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I wonder if the final season will feature some calamitous turn of events for the one character in the show who seems to have skated through it all pretty much untouched by any real misfortune.
I reference Lady Rose. She got away with all of her wild cat jazz age escapades with no damage to her reputation, she escaped from her depressing mother and got to come live at Downton where there was less supervision, she found the man of her dreams without much difficulty and had a smooth romance right up to her fairy tail wedding. The only unpleasantness she has had to endure was when she was shown the photos of her fiance with the party girl, but that was straightened out in just a matter of hours. Her new father in law was stand offish, but she won him over pretty quickly when she covered for him when his mistress and baby turned up.
She hasn't died like Lady Sybil, lost a husband like Lady Mary, been jilted at the altar or had a child out of wedlock like Lady Edith. She is young, wealthy, good looking and has standing in society. She is a friend of England's future king who owes her a favor for saving his reputation.
Soap operas typically do not allow things to be this rosy for anyone for very long. Lady Rose would seemed to have used up all of her soap allotted happiness.
Telanovelas differ from American soaps in that they are not open ended, they typically run 150 episodes and then conclude. All telenovelas may be described as: A couple meets and want to kiss. 149 hours later the writers allow them to do so. The most common theme of telenovelas is that of some poor or lower class person triumphing over wealthy rivals..the maid wins the love of the aristicrat in the end, that sort of thing.
In that Downton Abbey is also a closed series with an end in sight, you are right, it is more akin to a Telenovela than an American soap. Also DA has that rich/poor divide, although unlike a telenovela, the rich people aren't mostly greedy snots with no redemptive values.
On the other hand, in terms of plot elements, it is the same as the basic American soap.
DA certainly has the rich/poor divide, and to it's credit the rich are portrayed as complex characters. I read something somewhere that Lord Grantham isn't like today's 1% because he is genuinely kind to his help, including offering financial help. That's an overly simplistic character analysis.
On the surface, he genuinely tries to be kind. When he realizes he was in error in how he treated someone, he will make amends. However, when one looks at how much of the resource pie he consumes--or merely sits around looking at--he is a consumer like only the ultra rich of today can be. The Occupy Wall Street movement will take the position that because he chooses to ignore the plight of the many poor who can't meet their basic needs, due to his consumption levels and role in a class based society, their plight is his fault.
He's a sometimes-bad-guy, but not too bad, who is humanized, again, by choosing to the right thing and admitting he was wrong. He's even portrayed as a victim because the only world he knew has changed and his life's work is threatened, which merits limited sympathy at best since he always manages to live as only a rich man can.
I wonder if the final season will feature some calamitous turn of events for the one character in the show who seems to have skated through it all pretty much untouched by any real misfortune.
I reference Lady Rose. She got away with all of her wild cat jazz age escapades with no damage to her reputation, she escaped from her depressing mother and got to come live at Downton where there was less supervision, she found the man of her dreams without much difficulty and had a smooth romance right up to her fairy tail wedding. The only unpleasantness she has had to endure was when she was shown the photos of her fiance with the party girl, but that was straightened out in just a matter of hours. Her new father in law was stand offish, but she won him over pretty quickly when she covered for him when his mistress and baby turned up.
She hasn't died like Lady Sybil, lost a husband like Lady Mary, been jilted at the altar or had a child out of wedlock like Lady Edith. She is young, wealthy, good looking and has standing in society. She is a friend of England's future king who owes her a favor for saving his reputation.
Soap operas typically do not allow things to be this rosy for anyone for very long. Lady Rose would seemed to have used up all of her soap allotted happiness.
So Rosy Rose won't remain rosy? I want real controversy. How about a mixed-race child?
She could easily be seduced by her African-American Jazz musician former suitor and end up pregnant. Abortion is likely out since Edith already took care of I-can't-go-through-with-an-abortion. Rose's husband and family discovering she had an abortion would be tame compared to the scandal of an adulterously conceived baby of color.
But wait, there's more! Another baby... twins... with different daddies. A tryst in the evening before going home to hubby could easily result in fraternal twins. How about a boy and a girl of different races?
While the show has done a good job addressing issues in a way Upstairs Downstairs did not (homosexuality and rape for example), I doubt they'll take on race like this.
Last edited by TransplantedPeach; 10-27-2015 at 01:07 AM..
So Rosy Rose won't remain rosy? I want real controversy. How about a mixed-race child?
She could easily be seduced by her African-American Jazz musician former suitor and end up pregnant. Abortion is likely out since Edith already took care of I-can't-go-through-with-an-abortion. Rose's husband and family discovering she had an abortion would be tame compared to the scandal of an adulterously conceived baby of color.
But wait, there's more! Another baby... twins... with different daddies. A tryst in the evening before going home to hubby could easily result in fraternal twins. How about a boy and a girl of different races?
While the show has done a good job addressing issues in a way Upstairs Downstairs did not (homosexuality and rape for example), I doubt they'll take on race like this.
But her musician suitor tried to tell her the cost, that she'd be socially shunned and he did not think she's be accepted by his people either. They would fit nowhere. He was quite blunt about it, that he loved her and he wanted her, but the cost for both would be terrible.
Rose who has been raised in an atmosphere where she got everything she wanted, doesn't understand and is willing to try anyway since she has no experience in dealing with the cost.
But how she is married into a family who is anglo jewish. They have money and ostentation and don't flash their religion, but I'm sure they have other family in Europe, and I think Rose's perfect bubble will be burst by reality.
You're way behind on the show. Rose is living in New York with her new husband, who she met and married in season 5.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but they did not move to New York in Season Five. If you've watched parts of Season Six, please respect the practice of this thread by not sharing information that has not aired on PBS in the United States.
I'm well aware that anyone can get their hands on Season Six by taking out a credit card. I choose to not do this because I like watching it when it airs. I enjoy discussing the events as they unfold with my Downton communities--friends, family and this City Data forum.
The Downton Abbey wiki is a great source of information about the series, but I suggest you NOT click on the link until after Season 6 airs in the US as it will have plenty of spoilers from the British broadcast.
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