Above the bed in my dorm room is a poster of Downton Abbey. A show that, on March 6th, said goodbye as the 6th and final season came to an end.
I won’t lie — I was late to Downton and didn’t start watching until it was a few seasons in, but as soon as I’d watched the first episode, I was hooked. I’ve always loved historical fiction, and in particular, stories set in the Victorian era. When I saw the first episode of Downton, set around the time of the sinking of the Titanic, I knew I was in it for the long haul.
On its surface, Downton may seem like another stuck-up PBS show for an aged audience, but in reality, it features not only a cast of incredibly relatable characters, but also a huge range of issues that are still close to many of our hearts today. Over the course of six seasons, the characters have dealt with birth, death, illness, depression, marriage, divorce, suicide, forbidden love, and illegitimate children, to name just a few.
Of course the series has not been perfect. It has had its fair share of historical “goofs”, such as the press photo where a plastic water bottle appeared behind the actors on their grand fireplace. It also has a lack of real racial diversity, an issue that I’m sad to report remained through all six of the seasons.
What the show has had, though, is a real emotional impact on its viewers. I honestly can say that I’ve never cried more watching any other show. The characters are so real, each with their own set of problems, that you can’t help but feel a strong connection to them.
Hugh Bonneville, who played Lord Grantham on the program, was quoted on CinemaBlend, calling the finale, “the end of an era.” To me, the last episode, though almost too hopeful in nature, felt a little like that final day in your old house before you move. I was packing up my things, and moving out of Downton for a final time.
You may say that a show is just a show, like a book is just a book, or a movie is just a movie, but when you really connect to something, even as trivial as a PBS Masterpiece Classic, it can be hard to let it go.
Image credits: Tumblr.com, Giphy.com, Reagan Neviska