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So we've done our personal magnificent seven characters, https://www.reddit.com/r/DowntonAbbey/s/mhONX9WqZD
But who are your personal least favorite, non villainous-esque characters? Mine, in no particular order, are: Edith, Thomas (the fact he never gets fired really stretches my suspension of disbelief) Daisy, Edna, Jane, Ethel, and Sarah Bunting.
I'm excluding characters like Mr G., That Doctor, Vera, Susan Flintshire, Amelia and Larry, and Mr. Bryant ect, because I feel those are characters more meant to be openly disliked. I'm looking for those characters who aren't so much baddies, but characters in the Series you just can't stand for whatever reasons.
(Rip to my beloved Bates and Henry in the comments, because I know it's coming on this sub 😭)
I feel as though Edna is very much deliberately malicious and villainous.
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Thomas never quite crossed into literal rape and intent to commit paternity fraud, though.
I kind of felt that way too but wasn't entirely sure if that was just me XD
Nanny West was a special kind of horrid. What we saw on the show was probably just the tip of the iceberg. How long had she been torturing poor Sybbie?
I remember watching that scene for the first time and physically getting chills. It shook me.
And why can't Miss Sybbie have an egg to her tea?
O’Brien, Sarah Bunting, Edna, Rose’s parents, Larry Grey
Shrimpie??!! Get down you cat!
IKR?? I love Shrimpie!
I love him too, but there is that one moment when they are in the highlands and the women are out having lunch on the grounds and the men arrive and Shrimpie's wife greets them warmly and he snarks at her. That always made me think. Yes, she's a nightmare, but over the years I am sure he contributed him share of vitriol.
Yeah definitely sensed it was a two way street there, even if Susan stayed on that street more often.
O'Brien is quite the love/hate character for me, I think because the actress plays her so well!
She’s unflinching as O’Brien, so believable
💯
Shrimpie is one of the best in the entire series 🤔
But Shrimpie was alright. Even the Prince of Wales loved him. 😆 "Good ole Shrimpie."
Yes, except for Sarah Bunting. I'm a fan of hers. She never did anything wrong except to refuse to defer to anyone based on society's ranking. She met everyone as an equal - lord and kitchen maid.
Oh, and edited to add not Rose's dad either. Her mother could be top of the list but not Shrimpie.
Agree on all, except good old Shrimpie. He is one of my favorite characters.
I don’t get the Jane add. I liked her personally. Lord Grantham initiated it, and while she reciprocated (she’s a widow probably starved for affection), she recognized that she needed to step away and put in her notice.
Yeah... I disapprove of her and Robert's actions, but I have a lot of sympathy for her.
I like Jane and despite what happened Robert is my favourite character though he has his flaws
Wow not a single mention of Vera in the comments so far, I’m shocked.
I love Maria Doyle Kennedy so much I can't hate Vera, lol
I wish wish wish they'd figured out an excuse for Vera to sing!
I feel like she's everyone's unspoken "of course she's the villain, so she's too obvious to count."
Oh. I did forget about Vera. What a "B**!"
Vera was excluded from this by the OP. To much of an obvious villain.
Right you are! My reading comprehension has seen better days, thanks for pointing it out.
Excuse me, where is O’Brien?!
I have such a love/hate relationship with her character that I couldn't put her on my list 😆 She's definitely been mentioned in the comments though
Denker! I’m not sure how Denker didn’t end up in more comments. Her behavior was ridiculous and I don’t know how OLG never sacked her.
I also have to say I don’t understand how Edith ended up in the list. Sure, she had her lows and came across as quite a pathetic (I’ll love anyone who shows interest) character in the beginning. But I came to respect her so much, especially after what she did for Mary after Mary ruined her chances with Bertie. And the way she handled her new-found status through him without lording it over Mary showed incredible growth, IMO. I loved her character arc and how things played out in the end for her.
Edna, Ms. Bunting, Cousin Susan, the horrid couple running the pharmacy who were hostile sellers of contraceptives.
Mr. Green, Edna, Sarah Bunting, O'Brien, Tony Gillingham, Nanny West, Mr. Bryant.
Though he bores the hell out of me I wouldn't say I particularly dislike Gillingham
Yes, Mr. Green!! I'd push him into the street if he wasn't already taken care of. 😆
Two categories
Characters I hate but I'm glad they're there
Carlisle (he is so entertaining and necessary but if you don't hate a man who tries to control, blackmail, and abuse his fiance then I don't know what to say)
and
2. Characters I could happily bin
Denker, Spratt (unpleasant characters to watch) Jimmy, Alfred, Ivy (pointless love stories of boredom) Tony ("I'm alive, he's dead" 'nuff said)
Oh no I loved the Denker/Spratt rivalry!
