Thumbs-down for Downton

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]e’ve had characters in prison and people dying of Spanish influenza. We’ve had Christmas day deaths and a dead body being sneaked down the corridor in the middle of the night. Not to mention Sybil’s death in series three, both mid-episode and mid-series, which was the most dramatic and unexpected character-death that I have ever seen!

With all this drama behind it, I’ve been awaiting the return of Downton Abbey for months. Constant reminders about this being the last series have really ramped up the anticipation, suggesting that we are in for an even more dramatic series than normal.

The series so far, however, has been disappointing

At the time of writing, I’ve only seen the first two episodes, so maybe I’m jumping the gun a bit here, but I can’t help but feel that the show is starting to get boring. This is very hard for an ardent fan like myself to admit.

The Downton promo trailers have made everything seem far more desperate and dramatic than it actually is. Accompanied by a sad song about saying goodbye and the purposeful closing of doors, the adverts seem to suggest that the demise of Downton Abbey is imminent and unstoppable.

In reality, none of the characters seem all that bothered. In fact, wedding plans and hospital administration seem to be more important than the looming end of life as everyone knows it.

It’s not just boring, though: it’s also repetitive. How many times have we watched Anna and Mr Bates bemoan the normal life they can never have? Surely it can’t have taken this many series for Daisy to pass her exams and move out of the kitchen? And I really do think I’ve seen enough variations of the ‘country fair/cricket match/garden party where something goes dramatically wrong’ theme.

The eponymous abbey. Photo: Flickr / Garybembridge

Perhaps the problem is that this series isn’t set around a particular historical event, and so doesn’t seem as distinctive as others. In Season Two, we saw how the First World War affected the whole community, with men from upstairs and downstairs being sent off to fight, and the abbey itself becoming a hospital for wounded soldiers. The historical context really united the series as a whole.

In 1925 now, however, we seem to be revisiting the same themes and events again and again.

Or maybe it’s the fact that actors keep leaving which makes the show feel a bit claustrophobic. With Tom and Rose departing for America at the end of the last series, two of the most interesting storylines were cut from the show, leaving us to focus on the plight of Lady Mary – surely the most annoying and unlikeable character in the show.

People either love Downton Abbey or hate it, and it only seems fitting that such a talked-about show should end on a high, or preferably go out with a bang. I personally hope a fire destroys Downton, forcing everyone to leave: I think this would be an apt ending for the abbey.

Sadly, I can see Downton Abbey turning into one of those shows which people say should’ve ended sooner, whilst it was still on a high

Unless things pick up, I’ll be glad when Downton finally closes its doors for the last time.

There’s still hope that there might be a dramatic turn-around mid-series, but, if not, I might be bowing out before Downton does.