Has anybody else ever woken up one morning to find they're no longer in love... with Downton Abbey?

Cafe Society
1

[OPEN SPOILERS ALLOWED]

I really was hooked on the show during its first season. Great slice of life, Maggie Smith of course, wonderful capturing of the “everybody knows his place” early 20th century, a glimpse into a world that’s no longer there.

Season 2: More of the same. Still, the charm was there, moreso if you didn’t read any interviews with the insufferable Fellowes fellow.

Season 3: To paraphrase Oscar Wilde on losing both parents being careless, to lose a daughter in childbirth is tragic. To lose a son-in-law in childbirth as well the same season is just silly.

And then there are the “last season of Deadwood” plots that go nowhere, or might as well have,and the fact nobody ages more than two years in the decade or twelve years or whatever that has elapsed in the series. I just realized I couldn’t give a damn what happened this season; I have the premiere on my DVR but haven’t watched it. Probably will at some point, but feel no compulsion; Breaking Bad this ain’t.

So has anybody else WHO TRULY LIKED THE SERIES INITIALLY fallen completely out of love with it and now look upon its corseted powdered figure with classist ennui and disinterest?

2

I started watching the first episode of the new season and fell asleep in the first 10 minutes.

That doesn’t bode well for my love affair with DA.

3

Totally with you, OP. I could have written that.

4

I have watched the first seasons twice and loved every minute. Episode 1 of Season 4 was awful and boring. Even the clothes weren’t pretty. I really hope things get better…

5

I agree - enjoyed the first 2 seasons quite a lot, pretty much lost interest during the third, well before Matthew was killed off (to be fair, I’m not sure how else they could have handled actor Dan Stevens leaving - dropping that on everyone on Christmas was pretty cruel, though…)

6

Yes.

My husband torrented each episode as it came out for Season 4, so we’ve seen up to the 2013 Christmas episode. He kept asking me when I wanted to watch, and I kept feeling absolutely ‘meh’ about it.

It got a bit silly for me in Season 2, with the soap opera stuff. I began to eye-roll at the plot, which didn’t bode well for Seasons 3 and 4.

Sigh. It was so lovely at first.

7

David Mitchell agrees.

8

Yeah, it’s sad. I watched the premiere and rather quickly realized that I have not one rat’s ass left to give.

9

Loved the first season. Second season was okay but weakly written. Watched bits and pieces of third season, but the shark had been jumped. Haven’t paid any attention since.

10

I fast-forwarded through 3/4 of the S4 premiere. The only characters who remotely interest me anymore are Mary and Branson.

11

Loved season 1, and I hate TV dramas. I stuck through season 2 but found myself hating it some time through. Can’t be bothered to watch 3 or 4 or any more. I really did love it at first though, and then one day I woke up and said, “this is just a soap opera with better acting and production values, and I fucking hate soap operas.”

12

Yep.

It became rushed so the depth went missing which in turn caused the soap vibe. That and the grumpy feller in prison.

13

Same!

14

Yeah, it became soapy a long time ago. And they started playing for laughs from the American audience, which… uugh :rolleyes:

15

Me too, exactly.

16

Yep. I can’t be bothered with it anymore. I still however think back fondly to when Sybil wore trousers for the first time and got excited about suffragettes. S1 was pretty great.

17

Enjoyed Season 1, was let down by Season 2, endured Season 3 through gritted teeth, but felt that Season 4 finally got back on track. The Christmas Episode was just awful however.

You could say that Fellowes threw away a wonderful opportunity by insisting on writing every episode himself but the show is still ridiculously popular despite the ham-fisted plotting. Just think if he’d used (the original) Upstairs Downstairs writers.

18

Hint: When there’s a special guest appearance by The Fatal Bar of Soap ™, you may be watching a soap opera…

19

You say open spoilers, but I am guessing that doesn’t mean for series 4 since that hasn’t aired in America yet. So without giving any details, all I will say is that I think a lot of Americans will no longer be in love with the show after next week’s episode…

20

I agree with others that Season 1 was good, 2 was too sappy and soapy, and 3 made no sense. The concept of a stranger becoming the heir was the story, without Matthew the show has no reason to exist, so I’m done.