I liked Spratt a lot more than Denker so at least I had somebody to cheer on :D Spratt only just made the list for lack of anybody else to round out the 7
Saying I like Spratt more than Denker doesn't mean much of anything but yeah, he's not as obnoxious. I agree with all your others too.
I didn’t like Spratt the first time around. Because the character was unpleasant. But the more I watched him, he is so funny!!! Omg his facial expressions!!! It’s comedy! He’s hilarious. Now I love watching him. And Denker too. She’s so annoying but again, not as much as Spratt but she’s funny. The three triangle becomes entertaining after you get over the irritation and annoyance of the two characters.
I enjoyed the Denker vs. Spratt feud on rewatch, though the first time through I found it annoying.
I have hardly watched the later seasons so, maybe that would work for me :)
Characters that just annoy me the most, with or without having actually done anything wrong: Amelia Gray, Braithwait, Denker, Ivy, Jimmy, Sarah Bunting, and honestly sometimes William (I feel awful about this because he's a good dude! I like him but at the same time know that IRL I would ride into battle to defend him but only want to hang out with him in small doses, if that makes sense. I think it's partly that he's so jolly and oblivious to Daisy's discomfort the whole time.)
Things I'm curious about: -why do many people dislike Carson? -do we dislike Henry or just dislike him as a partner for Mary? -does Amelia Gray's voice/tone/accent combination make anyone else dislike her immediately?
Yeah I like Carson and Henry, though I would have preferred Mary to be with Charles Blake
Same!
Love Amelia. Wickedly delicious. Yes, it's the voice and tone, but also the self-satisfied smile that stays at her lips and never rises to her eyes.
I can't stand Amelia. Too bad Vera didn't invite her to share some pie 😆
I love to hate her. Because of her, my favourite series are 5 and 6.
I loved William, but there was something kind of annoying about the way he talked, at times.
Yup. Just... like an off-putting level of earnestness, or something.
Tony was just too saccharin for me.
O’Brien: I really couldn’t forgive her after the bathtub scene.
Thomas: No comment.
Mr. Pamuk: I don’t like Thomas, but I don’t like the way he treated him.
Jane: I don’t think she was necessarily evil or mean, but I didn’t like her inadvertently hurting Cora. I love Cora 🫶🏻
Sarah Bunting: No comment.
Daisy: But only because of how she acts re: William.
Sir Richard Carlisle: No comment.
Jane, for me, is a perfect example of how a basically good person can end up doing something awful, and how to course-correct once you realize you've screwed up.
Curious about what you mean about Daisy. Is it her not wanting to marry him, or her guilt after he dies, or something else?
Jane was a sweet girl despite what happened
All I'll say is that Carlisle was used in a bad way by Mary and I wouldn't have enjoyed the direction of the show had Cora given birth to a male heir over Mathew
Braithwaite, O'Brian, Susan Flintshire,Sarah Bunting, Edith, Jimmy, Rosamond
Edith, Tony, Mr. Drake, Carlisle, Sarah Bunting, Henry, O'Brien.
Braithwaite, Bunting, ROSAMUND, Jane, and Ethel’s son’s grandfather (the asshole dad of the soldier who got her pregnant). Not Ethel though, she got her comeuppance big time. Feel sorry for her actually.
I don’t actually have seven. I have enough contempt for Braithwaite, Jane, and Rosamund to make up for it though.
Why Rosamund? Not judging, just curious.
I totally disagree in regards to Jane and Rosamund
Me too.
Edna, O’Brien, Sara Bunting, Richard Carlisle are top
Thomas, Mary, Edith are all characters at times I hate and at times I really like
OMG I'M WATCHING RN AND JUST REALIZED I FORGOT ABOUT LADY ANSTRUTHER!! 😆 Honestly I might've replaced Jane with her if I'd remembered her, she is super annoying lol
I'll go with your list. I think it is a pretty good one. I approve.
Oh my! thank you I suppose. I wasn't trying to get anyone to agree, I was just looking to spark conversation on possibly unconventional takes. This is quite the rare comment on this post!
happy to converse! do you think Edna and bunting should be included? I kind of feel like they should be considered villains. like that was the intent behind them. at first I was like, why is Jane here? then I thought, well, she went after a married man while knowing his wife was sick and possibly dying. I think it might be that she was looking for that connection she lost from her husband, and Robert was just being his kind and gallant self at first, and helped with her child. then again, I wouldn't mind skipping that storyline.
