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Downton Abbey (Series) - TV Tropes. I didn't run Downton for 3.
GOD knows where! Lord Grantham: You do not love the place yet. Matthew Crawley: Well, obviously, it's.. Lord Grantham: No, you don't love it. You see a million bricks that may crumble, a thousand gutters and pipes that may block and leak, and stone that will crack in the frost. Matthew Crawley: But you don't? Lord Grantham: I see my life's work. Set in an Edwardian country house beginning in 1.
Downton Abbey (2. Crawley family and the servants who work for them. Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, has three daughters but no sons. Since (as with most British peerages), the Grantham title must pass to an . Then both James and Patrick die in the sinking of the Titanic. So what will become of the Earl's fortune?
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Set in the fictional Downton Abbey, stately home of the Earl of Grantham, early in the reign of King George V, during the two years prior to the Great War and.
This Succession Crisis drives the initial plot of the show, but soon enough, a host of intersecting plotlines occur. The Ensemble Cast faces a variety of personal struggles, and everyone has to deal with the gradual modernization of Britain. Much like the earlier series Upstairs, Downstairs, the drama follows both the aristocratic family who own the house and the large staff of servants who make it tick. The second series dealt with the effects of World War I on the entire household. The show is named after the large building where the family lives. It is not called Downtown Abbey.
The show ran for 6 series, concluding on Christmas Day 2. Many spoilers are unmarked in the trope list below. This is a secret that Bates left Downton (and Anna) to keep, one which it is insinuated will ruin the family by scandal, one which Richard literally bought the rights to. Yet in the end, everyone who could be hurt by the scandal takes a . It may be assumed that Richard never actually made good on his threat, but nothing in the show indicates either that the scandal broke and blew over or that the secret was kept; it's merely dropped.
- In the Season 2 Christmas Special, Matthew has Robert explaining the practicalities of the Servants' Ball to him, even though Matthew has been the heir of Downton for.
- Lady Mary's past catches up with her when an unwelcome visitor delivers an ultimatum, and news about the running of Downton Hospital puts Violet on the warpath.
Action Girl: Great- aunt Roberta Crawley, a Famous Ancestor who fought in the Sepoy mutiny — she . The Duke burns them before Thomas gets a chance, though. Almost Kiss: Sybil and Branson, many times through Season 2, possibly in the last episode of Season 1, too.
Anna and Bates, also. Edith and Michael Gregson in the first episode of Season 4. Altar the Speed: Deconstructed, somewhat; Daisy feels pressured into going through with the wedding due to William's impending death, and subsequently feels that the whole thing was a lie — she later thinks differently after actually meeting with her father- in- law and takes his advice to advance up the career ladder for the beginning of season 3. Always Someone Better: Mary (and to a lesser extent, Sybil) for Edith. It's never directly stated, but Bates is more or less this for Molesley, since Molesley not only lost his chance at being employed at Downton when Bates returned but also has a crush on Anna, who is in love with Mr Bates. Anachronism Stew: The dialogue sometimes has a flavor that is not very period accurate.
See article here, see also Badass Boast below. The portrait of life in a noble house — in particular, the intertwining of the lives of upstairs and downstairs residents — is not terribly accurate. Real- life estates the size of Downton Abbey in that time frame had much more separation between the lives of the masters and servants. It strains belief that Thomas could not only keep his job but get promoted after being outed (see Politically Correct History below). In episode 4x. 3 the staff plays Racing Demon, or Nertz, which has only been traced back to the 1. What's that Robert?
Not in 1. 92. 3, sir. Mary asks Gillingham if they'll just . An Ottoman bureaucrat would likely be referred to by a combination of his first name, his father's name/his nickname and his title, and not by any family name. See also Famous- Named Foreigner below. Anguished Declaration of Love: Anna. And Branson in the first episode of the Season 2.
Anyone Can Die: It. No one is safe and even main characters keep dying.
But it should be noted that this is not driven by artistic decisions but rather by actors leaving the show. Maggie Smith quipped that her repeated Emmy nominations are the only thing keeping Violet alive. Appeal to Inherent Nature: Mary argues that she's inherently contrary and that it would be against her character to want to marry anyone who anyone else wanted her to marry. She proves it when, after falling utterly in love with Matthew, she still turns his marriage proposal down, balking solely because marrying him would fix everything and be what everyone wanted to happen anyway. Arranged Marriage Patrick and Mary, in the series' back- story. Artifact Title: In- Universe: Downton Abbey was actually a monastery when it was built in the Middle Ages; after the Dissolution of the Monasteries it was seized and became home to various peers.
