Downton Abbey: Death & Drama! - Series 3 Recap

Update: I recently noticed that with the 4th series airing soon in the U.S., the traffic to this particular post is on the uptick!  If you're reading this, the content that follows is my recap/reaction to Series 3, which aired in the U.S. in 2013...  I have already watched Series 4, and it is even better than the previous season.  So get ready to fall in love with Downton all over again!  12/31/2013

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FINALLY the Downton Abbey Christmas Special has aired in the U.S., ending Series 3 for us Americans.  Since I eagerly devoured the season before its U.S. airing, I've been on pins and needles wanting to discuss with folks.  I have a couple of friends (we call ourselves The BBC Book Club) who discuss the episodes as they air, but we're a small group wanting to get more input!

Here are my thoughts on the tumultuous season. SPOILER ALERT!

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DOWNSTAIRS:
I love the downstairs.  Fascinating and drama-filled!  I was okay with the whole Ethel storyline; it had something to it.  But I still never liked her.  I was also so moved by Mrs. Hughes' cancer storyline.  She and Mrs. Patmore are a wonderful pair of friends.  Mr. Carson ebbed and flowed for me this season; he is endearing to me in his love for the Crawleys, but his penchant for being so strictly by the book drives me nuts.

The Thomas storyline was tough for me, but I like how it was semi-resolved.  I really thought I hated him, but I think his inner conflicts have made me more open to him.  The Bates storyline underwhelmed.  After the jail scenes and all, I love that he and Anna are finally together, but he isn't the compelling, mysterious, gentle character I fell in love with in the first series.

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UPSTAIRS:
Lord & Lady Grantham:  I still haven't forgiven Lord Grantham's behavior over the whole Sybil/hospital thing.  Lord Grantham is FINALLY seeing the light in that Matthew and Branson were right about how to run the estate.  Hello.  And Lady Grantham continues to be a steady semi-favorite for me.  I felt her grief so much this season.

Lady Mary:  I am not a big fan of Mary.  But there's just something about her.  Ha!  Happy she was able to have a child, happy she continues to be brutally honest all the time.  Annoyed by her consistent obsession with Downton Abbey as a house.  If the place burned down, she'd be tossed into a looney bin.  Also, gotta feel bad for a girl when every guys she sleeps with ends up DEAD.  Maybe I'll start calling her the Black Widow.

Matthew:  DAN STEVENS, YOU ARE AN IDIOT.  Seriously.  Nobody knows who you are outside of Matthew Crawley.  You should have just stuck with the series and done movies on the side to make your name.  You will end up like those girls from Destiny's Child who left the group that no one remembers.  Rant over.

Dowager Countess:  THANK HEAVENS for Maggie Smith.  I actually find her meddling and interventions to be endearing, and her sass and wit are awesome.  Definitely a favorite.  Julian Fellows, if you kill off the Dowager during the series, I may actually consider boycotting.  There wouldn't be a dry eye in the house.

Lady Edith:  Oh, Edith.  Can't the girl get a break?  She's as cursed as Mary.  And if her editor wants to deserve our girl, he needs to divorce his crazy wife.  Jane Eyre was so 17th century.  Maybe send her to America to find a man under the watch of Shirley MacLaine?  (BTW, Shirley MacLaine's appearances just felt overacted and underwhelming.  A blip on the radar this season, despite the hype.)

Branson:  Oh, poor Branson!  Sybil was a doll.  Sad face.  I really couldn't stand him at first, but he has really grown up this season.  He is a hot widower.  Just saying.  And a loving father; I think he's done a fantastic job.

Isobel and Dr. Clarkson:  This clearly needs to happen.  Isobel is obnoxious, but I love Clarkson.  And Sir Dr.-What-His-Face who was such a putz during the Sybil debacle can leave forever.

Cousin Rose:  She's going to get on my every last nerve.  Worst 'replacement' for Sybil ever.

Also, here's a great article on why Julian Fellowes (and I agree!) had to kill off Matthew.  Actors, bleh.

