Downton Abbey – season 4- episode 2

I’m trying to figure out why I was so offended by the rape scenario in the last session of Downton Abbey?

In the one scene we listened to Anna’s desperate screams echoing over and over throughout the downstairs hallways, At the same time, the cameras upstairs kept zeroing in on a roomful of smiling, complacent people whose ears were being deafened by the extremely loud strains of an opera singer.

We were manipulated into being horrified. And at the same time, we were consumed with hope that someone would rescue Anna or that she (being Anna and always resourceful) would somehow fend off her attacker.

I did not like the obvious manipulation of our emotions. We get that too often on other less-sophisticated productions. I also thought that Anna (given her perceived character traits) would have been more stoical and perhaps, even reticent, following the attack… probably being picky there.

I very much enjoyed the first few seasons of Downton Abbey. The story flowed so well. I never felt that viewers were being manipulated. I even appreciated the way the writers handled the main character’s death scene. The audience was saddened but we got over it.

Another odd development I thought in this last episode was the sudden reversal of Tom Branson’s seemingly upbeat confident character which had changed from his earlier weak, extremely truculent personality. Now after only one dance with a snobby old woman he’s reverted back to his snively, truculent personality.

Downton Abbey is such a wonderful show. The acting is superb and the settings are unmatched. Very authentic, well-researched for historical believability. Just disappointed in last week’s storyline- is all.