Season 6 of the British period drama TV series “Downton Abbey” has already wrapped up in the UK but over in the US, it is just about to begin on January 3.
The advance airing of “Downton Abbey” Season 6 in the UK through the ITV network hardly has an effect on the showing of the same TV series in the US via the PBS network since Americans don’t expect to get spoilers from Brits about the show
In order to get viewers primed and ready for the last hurrah of the Crawleys, PBS released a sneak peek video clip for the January 3, 2016 Season 6 premiere of “Downton Abbey.”
Initially, it seems that it’s business as usual for the aristocratic Lord Grantham, played by Hugh Bonneville, and his family. He was seen preparing to head out on a hunt with his eldest daughter Lady Mary, played by Michelle Dockery, while Lady Grantham, played by Elizabeth McGovern, must stay behind to deal with a hospital board meeting, details The Wall Street Journal blog.
Lord Grantham may not be in favor of Lady Mary’s decision to ride in the ungraceful astride fashion but she does not waste any time in teaching her father about how the old ways was so much more dangerous.
Reigniting the competitive spirit
Another interesting plotline that American viewers should watch out for when “Downton Abbey” Season 6 premieres on PBS is the possible re-ignition of the competitive spirit between Lady Mary and Lady Edith, played by Laura Carmichael.
In a recent interview, Laura Carmichael said that the sisters remain true to their relationship. She said that there is an element of respect and love in the relationship but it is just frosted in the guise of bitterness.
She added that Season 6 of “Downton Abbey” will have plenty of such because both Lady Mary and Lady Edith are becoming successful women in different ways, notes TV Line.
Carmichael further went to explain that with Edith managing the paper in the city and Mary overseeing the estate at home, the sisters will be batting on who perform their respective jobs better.
As Mary gets herself engrossed into the business, romance takes a backseat for the widow. Her romantic life is quiet in the beginning but she will eventually find her special someone towards the latter part of Season 6 of “Downton Abbey.”
Vintage ‘Downton Abbey’
Over at the UK, Season 6 has become the most favorite season of the show since Season 3 because it was both heart-warming and sad, as well as serious and funny too. It was vintage “Downton Abbey,” critics note.
The focus on the married life of Lady Mary Crawley as the heiress to Downton Abbey was quite good as she dealt with troubles in her marriage as her husband Henry Talbot, played by Matthew Goode, finds it increasingly difficult to settle in. He was not expected to get used to a quiet life in the country anyway.
She also ruined things for Lady Edith but she eventually came to terms with what happened and was already determined that Henry was right for her.
As far as Lady Edith is concerned, just like most fans of “Downton Abbey” would like, she is expected to get her happy ending with her beau Bertie Pelham, played by Harry Hadden-Paton. The two are still obviously in love, they just needed to mend old wounds.
Of course, there are the always light and funny moments between Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes, played by Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan, respectively, as they prepare for their married life and make the subsequent adjustments.
Theirs provided a domestic story on “Downton Abbey” that did not have the insane drama but full of funny and light-hearted moments.
Another interesting thing that the series did is how it handled the story of Robert Crawley especially when he realized that he has to push forward in order to get Downton Abbey adjusted to the times.