Just when you think you're at the cool kids party, you realize you're Ward McAllister at your grandma's dusty opera box. Oh how sweet the victory is for Bertha, it only cost her the bargain price of her daughter's soul to the Duke (or, we presume). Thank goodness, he'll have the funds he needs to restore his crumbling English manor back to its glor…

Love is blooming everywhere in New York, but also dying awkwardly in the botanical gardens. Our hearts swell and break for Ada and cringe for Marion. Meanwhile George's heart might be softening to the working man. But on the opera battlefield, the blades are sharp and the cuts are deep. How much blood will be spilled for the center box?! Whether yo…

As we all know, the sharpest weapon in any proper lady's arsenal is a Duke, and Bertha will stop at nothing to win the Elder Wand of New York! Mrs. Winterton is just starting to taste Bertha's revenge and we are here for it. Was Julian abused as a child by a ladies maid or does he only have one character study he keeps going back to? (cough Mrs. O'…

Hang on to your bonnets! The damsels are back in their corsets ready to dissect the big war brewing in the battle of the opera boxes! Thank you, Julian, for giving us the polite drama we need these days,complete with the rapid-fire frock changes we so love. Will Bertha reign supreme or will Mrs. Astor twist the silver butter knife this season? List…

Ahhhh, it's great to be back at Downton! How we all missed the serious challenges of French weather, bad accents, and servants sitting where the king once sat. The damsels dig into this delight of a movie that (spoiler) we all loved! Julian may be listening to this podcast since one of our predictions came true ;) So pop open the good champagne, to…

We've reached the final stretch of the debut season of The Gilded Age -- young ladies are coming out, old ladies are crossing streets, and secrets are being revealed! The scent of wealth is in the air from the beaches of Newport to the ballrooms of New York (but it seems no amount of money can buy reliable help these days). The damsels are happy wi…

Downton Gabby aka Gilded Gabby is back and analyzing episodes 4 - 7 of Uncle Julian's latest show "The Gilded Age"! The damsels cringe over Marian's faux pas and Ward McAllister's accent, and pit frisky adventurer Mr. Raikes against Peggy's hunky editor Mr Fortune. We wonder if we'll see any more of Turner's breasts, marvel at Agnes' hilarious sile…

Downton Gabby is back lovingly analyzing Uncle Julian's latest show The Gilded Age, one hat feather at a time. And boy, do we have opinions! Old vs. new! Upstairs vs. downstairs! People whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower (or so they say) vs. people whose ancestors picked potatoes in Ireland. And all with a (shocking) American accent. The dams…

The movie! The movie! Shannon, Brandi and Therese are so excited to reunite to talk about the brand new Downton Abbey movie. We couldn’t be more excited–and worried. The chairs need to be set up! Edith’s ball gown is missing! The servants are revolting! And the King and Queen are coming to Downton! On the plus side…#BoyfriendForBarrow. Join us for …

[Season 6, Post-Finale Celebration] - Withdrawal, denial, grief...There's a Crawley-shaped hole in our Sunday nights, so we're excited that some of our smartest, funniest listeners are helping us deal with Life After Downton Abbey. This 'Very Special Podcast' features your memories, questions and wisecracks about things like: That extremely short p…

[Season 6, Series Finale] - No more secrets, no more lies-just happiness bursting on the series finale of our beloved Downton Abbey. As the captains of #TeamEdith, we wave our flags as she leaps over the final hurdle to her ride into the sunset (the dreaded mother-in-law test) and crosses the finish line with a gold medal. You are woman, Edith! Go …

[Life After Downton, Episode 23] - You know the damsels never miss a chance to talk about female friendship, so we were eager and excited to talk about the new HBO series My Brilliant Friend. For chapter one of this saga of Elena and Lila, not all of us think their bond is always believable, but are we intrigued enough to follow them further in the…

[Life After Downton, Episode 22] - It's hard times out there in the world these days. Luckily, pop culture offers us multiple ways to take a break from reality, and on this episode the damsels are sharing their favorite methods of escapism. Join as we journey from hundreds of years in the past to hundreds of years in the future to hang out with cha…

[Life After Downton, Episode 21] - The damsels slip on their emerald rings and gold jumpsuits to discuss the hit film Crazy Rich Asians. Avid fans of the books, they compare what works and what's missing in the film version - but overall gush about the beautiful men in the film. Then the damsels discuss their favorite ensemble films from the last 8…

[Life After Downton, Episode 20] - It's official! The Downton Abbey movie goes into production this September and the Damsels couldn't be more excited. We also have some THOUGHTS. We're throwing out our wildest predictions and fondest hopes, and tossing our own script suggestions Julian's way (it's never too late to reveal Edith is really Rosumund'…

