“Downton”: What I Thought Of New Season
Just as CBS is the Tiffany network and NBC the Peacock Network so has PBS morphed into the Downton Network: they have relentlessly re-run old episodes of the British series in preparation for the American premiere of season 4 this Sunday. I have binge-watched all 8 episodes and can say that they are better than season 2 but not as strong as seasons 1 or 3. The new season takes a long time to emerge from the shadows of the grief of Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery, pictured) at the death last season of her husband, Matthew, and from an event befalling her maid, Anna, that, quite frankly, dominated more of the new season than I thought was warranted. By the end of the season, however, Julian Fellowes, the series’ creator and writer, had woven together “Downton”‘s multiple plot strands into a satisfactory finale. I especially liked the subplots involving the family’s English rose, Rose, and the chauffeur-turned-son-in-law, Tom. Oh, and Maggie Smith doesn’t die. (That’s hardly a spoiler: If she did, the series would expire with her.)
