out Smith wearing one with a high French collar, tugging at it and groaning, “Now I know why they invented the guillotine.” Carter said Smith treated Dockery and Laura Carmichael (Edith) like real granddaughters. “They just showed her mucky things on YouTube all the time. Cats doing disgusting things. She was in stitches about that,” he said. He also recalled a moment on set when Shirley MacLaine (Cora’s mother, Martha) spotted a piano in a corner and said, “Perhaps it would be nice if I could sing.” You could see the cogs spinning in Smith’s mind, he said. “So Maggie decided, ‘Of course, I’m going to fall asleep.’ So Maggie falls asleep. So Shirley spots that and thinks, ‘I’m gonna go sing to Maggie.’ So Maggie wakes up and does the funniest triple take you’ve ever seen. It was an act-off between two great Dames.” 

4. The cast shared their casting stories. Among the highlights: Carter knew he was right for the role immediately. “There was one line in the script, it was a stage direction — ‘Carson sits there in his magnificence’ — and I thought, ‘I can do that,’” he said. “You want an actor to sit in magnificence, I’m sorry, I’m your boy. And I’d have been mightily pissed off if they’d given it to anyone else.” Dockery fell in love with Lady Mary immediately but thought they’d give the part to someone else. Leaving her audition, she ran into Dan Stevens, who was there waiting to read for the role of Matthew. “We’d just worked together on an adaptation of Turn of the Screw for the BBC. I said, ‘Dan!’ And he said, ‘Are you going out for Mary?’ I said, ‘Yeah. Matthew?’ I remember walking away thinking, ‘Oh, that could work,’” she said, laughing. 

Just as Mrs. Hughes was supposed to have a Yorkshire accent until producers heard Logan’s Scottish brogue, Branson — then listed as John instead of Tom — was also supposed to be English. “I walked in all prepared, having worked weeks on the Yorkshire accent. They sat there and went, ‘Actually, interesting, why don’t you play it Irish?’ And I went, ‘Nooo,’ ‘cause I’d done this for weeks. But they convinced me there and then to play it Irish. I thought then I had a less of a chance of getting the part, because I didn’t know if they wanted an Irish guy at all,” he said. “[Creator Julian Fellowes] jumped on that, and then he had another angle to go with [Tom’s] background.” Leech was originally hired for just three episodes, as was Doyle. “To be honest with you, the audition was a bit of a nuisance because I was opening a play,” Doyle said, to much laughter. “It was my first night at the National Theatre, and I could have done without the audition, to be honest with you.” 

5. Asked when they first knew the show was catching on, Bonneville told one of his favorite stories: About four weeks into Season 1′s run, he was at the playground picking his son up from school when a 10-year-old boy came over to him and said, “I don’t like that Thomas.” “A, I thought, ‘What are you doing up at nine o’clock on a Sunday?’ And B, ‘Wow, we never expected that demographic,’” Bonneville said. The most common reaction Carter gets from fans: “I can’t sit in a restaurant without someone saying, ‘Oh, it’s funny to see you sitting down.’” Leech finds fans more vocal when the show is in-season: “If people have seen it on a Sunday night, and then you get on the Tube in London the next morning, I’ve had the experience where someone turns and goes, ‘Oh, hey! How are you?’ And I go, ‘Not too bad. How are you?’ And [realization sets in] he goes, ‘I don’t know you at all!’” Doyle topped that: “Someone thought I’d done their central heating for them.”

6. Without spoiling anything, the Season 6 premiere is an especially great episode for Carter and Logan (and Lesley Nicol, who plays Mrs. Patmore). Asked if they could feel a relationship between Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes coming, here was the exchange: 

Carter: “We felt it was approaching at the speed of a glacier.” 

Logan: “A snail frozen.”

Carter: “We didn’t rush it, did we?” 

7. When the subject came to Stevens’s decision to leave the show and Matthew’s death, Dockery said, “At first, obviously I was sad about it. But I think it was a real turning point for the show. And those decisions along the way, like with Jessica [Brown Findlay], who played Sybil, it really changed the show. As much as I missed Dan when he went, I then went on to have such a fabulous storyline,” she said with a chuckle. “And I was nominated for awards.” (When the audience’s laughter subsided, Doyle called her “cold and ruthless” and started it again.)

8. Dockery did the clapper board on the very last shot of the series, but the most emotional goodbye came from the cast member least expected to cry, Bonneville said — setting up Carter to tell his story. “Everybody had been saying, ‘Oh god, it’s the last day. Oh dear.’ I said, ‘Look, come on. It’s the rhythm of our lives: you do a job, you make friendships, you work closely together, and you move on. That’s the natural way of things,’” Carter said. Cut to the servants filming their final scene in the servants’ hall. “People were getting emotional, quivering, and I thought, ‘Oh, honestly,’” Carter continued. After producers thanked the cast, Carter thought he should represent the downstairs actors and thank the incredibly loyal, hardworking crew. “There they were, gray with exhaustion, and I just said, ‘This is a family, not just in front of the camera, behind the camera. And I’d just like to thank’ — and I was gone,” he said. He turned around to see a grip and rigger also in tears. “I was a soggy mess. Totally, completely by surprise.”

