Elizabeth McGovern Down on 'Downton'

I was very disappointed that Cara did not die last season. McGovern should be very grateful that she is in a wonderful show. Don't know how she got the job. She was never a good actor, what a distraction on the show!

Hmmmmm......let me get this straight. Ms. McGovern, who hasn't worked in YEARS THAT I  remember, blames her "disconnect" in Season 2 with the "necessity of dealing with World War I." What planet is this woman ON? The whole point of the series is how this very traditional family changes as the Titanic disaster, labor unrest, the "rising" in Ireland, World War I, and the influenza epidemic which followed. What would she have the Earl and Countess and girls DO? Ignore all the social changes, and just "party on?" PUL-EEZ!!!! I think this American ex-pat is getting snootier than her character!!! A whole LOT snootier!

I don't know anything about the show because I chose not to watch it simply because Elizabeth McGovern is in it.  Honesty, I think she is a terribly boring actress.  I am saving my money to buy Upstairs Downstairs which I saw as a child. 

JulieG, I beg to differ. Read Ms. McGovern's comments once again. Her shallowness in wanting ONLY to deal with the "characters" instead of having real fleshed out characters who must deal with rapid social change brought about by a series of disasters that were no respecters of class.  Season I was "more to my taste," she says. I stand by my comment. It seems that a LOT of people out there are only interested in beautiful costumes and upstairs-downstairs intrigue, however, judging by the reactions to my commentary. Perhaps in retrospect, McGovern is correct in judging the level of popular American taste, although I think the fabulous success of Season 2 would confirm that there ARE those on this side of the pond that like a little more depth to our PBS drama. Anyone agree?

This is just some web-writer who doesn't have enough to stay occupied.  There was no "blast" or slight intended. Just another case of "if there is no news to report, we will make some...."

 

I love this show....

 

The show has always been about the interaction of the lives of Downton Abbey as effected by the events of the world around them. The first episode started with the report of the sinking of the Titanic (the telegraph and telegraph lines). So I can understand that some felt the second season became a little too much about the war and not enough about the characters. But the truth is that this story can't be told without reference to outside events.

 

I hate to shock anyone, but the end to this story is that way of living, by and large, has disappeared, and it disappeared as a result of external influences...

Sorry, I have no clue why one of my comments posted twice. Blame it on the "server?"

I have only seen the first season.  Elizabeth McGovern is the singular worst thing about the show.  I like everything else about it, and I was thinking it would be just another British costume - o -Rama.  She is a horrible actor.  Horrible.  I was hoping she wasn't in the second season.

I dare say, the reason World War I was made such a central story in the second season is precisely because World War I nearly killed off most of the heirs to the great aristocratic houses of England - this is important detail, people!  Most educated British and Anglophiles in America (and elsewhere) would appreciate this fact.

"Downton Abbey" is a direct reflection of such an aristocratic house, and for the clearly uneducated here expecting a lot more "character development" (which I believe is sufficient enough) and wanting less of WWI drama are, in fact, missing the point of this epic tale altogether.  People, you seem to have been raised on reality tv shows and "light-weight" soap operas.  Are you afraid of learning about a little history of the aristocracy (their great rise and subsequent fall, the latter largely due to WW!) or do you just want a lot of fluff?  GOOD GRIEF!

I am an Anglophile  #1    She is  cool and Reserved, but an ok mom to the girls.   Wos  were they independent   thinkers.

JulieG, I beg to differ. Read Ms. McGovern's comments once again. Her shallowness in wanting ONLY to deal with the "characters" instead of having real fleshed out characters who must deal with rapid social change brought about by a series of disasters that were no respecters of class.  Season I was "more to my taste," she says. I stand by my comment. It seems that a LOT of people out there are only interested in beautiful costumes and upstairs-downstairs intrigue, however, judging by the reactions to my commentary. Perhaps in retrospect, McGovern is correct in judging the level of popular American taste, although I think the fabulous success of Season 2 would confirm that there ARE those on this side of the pond that like a little more depth to our PBS drama. Anyone agree?