Downton Abbey (series 2)

Downton Abbey (series 2)

DVD cover art
Country of origin United Kingdom
No. of episodes 8 + Christmas special
Release
Original network ITV
Original release 18 September (2011-09-18) – 6 November 2011 (2011-11-06)

The second series of British-American historical period drama television series Downton Abbey aired from 18 September 2011 to 6 November 2011, comprising a total of 8 episodes and one Christmas Special episode aired on 25 December 2011. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV and in the United States on PBS on 8 January 2012. Series 2, explored the lives of the Crawley family and the events of Battle of the Somme, Battle of Amiens, Armistice of 11 November 1918, Russian Revolution to Spanish flu epidemic and their servants' ball in the early 1920s.

Series 2, received universal acclaim with critics praising cast, its historical depictions and story's arc. The viewing figures significantly increased compared with series 1, with an average of 11 million viewers per episode. Series was nominated for several industry awards. Maggie Smith received critical appraisal for her performance as Violet Crawley that earned her Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film, series itself won TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials.

Series overview

The second series covers events including the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the Battle of Amiens and the Armistice in 1918, the Russian Revolution and the Spanish flu epidemic; on the domestic front there is a serious shortage of able-bodied men for home front jobs. There is also the appointment of David Lloyd George (whom the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) despises) as Prime Minister and his creation of the wartime coalition. Matthew Crawley, Thomas Barrow and William Mason are off fighting in the war; Tom Branson, an Irishman, is unsure that he wants to fight for Britain; and Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) cannot serve due to his age. Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay) defies her aristocratic position and joins the Voluntary Aid Detachment as a nurse.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Upstairs

Downstairs

Recurring and guest cast

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [1]
81"Episode One"Ashley PearceJulian Fellowes18 September 2011 (2011-09-18)11.41

November 1916. Matthew, now an Army officer, is fighting at the Battle of the Somme. He speaks of returning to Downton during his leave, which is coming soon. However, he tells the family that he is now engaged to Miss Lavinia Swire. When Lady Mary finds out, she attempts to hide her dismay and tells the other ladies that a Sir Richard Carlisle, a newspaper mogul known more for expediency than ethics, is coming to visit. However, when alone with Anna, she breaks down at the news of Matthew's engagement. Meanwhile the servants are preparing for a benefit concert to help fund the local hospital.

With Bates in London attending his mother's funeral, and Thomas serving in the Army Medical Corps, the servants are hard pressed to keep Downton running. A new housemaid, Ethel, has arrived, but constantly talks about improving herself and getting out of service, implicitly demeaning the staff. Most ignore her, but O'Brien dislikes her and repeatedly pulls mean-spirited pranks on her. Bates tells Anna that he may finally get a divorce and asks her to marry him. However, these plans are short-lived when Vera Bates arrives at Downton and threatens to expose Anna's part in Lady Mary's indiscretion with Pamuk unless Bates leaves with her immediately. He is forced to do so out of loyalty to the family, and Lord Grantham is furious at him for leaving with no notice or reason. However, Mrs Hughes has overheard Bates and Vera's conversation and informs Mr Carson of Vera's plot. Carson tells Lord Grantham this, and he immediately regrets his reaction to Bates' departure. Meanwhile, Sybil, eager to contribute to the war effort, leaves to begin training as a nurse. At her departure, Branson reveals his feelings for her.

Matthew and Mary, who reconciled when he attended the fundraiser, struggle with their respective situations. Mary sees him off at the train station, giving him her lucky mascot, which he carries to the front. Matthew meets Thomas in the trenches on the front lines. They share tea in the midst of the fighting. Thomas expresses the irony that a footman is sharing tea with the lord he once served. Matthew tells him that, "War has a way of distinguishing between the things that matter and the things that don't." Thomas, sick of war, intentionally gets himself wounded in order to be sent away from the front lines.
92"Episode Two"Ashley PearceJulian Fellowes25 September 2011 (2011-09-25)11.77[nb 1]

April 1917: With many of the male staff away at war, Carson puts a lot of pressure on himself with the extra duties necessary to run the house to his exacting standard. He is forced to accept female staff serving in the dining room, something with which he is appalled. Lord Grantham hires Lang, newly discharged from the army, as his valet to replace Bates. O'Brien quickly notices manifestations of his shell shock, and is kind and helpful to him, complimenting his fine repair work on a suit. William is happy after receiving an important letter. Mrs Patmore receives devastating news about her soldier nephew; she had only known that he had died, but Lord Grantham finds out that he had been shot for cowardice.