Funny Women

I don't watch as much TV as I used to, but there's one thing that keeps me coming back every time.  Funny women.  And I'm not talking about silly women.  I'm talking clever, witty women.  And with the end of 30 Rock and the impending end (sob!) of Parks & Recreation, it really got me thinking about what these women mean to me.  Specifically, three who have resonated most with me.   They are smart, and I really REALLY wish I could be their friend in real life.  Because I feel like they'd get me.

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Tina Fey.  She probably paved the way for this crop of witty women.  She also helped me feel good about being a brunette nerd in glasses.  While I don't watch much 30 Rock, I watched Tina religiously on SNL.  She gave us the best Sarah Palin impression ever, the first all-female Weekend Update, and "blerg".

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Mindy Kaling.  Mindy is pretty close in age to me, and it seems we really like a lot of the same things.  (I follow her on Twitter.)  I love that she's just as obsessed with pop culture as me, that she's a curvy minority gal like I am.  We need to be friends.  Are you reading this Mindy?!  I love her show The Mindy Project.  It's smart and funny, just like she is.

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Amy Poehler.  Oh, Amy.  I was Leslie Knope in high school.  I love her so much!  She just rocks my socks off.  I believed she and Will Arnett were the perfect comedy couple and flipped my lid when I heard they were splitting.  (I loved them on Arrested Development!)  I am CRUSHED that the show is ending.  NBC is making a huge mistake; this show hasn't even peaked yet.  It will forever be on repeat for me.  Amy is my spirit animal.  She is adorable and hilarious and brave.  I love her!

American Horror Story Wrapup

American Horror Story is over again, after another riveting, scary, whirlwind of a season!  I actually think I enjoyed Asylum even more than Murder House, despite reviews saying it was too campy and all over the place.  But I want MORE, and I can't wait for another season!!!

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I thought Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson were brilliant.  The characters, true to the past season, were all beautifully flawed.  It was scary, pushed the envelope, and kept me totally hooked.

Oh, and the rest of the cast was brilliant.  My beloved Zachary Quinto was creeptastic.  The shorter story arcs were awesome too, like the Anne Frank and murderous Santa.

If you like scary plot twists, this show is for you.

The only trouble I have with it?  The serial format means sometimes you're left guessing what happens afterward!  I think this season they did a much more complete job of wrapping things up.  Much of the cast is coming back for next season, which once again will be back in a completely new time and place, playing new characters.

And then there was this...

Media Monday Frenzy

It's a Media Monday frenzy!  It's probably the cold and dark weather of winter that has me spending more time in front of a screen or reading books, but I'm digging it nonetheless.

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FILM:  First off, I saw the movie Silver Linings Playbook with Duke.  It's kind of a hard film to describe, sort of an indie dark romantic comedy... but it struck both myself and Duke because of the subject around mental illness and depression.  It was ultimately a happy movie, and I recommend that people who like films such as Little Miss Sunshine check out this flick.

I also bought Pitch Perfect on DVD so I could enjoy that silliness over and over.  :)  I forgot how hilarious Fat Amy is!  I have been practicing my horizontal running.

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TV:  I am so glad that new TV is back... my favorites are American Horror Story Asylum, Revenge, Don't Trust the B- in Apartment 23, and The Mindy Project.  I also catch up on Grey's Anatomy, Glee, The New Normal, and of course The Office/Parks & Rec.  I could probably talk about each of these at length, so if you want to discuss, leave a comment.

What Would the Dowager Countess Do? (source)

Also, you may have noticed Downton Abbey is not on this list.  Well, that's because I watched it with the Brits.  I KNOW EVERYTHING.   So I'm not watching along on PBS, but when the Blu-Ray comes out later this month, I'll probably rewatch it all over.  I definitely think this season is stronger than the second!

I have two newer addictions, however.  I started watching the emotional roller coaster that is The Biggest Loser.  I don't know why.  It's just captivating TV.  I think it's because I love Jillian Michaels, but I'm not sure.

