Articles by:

Barbara Hinske

‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5’s best moments

Downton Abbey served up yet another delicious season, full of wit and charm, intrigue and insight, with a second helping of memorable one-liners from the Dowager Countess. Best of all, there was an explosive dining room scene in almost every episode. > Order Season 5 on DVD on Amazon. With the Downton residents not returning … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 finale review

The season finale opens to sunny skies over Downton as everyone above and below stairs prepares for the wedding of Lady Rose and Atticus Aldridge. Lady Rose is showing off her trousseau to the women (sans her chronically unhappy mother, Susan Flintshire), Donk is playing board games on the floor with granddaughter Sybbie, and Mr. … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 7 review

Lady Edith’s disappearance is front and centre this episode. Rosamund and the Dowager Countess decide they must tell Cora, but Mrs. Drew beats them to it and Cora gives them a piece of her mind, telling the DC “how can you imagine I’ll ever trust you again?” Cora’s intelligence, strength, and resolve shine as she … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 6 review

Mr. Bates didn’t do it! What a relief. His search for Anna’s button box turns up Lady Mary’s contraceptive device and instruction manual instead, and he assumes that Anna thinks he murdered Mr. Green and has been trying to prevent a pregnancy. Accusations ensue and they finally hash it all out. Everything appears rosy until … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 5 review

Episode 5 opens as Aunt Rosamund arrives to solve Lady Edith’s predicament with “the farmer’s child.” As it happens, she only makes things worse. But we’re left with a glimmer of hope that Lady Edith may finally take matters into her own hands. We’re behind you, Lady Edith. Mrs. Patmore has inherited a bit of … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 4 review

Relationships are strained and tension runs high at Downton as we reach the halfway point of the fifth season. The family continues to rub salt in poor Lady Edith’s wounds; that is until a touching scene with Lord Grantham. She’s had word from Michael Gregson’s office that the German thugs he was seen fighting with … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 3 review

The third episode of Downton Abbey’s new season opens with Lord Gillingham scrambling to his room as the hotel maid delivers Lady Mary’s breakfast tray. Have all their dreams come true? Alas, not so. He’s itching to trip down the aisle, but she’s not so enamored with a man that’s governed by routine and ritual. … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 2 review

The second episode of Downton Abbey’s new season finds Mr. Carson and Lord Grantham at odds over the site of the WWI memorial: the cricket pitch at Downton (Mr. Carson’s choice, though he is an avid enthusiast of the sport) or the centre of the village (Lord Grantham’s recommendation). Mr. Carson does not defer to … >

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‘Downton Abbey’ Season 5 Episode 1 review

“I’m going upstairs to take off my hat.” Downton Abbey is back and the opening episode of the period drama’s fifth season does not disappoint, placing numerous long-running storylines and a plethora of new subplots into the chute and setting them off. The sense of permanence that supplies Downton Abbey with much of its gravitational … >

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