Downton Abbey goes out while still going strong
It’s like saying good-bye to an old friend, the final season of a favorite series. But all good things must come to an end, and when they do, it’s best they go out on top.
Downton Abbey’s sixth and final season debuts at 8 p.m. today on AETN.
Nothing is sadder than an athlete who hangs around a few seasons too long. (What? Michael Jordan on the Washington Wizards?) Unless it’s a hit series that drags on long after anyone cares.
A few recent examples: Two and a Half Men, Glee, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, How I Met Your Mother, Top
Chef and True Blood. That list goes on and on. It’s hard to quit as long as the bills are being paid, but as far as I’m concerned, Downton
Abbey is still going strong. The series has been nominated for 59 Emmys, winning 12, and is the most popular drama in PBS history.
Downton Abbey is also leaving on a natural historical bookmark — ending before the Great Depression and World War II slammed the door shut on everything.
Having begun in April 1912 with the sinking of the Titanic and the loss of the presumptive heir of the estate, the series will finish in 1925 as momentous changes — societal and economic — threaten Downton while past scandals loom at the gates.
Masterpiece knows that
Downton fans are among TV’s most loyal, and PBS wants the final season to get the proper send-off. Fans can savor the launch tonight by coming early and staying late.
At 7 p.m., Countdown to
Downton Abbey with host Kelli O’Hara will, well, count down the hour until the final season kicks off, with cast interviews celebrating the global impact of the series.
They will toss in a few hints about what’s in store for the beloved characters this season. Will Carson and Mrs. Hughes finally make it down the aisle? Will Branson find happiness in America? Will Mary give in to the affections of the “snappy chariot” driver?
I already know what’s in store for the characters because a few weeks back
Masterpiece sent me the entire Season 6 to preview. I’ve seen them all — all except the final Christmas special episode, where I fully expect a couple of loose ends will be tied up.
Naturally, I’m sworn to secrecy, otherwise Masterpiece will send Mr. Carson over to arch an eyebrow and give me a thorough scolding. Nobody wants that.
If tonight’s first episode leaves you all revved up and full of Downton zeal, then stick around at 9:15 for Downton Abbey: A Celebration. The 45-minute program will “savor favorite moments from past seasons and glean hints of what’s to come in clips from [forthcoming] episodes, along with behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and producers.” “Glean hints.” Only Downton publicity would work the word glean into a news release.
Finally, here are eight questions that Masterpiece says Season 6 will answer. No spoilers from me. These are just to whet your appetite.
1. Changing Times:
It’s no secret that change is coming to Downton Abbey, but in the final season, the stakes are higher than ever. In the shifting tides of 1925,
how long can Downton swim against the current?
2. Home Free: Maybe. It has been a long road for John and Anna Bates (Brendan Coyle, Joanne Froggatt), paved with heartbreak and misfortune. Will this snakebit couple find happiness, or will their future be behind bars?
3. Mary’s Men: With a string of suitors left in the dust, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is once again Yorkshire’s most eligible bachelorette. Will a snappy new suitor stop her in her tracks, or will an old flame reappear?
4. Miss Independent: From family misfit to surprising media mogul, it seems Lady Edith’s (Laura Carmichael) luck is on the rise. Will she find her Prince Charming, or is this free spirit destined to make her own happiness?
5. Best Frenemy: With her last suitor now behind her, will Isobel (Penelope Wilton) spend her golden years joining the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) for tea and witty banter? Or will her old sense of purpose shake things up?
6. Souped Up: Daisy (Sophie McShera) and Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) are kitchen staples, but with Downton’s future uncertain, does this pair have another destiny brewing?
7. School of Thought: Though Molesley (Kevin Doyle) has struggled to climb the ladder of Downton’s downstairs, an old love of learning has surfaced. Is he ready to make the leap from servant to scholar?
8. Happily Ever After: Or Not? Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) have had everyone asking: “Will they or won’t they?” With his proposal accepted, what’s holding things up?