Thomas returns from the war after being discharged from active duty due to his hand injury, which he purposely allowed to occur, and begins working with Lady Sybil in the local hospital. Thomas is attracted to a young lieutenant suffering from gas blindness who is overwhelmed and psychologically in extremely precarious condition. Over time Lady Sybil's and Thomas's kindness helps to pull him slightly back towards hope. Unfortunately, when he is physically stable, in spite of all their protests, Dr Clarkson (now Major Clarkson) orders the lieutenant's departure to complete his recovery elsewhere; every bed is needed at the hospital for the critically ill. That night he commits suicide. This event leads to the consideration of using Downton as a convalescent home. Molesley takes an interest in Anna, but she makes it clear that her heart will forever belong to Bates. Matthew learns he will be temporarily transferred back to England for a recruitment drive; the family is happy, but he is uncomfortable with the idea that he is safe while others are fighting. Carson advises Lady Mary that she should tell Matthew she loves him before it is too late. Meanwhile, Lavinia (Matthew's new fiancée who is staying with Mrs Crawley) is reunited with an unwelcome face from her past.

Edith volunteers to drive a tractor for a local farmer, Mr Drake. He and his wife have lost their last farmhand to the war. She and Mr Drake become very close. After they declare their attraction to each other, they kiss, not knowing his wife is watching. At the next breakfast, Edith receives a note from Mrs Drake, saying they have hired a farmhand and she doesn't need to come anymore.
103"Episode Three"Andy GoddardJulian Fellowes2 October 2011 (2011-10-02)11.33[nb 2]

July 1917. The village hospital is not large enough to accommodate the large influx of wounded soldiers coming back from the front, so Downton is turned into a convalescent home. O'Brien is shocked that Isobel Crawley seems to be giving most of the orders while Cora is relegated to the background and suggests that Thomas might be able to aid her from his position at the hospital.

Violet strongly believes that Mary and Matthew are still very much in love and so, with the help of Rosamund, tries her best to end Matthew's engagement to Lavinia. She is also still convinced that there is much more to Lavinia's relationship with Sir Richard than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Anna runs into Mr Bates in the village, and they feel they may have a future together, as Bates has a plan to deal with his ex-wife. Back at Downton, things are more highly charged, as William asks Daisy to marry him just before heading off to war and Mrs Patmore reacts very badly to a chance remark.
114"Episode Four"Brian KellyJulian Fellowes9 October 2011 (2011-10-09)11.30[nb 3]

Early 1918: Ethel continues flirting with Major Bryant; when Mrs Hughes discovers them in the act of making love, she fires Ethel. Later, Ethel returns and admits she is pregnant with Bryant's child. Preparations get under way for a concert at Downton. Tensions flare between Isobel and Cora, Edith receives worrying news about Matthew and William, and Branson declares his feelings for Sybil again.

Lord Grantham learns that Bates works at a nearby pub and goes to visit him. Lord Grantham receives a letter from Carlisle, which causes him concern and forces an uncomfortable conversation with Mary. Mrs Bird's soup kitchen receives a helping hand from Daisy and Mrs Patmore.
125"Episode Five"Brian KellyJulian Fellowes16 October 2011 (2011-10-16)11.59[nb 4]

Mid-1918: Lord Grantham receives shocking news from the front; both Matthew and William have been wounded in France. Unfortunately, William has sustained serious damage to his lungs and will not recover, prompting him to ask Daisy to marry him before he dies. Meanwhile, Matthew has suffered a serious spinal-cord injury and is paralysed from the waist down. He is told that he will never walk again or father children. Lavinia insists that this changes nothing and that she only wants to care for him. However, Matthew tells her to forget him and sends her away, while Mary attempts to nurse him back to health. Carson and Mrs Hughes hire a new maid, Jane, despite her being a war widow with a child. Mrs Hughes has also been secretly helping Ethel and her baby since Ethel's lover, Major Bryant, has ignored her pleas.

