Six years. Six years I've spent with the Crawleys… six years of love lost and gained and lives changed, altered, for good and for bad. I've said goodbye to cherished characters. I've watched as mistakes were made, some with little repercussion, others with devastating consequences. I've laughed, I've cried. I cringed and bristled and sat in shock at the turn of events. And tonight (I don't have cable, so I watched the finale on the PBS channel with my Roku) I watched the conclusion with a heavy but hopeful heart. And I was not disappointed. Loose ends were gathered. Story lines were concluded. I was happy at the outcomes and left with a sense of closure for the characters, though I'm still sad that I'll no longer get to sit with them in the dining room, nor retire to the drawing room for cordials. I'll never again see the stunning dresses the Crawley sisters wore.
I admit, I'm an Anglophile. I love British writers. I love British dramas. I love British comedies. I love British actors. I started eating cheese and pickle sandwiches after watching Endeavor! And don't get me started on Monty Python! Oh, and my Senior English Literature class at San Jose State was Female British Mystery Writers! I read and reported on P.D. James, Josephine Tey, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers and of course Agatha Christie. I must confess, though, I still prefer coffee to tea. That aside, I do love all things British.
But here we are, and so I say farewell to the Crawleys and Downton Abbey. I've never visited Great Britain, but one day… maybe I'll visit Highclere Castle.
All Things Elda 