In addition to the beautiful story that relate this charming series, I chose it also because it picked up some historical events that takes us back in time; and in the second season of the series we are served. It opened on a war setting, that announced the beginning of the first world war which has totally change the lives of the inhabitants, furthermore; the house is going to be transformed into a hospital and its gentlemen into soldiers and army agents, and its ladies to tender nurses.so how much does this war affect our dear characters? And does it change anything in the relation they had between each other (mainly downstairs, and upstairs relation)?

In 1916 the war blew up in Europe, and men has to enlist in the army; whatever their society class, Mathew crawly as the first episode of second season had shown, became an Officer on the front, he is now equal to the other, no classes matter, they are all in the same situation, fitting for the same ground; Thomas and William joined the war too, very horrible things happened there.

To sum up, Thomas has as usual find a way to save his neck, he gets injured on purpose in order to be sent home, William and Mathew fought courageously but they unfortunately get injured together at war. Matthew suffers a back injury that means he will likely never walk (or perform, shall we say, husbandly duties) again!  And William died peacefully after his marriage with Daisy who did not want to marry him but did it because he was dying.

In the house lot of things have changed too, starting with the décor, the small country hospital due to not enough room for all the recovering officers, Lady Grantham is approached by Isobel Crawley and Dr. Clarkson about turning Downtown Abbey into a convalescent home, and it is what happened, Cora is resistant, but the entire family is persuaded to help any way they can, and offering their home seems to be the best solution.

This shakes up the roles of both family and staff, but everyone get involved in this humanitarian aid; starting with Sybil, who went to a nursing school and become a nurse to help the injured soldiers, Mary, Edith and the servants provided assistance too. And we can mention that somehow this war has unify them and give to downtown abbey a more realistic image than in the first season which was more superficial in my point of view.

However; romance had been also present in this second chapter, and disillusion as well, mainly to poor Mary who had been announced that Matthew is now engaged to a young woman named Lavinia Swire, and it is not everything, not yet! Lady Edith’s fumbling lead in the romance department (it’s really not wise to set your sights on someone who’s already married), Lady Mary hooks up with Sir Richard Carlisle although it seems like more of a business proposition than a romance. Especially when he offers to cover up her indiscretion. And Sybil finds herself falling for chauffer Tom Branson, which is not at all befitting a lady of her status.

Ahh what a passionate season! Full of suspense and romantic intrigue, still the only good news we receive this season is that the war is over.so what next!

From the very first episode of downtown abbey, the first thing that immediately appeals us is the number of the servants who work in the house for a family composed only of 5 persons, they actually constitute the majority of people who live in that house. We also notice through the following episodes the relation which relates these people, which seems to be really superficial at the first sight, some questions have crossed my mind; does this kind of relation really exist between servants and their employees? How can this servants be so faithful and respectful to their masters? Has it been taken from reality or is it just a fiction?

So beautiful the days when the rich people lived in castles, served by an army of people, when each person had his personal servant! Beautiful the days when everyone knew their place and where the classes, though separate and unequal, were at least able to be polite to one other. That is actually what makes this series so charming and nostalgic, this break from reality can seems crazy but at the same time very intrigue, because you want to know if everything is going to stay like that ,or is something going to happen. What actually I liked about this series is that we feel like we are reading a book, like pride and prejudice or Jane Austen and other classical book related to this period, it is actually very smartly written and beautifully plays by the actors.

However; the first season can actually be define as upstairs/downstairs season, it was a story teller about how two different classes of the society leaves together in an astonishing mansion, all with the same life's stories (work, family, friendship, love…etc.) but, so differently live. Whereas the upstairs, had only to snap their fingers to have everything they wanted to, the downstairs sacrificed all their lives and even their families to work and stay alive.

However, a small summary of the season is required to see what the exiting things about this season;

Upstairs:

Lord Grantham’s aim was to make sure his daughters inherited his fortune, but unfortunately that all fell apart when Lady Mary’s intended was aboard the Titanic! Mary’s reaction was as icy as the glacier that sunk the boat.

Enter Matthew Crawley, the distant third cousin of Robert and his mother Isobel. Robert and Cora were hoping for a match between him and Mary, which Matthew wanted less than anything in world, even if the spark between them was almost immediate.

Pamuk The handsome Turkish visitor from afar provided the first major scandal for Downtown, when he seduced Lady Mary then promptly expired in her bedroom in a rather compromising position. He died in her bedroom; Cora and lady’s maid Anna helped remove him from the bed, the implications of that sordid night were drug out for two seasons.

Forbidden love between Sibyl and her car driver activist, and Matthew and Mary’s premature engagement.

Downstairs:

The staff of Downtown was thrown into upheaval by the arrival of Mr. Bates, an old friend of Lord Grantham in need of job who was assigned to be Robert’s valet.

Enter jealous footman Thomas and co-conspirator O’Brien, who almost get Bates ejected from the house by trying to frame him for stealing.

The kitchen staff triangle of love originated: William in love with Daisy, Daisy in love with Thomas, and Thomas in love with …. Himself.

And let’s not forget The Crawley’s cook, Mrs. Patmore and her treatment of Daisy as her personal servant were revealed to be the symptoms of a larger problem: her failing eyesight. Lord Grantham made a surprising offer to save her sight.