So I felt I couldn't quite figure out if the writer meant Edna to truly be villainous? I think we all agree she's awful but I didn't know if they were trying to use her as a springboard to inspire Tom to move on or reconnect with his old self? And I definitely got that impression with Bunting that she was supposed to be a sort of genuine love interest? I don't find Bunting villainous just rather close-minded and misguided. I think deep down she has some good intentions with her mindsets she just lacks nuance and tact and doesn't always view ppl as individuals but labels them as players in certain spheres of the system.
I would've loved to have skipped the Jane storyline. It always felt forced to me? Like maybe they thought Robert was too noble all the time and wanted to take him down a peg? But it felt so out of character to me. I know that type of thing was often common with aristocracy and their arranged marriages, but the show goes out of their way to point out that Robert and Cora came to truly love each other despite it being for money. I just don't see what Robert is supposed to see in Jane, she doesn't seem anything special to me, she provides casual conversation and her colouring is just like discount Cora to me, I think Cora is much more striking, and I just find a Widow doing that so distasteful to her recently deceased husband's memory and dangerous to her child's reputation. It just didn't fit for me personally.
yeah, I agree about the Jane story line. maybe some would say Robert acted out because he was feeling disconnected with his wife. and they flipped this around with Cora and Simon bricker later (and the only reason I love that story line is because it fueled my conspiracy theory on the curse of the de la Francesca). but I'd just as soon cut that out of the show.
I don't know about Edna and bunting. I think Sara definitely was attracted to Tom, but the way she treated people and is implied to have taught daisy how to think made me feel like she was designed to not be liked without many redeeming features. as for Edna, there were definitely people who social climbed. but if you have to be locked in a room and threatened by Mrs Hughes, you have a high chance of being a villain.
Would love to know, why Daisy? Not arguing, sincerely curious :)
Hubs and I both feel like she's always complaining and doesn't treat the guys who show her interest very well. She always seems discontent with everything.
That is true. Mrs Patmore scolds her about that in the last season when Andy shows interest. Think it might even be the penultimate or final episode of the series
I don’t dislike Daisy but she had some really annoying moments. The Ivy/Alfred love-triangle situation and the whole Mr Mason losing his farm debacle.
Hate how she treated Ivy. Yeah, Alfred liked the pretty girl more than you. Get over it. He is not the first nor the last.
Carson is the entire list for me
Oh yeah? That strong?? What's it about him for you?
I like Carson
I like Carson, but I think he has some unlikable moments and ways about him.
Mr Bryant, Vera, Edna, Sarah Bunting, Larry Grey and his wife, Susan, carlise and OBrien.
O’brien, Richard Carlisle, Edna, Jane, Sarah Bunting, Major Bryant’s dad, Samson (the cheat)
Disagree on Jane, 50/50 over Carlisle cos Mary used him hugely
In hindsight, I’d remove Jane from the list and add Mr. Green happily or even add Vera Bates.
Just edit it 🤷
I don't think either Jane or Daisy can be called "malignant".
The title is just a play on the previous post being magnificent seven. A user in the last post actually commented that's how they accidentally read it lol. It's not meant to be taken that seriously. I just wanted to hear of people's maybe more unconventional unfavorites that's all.
I think Mr. Bricker belongs on this list
What about Bates’ first wife?
Jane? Why?
The very first time I saw her interview scene it came across as her having an ulterior motive the way she cut off Mrs Hughes to say she must earn. Not as if she couldn't find other work (there was plenty to do during the difficulties of war) but that she specifically wanted in at Downton. Then of course everything that follows... it always felt scheming to me. The pointed shots they have of her staring after Robert, the way she says "I don't want you different" made it seem to me like yeah of course not he has status and money and you're a mother and widow... it felt disrespectful to her late husband, and dangerous for her sons potential reputation, and of course the house that's providing for her, and of course Cora. I know she didn't physically initiate but it always seemed to me like she was aiming and waiting for that moment with Robert in his foolish time of weakness during the war, and trying to play the innocent, until they're almost discovered and then she decides to leave to avoid getting into real trouble and difficult reputation. She always seemed more of a subtle schemer to me as opposed to Edna's more overt manipulations. From the moment her character was introduced I didn't trust her. That's definitely just me though on this sub I expect.
Eh, I don't think Jane meant to be in a bad position. I have great sympathy for her. It might be because I find her super-attractive but I still wouldn't count her among the bad people.
It's not necessarily a list of bad people, hence Edith for example, and Daisy. Just the top list of characters I really couldn't get behind in the Series personally. That's why I left out characters like Mr Green, Vera, Mr Bryant, Larry, Susan ect because I feel like those characters are written to be unlikable.
I can't agree with Jane. Replace with Maj Bryant, or Mr Green, or Rose's mother..