9. There was an official wrap party, and, Carter insisted, “For Allen Leech, it’s still going on.” Dockery said her feet have only just now recovered from the night. (They finished filming in August.) Though everyone is curious what Downton would be like when Mary’s child, George, is Robert’s age, Neame isn’t thinking there will be a sequel. At least not soon. “This show is finished, but somebody will always own Downton Abbey,” he said. “Long after we’ve all retired, they might pull this idea out and start it all over again. But none of us will be involved with that.” 

As for where the series ends (the U.K. will see the finale first, on Christmas Day), Doyle offered this: “There are conclusions to a lot of wonderful stories, but not everything is tied up in bows. It’s left to the imagination of the audience for them to continue these characters’ stories. … After 1926, there are tumultuous times ahead, aren’t there, in Britain. Some of those estates are gonna face tough times, aren’t they? So you can only imagine what’s going to happen to these characters.”

10. An audience question about the extensive rules and etiquette of the time period revealed a couple of fascinating bits. After praising the show’s historical adviser, Carter, for instance, said you look at the lady of the house to see which way she turns to talk at the table, and then all the ladies talk that way for the first two courses before reversing for the dessert. Bonneville said in real life, the staff rarely knocked on doors because the family would then spend a large portion of their day yelling, “Come in! Come in!” So there is a basis for the eavesdropping on the show. “The butlers and the footmen and so on would meld into a room and choose their moment to bring the information they were bringing,” he said, “which of course, in dramatic terms, gives them a fantastic advantage in that they can appear invisibly, as it were, into a room and learn all sorts of stuff that the upstairs characters don’t know that they’re imparting to the downstairs characters.”

11. Asked by another audience member to name their favorite time period for their characters, Logan and Leech picked the war years: her because Mrs. Hughes suddenly had more to do (or “delegate”), and him because “the attitudes of all the characters changed so much during the war period, and then after, life meant so much more.” McGovern and Dockery picked when their corsets finally came off. (Season 6 begins in 1925). Doyle joked that nothing good of note happened for Molesely between 1912 and 1926, which earned him a hug from Leech. (Neame said that Logan does have a “lovely storyline in Season 6. Molesely does get a bit of a break.”) Carter, who’s worn the same costume for six years (”Don’t mess with perfection, Jim,” Leech said) picked the early period: “When Carson was having to deal with telephones, and typewriters, and toasters, and electric plugs. … Maggie Smith being blinded by chandeliers.” 

12. The final audience question of the night asked how the women felt about the show highlighting women’s rights throughout this time period for a younger audience. “I feel that doing the show has made me so grateful for things that we do tend to take for granted today as women: how hard-won our freedoms are, the choices we have in our life. In the beginning of the series, Cora was in no control of any aspect of her destiny whatsoever. Playing the part six years, at times made me feel as though I was living in a straitjacket,” McGovern said. “I think it’s easy to forget and to not be grateful for the strides that women have fought for and need to continue to fight for, because it’s not over yet. It really isn’t.” After more applause, and Logan noting that Edith is running a magazine and Lady Mary takes over for Branson, Carter got the last word: “Daisy learns to read. Hooray!”

The final season of Downton Abbey premieres on Jan. 3 at 9 p.m. on Masterpiece on PBS.

PBS Q&A Photos

The following photos were taken from the ever fabulous Far Far Away Site, please visit them for even more HQ photos from the evening!

Fun was clearly had by all...

Sirius XM Radio

Still waiting for the audio or video file

DA on GMA

The cast was all over the place on Monday as they hit New York and took the big apple by storm. Firstly here's some great photos from Good Morning America...

And here's the video of their appearance, thanks to the Elizabeth McGovern Forum on YT...sorry the quality is a bit jumpy

US Season 6 Promo Tour

Thanks to Downton Obsession on Tumblr, stay tuned for updates...

Week of December 7 - December 11

Tuesday, December 8, 2015 -
The Chew 1PM EST ABC
- Elizabeth Mcgovern

SAG-AFTRA Conversations: Downton Abbey 1PM EST (maybe on YT?)
- Phyllis Logan, Jim Carter, Kevin Doyle [source]

PBS Sneak Preview Screening in NYC 7:30 - 9:30PM EST
(they usually have two PBS events one private and one broadcast on Youtube on another date)
- Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Kevin Doyle, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth Mcgovern (Subject to change)

Late Night w/ Seth Meyers 12:35AM EST NBC
- Michelle Dockery

Wednesday, December 9, 2015 -
The Late Show w/ Stephen Colbert 11:35PM EST CBS
- Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Allen Leech

Thursday, December 10, 2015 - PBS Q&A on Youtube?

Watch What Happens Live 11PM EST Bravo
- Allen Leech and Michelle Dockery

Christmas Special Trailer

I'm already crying, my heart ached watching this trailer...