What Happened at Downton Abbey?!

Yesterday's Downton Abbey is causing massive amounts of controversy among its fans. Many believe that the show, now in its fourth season, has gone too far. What do I think? Well my dears thanks for asking! In all honesty I do think the show went there but I also think that what upset most of the fans is necessary, although maybe not for the obvious reason. SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN EPISODE 4x02 OF DOWNTON ABBEY. 

Its Anna, everyone's favorite Lady's Maid that's at the center of all the hoopla. If you really watch the show you know that Anna is the maternal, friendly one of the servants who is nice to just about everyone who comes through the Abbey. In last night's episode Anna was raped by the servant of a guest who was staying at Downton.  She stayed hidden after the ordeal and was found by Mrs. Hughes.  She brings Anna clean clothes and gets her back on her feet but is sworn to secrecy due to Anna's fears of her husband, Mr. Bates, killing the man and being sentenced to death. The episode ends with Anna walking home by herself as Bates calls after her.

Most are taking issue with the fact that there was a rape at all.  The scenes with the content seemed rushed and cut together in a way that the audience knew what was going on without seeing it, along with Anna's screams in the background. While people are entitled to their opinions I need everyone to realize the time period. Season 4 takes place in 1922. Rape has been happening since early man. The way Anna has chosen to deal with this situation isn't uncommon for the period. 

My issues with this storyline are completely different. Why Anna? There are plenty of other characters on the show (yes its a terrible thing to say but think about it). I think on all television shows each character has their very own thing which I like to call a "Hell Storyline". I would've thought that Anna's hell storyline occurred when Bates was sent to prison.  For an entire season we saw her struggles as she fought to get the man she loved out of a wrongful imprisonment. So why Anna. I think that there are some characters on the show who have bigger fan bases than others and the death of Matthew Crawley changed things for both the fans and writers.  Killing off a major character opens up the doors to the world of "we can really do anything now". Most of you know that season 4 has already wrapped in the UK so those of us who are watching it now live will just have to wait and see how it will play out. 

To wrap it all up I do think that a storyline this deep was necessary.  Downton Abbey is not an untouchable magical wonderland where nothing bad ever happens. Remember Cybil and Matthew? Or that guy who died in Mary's bed in season 1? Things happen at Downton. Part of what makes the show so good is what happens in the aftermath. 

By the way, Joanna Froggatt's performance in the episode was outstanding.  It could have gone very, very wrong but she's made Anna believable from the first episode.  She's a character that you wan't to be friends with which is also why I think the fans are so upset. As I've said I have yet to see the remainder of the season but based on this ONE episode I wouldn't be surprised to see an Emmy nomination in Froggatt's future.