Wondering what all the fuss among your friends is about? The British series 'Downton Abbey,' airing on PBS starting this Sunday, took pop culture by storm last January with its story of drama and intrigue in an aristocratic family and the people who serve them, just before World War I. Whether you are new to the series and need a recap of last season, or watched last year and forgot the details, here's what you need to know about season 1 before season 2 premieres Jan. 8.
1. The family
The family of the Earl of Grantham lives at Downton Abbey, headed by Robert who lives on the estate with his wife, Cora, an American heiress, and their three daughters, Mary, Edith, and Sybil. Mary is headstrong, while Edith believes she lives in her older sister's shadow and seeks to cut Mary down whenever possible. Youngest Sybil is intrigued by the changes happening in the world such as the issue of women's suffrage. Robert's mother Violet, the dowager countess, is protective of the old way of life and frequently tries to manipulate those around her in order to maintain her own social status and that of her family. She sometimes clashes with her American daughter-in-law.
2. The servants
The servants are led by Mr. Carson, the butler, who is in charge of the male staff, and Mrs. Hughes, the housekeeper, who, despite her title, is unmarried. (It was common at the time for housekeepers to be given "Mrs." as a show of respect.) Sarah O'Brien serves as maid to Lady Grantham, and Anna Smith serves as head housemaid. The servants' world is rocked when a man named John Bates, who served the earl during the war, arrives to be the earl's valet. He walks with a cane as a result of a war injury, and many of the servants, especially O'Brien and the first footman, Thomas, feel he is unable to properly serve as valet because of his disability. Thomas especially resents him because he wanted Bates's job.
3. The Problem
The first season began with the Crawley family receiving word of the sinking of the Titanic. The heir to Downton Abbey and his son, Mary's fiancé, were on board, and with their deaths, it's now thrown into doubt who will inherit the estate. Because of an English law called an entail, whoever now inherits the estate will receive the house, land, and the family's money, and Robert has no say in who will get it after his death. A distant cousin named Matthew now stands to inherit everything.
4. The new arrival
Matthew, the distant cousin of Robert and new heir, arrives with his mother Isobel at Downton Abbey to a cool reception from Violet and Mary, who resent them for standing to inherit the estate. Violet and Matthew's mother Isobel particularly clash after Violet expresses her disdain for the more middle-class relatives. However, as the Crawleys' lawyers say there seems to be no other legal option but for Matthew to inherit the estate, Violet and Mary's mother Cora encourage Mary to marry Matthew. Matthew seems attracted to Mary, but Mary will not stand for the idea.
5. The crisis
Mary, who views it as her duty to make a good marriage as the eldest daughter, is excited when the wealthy Evelyn Napier arrives for a visit. However, it's his companion, the Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk, to whom she's immediately attracted. He feels the same and shows up in her bedroom late at night – something completely unheard of in a world where ladies were expected to stay chaste before marriage. Mary and Kemal spend the night together, but Kemal then dies in Mary's bed in the middle of the night. Word of Mary's indiscretion getting out would be disastrous for her marriage prospects, so Mary asks her mother Cora to help her move Kemal's body back to his bedroom. A maid named Daisy sees this happen and later tells O'Brien, who tells Mary's sister Edith. Edith, resenting the attention Mary gets as firstborn, tells the Turkish ambassador what really happened.
6. The rivalries
Thomas, the footman, continues to work with Cora's maid O'Brien to try to undermine the valet Bates, first attempting to frame him for stealing a snuffbox, and later for stealing a wine bottle. Bates is cleared of those crimes, but Anna, the head housemaid who is in love with him, discovers that he was arrested for stealing in the past. It turns out, however, that Bates' wife had actually committed the crime, and he took the blame for it. Bates seems to return Anna's affection, but the two have yet to act on it. Thomas attempts to steal the butler Carson's wallet, and Carson finds out. Rather than being fired, Thomas joins the Army Medical Corps, anticipating that World War I will soon begin.
7. Where we left off
The youngest daughter Sybil has begun to grow close to the chauffeur Branson due to their mutual interest in politics. To everyone's surprise, Cora is discovered to be pregnant, which casts the issue of who will inherit Downton Abbey into doubt – but her maid O'Brien, who mistakenly thinks Cora plans to replace her, causes her to fall and miscarry the baby. As a result of Edith telling the Turkish ambassador her secret, Mary takes revenge by ruining her sister's chances with a potential suitor. Matthew proposes to Mary, who has begun to return his feelings, but after she appears uncertain, Matthew says he can't be sure whether she would be marrying him for himself or the estate. He announces he is leaving Downton Abbey. At the end of a party, Mary's father Robert receives a message and announces that Britain has entered into war with Germany.http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2012/0106/What-you-need-to-know-before-the-Downton-Abbey-season-2-premiere/Where-we-left-off
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