[Life After Downton, Episode 19] - Let's just admit: it's rough out there in the real world these days. On this episode, the damsels discuss how the current political climate is affecting what we want from pop culture. Sure, season two of The Handmaid's Tale is just as well made as the first, but is the bleak storytelling doing us any good as viewe…

[Life After Downton, Episode 18] - The damsels delve in the brilliant, twisted world of the new show Killing Eve, check back in on the new season of Westworld, and have some thoughts to share on the latest season of Call the Midwife. Some of these shows we loved, some them of them we hated, and some we disagree on–just to keep it interesting!So put…

[Life After Downton, Episode 17] - In our first episode of 2018, the damsels are so pleased to be back and, as always, are ready to share some opinions! We have shows to look back on and shows to look forward to–but first, one exciting Downton Abbey-related adventure to share.In our main topic, we discuss two series that hit streaming at the end of…

[Life After Downton, Episode 16] - Call it the Wicked Switch of the West: Netflix's Godless was sold as a Western about a town made up of and run by women. What we got was...something else. In this podcast, we talk about what we liked (ladies in pants! with guns!), what we hated (endless speechifying by the men), and how we'd rewrite it (we have a …

[Life After Downton, Episode 15] - Content warning: this episode contains discussions of several depictions of sexual assault against fictional characters.This month on the podcast, the Damsels have a lot to rant about in a post-Harvey-Weinstein-scandal media world. After some round-up from our month off, we're diving into two series that deal with…

[Life After Downton, Episode 14] - Season 7 of Game of Thrones is done and we have issues!! Like how mopey Jon Snow (or Aegon Targaryen, or whatever your name is) is just one of those mediocre guys who gets his ass saved over and over again by better women and then gets promoted over them anyway! Also: A Game of Thrones/The Crown mashup, what the h…

[Life After Downton, Episode 13] - The damsels are faced with a situation they have never encountered--so many women are ruling TV, leading armies, reigning over nations, and body slamming other badass women. It's Christmas every week on TV this summer for us feminist gals.Kicking off the new season of Game of Thrones, the damsels are overjoyed by …

[Life After Downton, Episode 12] - The damsels kick off this month's conversation with some follow-up about the future of two previously discussed shows (good news for the midwives! Not good news for the sensates...). Then we're checking in on the continuing first season of The Handmaid's Tale and making sure we've properly fangirled over the work …

[Life After Downton, Episode 11] - This month the Damsels are all about the trials women go through with their bodies, starting with the eagerly-anticipated adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, which is beautifully done, and also gave at least one of us nightmares. We also check in with Call the Midwife, Harlots, Girls, and Big Little Lies, to see ho…

[Life After Downton, Episode 10] - On this month's episode, the damsels discuss the smash hit film Beauty and the Beast, along with the phenomenon of Disney "princesses," and what messages this film genre sends to young kids about their expected (hetero) futures. It's not that we don't like our plucky heroines, emotional musical set pieces, and swo…

[Life After Downton, Episode 9] - The damsels are getting ready for the Oscars by going through the Best Picture winners of years past and helping the Academy make better choices. There are so many phenomenal movies directed by women, written by women, and about women that deserved to win that coveted award. Throw on an evening gown, pop some champ…

[Life After Downton, Episode 8] - The Damsels are just girls in love...with musicals. We celebrate CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND, its great characters, hilarious production numbers, and Rachel Bloom's impressive bosoms.We also discuss the new film LA LA LAND (yeah, we have a few issues), as well as some of our favorite musicals of all time, from WEST SIDE ST…

[Life After Downton, Episode 7] - The damsels close out a rocky year in real life by recalling the many 2016 TV moments that made us feel so many emotions in a safe space: joy, rage, hope, despair, and general appreciation of female badassery. As we each count down our favorite five moments of the year as well as a few disappointments, we also cons…

[Life After Downton, Episode 6] - The damsels dive into the world of ermine, tweed, taffeta, and yes... sparkly headbands aka crowns. Lots to discuss about Netflix's new show The Crown: some of us loved Prince Phillip's butt, some didn't; some liked John Lithgow's performance as Churchill, some didn't; and only one damsel recognized a certain actor…

[Life After Downton, Episode 5] - At long last, it's a new world on HBO, as multiple new shows with women at the helm populate the line-up. Up first, we dive deep into co-creator Lisa Joy's Westworld: is it the new LOST? The new Game of Thrones? Or something altogether fresh? We may not have the answers yet, but we are in the saddle for this journe…

