In the Season 2 Premiere, War Reshapes ‘Downton Abbey’

World War I quite literally changed the face of Europe, so it’s not all that surprising that its arrival also significantly alters the world of Downton Abbey. Things are changing, something it feels like half a dozen characters mention over the course of the supersized Season 2 premiere, and the larger world of the show itself is certainly not immune to that maxim. Gone is most of the sharp-eyed class commentary that was so prevalent in its first season, jettisoned in favor of a wildly soapy string of plot twists—a surprise fiancé! a suddenly vengeful wife! a soldier getting himself shot on purpose! — that are, on the surface, fairly ridiculous. But goodness, are they fun to watch.

The series had become an international juggernaut by the time its second season hit screens, and it’s evident that those in charge behind the scenes of Downton were clearly aware of this fact. Where the first season kept its plots moving briskly, multiple roadblocks suddenly abound for the same couples who confessed their love within the space of an episode or two last year. Is the show dragging things out a bit now that it’s basically got free rein to do whatever it likes? Probably. But, hey, there’s some top-notch yearning going on throughout this hour, and so much more to come.

(Sue me, I’m a sucker for this and I’m not sorry.)

Season 2 picks up nearly two years after the events of the first season finale. It’s an interesting choice, given that it means we miss out not only on the Crawley family’s immediate reaction to the initial privations of war, but the more granular fallout from all the stuff that went down at the end of last season. Yet the distance does allow for a bit of a narrative reset regarding which stories the show’s focused on.