A belated obsession with "Downton Abbey"

Finally! I am all caught up on "Downton Abbey," but I sort of wish I weren't so I could have the joy of watching the shows again for the first time. I now know that many (most?) of you must have been clucking your heads at my several admissions on this blog that I had yet to view "Downton Abbey." Friends far and wide had said I'd enjoy it, for all the glorious tea scenes if nothing else, but something in me resisted. When my friend Maureen loaned me Season One back in March, I figured I'd better watch at least a few episodes and get the DVD back to her. You won't be surprised to learn I was immediately addicted. Since I know many of you are "Downton Abbey" devotees, I hope at least a few of you will humor me with a few questions and comments since I am absolutely besotted with this show! (Spoiler alert: I DO mention some things below that will no doubt ruin the viewing for you if you haven't seen the show yet. If you're as behind the times as I was in watching "Downton Abbey," then please, for the love of Highclere Castle, DO NOT read to the end of this blog post. Just to be safe, you might not wish to read past the Republic of Tea mention …)

Midway through my recent binge-viewing, I bought a tin of Republic of Tea's "Downton Estate Blend" tea largely because it featured Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, on the front. Oh, how I love her! I do believe I have laughed out loud at something she says in every episode! The Earl Grey and vanilla blend of tea is just delicious, by the way, and I hope to collect the other Republic of Tea blends honoring "Downton Abbey" as well.

When I finished watching all four seasons of the show, I read a book recommended by a friend, "While We Were Watching Downton Abbey" by Wendy Wax. This is the story of three women who bond over Sunday night viewings of "Downton Abbey" at their historic Atlanta apartment building. The book doesn't have quite as much of a "Downton Abbey" focus as I would have expected from the title, but it was still a good book and I've already got a friend lined up to read it next.

I'm still desperate for "Downton Abbey" news, so I started looking in back issues of Victoria and Tea Time for their "Downton Abbey" features. Fun, fun, fun! But as a latecomer to the party, I have several questions/comments for those of you who had the good sense to watch the show all along.

1. I couldn't believe it when Lady Sybil died following childbirth! I LOVED Lady Sybil! Were you as shocked by that as I was?

2. Alas, nosy puss here just couldn't wait and had Googled some articles about the actors online, so I knew that Dan Stevens was parting the show before I saw the episode in which he died. That was sad but not devastating because I knew this was going to happen. I later learned of the uproar that ensued in the UK when this show aired on Christmas night! It aired later in the U.S., but did those of you watching get upset? Did any of you vow never to watch the show again? (I heard that some did!)

3. Who is your favorite character? Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, is my clear favorite, followed by Carson, Lady Mary, Anna and Bates (tie), and Isobel Crawley. (I took two different "Which Downton Abbey Character Are You?" tests and got two different answers: the Dowager Countess in one, Anna in another. Does that mean I'm a blend of upstairs and downstairs?) I really, really enjoy the scenes where Violet and Isobel are going at it, because I admire the strengths in both of them. I like Violet's love of tradition and the old ways, and yet I was cheering on Isobel when she took in the wayward maid Ethel despite the uproar it caused. You go girl!

4. Do y'all think Bates killed Lord Gillingham's valet? I would not mind if he did it, frankly, but I don't believe he's guilty of this. I *would* like to know what he was doing off by himself that day since we're being all mysterious about it!

5. WHY on God's green earth do the Crawleys keep that nasty piece of work Thomas Barrow in their employ? I cannot remember when I've despised a character more. Each episode I want to knock that cigarette right out of his sneaky little hand and have Carson kick him (oh-so-politely) to the curb.

6. I think Daisy and Alfred will eventually get together, don't you? (Although, to show you how obsessed I've become over the show, I dreamed recently that Daisy married Prince Harry. Which would not be a bad idea, actually.)

7. Is there any, any way to rig one's TV or computer so we can see "Downton Abbey" in the fall when it airs in the UK rather than waiting until January when it comes on PBS here?

Thank you for indulging me, fellow "Downton Abbey" fans!