Keep Calm and Soldier On

Downton Abbey

Season 2 Episode 1

The year is 1917. The month is April. The show is Downton Abbey. There is a war. It’s big. Really big and there is always a problem with really big things, like large animals or spills, they touch everything. You probably don’t know this about me since I communicate with you via a computer but I am an extremely clumsy person sometimes and know for a fact that if you drop something it has the ability to reach into places you didn’t even know existed. In the same way the war has been dropped on Downton and now it is currently reaching into the unknown places in the psyches of every single resident.

Last episode the Crawley family, friends and staff dealt with the initial blowback, the changes to lifestyle and the initial enthusiasm to help but now they have to deal with the continual consequences of ongoing warfare, both physical and mental. In Downton Manor, physically it has remained untouched until now, but psychologically everybody is mess.

 

Grand old Mr Carson, the spokesperson and model for proper civilised behaviour and customs is working himself to death. Two new arrivals are dealing with the very serious repercussions of war. Lord Grantham is this close to buying a shiny red carriage and running off with a maid and Mary is considering the ultimate horror, marrying the bad guy from the first Lara Croft film (or the whole “he’s new money thing”, your choice.)

The issues the men folk had this episode all resolved around the fears they didn't have before the war and are not ready to address or handle once it worked its way in.

There is the fear of war, fear of being redundant, fear of change, fear of losing your place and fear of your past.

Carson is not able to handle the fact that he may not be able to do things as he always has done or as he deems the correct way.

Mrs Hughes: “The world does not turn on the style of a dinner.”

Mr Carson: “My world does.”

With some many other bigger things going on in the world, the other staff is having trouble understanding why Carson is making such a fuss to keep up appearances, but this is what he does.

Robert Crawley is travelling on a one way ticket, destination mid-life crisis. He is no longer an active soldier but he is still wearing the uniform. He says early on in the episode that he envies the solders self-respect and ability to sleep at night. He feels useless and embarrassed and no good is going to come from this.

We also see examples of those who have been or are going into warfare. Mr Lang (Cal Macaninch) Mr Bate’s replacement (everyone at Downton misses Bates, I do too) is dealing with a serve case of nerves or ‘shell shock’ but today is probably what we’d call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) As demonstrated during the episode he is struggling to come to terms with what he has been through (something the others can’t deal with or understand or know how to help) but can’t not work, he needs to keep working,  it’s how he defines himself through working and how he survives. This is the case to with Thomas’s patient Lieutenant Edward Courtenay (Lachlan Nieboer) at the Downton Hospital. He is severely depressed after losing his sight, losing his identity along with it as his family moves on. There wasn't the help for the poor to recover or the expertise they needed to work still to support their families or just because they didn’t know what else to do, that was who they were, their purpose without that they did not know who they were plus there was not the understanding of PSTD or depression that we have today. Like Lang the seriousness of the issue is not cannot be helped or understood due to the time or lack of resources. Something that looks like it will be remedied as the soldiers march on Downton Abbey in the coming weeks. 

Alas we get to the ongoing romantic entanglements of the evening. Poor Miss Mary, it’s always awkward when the new mister meets the ex-mister and the ex-mister’s new fiancée who also clearly has some uncomfortable and seedy history with the new mister. Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen) has had the unfortunate life experience of earning all his position, money and title by his own efforts and not an inheritance so clearly he is not a good match for Mary. There is a very interesting dynamic between Mary and Sir Richard, there isn’t romance or “talks of June and Moon” as he puts it but instead he views her as a partner, someone he could build a life with together. Unlike her other suitors he thinks highly of her and views her for strength of character rather than as a way to climb the social ladder. I enjoyed all their discussions and frankness with each other over how they view new money verses Downton’s old customs but I have a feeling any possible engagement may end before it even begins if his heated discussion with Lavinia, Matthew’s new fiancée is anything to go by. Plus he’s not Matthew so he has to go.

Other News from the trenches in an episode set nowhere near the trenches:

-“I’m not saying I’m important but I believe in this war” - William received his marching orders from the army and was very excited. His excitement played well against Robert’s frustration of not being involved and Lang’s struggles follow battle. 

-Poor, poor Mr Molesley (Kevin Doyle) - Can’t get the job, can’t get Anna.

-Edith really has the most tragic love life. First Mary’s fiancée part 1 then flirting and kissing the married farmer who showed her some attention -

Farmer: You’re pretty. 

Edith: Kiss me you fool.

-My heart breaks over and over again for Anna this episode, so I don’t think I can talk about it anymore.

- Mr Carson and Mary’s relationship is very sweet in how he cares for her and she breaks social conventions to go make sure he is alright. She listens to his advice more than anyone and tries to go tell Matthew how she feels.

- Sybil is taking her job very seriously but is still learning that she now has to take orders from others.

-The overwhelming amount of injured at Downton Hospital even took Matthew’s breath away after all the horrors he has already seen.

-Did anyone else notice the sort of Torchwood crossover? For the whole episode I thought Lieutenant Edward Courtenay looked so similar to Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) from the Dr Who universe and it turns out that the actor who played him was actually cast as Jack’s brother in a few episodes of Torchwood. Does that mean we will get to see Captain Jack in all his glory at Downton during World War 2?

So that is it for this week boys and girls. What did you think? Is the battle between Cora and Violet over who runs Downton going to end in an all out cage match? What do you think the mystery is between Richard and Lavinia and does it involve a time travelling triangle?

The war is spreading its long fingers into Downton as the wounded ascend. Lord Grantham summed it up best “It’s a brave new world we’re heading for,” and I’m sure it is going to be very, very interesting.    

They didn't have Twitter back in the 1900’s but if they did I’m sure the Crawley’s would have followed me here at Hanniebee852.