Despite not loving William, Daisy is pushed into marrying him by Mrs Patmore, who wants William to die happy, and by William's wishes that Daisy be left with a widow's pension. They marry while William is bed-ridden, surrounded by the other staff, Lady Edith and the Dowager Countess. William dies in his sleep, not long afterwards, with Daisy by his side. Bates is taken aback when Vera promises to expose old secrets about Lady Mary and Pamuk's death, as he has paid her to divorce him and he thought she was satisfied. When Mary discovers this, she confesses everything to Sir Richard Carlisle and asks him to help; this obliges her to accept his offer of marriage. He agrees and expresses his pleasure that she is now in his debt. She returns to Downton, and he succeeds in binding Vera to an exclusive contract with confidentiality obligations, thereby silencing her. He announces his engagement to Mary in the newspaper without informing her. On finding out, Vera warns that she will still bring ruin to Bates.
136"Episode Six"Andy GoddardJulian Fellowes23 October 2011 (2011-10-23)11.33[nb 5]

October–November 1918: A Canadian officer, badly disfigured by burns, asks to be brought to Downton, claiming a relation to the family. Lord Grantham agrees, assuming he is some distant relation sharing common ancestry, but he stuns everyone by declaring that he is Patrick Crawley, the supposedly deceased heir. His story is that he survived the Titanic disaster but suffered from amnesia so he was unable to identify himself and lived as a Canadian until a wartime experience restored his memory. Most at Downton vehemently deny that possibility even though he recounts many details that only Patrick is likely to have known. Edith believes him, growing attached to him as he claims that he was always in love with her, rather than Mary. But, Lord Grantham's investigation casts doubt on the Canadian officer's claim, revealing that Patrick Crawley had a friend who emigrated to Canada. This leads to the burned soldier's sudden departure; he leaves behind a note for Edith that is deliberately ambiguous as to his identity.

Meanwhile, Matthew is getting used to his condition and Mary constantly caring for him; this displeases Sir Richard Carlisle. Carlisle and Cora conspire, to Lord Grantham's disgust, to bring back Lavinia, who resolves that she will never leave Matthew. Cora is worried about Isobel's aggressive management of Downton Abbey as a convalescent hospital until Violet slyly directs Isobel to the plight of refugees as a cause that has greater need of her nursing skills than the convalescent duties. Ethel hears the distressing news that Major Bryant has been killed. Carson debates whether to accept Sir Richard's tempting offer to leave Downton and be the Carlisles' butler after Sir Richard's marriage to Lady Mary; at the same time, Sir Richard makes it clear to Mary that he is uncompromising. Lady Sybil receives an ultimatum from Branson regarding his marriage proposal to her.

Bates is shocked to find the legality of his divorce threatened, as Vera reveals that he paid her to leave him, and he goes to London to make another attempt to settle matters with her. Upon his return, he receives the news that she is dead. Soon afterwards, the war ends with the Armistice.
147"Episode Seven"James StrongJulian Fellowes30 October 2011 (2011-10-30)12.26[nb 6]

1919: As the residents try to return to normal life following the armistice, Matthew begins to be able to feel his legs. One day, seeing Lavinia drop a heavy tray, he suddenly gets up from his chair. Major Clarkson admits that he knew of this possibility from another physician but was sceptical about it and did not want to raise false hopes. Matthew announces that he and Lavinia intend to be married soon. Violet informs him that Mary is still in love with him, but Matthew feels obliged to marry Lavinia since she was prepared to sacrifice her life for him. Meanwhile, Sir Richard Carlisle distresses Anna by asking her to spy on Mary; his behaviour leads Carson to reject his offer of employment.

