We’ve grown accustomed to seeing Lord Grantham strolling casually through the Downton estate, making plans for his war memorial this season. He’s been animated at times, mostly while dressing down the flirtatious Mr. Bricker, but even then he has appeared cool as a cucumber.
But on this latest episode we saw a livid Lord Grantham when he freely addressed Miss Bunting after she goaded him “with a surgeon’s accuracy.” The exchange was the exact opposite of the thinly-veiled criticism we expect to see around the dinner table at Downton and came as somewhat of a relief. And whether you approve of Miss Bunting or not, Grantham had every right to put her in her place. For one, everyone knows you bring your best manners to the dinner table. But also, Thirteen in New York says, “She is a professional wet blanket…, bringing fun to a screeching halt wherever she goes.”
This sudden dramatic pulse from Bonneville comes at an opportune time for fans of the veteran actor. We get to see more of Hugh Bonneville this Sunday in Shakespeare Uncovered when he revisits the play that helped launch his career, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Watch a preview now.
This Sunday, it’s Hugh times two (I couldn’t resist). See him in Shakespeare Uncovered at 4 p.m. and at 8 in an all-new Downton Abbey.
