I talk about Downton Abbey a lot…

Just realized that of the six posts I wrote so far, five are Downton Abbey related. I hope to fix that when I finally get around to watching Elementary, Copper, and that episode of Once Upon a Time. And once Suits, Korra, and Doctor Who come back, there’ll be more for me to write about. I think I’ll write stuff about looking ahead to Cloud Atlas and Les Miz, and maybe I’ll put something together on music and editing Wikipedia.

Of course, doesn’t really matter as I’m mostly talking to myself here.

The preview that killed me

And so here’s looking forward to the Downton Abbey 3.04 preview.

In which the preview eclipses the episode itself

Downton Abbey 3.03

From left to right: Sybil Branson (played by Jessica Brown-Findlay), Edith Crawley (played by Laura Carmichael), and Mary Crawley (played by Michelle Docker). The photo is taken from a review by the Telegraph.

I have to say, the entire episode was eclipsed by the fifteen second preview that came after. I have so much to say on the preview that I’m going to write a separate entry for that. “Let’s not steal Edith’s thunder.” The preview is going to do that for us! Anyway…

The episode opens with such excitement and promise. Downton Abbey is in full preparation mode for a wedding. Carpets are rolled up and carried away, flowers are arranged  in the sitting room, and flutes of champagne stand ready for toasts. As Edith says, “Something here is finally about me.” Good for you, darling. You deserve to be happy. Though I wish you were marrying Evelyn Napier rather than Sir Anthony Strallan. Edith is so happy; she wanted to married for the longest time. For her, and for many women of the age, marriage equals happiness. She’s so happy, that even Mary is nice to her. They get to the church, she walks down the aisle I looked right past and squeed over the Bransons and the priest begins.

Fangirling and Wikipedia research isn’t cheap

Now that I’ve recovered enough from Doctor Who to be coherent…

I am so excited. Yesterday, I put in the order for The World of Downton Abbey and The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era. Both books are written by Jessica Fellowes, the niece of Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes. They’re basically behind the scenes with production notes and all this information. Chronicles apparently has lots of series 3 spoilers, but the book isn’t shipping until after the series finishes airing in the UK. So I’ll be fine on that note.

World cost me about twenty dollars (with shipping). Not bad for a 304 page hardcover book. Chronicles is going to cost me about twenty-four dollars. It is also hardcover and runs 320 pages.

Okay, so they aren’t expensive. But I’m a college frosh with little money.

I really just want all the information so I can properly edit the Wikipedia articles. It’s surprisingly difficult to upkeep those things. I’m having a difficult time finding reviews.

I think I’ll buy the two script books when they come out too. They’re supposed to have Fellowes’s comments and some things he cut, very useful for fangirling and Wikipedia work.

The Angels Aren’t the Only Things Weeping

Doctor Who 7.05 “The Angels Take Manhattan”

A Weeping Angel from “The Angels Take Manhattan”, the fifth episode of the seventh series of Doctor Who. Image from a gallery on BBC’s official website.

I can’t. I just can’t. That’s it. I just saw the episode, and I spent most of it crying.

Suffering from Branson and Sybil withdrawal (again)

Look at them! They kill me. Break my heart. I need more of this. (Screencap from the series two finale)

Yep. This is going to be another Sybil and Branson rant.

I am really obsessed with this couple. And when I say I’m suffering from withdrawal, I think I mean it. I alternate between two states: 1. nearly crying because I miss them so much, and 2. being totally okay, happy, and excited because it looks like they’ll have a really great storyline this series. At least they’ll make an appearance next episode. I’m trying to keep myself afloat until then by reading theories, watching gifs, and looking at promotional photos. It either makes things worse or makes everything better, depending on my condition.

To keep myself sane, I’ll bounce some theories around.

In which I miss Sybil and Branson dearly

Downton Abbey 3.02

I would much rather have a Sybil and Branson in bed scene than a Mary and Matthew one. (Screepcap from the series three premiere)

I couldn’t take this episode seriously. But I can’t really say I tried, I spent most of my time pining for a Branson and Sybil scene (which I knew wasn’t going to happen this episode), fruitlessly hoping for Edith and Evelyn to get together, and wishing Sir Carlisle would make a cameo and be all “I don’t care what anyone thinks because I’m more awesome!” If you can’t tell, I like Sir Carlisle.