"You know me... I'm never down for long."

[thisbluespirit]

The next two posts will both be characters I disliked to begin with, and both from shows that you will see again during this meme. The first is from Downton Abbey which I am sure people will have seen getting mentioned up and down their flists (well, if they have anyone from the UK on them, or at least the parts of it that aren't Scotland - ask STV about that one).


Day Seven: Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery)

"When you laugh with me, or flirt with me, is that a duty? Are you conforming to the fitness of things, doing what's expected?"

Mary is the classic 'girl with the curl', and remains so right to the end - she'll support Sybil but ruin Edith's chances more than once. She is a character born in age when to do the things she was made to do, she needed to have been a boy. Especially when in this case, as with Pride and Prejudice, there is a pesky entail in place that means she cannot be the one to inherit Downton - and the entire household consider that she has been robbed. So she is left to find herself a similar situation by marrying the right man - either the heir to Downton, or someone else. And she despises herself for it, and in the end proves to be too honest about who she is to accept her happy ending.

Somehow I get the feeling that the War will give her that chance to show what she can do and prove Carson right to have such faith in her. Which, considering how much I disliked her at the start, and the Radio Times also went from labelling her the "toxic Lady Mary" to rooting for her, is quite something. Or maybe it's just that I always have a thing for characters who are too stubborn for their own good - but I love Mary's insistence on honesty. Despite everyone's advice, she isn't going to walk down the aisle with half the story untold...

Edith: Even you can't take every prize.
Mary: Is that a challenge?

Amazing, amazing tribute vid here (it is more than a bit spoilerish for the main part of Mary's story, but since that is only one of many in Downton Abbey, count it as a teaser?):

If you cannot risk spoilers, try this. If nothing else, you can gaze on the gorgeous Edwardian dresses - and, believe me, they are gorgeous: Angel of the Morning - Lady Mary Crawley tribute

Since Downton is my newest TV love, I am finding it very hard not to just include everyone, but at the moment, I only have Upstairs characters planned. This seems wrong, because they are almost all awesome (even Daisy, and remind me to talk sometime when I have a brain about the fact that Daisy clearly comes from an institutional background, probably the workhouse, or a workhouse school, even though it's never been stated. I like the way things don't necessarily have to be said in this show.) Anyway...


Day One: Soolin (B7)
Day Two: Dayna Mellanby (B7)
Day Three: Michelle of the Resistance (Allo Allo)
Day Four: Beatrice Eliott (House of Eliott)
Day Five: Captain Kathryn Janeway (ST:V)
Day Six: Maddy Magellan (Jonathan Creek)

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, I grew to like Mary more. Though I don't adore her (yet)!

[thisbluespirit]

I like her very much more now than I did - especially when she shot herself through the foot being too stubborn and honest for her own good at the end. (For some reason, I always love it when characters behave like that). But when I was thinking about which characters were awesome, and, even though they pretty much all are, she stood out in my head. Looking at the fanvids, I have to say, I think it is a pretty great performance from Michelle Dockery, who I'd never heard of before this. Although, it all depends on next season, really... :-)

If I run out of characters for this meme, I will just fill it all with the remaining staff of Downton Abbey!

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

LOL

[darth-kittius.livejournal.com]

I'm LOVING Downton Abbey also!

[thisbluespirit]

Yay - isn't it great? ("What's a 'weekend'?")

:-)

[belantana.livejournal.com]

Oh, I must get my hands on this show too! My internets is refusing to chuck up videos at the moment, but from the pic I have to say that Mary has a Very Nice Hat.

[thisbluespirit]

Yes, I know you are a bit averse to period drama in general, but Downton Abbey is very good, so I recommend it anyway. (S1 is set just before WWI, so now they have won us over to love all these many characters to pieces, it will be the War next, and there's no way they can all survive. I can't remember the last time I felt so worried about a set of characters...) And, there are lots of nice hats. Many, many nice hats. ;-)

Aw, hope your internet decides to start behaving itself soon! *frowns at it*

[st-aurafina.livejournal.com]

I didn't like Mary at first, either, but they gave her so much nuance over the series that by the end I loved her. Poor thing, knowing she would have made a terrific son, and not being able to do the things she knows she can.

[thisbluespirit]

Yes, that's exactly it. :-) I like that we eventually see everybody's story as we go along.