But
after the first couple episodes, Dionne and I were both hooked. And watching
the final episode last night was a little like saying goodbye to a good friend
you know you’ll never see again.
So
I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to miss.
The Triumph of Virtue. It seems that most television dramas delight
in revealing the ugliest, basest parts of the human soul. (Another British
drama on PBS, “Indian Summers,” looks like its headed that way.) Downton Abby’s
characters display both faults and virtues. They are men and women of courage
and cowardice, veracity and duplicity, faithfulness and fickleness.
But
creator and writer Julian Fellowes gives us people who grow and change and
become better over time. Like the awful Mr. Barrow, whose story arc begins with
a scheming, selfish manipulator, rightly despised by pretty much everyone, and ends
with a humbled, patient, and loyal friend. Lady Mary is another example: her
vitriol toward her sister becomes, finally, something approaching appreciation
and love.
What’s
important at Downton is loyalty and friendship, and those are found both
upstairs and down. Like Lord Crawley’s kindness to Bates at the very beginning
and his extending second and third chances to Mr. Barrow. Or how everyone tried
to help Andrew learn to read. Or Mrs. Patmore’s mothering of Daisy. Or how Tom
Branson went from being the hated son-in-law to a beloved and trusted member of
the family.
The nobility of service. Most of us
probably don’t think of being a butler or footman or ladies maid as much of a
career choice. But those who are “in service” at Downton reveal a way of life
that finds meaning and fulfillment in “looking after” someone else. All of us
Christians are called to serve one another, and we’re all bondservants of
Christ. True, we are more than that. We are heirs and children and members of His
body. But the call to serve is a noble one, made infinitely more wonderful by
the One we are called to “look after.”
The Times, They are A’changin. Downton Abbey
shows how the lives of individuals are impacted by the great, global shifts of
our society, and how change is inevitable. The characters’ lives are all played
out against the backdrop of World War I and its aftermath, and the economic and
social alterations that came as a result. The men and women of Downton had to
figure out how to hang onto what’s most important while letting the other stuff
go. That’s a lot like the Christian’s journey through this world, I think.
Happy Endings. God bless
Julian Fellowes. He ended this series by providing a satisfying wrap-up for all
the main characters. (And – spoiler – if you haven’t seen the last show, stop
reading now.) Lady Edith’s marriage, Anna and Bates’ baby, Barrow’s return to
become butler – it was all just right.
Fairy
tales have happy endings, right? Real life isn’t that way? Well, not so fast.
Downton Abbey is just fiction, but the author has the right to work out the
ending as he sees fit. The Author of our lives has already revealed the real story’s
end for His people. For those who belong to Jesus, it is joy inexpressible and
full of glory. And that story has no final episode.
