A few years ago, I watched a series called Downton Abbey. If you haven’t seen it, it is about a wealthy family living on an estate in the early 20th century and the staff who work for them. Lord Grantham and Lady Grantham live a comfortable life with their three daughters: Mary, Edith and Sybil. Mary is the eldest and faces a lot of pressure to find a husband so she can carry on an heir. The staff at Downton also have their own backstories as well. Thomas Barrow is a closeted gay man, Mrs. O’Brien is super gossipy and is friends with Thomas until later in the show when she leaves to work for another lady, Anna and Mr. Bates have a thing going on that is really sweet, and Daisy and Mrs. Patmore have a really special bond. One of the characters I absolutely love, though, is Maggie Smith’s character. Maggie Smith plays the Dowager Countess at Downton Abbey, and when she meets Isobel, she is not happy because Isobel is trying to be chatty and friendly and show off her expertise as a doctor. In one episode, there is a butler named Mr. Molesley who has a rash on his hand, and immediately Isobel puts her doctor training to use and starts grabbing all sorts of tinctures and remedies for his hand, diagnosing the condition as erysipelas. Dr. Clarkson tells her gently to cool it, but Isobel insists on treating Mr. Molesley’s hand rash herself. However, the Dowager Countess only finds it amusing that Isobel is so quick to diagnose Mr. Molesley’s hand condition, and when she examines it she laughs and says that it is actually a rue allergy, not erysipelas. She walks off before Isobel can argue with her, and when the Dowager Countess walks off, she has this smug grin on her face. However, eventually the Dowager Countess warms up to Isobel, and they end up becoming good friends even if they don’t always agree on everything. The Dowager Countess has so many great lines, and I also love her elaborate and stylish hats!
I haven’t watched her older, older roles, but I love Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter. It was my first Maggie Smith movie, and I love her acting in that series. I really liked her in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, too.
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