The other addiction is... Dexter.  Yup, another great show I just haven't been watching.  So Duke and I are starting from the beginning (we're in Season 2), and I'm also catching up on the last couple of seasons of House M.D.  I know, we're behind the times.  I'm behind on Mad Men too.   But at some point this TV overload has to end.  I should just make a list of TV shows to watch when I'm retired and have more time.  Now I resort to catching up with TV while I cook breakfast and eat it over the sink in the kitchen.  Blah.  I need to stop and exercise more.

BOOKS:  But I still read!  After seeing Life of Pi in theaters, I decided to read the book.  I really enjoyed it.  It was harder to follow than the movie, but it was very imaginative and worth the time.  I don't know why I never read it before, since it has been on my Kindle forever.  If you like magical realism, this is great.

A less interesting read was The Calligrapher's Daughter.  I wanted to love it.  It's about Korea, after all, in a time my grandparents lived through.  But I just didn't connect.  It moved sporadically, storylines didn't feel tied up, and it was ultimately slow.  Not bad, just slow.

Lastly, my favorite of the bunch, was The Tipping Point.  This was a quick read for me, and I loved it like I loved Freakonomics.  It made me think a lot about the people I know in my life, the path of trends, and influencers in my life.  If you like books like Freakonomics, this is a definite must-read.  The Power of Habit was another good one along the same vein.  In fact, someone from work borrowed that one and hasn't returned it.  Huh.  Must track it down.

Anyone else read or watch something good lately?

Books Lately

Let's talk about BOOKS!  Here's a peek at what's been happening on my Goodreads lately.

Non-Fiction:
Freakonomics:  I love interesting statistics stories.  That is, knowing the WHY behind things in our crazy, flawed, human world.  Despite critics, this is just fascinating to read, because it looks at things from a totally different viewpoint, more seemingly objective.  Anyways, this book is hard to explain, but if you're a nerd like me (and not overly conservative), you'll probably dig it.  I'll be picking up its sequel at some point.

Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point:  I loved this book.  I've always been a reader, and seeing my alma mater, West Point, through a "civilian" viewpoint and within its humanities courses no less, I think it gives readers an inside look into the academy and what it's like to be a young person there in a time of conflict.  I just drew so many comparisons between the book and my life, I couldn't put it down.  Definitely something worth checking out if you're at all curious.

In My Father's Country:  I read this book after seeing the author on The Daily Show or some other program.  I felt like it might be an inspiring title to read, and help me understand some of our struggles in the Afghanistan conflict... but in truth, it had way too many love life details (how many soldiers will fall in love with her?) versus Afghanistan reminiscences.  I liked it when the author talked about cultural barriers and challenges, but she really lost me on some of the other things.  It wasn't what I expected; it was just okay.

Fiction:
The Caster Chronicles (Books 1-4):  I read these books after seeing a movie preview for the first one.  It's definitely in the same genre as Twilight... have you seen the Teen Paranormal Romance section at Barnes & Noble?  I liked these because of the setting in a small Southern town, which reminded me a lot of my time near Savannah, Georgia.  It was focused around teenagers and witchcraft, to summarize it a bit.  Quick, easy, and fairly satisfying reading.

The Mortal Instruments (Books 1-3):  I read these because they also fit into Teen Paranormal Romance, a genre I am planning to abandon soon.  I mean, the rest just aren't as good as the The Hunger Games.  This one, however, was weird.  I only read the first three books.  I had issues with the potential incest, self-mutilation, and overall lack of awesome characters.  At least Caster Chronicles had some people I grew attached to; in this series, none of the above.  Blah.  If I hadn't bought these books in a bundle on my Kindle, I'd have only read the first one before ditching.

The Giver:  I read this a few times when I was younger, but rereading it again as an adult gave me such a different perspective!  If you dig The Hunger Games, this is a quick read that you might like.  It's set in the future, in a sort of Utopian society.  Rumor has it they may be making it into a new movie, after about two decades of trying.  It could be good.

Read anything good lately?

Les Miserables... I dreamed this dream!

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I dreamed a dream.... that Les Miserables would become a movie so I could watch it over and over.

