Downton Abbey (series 2)
The second series of the British historical drama television series Downton Abbey aired from 18 September 2011 to 6 November 2011, comprising a total of 8 episodes and one Christmas Special episode aired on 25 December 2011. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV, and in the United States on PBS, starting on 8 January 2012. Series 2 explored the lives of the Crawley family and servants during and after the First World War.
Series 2 received widespread acclaim, with critics praising its cast, historical depictions, and story's arc. The viewing figures significantly increased compared with series 1, with an average of 11 million viewers per episode. The series was nominated for several industry awards, and won the TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials. Maggie Smith received critical praise for her performance as Violet Crawley, which earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
Series overview
The second series covers the last two years of the war and the first year of peace. Events mentioned or directly affecting the Crawley household include the Battle of the Somme, the Easter Rising, the Battle of Arras, the Russian Revolution, the Battle of Passchendaele, the Battle of Amiens, the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, the Armistice, and the Spanish flu epidemic.On the domestic front there is a serious shortage of able-bodied men for home front jobs. Matthew Crawley and William Mason go off to fight, while Thomas Barrow joins the Medical Corps. Tom Branson, as an Irishman, won't fight for Britain. Robert Crawley returns to uniform, but is refused active service due to his age. Sybil Crawley defies her aristocratic position and joins the Voluntary Aid Detachment as a nurse.
In the biggest development, Downton Abbey becomes a convalescent home for wounded officers.
Cast and characters
Main cast
Upstairs- Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham
- Jessica Brown Findlay as Lady Sybil Crawley
- Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith Crawley
- Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley
- Elizabeth McGovern as Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
- Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
- Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley
- Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley
- Allen Leech as Tom Branson; Lady Sybil's husband and former chauffeur
- Jim Carter as Charles Carson; the Butler
- Phyllis Logan as Elsie Hughes; the Housekeeper
- Brendan Coyle as John Bates; Lord Grantham's valet
- Siobhan Finneran as Sarah O'Brien; Lady Grantham's maid
- Joanne Froggatt as Anna Smith; head housemaid
- Thomas Howes as William Mason; Second Footman
- Rob James-Collier as Thomas Barrow; First Footman
- Lesley Nicol as Beryl Patmore; the Cook
- Sophie McShera as Daisy Robinson; a kitchen maid
- Amy Nuttall as Ethel Parks; a housemaid
Recurring and guest cast
- Samantha Bond as Lady Rosamund Painswick; Lord Grantham's sister
- Robert Bathurst as Sir Anthony Strallan; Crawley family friend
- Kevin Doyle as Joseph Molesley; Matthew Crawley's valet
- Brendan Patricks as The Hon Evelyn Napier; Suitor for Lady Mary
- Cal MacAninch as Henry Lang
- Iain Glen as Sir Richard Carlisle of Morningside
- Maria Doyle Kennedy as Vera Bates
- Jonathan Coy as George Murray; Lord Grantham's lawyer
- Paul Copley as Mr Mason
- Michael Cochrane as Reverend Albert Travis
- Clare Calbraith as Jane Moorsum
- Kevin R. McNally as Horace Bryant
- Lachlan Nieboer as Lt Edward Courtenay
- Julian Wadham as Sir Herbert Strutt
- Trevor White as Maj Patrick Gordon
- Nigel Havers as Lord Hepworth
- Sharon Small as Marigold Shore
- Zoe Boyle as Lavinia Swire
- Christine Lohr as May Bird
- Christine Mackie as Daphne Bryant
- Daniel Pirrie as Major Charles Bryant
- Stephen Ventura as Davis
Episodes
Production
Filming began in March 2011. The scripts were written by series creator Julian Fellowes. Episodes were directed by Ashley Pearce, Andy Goddard, Brian Kelly, and James Strong. Cal Macaninch, Iain Glen, Amy Nuttall, Zoe Boyle, and Maria Doyle Kennedy joined the cast as the new valet Lang, Sir Richard Carlisle, the new housemaid Ethel, Lavinia Swire, and John Bates' wife Vera, respectively. Nigel Havers and Sharon Small appeared in the Christmas Special as Lord Hepworth and Marigold Shore, Rosamund Painswick's maid, respectively.Reception
Series two was highly acclaimed. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has fresh rating of 100% based on 24 reviews, with a weighted average of 8.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "With its excellent cast and resplendent period trappings, Downton Abbey continues to weave a bewitching, ingratiating spell." On Metacritic, the series 2 has a normalized score of 85 out of 100 based on 26 critics, indicating "Universal Acclaim".The series generally received overwhelming reviews from critics. Linda Stasi of the New York Post wrote "The series seamlessly moves between the horrors of war and the gentility of life in the show's titular 100-room manor." Writing for TV Guide Magazine, Matt Roush said, "For those of us who hungered for a year to witness these new chapters, the appetite is insatiable." Wall Street Journals television critic Dorothy Rabinowitz said, "The vibrant brew of upstairs-downstairs relationships is more savory now, the characters more complicated." Robert Bianco of USA Today also lauded the series saying, "There's nothing in Downton you won't recognize, and almost nothing you won't enjoy." Varietys chief television critic Brian Lowry praised the series cast and said "Julian Fellowes has created such a vivid group of characters and assembled such an impeccable cast--effortlessly oscillating from comedy to drama--that the hours fly by, addictively pulling viewers from one into the next." Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter said, "The characters are so beautifully and thoroughly rendered that we, as viewers, are caught up in their lives." Robert Lioyd of the Los Angeles Times said, "It is big, beautiful, beautifully acted and romantic, its passions expressed with that particular British reserve that serves only to make them burn brighter."
Some media outlets and critics were more critical towards the show. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette TV critic Rob Owen wrote, "Writer/series creator Julian Fellowes weaves together an engrossing tapestry of stories, although some of them stretch credulity or peter out." Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times also gave the series moderate reviews by comparison to first series and said, "Season 2 is in many ways as captivating and addictive as the first, but this time around, the series comes off as a shameless throwback to itself." In a moderate review, Maureen Ryan of The Huffington Post said, "Your investment in the many stories spun out by creator Julian Fellowes may take longer to develop this year, because the costume drama's pace is off in the early going and it's far more contrived and inconsistent than it was in its first season." In a less enthusiastic review for the Washington Post, Hank Stuever quipped, "Downton Abbey lacks surprise and is stretched precariously thin, a house full of fascinating people with not nearly enough to do, all caught in a loop of weak storylines that circle round but never fully propel."