One thing's for sure...Maggie Smith (the Dowager Countess) and Gordon Jackson (Hudson) were beyond amazing...both were,by themselves,worth the price of admission.
But just as Upstairs II failed Downton II also deserves to fail.
Come on. I watched the 1st 3 seasons end to end. I could see a pattern. When one of the young rich ladies fell in love with the Irish chauffeur he just had to bring to the dinner table his militant opinions to his hosts. Manufactured tension. The show was making a statement under the guise of a ‘teachable’ moment.
That show came on the heals of Gosford Park and the Remains of the Day. The tensions of the haves and have nots. The ambience and the communication amongst the one percenters was designed to make us feel the lesser as well as the same.
PBS put it out. That’s all you need to know.