Few other shows can match the drama and glamor of the 1920s like Downton Abbey did, and fans were thrilled when show makers blessed them with a movie in 2019. Come 2022, the sequel, Downton Abbey: A New Era will hit screens with more dramatic plotlines and thrilling twists involving Lord and Lady Grantham, their vivacious daughters, and the servants and workers of the Estate.
The original series stole hearts with its lovable mix of history, emotions, soapy drama, and the lives of all classes of people in the early 1910s to late 1920s. Storylines about haughty Mary and her romantic interests, Edith and Sybil's defiance of gender roles, and Bates and Anna's troubled but sweet romance drew audiences back to Downton Abbey again and again. In anticipation of the upcoming movie, it would be remiss to not recount the most captivating storylines of the show.
Edith's Journey As A Writer
Despite having considerable talents, Edith was always considered sad and lonely in comparison to Mary, who could pull in the interests of men in a heartbeat. In that era, a woman's greatest feat was male attention, so Edith's considerable writing prowess was considered quirky, and she wasn't taken seriously.
She began her career by getting hired to write a popular editorial column, which then culminated into her editing The Sketch Magazine that Gregson had bequeathed to her. It wasn't easy leading the publication as a woman, and she fired the condescending male editor and took over, flawlessly executing the magazine month after month, unlike any other woman in her class.
Matthew And Mary's Love Story
Nobody can deny that Lady Mary and Matthew's fated romance was the most exciting part of Downton Abbey's early seasons. It was a classic entanglement — both of them detested each other at first sight, but that hatred turned to devotion soon enough. Their ultimate union was marred by various obstacles, not limited to Matthew enlisting, his fiancée Lavinia Swire, and a misplaced sense of morals.
Fans rejoiced when Matthew finally proposed to Mary on that snowy Christmas night. They had a baby boy, and everything seemed swell, until the heir of the Estate died suddenly in a car crash. His exit and the abrupt end of the sizzling romance broke hearts everywhere.
Thomas' Struggle With His Sexuality
Barrow may have been snide, conniving, and rude at best, but he had a softer side which gained him a lot of love. The show slowly delved into his struggles with his sexual orientation, and how difficult it was for him to cope with being gay in a time when it was a punishable offense. In his perennial quest for love, the butler of Downton Abbey made questionable romantic choices which landed him in jail, got him beaten up by straight men, and put him in a deep depression.
It was tough enough for him to make friends, but when he started self-medicating to "cure" his sexuality, the downstairs crowd united to help him. If the world couldn't accept him, at least he had a welcoming home at the Estate.
The Bond Between The Granthams And The Servants
The core of the show is the relationship shared between Lord and Lady Grantham and their children, and the workers who ran the place from downstairs. Unlike other aristocrats, the Granthams did not make a big distinction between themselves and the servants. They were constantly helping them lead better lives, and the two classes were each others' confidantes too.
Sybil went out of her way to get Gwen a secretarial job, Anna helped Mary get contraception and Mary helped her and Bates with the criminal cases on him, Sybil even married the chauffeur, and Anna gave birth to her child in Mary's own bed. The bond they shared was heartwarming on Downton Abbey, even if it may have been a bit unrealistic.
The Great War
The show covered the First World War, which was called The Great War by the characters. The heart wrenching battle meant differently to each character, and it was nice to see a nuanced portrayal of its impact on everyone.
Matthew, Thomas, and Will had to go fight, while Robert struggled to deal with the fact that he was too old and unfit to actually be a soldier: he was merely a figurehead. In a way, it foreshadowed the impending irrelevance of the peerage. To do her bit, Sybil joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment even though she was exempt from it, and the whole of Downton was transformed into a convalescent home to treat and rehabilitate wounded soldiers, with Isobel at the helm.
Mary And Edith's Rivalry
Edith and Mary were at each other's throats all the time, and their rivalry spawned some of the greatest betrayals on Downton Abbey. Mary embarrassed Edith by revealing to Matthew her early affections, to which Edith almost got Mary arrested for Mr. Pamuk's death by penning a tell-all letter to the Turkish embassy.
Mary ensured that Edith's wedding to Sir Anthony Strallan, and then later snitched to Bertie about Marigold's true parentage. The list of attacks goes on and on, but the intensity of their hatred and the scheming made for great television and theatrics, which fans enjoyed hugely.
Sybil's Love Affair with Tom
The true rebel that Lady Sybil was, she found love as she was supposed to, but with one of the servants. Her saga with Tom was legendary — the downstairs wondered how the Irish chauffeur had found his way into her heart, and the upstairs were in denial about the impending nuptials between them.
The lovers were like-minded and shared the values of socialism, equity, and upliftment of those banished to the fringes of society. Their friendship for each other bloomed naturally as they spent precious moments with each other in secret, which transformed into affection. Fans were dismayed to see the romance end with Sybil's untimely passing from eclampsia.
Isobel And Violet's Friendship
Initially, when Isobel Crawley made her way to Downton with her son, the Dowager was less than impressed with her. She did things differently from the usual ways, overstepped Violet's authority almost every single time, pushed for radical medical proposals, and irritated her more than anyone.
However, the two old ladies went from being at loggerheads to becoming each other's confidantes, even if it took them a while to admit it. Isobel took care of Violet when she fell grievously ill, and Violet was visibly upset at the thought of Isobel moving away if she married Lord Merton. They were true companions, and watching their strong personalities clash and simmer down into sisterly love was very wholesome.
Edith's Happy Ending
Lady Edith has one of the saddest stories in Downton Abbey, so when her story wrapped up in the best way imaginable, audiences were thrilled. She not only got back Marigold, but also had Bertie return to her and apologize for his backward thinking about her daughter. They married, and she became the Marchioness of Hexham — the highest title in the family, and definitely higher than Mary's.
Edith even got to tell Mary exactly how she felt, in very flowery language, which was immensely satisfying to watch. After the misfortunes that had plagued Edith, she came out strong and fulfilled and better than the rest.
The Evolution Of The Estate
It was a testament to Julian Fellowes' good writing that Downton Abbey didn't sugarcoat everything. Even as early as the 1920s, aristocracy and the trimmings that came with it was losing relevance. There was a cry for deauthorizing titles, and the money that the lords and ladies made from their agriculture was running out, as were their coffers.
Having a grand house was not as easy as it looked, and the maintenance and staff required for it was massive. To keep the estates profit-making was a challenge in changing times, and Lord Grantham struggled with money a lot, especially till the time he let Tom and Mary help him modernize their income generation. Depicting these struggles kept the show grounded and not frivolous.