Bates realises that Vera committed suicide in order to frame him for her murder. When Major Bryant's parents visit Downton to see where their son convalesced, Mrs Hughes contrives a meeting between them and Ethel and her baby. However, Mr Bryant angrily refuses to believe her claim. Thomas embarks on a new money-making scheme in the post-war black market. Lord Grantham is attracted to the new maid Jane and illicitly kisses her on one occasion. Contemplating life after the war, Lady Sybil makes the drastic decision to elope with Branson. However, Mary discovers her plan and, along with Edith and Anna, seeks them out and persuades Sybil to return and plead her cause openly to their parents.
158"Episode Eight"James StrongJulian Fellowes6 November 2011 (2011-11-06)12.45[nb 7]

April 1919: As preparations are under way for Matthew and Lavinia's wedding, Lady Sybil's expressed wish to marry Branson shocks and horrifies her parents. Lord Grantham is strongly opposed to the idea but his threats of social disgrace and disinheritance do not dissuade Sybil. Grantham attempts to bribe Branson, but Branson's intentions are sincere, and he refuses. Lady Grantham, Carson, and Lavinia are taken ill by the Spanish flu. Thomas' black market venture was a spectacular failure, leaving him penniless and without a job, but Carson's illness gives him a chance to become useful in the house. Matthew finds himself alone with Mary and tells her what Violet said to him. Both acknowledge that they cannot marry, as it would be terribly cruel to Lavinia. However, they kiss just as Lavinia is coming down the stairs. When her illness delays the wedding, Lavinia tells Matthew that she heard and saw everything. She feels they should end their engagement but Matthew refuses. Fearing that Lavinia's illness might bring together Matthew and Mary, Richard Carlisle comes to Downton Abbey.

Daisy is distressed by William's father's request that she visit him. Ethel is surprised when Major Bryant's parents want to see her but is horrified when she learns that Mr Bryant simply wants to take custody of the baby and refuses to even consider allowing her any access. Disgusted, she refuses and tells them that she will keep her son. Lord Grantham finds himself unable to control his desire for Jane, who willingly responds. However, their night-time encounter is interrupted and remains unconsummated, and Jane decides to leave. With the possibility of legal trouble regarding Vera's death, Anna insists that she and Bates should marry so that she can support him through his difficulties as his wife. They marry in secret, with Lady Mary's support, and she arranges for them to spend their wedding night in a guest room. Cora becomes seriously ill, and Clarkson fears the worst. O'Brien tirelessly cares for her and tries to ask for her forgiveness. However it is Lavinia who succumbs to the flu and dies, saying that it is best for Matthew. Wracked with guilt, Matthew tells Mary that any relationship between them is now impossible. Somewhat chastened by the recent events, Lord Grantham reluctantly gives his blessing for Lady Sybil and Thomas Branson to marry. The episode ends with Bates' arrest for the murder of his late wife.

Downton Abbey: Behind the Drama

A 46-minute documentary compiled in anticipation of the Christmas 2011 two-hour special broadcast, Behind the Drama features behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the series and short interviews with Julian Fellowes, the writer, actors (Elizabeth McGovern, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Dan Stevens, Michelle Dockery, Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael, Penelope Wilton, Phyllis Logan, Thomas Howes, Lesley Nicol, Sophie McShera, Allen Leech) and other members of the team that produces Downton Abbey. It was shown in the United Kingdom at 7:30 pm on Wednesday 21 December 2011 and narrated by Hugh Bonneville. 4.5 million people watched the show.[23]

Christmas special (2011)