And that dream came true!  While I was nervous about a musical I love so much becoming a film (I've seen it twice on tour), I felt there was a good chance that it would be as good as, say, The Phantom of the Opera was.  I mean, the musical's writers helped pen the screenplay.  And the previews alone, with Anne Hathaway's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" gave me chills.  I was also excited about the casting of Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean.

Now, I had my doubts about other casting choices... most specifically Russell Crowe as Javert.  I would have preferred Gerard Butler.  I even previewed the soundtrack on iTunes to hear Crowe's singing voice.  While I didn't cringe, I had to hope that he would have some good acting to back it up.   Because any fan of musical theater will tell you, it's not just about your singing voice, but that emotional and in-the-moment connection.

Another concern of mine?  I'd never heard of Samantha Barks, who plays my favorite character of the musical, Eponine.  But friends of mine assured me that she is a Broadway girl and a natural fit for the role.  I'm surprised they went with a relatively unknown actor for the iconic role, but in musical circles she was viewed as a great choice.

The verdict?  I loved it.  Anne Hathaway stole the show (I love her!) and everyone, even Crowe, acted and sang their hearts out.  Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter were the perfect Thenardiers.  That said, the directors probably could have nixed some of the singing dialogue and spoken words instead.  I know, not a purist opinion, but I think it served other musical movies well.

I'll be buying this one on DVD!

Oh, and I saw a couple other movies of late: Django Unchained and Lincoln.  If you like Tarantino, the acting (Waltz, Foxx, Jackson, DiCaprio!) and action are top notch in Django.  But as always with Tarantino, be prepared for gratuitous violence and profanity.  For Lincoln, you might find it dull if you're not a fan of history, but again superb acting by Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field, and the supporting cast.  Plus, my beloved Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in it.  Swoon.

I love blogs... and Feedly!

Feedly

One of my favorite things to do is curl up with my iPad and read the many blogs I subscribe to.  But up until recently, I used a clunky RSS feed app that crashed on me regularly.  It was also very basic, and not that pretty to look at.

Then I discovered, via Google, search, Feedly.

I can't believe I was using such an outdated app!  Feedly brings the best of an app like Flipbook and combines with Google Reader (where I organize the blogs I read) to make reading entries even more dynamic fun.

I even took a few screen shots.  Gorgeous, huh?  How do you read your blog roll?

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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I was ridin' nerdy this past weekend, since I was finally able to view the first installment in Peter Jackson's trilogy of Hobbit films.  I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan (though not so huge that I speak elvish or know every single reference out there), and I was eagerly anticipating this movie.  I really love Martin Freeman as an actor, so I was thrilled to see him playing Bilbo Baggins!

There were a lot of mixed reviews out there for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  I mean, could this movie really live up to the epic hype of the LOTR trilogy?

Well, that Shire instrumental theme still gives me chills and warms my heart.  While the movie moves a bit slowly, and it feels like there are more silly moments of humor, The Hobbit is a lighter book than LOTR.  It kind of fits.

That said, I don't see how Jackson is stretching this little book into a trilogy.  Gollum is a huge star of the book to me, and I don't think we'll see him beyond this film.

But then again, I think they should have made SIX Lord of the Rings movies (one for each actual book, since each "book" was really two books)...  and then maybe two Hobbit movies.  And I think The Hobbit feels a little weaker because it was made post-LOTR, and its premise seems less important because they're fighting a dragon for a kingdom vs. the ultimate evil for their entire existence.  It's a matter of scale.

And on a final note, I did NOT see this movie in 3D.  In fact, I avoid 3D technology altogether.  I dislike the gimmicks, the loss of color quality, and that you don't focus on the gorgeous cinematography because you mainly notice what bulges out at you.  Blech.  I think these films would have done just as well without the 3D factor.

If you liked LOTR, go see this movie.  It's lighter and more of a romp, and definitely in less of a hurry to get to where it's going... but it has the same spirit.

P.S.  The new Star Trek preview was my favorite before the movie.  So excited, especially since Benedict Cumberbatch is joining in!