There’s a certain point when watching a soap-laden period drama stops being fun and just starts feeling… well… dirty. Not the kind of dirty felt after reading Lady Chatterly’s Lover. But the kind felt because the series has become so implausible and sensational that it overwhelms the enjoyment of it, let alone being intellectually engaged with it. During the first series, Downton Abbey was a grand escape, a way to explore a new world through characters entirely relateable to ourselves. Yet this past season, the melodrama been thrust into the spotlight, and the result is a more uncomfortable viewing experience. Even if there are still characters and relationships that keep this series worth watching, the imbalance of cringe-inducing soap-operatics to genuine emotional connection is growing at an alarming rate. This week’s double episode (2.06 by PBS’s count) is the paradigm example.
