Customer Reviews

Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey Season 2 (Original U.K. Unedited Edition)

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The greatly anticipated second series of Downton Abbey picks up two years on from the first series in 1916, in the middle of World War 1. Downton Abbey has been converted into a convalescent home for injured servicemen and the action covers the period from the Battle of the Somme up to the end of the war. As in the first series, topical events of the period, political, economic and military are covered.

The wartime scenario and the convalescent home setting provide an excellent background for some interesting story lines. The combination of excellent plot lines, great acting and the superb setting display all that is best in TV period drama. This time round we have eight more episodes to add to the seven in the first series. As befits wartime, the costumes are not as flamboyant as in the first series but they are thoroughly researched and appropriate to the period.

There continue to be many superb individual performances but mention must be made of Maggie Smith. What a stroke of genius to cast her as Violet. She dominates every scene she appears in and often has some very funny lines.

This DVD includes the Downton Abbey 2 hour Christmas Special which is probably the single best episode of Downton Abbey to date. High drama here with a cliffhanging murder trial as well as the usual romance, drama, betrayal etc one would expect!

The UK has a long tradition of producing fine period dramas and this is the most successful since the early 1980s when Brideshead Revisited: 30th Anniversary Edition took the world by storm. Peak viewing figures in the UK are 11m which is an astounding number for that market. It is pleasing to learn that a third series is already planned and we now know that this will cover an 18 month period from 1920 to 1921. This one is likely to run and run and I would not be surprised to see Downton Abbey continuing up to the 1930s eventually.

Amazon doesn't list some important specifications so I'm just posting it here. I got them from the PBS website.

Length : 544 minutes on 3 Discs
Subtitles : Yes
Number of Programs : 9
Includes the Downton Abbey Christmas Special

As for season 2, it's pretty much more Downton Abbey. More Matthew/Mary, Mr. Bates/Anna, and more dastardly Miss O'Brien and Thomas. It's very interesting to see things start to change in the WW1 setting as well and some characters go through some big changes. The Christmas Special in particular is beautifully shot and makes me very excited for season 3 which has already been announced.

I cannot review this set, as it has not yet been released. But I can tell others that it is well worth the wait. Here in the UK we are on the 5th episode of 8 and are promised a Chrsitmas special as well. I hope that will be included in the US version, hence the February release. The story is set during World War I and there are some spectacular twists to the story! Those you love and those you love to hate are all back, with some new characters as well. The scripts are very well written, Maggie Smith has some fabulous lines! The costumes and scenery are again lush. I am enjoying this series so much I have pre-ordered this set for my brother in the US. If you loved series 1 and got involved with the characters you will love series 2 which continues their stories. It is a huge hit here and they are already talking about series 3, to be set in the 1920's.
Update: the DVD set has come out in the UK. I cannot know what will be on the US version, but the UK version has a section of deleted scenes. Have a look at them, some bits of the story make more sense. The reveiws here are mixed, as many thought it got too "soap opera" and predictable, while others felt it was unbelievable.

Considered one of the most successful "darlings" in the history of television, the first season of Downton Abbey achieved international success and a worldwide following. Its second season includes the same likable (and some not so likable) characters, but in an entirely new world...

When last we left Downton, the house was in turmoil at the recent news that war has begun with Germany. Some time later, the inhabitants of the great old estate have seen their lives immensely changed. Robert (Hugh Bonneville) feels inadequate and wants greatly to once more go to battle rather than staying at home and raising the morale of the women, and his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) is too distracted to take much notice of his melancholy mood. Each of his daughters have embarked on individual quests to be of some use: Mary (Michelle Dockery) is both pining and praying for her beloved Matthew (Dan Stevens) at the front, Edith (Laura Carmichael) is learning to drive a tractor (among other things), and Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) is hoping to become a nurse at the local hospital.

Downstairs, Carson (Jim Carter) is attempting to contend with a limited staff and even scarcer resources. Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) is confronted with the antics and perils of a brand new maid with ideas above her station, and the would-be-romance between Anna (Joan Froggatt) and Bates (Brendan Coyle) is put on temporary hold when his wife (Maria Doyle Kennedy) arrives with a startling proposition.

