CINEMA: END OF AN ERA
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (in movie theaters)
If you, like us, have watched all the TV seasons of Downtown Abbey and the two previous movies, then Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is a must see. It opens in 1930, and the Granthams are all in London at the theater along with many of their household staff. The only person missing is Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess.
The times have changed, and they all must adapt. Lord Grantham, despite saying otherwise, hangs back on fully handing over the reins and the running of the estate to Lady Mary. Dominating their conversation is how to maintain the estate and cover needed repairs. Lady Cora’s brother Harold arrives from America with his friend and advisor Gus Sambrook in tow; together they have grand financial plans. Also looming are new adventures for Anna and Mr. Bates and retirement for Mrs. Patmore, the cook, and Mr. Carson, butler and major domo.
It is fun to see how the various characters have matured and succeeded from kitchen maid Daisy to former staff member Barrow, to Tom Branson, who left and created his own business. Lady Edith has social status and an assertiveness to match it, while Lady Mary remains glamorous, poised, and a force despite new personal challenges. There are two wonderful scenes near the end that require both upstairs and downstairs to confront a new social order. Highly recommended for fans of the series!
NEW NOVEL: FRAGILITY OF FRIENDSHIP
Among Friends by Hal Ebbott
Among Friends is Hal Ebbott’s first novel. It is diffuse at times, full of striking analogies, and also a poignant dissection of longtime friendship. Amos and Emerson have been close friends since college; now both over 50, they have wives and teenage daughters. Neither marriage seems to be as rich and strong as it could be, but their 16-year-old daughters, Anna (Amos and Claire’s daughter) and Sophie (Emerson and Resty’s) have a relationship that is friendly without being bosom buddies.
When the couples and the girls gather upstate for a weekend visit, Emerson approaches Anna in a way that will strain and fray the bonds of these relationships. Despite their seeming closeness, Amos and Emerson come from very different backgrounds. Amos’s family was very poor, and he always strove to measure up to others. Emerson is a product of privilege, used to having his way and being seen, yet carrying an element of meanness.
This is primarily an interior novel. There is limited action, some descriptions of surroundings and the weather, but much of it exists in the thoughts and minds of each individual character. Ebbott’s sentences are not long, but one feels the echoes of Henry James.
I found the beginning somewhat slow, but once accustomed to his style, I appreciated what he was doing. How the big event in this group of friends is finally addressed and dealt with has a bittersweet rightness that will allow life to move forward, but likely not life the same way as before. Recommended for readers of serious literary fiction. (~JWFarrington)
VIEWING: UNEXPLAINED DEATH IN DUBLIN
Irish Blood (Acorn or Amazon Prime Video)
In Irish Blood, successful Los Angeles lawyer, Fiona Sharpe, played by Alicia Silverstone, receives a message from her estranged father that takes her to Dublin. Arriving and learning that he died, she sets out on a dangerous path to discover the circumstances of his death. Along the way, she meets a family who didn’t know of her existence and enlists the aid of the smart young cop, Roisin, who is eager to be involved.
There are 6 episodes in Season 1, and Season 2 is set for production in 2026. The series is entertaining enough that the Chief Penguin and I have now watched half of this season. I’d call it good, not great crime drama, with enough action to keep us in our seats.
Note: Header image of Black-eyed Susans and foliage ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
