For a program that began its life intending to be merely a seven-part miniseries which ended on the brink of World War I (and which won six Emmys), Julian Fellowes' Downton Abbey has become instead an international phenomenon. Now prepping for its sixth season, the series has been a runaway hit around the world and has brought domestically PBS the highest ratings in its history. The fifth season of the historical melodrama continues along the lines of the previous seasons advancing a year in time and following through with the almost one dozen storylines creator Fellowes must juggle dexterously each season.
Studio: PBS
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HDMA
Subtitles: English SDH
Rating: Not Rated
Run Time: 8 Hr. 45 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray
keep case with leaves in a slipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: A
Release Date: 01/27/2015
MSRP: $54.99
The Production Rating: 4/5
But there is more to the season than romantic dalliances. Lady Edith’s (Laura Carmichael) illegitimate daughter Marigold had been brought to a tenant farm on the property for the couple there to care for her, but the lure of motherhood is too strong and she makes a nuisance of herself assuring that new arrangements will have to be made at some point in the season. The specter of doom which seems to continually hover over Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and John (Brendan Coyle) Bates continues as new evidence emerges in the investigation into the death of Mr. Green who had raped Anna in season four and then later died in London under mysterious circumstances. The police interview not only the Bateses but also other members of the upstairs and downstairs groups pertaining to the movements of the unlucky couple during the period of the murder (information about Anna’s backstory emerges during these investigations which had heretofore not been revealed to loyal viewers). Assistant cook Daisy (Sophie McShera) decides she wants to further her education in order to get by in the rapidly changing world and enlists the aid of Tom’s schoolteacher friend Miss Bunting. In fact, many in the downstairs staff begin making tentative plans for new lives in case their employment during changing times is terminated. And everyone’s favorite snake Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) once again gets himself into trouble and must be aided by the woman with whom he was locked in mortal combat for much of season four, Miss Baxter (Raquel Cassidy). He does, however, (in addition to performing an act of bravery in the season premiere) finally use his considerable skills at chicanery to, for a change, aid the family rather than begrudge them during the season’s final two episodes.
There is no denying that writer Julian Fellowes’ skill at juggling these and other storylines during the course of the season’s nine episodes is pretty amazing, but often there are frustrations in stories not being developed in depth or running off the rails due to nonsensical plotting. Lady Mary’s quest to solve her dilemma of whom to choose as her next husband, for example, is intriguingly daring by 1924 standards, and great preparations are made for her to be able to be certain of her choice. But after her grand adventure, there’s precious little explanation as to the reasons for her decision. Miss Bunting’s socialist views voiced loudly and obnoxiously at every Crawley family gathering become rather tiresome after a time since logically the young lady would never have been allowed back after her first indiscretion and she herself should have had the graciousness to keep her contrary opinions to herself when the guest in someone else’s home, especially the home of the man with whom she was so infatuated. In the latter half of the season, Lady Violet’s new maid (Sue Johnston) has a running battle with Violet’s longtime butler Spratt (Jeremy Swift) which wears out its welcome long before the end of the season. On the other hand, there is certain to be more in season six concerning Isobel’s thwarted romantic feelings, Edith’s continuing drama with her child, a possible new man (Matthew Goode) in Mary’s life, and Lady Rose (Lily James) and her recalcitrant mother.
The set contains the season’s nine episodes (which includes the Christmas episode “A Moorland Holiday”) on three Blu-ray discs.
First Look
Video Rating: 4.5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 4.5/5
Special Features Rating: 3/5
The Roaring Twenties (26:32, HD): most of the cast along with creator/writer Julian Fellowes, production designer Donal Woods, executive producer Gareth Neame, and historical expert Alistair Bruce comment on the season’s highlights including the fire, the hunts, a racing sequence, and the climactic wedding preparations.
A Day in the Life of Lady Rose (7:52, HD): actress Lily James takes us through her day with wig and costume fittings during the preparations for the wedding episode, and we meet her new inamorata Atticus Aldridge played by actor Matt Barber.
Visit Britain (1:03, HD): a brief montage of sights to see on a Great Britain vacation.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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