While each of the characters confronts their fears and struggles to find a way to fit into a world that is altering all around them, the second season powers forward with purpose and sentimentality... although it does sometimes stray into convenient clichés and predictable outcomes. One of the more remarkable things about it is how this series manages to involve us so completely in the lives of its many protagonists, whether we love or hate them, find them irritating or are frustrated with their bad choices. This season finds a dramatic change in Lady Mary for the better, makes us feel sorry for Thomas (I never thought it possible!), and invokes tears of both joy and sorrow as each installment comes to a close. The writing is sometimes magnificent and sometimes subpar, its main problem in moving too quickly through situations (in some instances, I would have advocated slowing down) and not permitting the audience to really spend much time on some of the romantic relationships. It also on occasion suffers from "telling" rather than "showing," which is a shame. Some moments are very, very good (such as an attempted assassination, the return of a missing soldier, and the final ten minutes of the finale) while others are downright cringe-worthy - Mrs. Bates in particular is too conveniently evil for my taste.

Season two has taken a lot of heat from critics and audiences alike for its predictable storylines and rampant clichés. Much of this criticism is deserved, since while some of the character development is believable (such as the transformations of Mary and Edith) other departures are completely unexpected and unlikely. The series hits all the right emotional notes but doesn't quite have the spark of its predecessor. Gone are all the wonderful conversations and moments that were used to build character and humor and forthright plot-driven exposition is in its place. Even so, there are some terrific one-liners from Maggie Smith and the happy ending to one couple's crisis is more than enough to redeem any of its mistakes.

I've now seen the full Series/Season 2 of Downton Abbey, including the 2011 Christmas Special aired on Christmas Day in the UK, Downton Abbey continues to fascinate as the story lines mature and the characters evolve. It is, without a doubt, my favorite series in recent years and I would highly recommend watching Series/Season 2 on PBS beginning January 8 in the U.S. - and - purchasing the DVD for your collection. As Hugh Bonneville, who portrays Robert Crawley the Earl of Grantham, said in an interview - typically we know the outcome of a period drama but in the case of Downton Abbey it's Original writing which makes it even more compelling to watch - it's refreshed the entire period drama genre. I agree and I highly recommend Downton Abbey!

Season 2 of 'Downtown Abbey' does not disappoint! It's sure good to be back with this lovely cast of characters for more! Sure, there is some predictability in some of the sub-plots (that's to be expected when the foreshadowing was done so well in Season 1), but there are enough turns and twists to keep the series SO interesting! And best of all, the storyline of so many of the characters we know and love are brought back for further view: the world of Downtown Abbey is so enthralling and captivating, that I know you will love it as I do. A chance to really delve into the lives of those involved, and a chance for more of their stories to play out: I'm happy to see that the U.S. version is the original U.K. UNEDITED version, and that they are making that clear...the full production is what is wanted here! I would HIGHLY recommend this follow-up, to a beloved first series: it measures up, and hits the mark enough to satisfy those of us who fell in love with 'Downtown Abbey' as a series!

NOTE: This US (UN-EDITED UK version) does include the Christmas Special ~ it is not listed on the packaging, but insert disc 3, and you will find a delightful suprise!

If you were anticipating another great season then you won't be disappointed. My only concern is when will season 3 be released. There is no possible way Fellowes can resolve all of these mysteries and twist in the 8 series of season 2... get ready for season 3. This definately deserves a 5 out of 5

Downton Abbey is a wonderfully crafted series with great characters and a good choice of actors/actresses playing the roles. Maggie Smith plays her part so well, as really do most of the cast. I love the fact that you must listen so that you catch the subtle moments of humour, sometimes quite unexpected. So the Series is great, but the information provided is lacking. IE as mentioned in some other reviews, neither the packing nor the disc list the name of the episodes on the packing or the disc. This is extremely annoying and also I feel quite sloppy. Perhaps those who make the decisions on the written information provided could take a leaf out of "Sailor", or "Lewis" who provide good written information.

