Welcome to the Fabulous, Fierce and Feisty Women in History.
Here comes the second Downton Abbey movie, titled Downton Abbey,
A New Era, to be released on May 18th in U.S. theaters and many of us are just dying to see
what comes next in this beloved world of the Crawley's, and Downton Abbey.
First let's start with a brief recap of what happened in the first Downton Abbey movie
and then we'll get to what was left hanging,
and what we are dying to find out about in Downton Abbey2 , A New Era.
In the 2019 Downton Abbey movie, set in 1927, a year after the events of
the television series ended, the household went into chaos mode by the visit of King George V
and Queen Mary. So much so that the servants rose up against the Royal Household invading on
their domain which determined that they, and only they, were to ones to serve the King and Queen.
Then there was the drama upstairs when Tom Branson, the former chauffeur who
married the late Lady Sybil, foiled an assassination attempt on the King.
Finally, we find out that Lady Violet's cousin, Lady Maud Bagshaw, had an illegitimate daughter
who turns out to be Lucy, the maid and that Lady Violet, a k a the Dowager Countess,
plans to leave her estate to Lucy when she finds out she has cancer.
With all of that, along with a few other plot threads left dangling,
we are on the edge of our seats to see what comes next in Downton Abbey, A New Era.
Here are the seven things that we are dying to see in the New Downton Abbey 2 Movie. Stay to the
end to find the most pressing question that we are all eager to have answered with great trepidation.
1. What happened to Lady Rose Aldridge?
Lady Rose, played by Lily James, was the Crawleys' kindhearted, troublemaking cousin
from the TV series in seasons 4 and 5. She was no where to be found in the Downton Abbey 2019 movie.
Yes, we know that Lady Rose moved to America with her husband Atticus,
but since they both managed to return to Downton for the series finale at the end of season 5,
we are left wondering is she could possibly show up again
since she was such a likable character. Here's hoping that we see her again.
2. Will Tom Branson Marry Lucy Smith? Recalling that Lucy was the maid but is
really an illegitimate member of the Crawley lineage, we are eager to see if the budding
relationship between she and the widower Tom Branson ends in a happy marriage. Tom is really
the only one who understands Lucy's situation as a newly associated member of the upper crust
since that was his lot as well, when he went from chauffer to the husband of Lady Sybil.
For the past seven years for seven years since the death of Lady Sybil, Tom has been happily
raising their daughter while running an auto business with Mary's husband, Henry Talbot.
But Tom and Lucy dancing the night away during the Harewood Ball leads us towards
their eventual marriage with the suggestion that Tom would marry for love and not money.
At this point, we'll just have to wait and see.
Speaking of marriages, that brings us to our next question. number
3. Will Daisy and Andy Get Married As Well?
In the downstairs life of Downton Abbey, we find that Daisy, the cooks assistant,
became engaged to the footman, Andy Parker, when all her doubts about Andy's gambling-club
incident were alleviated and she saw that he really did have ambition and passion,
just as much as Daisy herself. We can safely say that the first
Downton Abbey film was a clear setup for the wedding nuptials of Andy and Daisy.
There might even be a spin-off series for these two likeable characters. We can only hope!
On that note, our next question is number 4.
Will Thomas Barrow Find Happiness?
Thomas Barrow is perhaps the one character in the Downton Abbey series who undergoes
the greatest personality change. At first, when the series began,
we didn't like Thomas Barrow since he was seen as mean and manipulative and out, only for himself.
And then we found out that he was really a miserable person who had to hide his sexuality
until he met the King's valet, Richard Ellis, who was also a closeted gay man hiding in plain sight.
Thomas and Richard tentatively develop a friendship when Richard introduces
Thomas to the underground nightclub scene where gay men can go to be themselves.
When the club was raided by police and Thomas was arrested,
his new friend came to his rescue, deepening Thomas's trust and setting
up the possibility of an even deeper friendhip that could finally lead Thomas to happiness.
5. Will We See Lady Edith's New Baby?
In Downton Abbey 2019, Lady Edith Pelham announced that she and her husband Bertie
are to have a baby. This created an issue because King George planned
to send Bertie away, which meant he would miss the birth of his own child.
Thankfully Edith's mother, Lady Cora took care of the situation
resulting in the King relieving Bertie from his responsibility.
Edith isn't new to bearing children.
As we found out in the TV series, she already has a daughter, Marigold, with a deceased lover named,
Michael Gregson, editor and publisher for a society magazine that Edith had written for.
So, of course, we are eager to see Edith's new baby as well as follow
her ambition to continue her work as a journalist along with being a mother.
6. Will Downton Abbey Survive The Coming 1929 London Crash?
The end of the first Downton Abbey film left us in 1927, two years shy of one of
the most significant historical events of the global economy, The Great Depression. Since
it all started in London Stock Market when the British stock market crashed on September 20,
1929 – a full month before the Wall Street crash - it makes sense that the new film would want to
focus on the effects of the crisis on the United Kingdom and its nobility.
How will Downton Abbey cope amid this financial turmoil?
Is it possible that Cora Crawley’s wealthy American mother and brother will be wiped out
by the crash in America and what will this mean for the estate? How will the Crawleys
preserve their lifestyle in the face of a rapidly evolving social issue? And will the Downton Abbey
downstairs staff become leaner, leading to the departure of many of our favorite characters?
This will be an interesting storyline if they broach this subject.
And last, we have a question that causes much trepidation among the fans of Downton Abbey.
That is number 7.
7. Will We Have To Watch The Dowager Countess, Lady Violet, Die On Screen?
We last saw that Lady Violet tenderly confides in her granddaughter,
Lady Mary, that she doesn't have much longer to live. Previously she had mysteriously traveled
to London only to return home with the news that she has a terminal disease.
At the end of the first movie, Violet tells Mary,
“Save your tears for something sad, because there’s nothing sad here.
I have lived a privileged and an interesting life, and now it’s time to go.
I’m leaving the family and the place that I treasure in talented hands.”
This statement is clearly a setup for impending doom. But before any sadness, Downton Abbey,
The New Era will take us deeper into Lady Violet's past revealing that before Robert's father Lord
Grantham, there was another man. And that man had left her a villa on the French Riviera.
This is our one last chance to take in the wit and charm of Lady Violet so I suggest that you
all steel yourself for what is coming and have fun with the new era in the 2022 Downton Abbey movie.