Downton Abbey blog: Episode One

“Anna, help me do battle with this… monstrosity.”

Despite the Beeb’s best attempts to put up a fight with the viewing figures on Sunday evening, the audience numbers for Spooks withered before those of Downton Abbey, as if on the receiving end of a fully charged Dowager Countess glare. Not surprising really, when the first series of Julian Fellowes’ lavish period drama was a television highlight last year, but can a second series sustain the momentum?

Skipping forward to 1916, there is little breathing space in the first episode, when the overarching plotline switches from the issue of inheritance to, basically, “Who will make it out of the war alive?” In addition to the drama upstairs and downstairs, the trenches of The Somme form a third element of the show, and just as the costumes and scenery are beautifully recreated inside the abbey at home, no expense is spared in bringing the sounds and sights of the trenches to life.

Now, there are many tropes when it comes to portraying WW1 in television dramas, and they were pretty much all covered here, some more realistically than others: men who want to sign up, but can’t (the Earl of Grantham and footman William); men who can sign up, but don’t want to (Matthew Crawley’s butler, Mosely); and men who have signed up and really wish they hadn’t (pretty much every man on the frontline, but particularly Thomas). Sympathy can be found for all of them, especially for the Earl, when his heartfelt outrage at the White Feather Brigade (another trope to tick off), and his loyal defence of William, convey his own humiliation for being unable to fight.

Downton Abbey also provides the perfect arena for the looming disintegration of class boundaries: Matthew Crawley and ex-footman Thomas share a drink in a bunker, and Lady Sybil ventures downstairs to polish up on her cooking skills. She should be commended for her efforts, but put it this way, she won’t be entering The Great British Bake Off any time soon.

As well as a war to deal with, there are some new appearances at Downton. Upstairs, it is Lavinia Swire (Zoe Boyle), Matthew Crawley’s fiancée, who, despite her villainous-sounding name, is not evil at all, just a little bit bland. Downstairs, Gwen’s replacement, Ethel (Amy Nuttall), is already undergoing the regular newbie bullying procedure courtesy of O’Brien, who humiliates the new girl in front of the Crawleys. Fortunately, Carson is on hand to rescue Ethel when he finds her dusting the plug sockets for “electric vapours.” Well, if anyone knows what it’s like to be a technophobe, it’s you, Carson.

Carson is in superhero mode this week, as he saves Bates from yet another unjust exit. For one moment, it seems as though the valet and the head housemaid, Anna, will fiiiinally be together, until Anna says those doomed words, “In my whole life, I've never been so happy!” All too soon, the venomous Mrs Bates (Maria Doyle Kennedy) has returned, blackmailing her husband into leaving Downton – and Anna – for good. As much as I love and adore Bates, he has a tendency to be so ridiculously selfless that it’s actually pretty annoying; he is prepared to sacrifice his own happiness to protect the honour of Anna and the Earl. Lovely idiot.

Downton Abbey is still a stunning production, and there seems to be enough gloom in store for the characters to keep me hooked until next time. However, the territory of The Great War has been covered so often, it will be a challenge to keep the ideas fresh. Ring for the butler, I say – Carson and his stern eyebrows will sort it all out it in the end!

Downton Abbey continues on ITV1, Sunday 9pm, when Lady Edith will actually be doing something other than looking sorry for herself.

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