-Spoilers included-
I love Matthew Crawley. He was always one of the main attractions to me while watching Downton Abbey. He is also a favorite to many people who search the net as my feature last year about the actor behind Matthew, Dan Steven was one of the most clicked on posts from last year. (might have been the naked caps...)
Matthew was ahead of his time. A modern thinker, liberal in many ways, more conservative in others. Good son, supportive friend and romantic. Matthew and Mary's romance, to me, was always the central relationship on the show. With a cast of over 20, there are many people to love and to hate, but their two year courtship and eventual marriage was always front and center.
I watched Matthew die over the Christmas holidays but resisted posting until it his death aired on PBS. In many ways I feel angry at my investment in the relationship and with the actors decision to leave. I know Stevens is a great actor and spent much of this year on Broadway in The Heiress. Television fame is not meant for everyone but I still can't help but think the actor, and the show did a shitty job of with characters end. I have read many interviews over the past few days of why Julian Fellowes wanted to ensure viewers knew Matthew was gone for good. Problem is, given his role in the first three seasons, he never really will be...
With Sybil's death only weeks earlier, it is really inexcusable to follow it with killing off the hero. I am already reading casting notice's for Mary's next love. Any attempt to hook Mary up anytime soon shows a nativity to the audience that followed she and Matthew the past three years. A creative writer could have found a way for Matthew to 'disappear', without such a final ending. Fellowes is of course talented but made a choice to end the season as he did. Either he already knows a way to keep Matthew alive, and is throwing us off the scent, or, was channelling his frustration over the actors choice to leave, but killing him, and killing him good. Maybe Stevens will have a change of heart, most actors who left popular television shows regret it. In the meantime, please though, refrain from putting Mary and Tom together...
3 comments:
You could warn there are spoilers. The season is still running in other countries, like Australia.
Sorry!
Given the show has now aired most places, seemed safe.
The actress Rachel Gurney became bored with playing Lady Marjorie Bellamy in the original Upstairs Downstairs and told the producer she wanted to leave the show. They sent her to America on the Titanic. Ms. Gurney later admitted to having made a bad decision. I suspect Mr. Stevens will come to the same realization one day.
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