Artistic License . Violet is scandalized when Mary has a weekend with her lover with the thought of remarriage, but she is not a . She's a widow, with considerably more freedom than an un- married young lady.
Widows had, at that point, had such status for over 1. As You Know: The first episode when the ominous . Robert's lawyer almost uses the exact language, .
Matthew is a lawyer who specialises in corporate law. Yet he has to ask his mother whether there's any legal mechanism for him to refuse to inherit the earldom.
In episodes following Kemal Pamuk's death, various characters will go into minor but unnecessary detail about the manner of his death, along the lines of . In the Season 2 Christmas Special, Matthew has Robert explaining the practicalities of the Servants' Ball to him, even though Matthew has been the heir of Downton for quite a few years by now and one would have expect him to have been at the ball at least once before. It is possible, however, that this was Matthew's first Servants' Ball. In August of 1. 91. Matthew left the Village and soon thereafter went to war. Matthew's opportunities to attend the ball were limited for various reasons between the onset of the Great War and early 1.
Author Appeal: Three journalists have courted the Crawley girls. Richard Carlisle is a newspaper magnate, Tom Branson the ex- chaffeur became a reporter and Michael Gregson the editor fancied Edith. Badass Boast: Cora's explanation for why she is not that upset over the prospect of having to sell Downton Abbey and move into a smaller house: . Of course, this is something of an anachronism, as, while the phrase . It doesn't work. Band of Brothers: Robert and Bates served together in The Second Boer War, which is why they always stick up for each other to the bitter end. Baseball Episode: That is, a cricket episode (3x.
The actual cricket part is only in the last ten minutes, while the rest of the episode is devoted to hyping up said match and wrapping up subplots. Be Careful What You Wish For: Daisy bugs Mrs Patmore for months to hire a kitchen maid.
Just when she's finally about to tell Alfred that she fancies him, she's introduced to new kitchen maid Ivy, with whom he immediately starts flirting. Beach Episode: The Season 4 Christmas special. Beauty, Brains and Brawn: Mary (Beauty) relies on her charm to win potential suitors, Sybil (Brawn) is the most physically active and her personality hardens to match and Edith (Brains) who isn't as pretty or strong as her sisters so she becomes a master organizer. Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason for Thomas' seemingly out- of- the- blue distraught reaction to Sybil's death. Belligerent Sexual Tension: Between Mary and Matthew.
Benevolent Boss: Robert. Furthermore; all the Crawleys are rather even- handed with the staff to the point where even Lady Violet goes out of her way to pull strings for characters like William, the footman. Berserk Button: Don't let Bates catch you being mean to William or Daisy. Bates also gets his buttons pressed when his estranged wife Vera threatens to ruin the Earl's reputation, as well as the Earl's family and Anna, if he doesn't return to her. Don't insult William's mother in front of him. Especially not in the same sentence as a belittling remark about the boss' wife's miscarriage.
Robert is the most even- tempered man imaginable until his youngest daughter gets herself involved in political riots. Or if his family decides to eat lunch made by an ex- prostitute. Never, ever challenge Cora's authority in her house.
And when Sybil dies, Cora goes a little crazy when she starts to think that Sybil's death is Robert's fault. For Cora: Neglecting Sybil's daughter because she's a . Carson is a whole panel of berserk buttons. Anna flatly refuses to have .
He doesn't want to drag her into his troubles, but she swears that they . As the series' go on, culminating with the final episode, messing with Isobel and her happiness is a very good way to make Violet angry. Beware the Nice Ones: As said above; messing with Isobel is going to make Violet be angry. And never make both of them angry - you'll probably regret it! Cora can hack it too if necessary. And Robert knows how to punch someone who is harassing his wife. Beta Couple: Anna/Bates and Sybil/Branson.
Big Fancy House: The real Highclere Castle has a starring role as Downton Abbey. Big, Screwed- Up Family: By Lady Violet's standards, certainly. For example, Rosamund — a noble lady by birth — married someone of no nobility, and Violet finds no end of chances to pick on her deceased son- in- law; Rosamund's brother, even worse, married an American (albeit one with the money necessary to save/secure the estate and more than willing to adjust to the English ways). With Robert having no sons the family's best chance to keep the estate in the family name is to leave it to a third- cousin who is a middle- class solicitor from Manchester of all places and a perfect stranger at the start of the series. Then there's Violet's niece who is constantly at odds with her husband as well as coming down hard on her rebellious teenage daughter, Rose, who is caught having an affair with a married man.