As I said yesterday, another day, another awesome TV female character:
Day Twelve: Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton)
"What they expect, Matthew, is that we won't know how to behave, so if you don't mind, I would rather not confirm their expectations."
Isobel comes from a medical and middle-class family - and certainly didn't expect to find herself as the mother of the heir-apparent to an earl, but she accepts the change with much grace and pragmatism, and immediately sets about helping out at the cottage hospital - rather too literally for anybody else's liking, but she won't let that get in the way of saving lives - and absolutely wonderfully, immediately challenging the supremacy of Violet, the Dowager Countess (who happens to be played by Maggie Smith). Naturally, if you can come off best in a battle of wills with a character player by Maggie Smith you must be awesome, and Isobel (and, of course, Penelope Wilton), is, very much so.
Isobel (meeting the Dowager): "What shall we call each other?"
Violet: "Well, we can always start with Mrs Crawley and Lady Grantham..."
Sadly, she has no fanvids, and I can't even find any clips of her vs Maggie Smith. However, I did at least manage to find a fanmade trailer that actually includes her:
Click to view
Also, careful searching produced the first part of Episode Two, which is very accessible, as it
introduces Isobel and Matthew Crawley for the first time. (If you're taking a look to see what the show is about in many ways it's one the better clips to try. Also, from this point on, battle is joined between Isobel and Violet, a story-thread which was a joy throughout S1.)
"You will be an Earl. You will inherit the estate. Of course, you can throw it away when you have it - that's up to you..."
(Plus, the almost-as-awesome Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith)
encountering a swivel chair for the first time Just because I had to. "Why does every day involve a fight with an American?" :lol:)
30 days of Awesome TV Female Characters:
Day One: Soolin (B7)
Day Two: Dayna Mellanby (B7)
Day Three: Michelle of the Resistance (Allo Allo)
Day Four: Beatrice Eliott (House of Eliott)
Day Five: Captain Kathryn Janeway (ST:V)
Day Six: Maddy Magellan (Jonathan Creek)
Day Seven: Lady Mary Crawley (Downton Abbey)
Day Eight: Ros Myers (Spooks)
Day Nine: Servalan (B7)
Day Ten: Anna Thornton-Wilson (Hotel Babylon)
Day Eleven: Winifred Burkle (Angel)