SPOILERS ALERT!!!
Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!
We’re getting close to the release of the second ‘Downton Abbey’ film at cinemas called ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’. I’ve seen the latest trailer for it! I hope I’ll be up-to-date with seeing all of the series, including the six seasons, the Christmas Specials and the first film before I see the second film in May 2022.
In the meantime, let’s talk about the latest ‘Downton Abbey’ season I’ve seen on Blu-ray, which is Series 5. I enjoyed checking out Series 5 of ‘Downton Abbey’ with my parents. I’ve been able to get into each of the characters and how their journeys have progressed throughout the series so far. 🙂
Hugh Bonneville returns as Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham as well as Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Many of the familiar faces we’ve seen in previous ‘Downton Abbey’ seasons are in this season too as well as a few new faces that’ll become important.
In Series 5, it’s revealed that the Dowager Countess Violet once had a former flame in a Russian exile called Prince Kuragin, which was intriguing to discover. There’s more unveiled about the death of Green, Lord Gillingham’s butler, who attacked and raped dearest Anna Bates in Series 4 of the show.
It was a shock when, at the end of Series 5, Joanne Froggatt as Anna got arrested in being accused for murdering Green in Series 4. Hopefully the case against Anna won’t be true and she’ll be reunited with Brendan Coyle as John Bates in the next Christmas Special or Series 6. Let’s hope it’s soon!
I like how the storyline developed with Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith in ‘adopting’ her daughter Marigold from the Drewes’ place to live in Downton Abbey. The struggle Edith goes through to mothering her own daughter is very compelling and hopefully things will remain stable on that front.
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary continues to have the attentions of Tom Cullen as Lord Gillingham and Julian Ovenden as Charles Blake. It doesn’t quite work out the way any of them had planned initially. I wonder if Lady Mary will ever find true love again following being a widow in the TV series.
Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham, receives the attentions of Richard E. Grant as Simon Bricker, an art expert who is interested in one of Downton’s paintings. This of course makes Robert jealous and it doesn’t end well when Roberts finds Bricker in Cora’s bedroom. 😐
It was a nice surprise to see Richard E. Grant in ‘Downton Abbey’ by the way. 😀 There’s more explored with Lesley Nicol’s character of Mrs. Patmore who invests her inheritance in real estate and there’s tension where her son, who was branded a coward in World War I, isn’t put on a war memorial. 😦
Jim Carter as Carson and Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes seem to be developing a new angle in their relationship, especially when he suggests that they should both invest in a property together. Lily James as Lady Rose also gets engaged to a young man named Atticus Aldrige from a Jewish family. 🙂
This guarantees the return of Peter Egan and Phoebe Nicholls as Lady Rose’s parents who attend her wedding at the end of Series 5. And at last! Peter Egan and Penelope Wilton are seen together in a scene in the final episode of Series 5 after working together in the sitcom ‘Ever Decreasing Circles’. 🙂
It was sad when Penelope Wilton as Isobel’s engagement to Lord Merton didn’t turn out well when his sons were rude to her at dinner. There’s more unveiled about Raquel Cassidy as Miss Baxter and how her relationships with Kevin Doyle as Moseley and Rob James-Collier as Thomas develop here. 🙂
Sophie McShera as Daisy becomes more interested in the real world and gets to study more. Allen Leach as Tom might be on the verge of leaving the series, despite other people saying they’ll miss him. And in the last episode, we’re introduced to a new regular in the series – Michael Fox as ‘Andy’ Parker.
It’s been great to check out Series 5 of ‘Downton Abbey’ in the first two months of 2022. I’ve enjoyed each episode and how the characters have developed so far. I’m looking forward to checking out the next Christmas Special as well as Series 6 before we get to the finale and the movies.
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim 🙂
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