A hit Edwardian soap opera in Britain and a cult show for PBS fans drawn to British costume drama and aristocratic ritual, Downton Abbey eases into 1924 in its fifth season. The times they are a-changin'—a Labour government has been voted into power, so class mobility and education are overarching themes here—but change is slow. Lord Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) again represents the conservatives who see social adaptation as an affront to tradition, while Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) unexpectedly takes a stand for sexual freedom when she daringly (and secretly) agrees to an un-chaperoned holiday with a marriage-proposing beau in order to, um, test their compatibility. Plenty of subplots are interwoven (sister Edith conspires to adopt the daughter she secretly had out of wedlock, and Mr. Bates is yet again suspected of murder), but this season's focus falls on bubbly cousin Rose (Lily James) and her marriage to the son of a Jewish businessman, which brings out bigotry on both sides of the family. Downton Abbey remains an elegant melodrama that addresses various issues (from birth control to political engagement) as old-world pillars are confronted with the demands of modernity. Compiling all nine episodes (seen here in the uncut British versions) from the 2014 fifth season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Downton Abbey: Season 5
PBS, 3 discs, 525 min., DVD: $49.99, Blu-ray: $54.99 Volume 30, Issue 2
Downton Abbey: Season 5
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