No.
overall		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [1]
16"Christmas at Downton Abbey"Brian PercivalJulian Fellowes25 December 2011 (2011-12-25)12.11[nb 8]
December 1919 and January 1920. The household is bustling with all the Christmas preparations. The staff entertain themselves with a Ouija board, trying to contact the spirits. Mr Bates is convicted of the murder of his ex-wife Vera despite testimony from Lord Grantham. Towards the end of the episode his death sentence is commuted to life imprisonment. Bates encourages Anna to stay at Downton, but to live a full life. Daisy meets with William's father, and is assured that she is a good person. Willam's father offers to become a surrogate father to Daisy. Rosamund contemplates marrying a "fortune hunter," but is revealed by the end. Cora learns in a letter from Lady Sybil, who is now married to Tom Branson and living in Ireland, that Sybil is pregnant. Cora tells Robert that she insists on them returning to Downton. The relationship between Matthew and Lady Mary takes another twist. Mary jilts her fiancé, Sir Richard Carlisle, despite his threatening to reveal her dark secret regarding the late Kemal Pamuk through his media connections and newspapers. After much worry and fear that he will see her as damaged, Lady Mary decides to tell Matthew that she had a one night stand with Pamuk. Although initially shocked by this information, he soon decides that what's past is past, and in the final scene he proposes to her, but only after she insists he get down on one knee, and she happily agrees to become his wife.

Production

Filming began in March 2011 and was written by series creator Julian Fellowes and directed five directors namely Ashley Pearce, Andy Goddard, Brian Kelly and James Strong. Cal Macaninch, Iain Glen, Amy Nuttall, Zoe Boyle and Maria Doyle Kennedy joined the cast as, the new valet Lang, Sir Richard Carlisle, the new Housemaid Ethel, Lavinia Swire and John Bates' wife Vera, respectively. Nigel Havers and Sharon Small appeared in the Christmas Special as Lord Hepworth and Marigold Shore, Rosamund Painswick's maid, respectively.

Reception

The series two of Downton Abbey was a highly acclaimed series, on Rotten Tomatoes, it has fresh rating of 100% based on 24 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With its excellent cast and resplendent period trappings, Downton Abbey continues to weave a bewitching, ingratiating spell."[27] On Metacritic, the series 2 has a normalized score of 85 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "Generally favourable reviews".[28]

The series generally received overwhelming reviews from critics. Linda Stasi of New York Post wrote "The series seamlessly moves between the horrors of war and the gentility of life in the show's titular 100-room manor."[29] Writing for TV Guide Magazine, Matt Roush said, "For those of us who hungered for a year to witness these new chapters, the appetite is insatiable."[30] Wall Street Journal's television critic Dorothy Rabinowitz said, "The vibrant brew of upstairs-downstairs relationships is more savory now, the characters more complicated."[31] Robert Bianco of USA Today also lauded the series saying, "There's nothing in Downton you won't recognize, and almost nothing you won't enjoy."[32] Variety's chief television critic Brian Lowry praised the series cast and said "Julian Fellowes has created such a vivid group of characters and assembled such an impeccable cast--effortlessly oscillating from comedy to drama--that the hours fly by, addictively pulling viewers from one into the next."[33] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter said, "The characters are so beautifully and thoroughly rendered that we, as viewers, are caught up in their lives."[34] Robert Lioyd of Los Angeles Times said, "It is big, beautiful, beautifully acted and romantic, its passions expressed with that particular British reserve that serves only to make them burn brighter."[35]

Some of the media outlets and critics were more critical towards the show. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's TV critic Rob Owen wrote, "Writer/series creator Julian Fellowes weaves together an engrossing tapestry of stories, although some of them stretch credulity or peter out."[36] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times also gave the series moderate reviews by comparing to first series and said, "Season 2 is in many ways as captivating and addictive as the first, but this time around, the series comes off as a shameless throwback to itself."[37] In a moderate review, Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post said, "Your investment in the many stories spun out by creator Julian Fellowes may take longer to develop this year, because the costume drama's pace is off in the early going and it's far more contrived and inconsistent than it was in its first season."[38] In a less enthusiastic review of Hank Stuever for Washington Post he quipped, "Downton Abbey lacks surprise and is stretched precariously thin, a house full of fascinating people with not nearly enough to do, all caught in a loop of weak storylines that circle round but never fully propel."[39]

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