As we await this week’s Downton Abbey Christmas special, let’s take look back at a few our favorite things.
With wallowing widows filling the halls, season 4 was pretty much a total downer, but season 5 brought some of the cheek back as people began to feel comfortable moving on with their lives, and Downton took a leap into the Roaring Twenties. Here are a few of our favorite parts from Downton Abbey’s fifth season.
****Beware Americans: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS for season 5*****
The return of Scandalous Mary.
Of course we understood Mary’s mourning in season 4 — Dan Stevens broke our hearts too! — but it still didn’t make her depressing downward spiral on Downton Abbey any easier to watch. And even after Mary finally decided to get back in the field once again, her interactions with even the most charming of men were tinged with sadness.
Obviously, one does not simply “bounce back” from losing Matthew Crawley, but with her husband’s death, last season it felt like a piece of Mary’s spirit died, too. Once the young, devilish ingenue who dragged dead Turkish aristocrats through mansion halls at night, her marriage helped her settle down into the practicality of adulthood, and her husband’s sudden death seemed to wipe away so much of the spark that made Mary a subdued, rebellious spirit in her own right.
That’s why we were ecstatic to find that, in season 5, Lady Mary is once again back to her wicked, wicked ways, and as she struggles to start her life anew, we get glimpses of the girl from season 1 who wasn’t afraid to bend the rules to her benefit, or find ways to work around social expectations to get her own way. She’s occasionally unlikeable, and often downright mean, but it’s these moments that bring out the humanity and vulnerability in Downton’s ice queen, because the one thing we love about Lady Mary is that she always demands the best, whether it be from others, or herself.
And the rejuvenation of Rebel Branson.
Meanwhile, as Mary went back to her roots, in season 5 her bestie Tom also looked back as he considered the best way to implement his values. He isn’t the hotheaded rebel that married Sybil anymore — her death and his daughter’s birth have made him a quieter, more grateful man — but he still finds his socialist beliefs in conflict with his Downton family’s way of life.
And while we hate the idea of Tom leaving his newfound Crawley family (and our weekly Downton Abbey episodes) to start a new life in America, we can’t help but feel proud of his constant willingness to adapt to a new adventure, whether it be by finding common ground with his wife’s aristocratic family, or striking out on his own in the States. This season, Branson began feeling comfortable enough as a member of the family to speak up for his values, proving he’s still a rebel at heart, even if he has adopted more moderate manners.
Finally getting rid of Gilly.
True, true, Gilly brought us some of this season’s best moments. We loved seeing Lady Mary throw caution to the wind and bring back her Mr. Pamuk side with their scandalous rendezvous in the countryside. But as a whole, we had to agree that she was too interesting for him — or, at least, he would never be interesting enough for her. Even in Mary’s worst relationships (Evil Richard), she’s valued men who challenge her — some have done so by bring out her best sides, and others, her worst. But Gilly did neither. He didn’t challenge Mary, he accommodated her, and in doing so, he made for terrible television. It was, alas, time for this sad sap to go.
Meanwhile, Branson’s aggressively angry schoolteacher girlfriend also got the boot. While hardly a Sybil, she was cute in her own way in that she liked to ruffle Tom’s feathers. Still, while we appreciated the education she brought to the downstairs staff, she was an absolute rude horror to the Crawleys, failing to recognize that they were a part of Tom’s family. She was always unwilling to see beyond her own biases, and so only brought out the worst in the aristocrats she wanted to change.
Fresh faces that held their own.
From displaced Russion princes to sweet, dashing suitors, season 5 of Downton Abbey brought an array of fresh faces to the Downton Estate, and a few quickly became fan favorites.
We’d been hearing about the infamous Mabel Lane Fox for over a season, but we were as shocked as Mary to find that she was anything but the demure woman she was made out to be, and turned out to be a feminine force of nature in her own right. Practical and clever, she shared Mary’s feisty personality, and was upfront but classy about Mary’s wishy-washy behavior that was affecting her own life.
Meanwhile, Rose’s new suitor and eventual husband, Atticus, was a sweet, charming delight. In many ways a mirror to Rose’s own bubbling, optimistic personality, at Hypable we loved the splendid chap so much that we clambered for an interview with the actor, Matt Barber.
Edith had agency.
After entire seasons that left Edith with little to do except mope around in her desperation, finally, season 5 gave her some sort of agency! Edith’s storyline with her daughter was heartbreaking to watch from every angle, as the show took care to depict the hurt that not only Edith suffered, but Marigold’s foster mother as well.
Edith finally had secrets that were worthy of Downton’s scandalous halls, and her struggle to fight through them without her family’s support were an engaging part of this season’t narrative.
Daisy demanding an education.
Daisy has certainly grown into her own the past couple of seasons, but it was so nice to see her finally demanding not only respect for her proficiency as a cook and worth as a woman, but as a valuable member of society who deserved an education. Daisy’s struggle to learn allowed us to witness the frustrations of this class system that the Crawleys buy into. Daisy wants to learn because she wants the world to know that she is worth it. She’s modern enough to understand that all human beings should be treated with equal respect, and she deserves the chance to grow into who she wants to be.
Isobel and Granny’s girl talk bonding and love life shenanigans.
One of our wishes for season 5 was more screen time with the mother-in-laws gal pal-ing it up, and this season of Downton Abbey really delivered. Violet and Isobel’s begrudging friendship of seasons past turned into one of true confidants as Isobel supported Violet through the arresting discovery of her former princely love arriving at her doorstep once again. Meanwhile, Violet was always there for a sharp eye and snappy comeback as Isobel dove into aristocratic society as the betrothed of Lord Merton. And just as Violet seemed heartbroken over the possible loss of her friend as she begins a new, married life, we can’t help but hope that these two ladies are never separated from each other.
Fun, flirty fashion statements.
This season brought us the bob and flapper-inspired wedding dresses. What more could we want?
The two-hour Downton Abbey Christmas Special premieres this Thursday, December 25, at 9 p.m. on ITV.