DOWNTON ABBEY, a period drama set before and during WWI, centering around the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants continues to entrance and beguile in the second season. Period dramas are a mainstay of Masterpiece Theater and BBC dramas in general but most are based on classic works of literature rather than originally scripted dramas. The fact that this is originally scripted by Andrew Davies allows Downton Abbey to examine the period and the enormous social changes taking place with a modern sensibility that wows viewers.

The Crawley family has adjusted to the fact that a distant cousin is now the heir to Downton and that he and Lady Mary will not marry. Now the heir is threatened by WWI; Matthew may die as so many young men did in that terrible war. The scheming Thomas is also in the trenches of WWI, but in true Thomas fashion plots to get out and find himself a safe sinecure in which to ride out the war. Lady Mary is seeking a suitable husband as Matthew has chosen elsewhere and Lord Crawley is coping with the fact that his war will be on the homefront. Bateses wife returns with consequences to all memebers of the household both upstairs and down. The younger girls are doing war work. Indeed, the set-up for a marvelous dramatic season is in place.

Downton Abbey is well-written, well acted and has beautiful production values. The house where it is set is used for both interiors and exteriors and the viewer gets a veritable tour of a stately house. The costumes are wonderful and are showing the nascent beginnings of what will become Art Deco. Truly I can't find a single criticism of this wonderful period drama and neither can the record number of viewers worldwide. If you aren't already a fan start watching at your earliest possible convenience. Season One is available on disc and streaming and Season Two is available for streaming after episodes air on Sunday evenings.

Series two of Downton Abbey is as good as the first. It picks up in Nov of 1916 where series one ended. The entire series concludes in Dec of 1919--and already there is production for series 3, a continuation but in the 1920s. There are plenty of cast members back so it is advisable to watch the first prior to the second, but not mandatory for entertainment. 15 cast back for the entire 2nd series, 12 more back for specific/multiple episodes, and 3 new major characters added.
You will be as enthralled as the true series of comparison, the amazing dramatization of Brideshead Revisited (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition). Both are period perfection, a look at British life in the war years, some intense suspense and mystery mixed with bits of serenity and romance. It's the WWI years with all the good and the bad, but the acting and writing make it all seem good somehow, at least from an entertainment point of view.

Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess, or Violet to her family and friends, is a show within a show. She is perfection. Watch her face, enjoy her lines and relish the delivery. "Snobbery in splendor." Stellar isn't an adequate superlative.

I'd strongly recommend the full series, even the past series one, and of course I'll be purchasing Series Three as soon as it is available.

Episodes do have SUBTITLES available.
Episode 1: NOVEMBER 1916;
WWII fighting on the front depicted as well as any series. It's brutal, muddy, and full of death. Matthew leads his men while at Downton Abbey the family & help struggles to find their own personal place of service to the war effort.

2: APRIL 1917;
Many changes at Downton Abbey as some leave to the war needs, the war itself, or to associated war work. Others arrive affected by war trials.

3: JULY 1917;
Downton is converted to a officers' convalescent hospital with Thomas, Acting Sgt. Barrow, managing. Oh my! Julian Wadham (War Horse, English Patient) guest stars as a visiting General.

4: 1918;
Troubles aplenty for many related to war; love; responsibilities; MIAs; and who's in command.

5: AUGUST 1918;
Local soldiers are wounded; secrets of Downton Abbey renew conflict; and major decisions must be made by many of the house.

6: NOVEMBER 1918;
the dead returns to Downton; wounded recoups; there are multiple talks of marriage; and Downton Abbey's future is in the balance even as war comes to it's end.

7: 1919;
Post war changes includes romance; wedding talk; much joy; and new beginnings; even as others suffer from action of the past.

8: APRIL 1919;
Good and bad marriage plans of some take a toll on the overall post-war times. Illness strikes Downton Abbey as upper and lower's mingle, and I do mean mingle.

9: CHRISTMAS 1919-NEW YEARS 1920;
A visual holiday delight seeing the decor and costuming of the period at holiday time, as well as the foods, the gaiety, and gift giving. But there is yet the ongoing story lines of the saga taking place in the family at and connected to Downton Abbey.