Someone once described Downton Abbey as "kind of like Jane Austen."

Public Service Announcement: Wit, interesting female characters, and a non-21st century British setting does not an Austen-style drama make. Downton Abbey is pretty much the antithesis of Jane Austen's entire style. (If we must compare Downton Abbey to classic British female novelists, I'd argue it's more akin to the Bronte sisters, particularly Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre, with the intense pathos, extreme drama, and integration of various social classes. But I am not well-versed in the Bronte canon, so take that as you will.)


Once I managed to pick myself up off the floor and stop ranting and raving to my friends - because the only thing worse than someone being wrong on the internet is someone being wrong about Jane Austen, clearly - I started to wonder: what would Downton Abbey be like if Austen had written it?

( Spoilers for the series below the cut )

Pointless, maybe, but a fun little exercise nonetheless. What would your favorite tv series be like if it was written by your favorite novelist?

Downton Abbey season 2 is here at last, and I will be an obnoxious fangirl until it's over.

( Major spoilers ahead! )




All in all, I thought it was a pretty strong opening to the new season, though some of the romantic confrontations seemed a bit rushed. Mary and the Dowager Countess remain my favorite people ever, and next week cannot come soon enough. Until then, I'll just have this on repeat.