In Defense of Matthew

[tripp3235]

So much backlash against Matthew.  He's my favorite character, dear, sweet Matthew. Many think he's changed a great deal in S2.  Thanks to the war, that's inevitable.  Unfortunately, as eolivet has pointed out, JF decided to not attempt to flesh out Matthew's character in any great detail, just rendering a few war scenes here and there, and showing him

Comments

[silverducks]

I was thinking earlier and I keep on forgetting to mention it. I know people get annoyed that Matthew isn't grateful enough at Mary, but I think that is very much connected to his personality. He is very independent and as you mentioned, doesn't even like having to have a Valet/Butler! So for him to have to now ALWAYS be dependent on someone else for evermore, to have to be nursed by a lady who he's had so much good and bad history with, well, it's very much a shock!!

So I think he's just too bitter than he HAS to be looked after, and by Mary, to really see things from her point of view and to be more grateful. I know that could sound selfish, but he's just been through so much at this moment - and his independent/stubborn personality doesn't help!

[tripp3235]

Yes, Matthew is just a great combination of various emotions and people need to remember he DESERVES to be. I hate to even call it selfish, especially in E5 and E6 timeline.

[teddy_tips]

I have to say that I pretty much agree with you on this, and that, overall, I really don't think anyone was much out of character in this season. In fact, I rather liked it. I mean, I feel like the biggest factor is the portrayal of passing time. In season one, we only went two years. Then there's a two year gap, then we go another two years. While we don't see the gap, there's effectively four years of FEELINGS to deal with! Which, I think, complicates things a great deal

[teddy_tips]

Oh! My other little thing, is that Matthew dismissing Mary's nursing seems realistic for all the reasons you stated - he may think she's bound by duty, he was overwhelmed by other things, and deeply depressed, and Lavinia made a more elaborate show of choosing him, while Mary only spoke in vague hypotheticals. On top of it all, duder was on morphine, which is gonna blur things a bit. And he was probably on it for a good while. He probably DOESN'T remember much of Mary's bedsitting, especially in the early days (either the occasions she would come, or the time spent there). Also, Sybil's nursing. Edith's helping the soldiers. It would not be unreasonable to assume that Mary's stepped up too. He hasn't talked to her in two years, and probably feels he has no claim as to her behaviour (which is later reversed when he comments on her hair), and who is he to call her out for strange behaviour?

M/M and general JF

[darkblueyank]

First, thanks to you and all the creative and articulate fanfic writers and LJ commenters

Re: M/M and general JF

[tripp3235]

A digression - I wish there was time for some backstory on Matthew. JF has so many characters and stories to juggle, that Matthew is a bit of a cut-out character in many ways. He seems to spring from Manchester with no friends or maternal relations. We don't get any backstory on why he went legal and not medical for his profession. And how long has his father been dead? We get more of a sense of backstory on the Downton Crawley family.

THIS THIS THIS!!! Yes, I hate we have no backstory of Matthew. We don't even know exactly when his father died and how old Matthew was. I hate that.

I also agree that in WW1 (and WW2) the war excellerated relationships much much faster (which I think also created many unhappy marriages later on).