[Life After Downton, Episode 4] - Summer is over and we're back with a brand new podcast! On this episode we preview the Emmy Awards and the fabulous ladies who act in and create some of our favorite shows. We'll also be live tweeting the Emmys this Sunday night (Sept 18th).Downton Abbey is nominated for 10 Emmy awards, and we wonder: Could they ha…

[Life After Downton Episode 3] - The damsels dive into the world of teen shows with special guest Karen Draper who is a YA Author and writes about teen shows on her tumblr. We compare the shows about the rich kids with the shows about the dorks, examine the sexual politics, gush about the bad boys, and decipher the timeless-ness of the themes and w…

[Life After Downton, Episode 2] - Class! Evil lady's maids! Marrying to save the family pile! Who else could the Damsels be talking about this week but our good buddy Julian Alexander Kitchener-Fellowes and his latest projects.We have a lot of love for his episode-a-week book series Belgravia, but really can't fully express our hatred for its app. …

[Life After Downton, Episode 1] - The damsels are back to check in on the post-Downton landscape, which luckily already contains Julian Fellowes's next big project (one that would horrify a certain butler if he knew about it). We'll be checking in with Belgravia as it progresses, so stay tuned for more! Then it's a fab new world as we welcome our f…

[Season 6, Post-Finale Celebration] - Withdrawal, denial, grief...There's a Crawley-shaped hole in our Sunday nights, so we're excited that some of our smartest, funniest listeners are helping us deal with Life After Downton Abbey. This 'Very Special Podcast' features your memories, questions and wisecracks about things like: That extremely short p…

[Season 6, Series Finale] - No more secrets, no more lies-just happiness bursting on the series finale of our beloved Downton Abbey. As the captains of #TeamEdith, we wave our flags as she leaps over the final hurdle to her ride into the sunset (the dreaded mother-in-law test) and crosses the finish line with a gold medal. You are woman, Edith! Go …

[Season 6, Episode 8] - There were never such devoted sisters! This week we dig deep into the penultimate episode of Downton Abbey and the Mary/Edith throwdown we've been longing for for 6 seasons. We also ponder some burning questions, such as: Is Henry a dreamboat or a stalker? Has the Yorkshire Bawdy House market become saturated? Is Tom the bes…

[Season 6, Episode 7] - A moment of silence for Charlie, not only did he lose his life, but he also put the nail in the coffin on Mary and Mr. Yum Yum's relationship. Well, maybe it was Henry's drunk dialing that did it...After discussing Chekov's Sports Car, the damsels dig into the other juicy storylines, such as Bertie's proposal (yay #TeamEdith…

[Season 6, Episode 6] - This week we find the Crawleys in fine comedic form as they wander cluelessly around the Abbey making stuff up about their paintings. Meanwhile, Mrs Hughes is (hopefully) spitting in Carson's food, Mary and Edith prove they'll never fight over the same men, and Julian dazzles us with his tenuous grasp of obstetric knowledge.…

[Season 6, Episode 5] - After we've wiped the blood off our shocked faces, the Damsels dig into this episode jam packed with love and (almost) death. Although we love Mr. Yum Yum, we wonder if he's marriage material, but you won't find us shipping Mary and Tom! No, we are more interested in whether Mary and Edith will finally bury the hatchet and b…

[Season 6, Episode 4] - Feminism abounds in the new episode of Downton Abbey! Julian, how did you know that the way to make us care about the hospital storyline was to have a group of ladies relate it all to their opinions about government? Meanwhile, Mrs. Hughes is keeping her name, and all that sexy, not-at-all secret flirting between Mary and Mr…

[Season 6, Episode 3] - So much love to discuss in this joyous episode, starting with The Big Wedding and Edith's adorable rom-com storyline. Also, lots of drama to dissect: Mary/Tom shipping, #CoatGate, Chekov's indigestion, #RatFetus, Spratt's secret life, Molesley as the Edith of downstairs, and whether Marigold will kill them all in their sleep…

[Season 6, Episode 2] - It's not just Lady Mary's Late Fat Stock that are behaving like pigs this week. We discuss all the jerky goings-on, including Carson insisting on getting married at work, Isobel bickering with Violet-and cock-blocking poor old Dickie, and Barrow getting picked on by almost everyone downstairs.We also try to figure out how Ed…

[Season 6 Premiere] - We're so excited about the premiere of the final season of Downton Abbey (and, to be honest, a bit sad). Some things haven't changed: Another random evil maid is causing trouble, Carson disapproves of something modern, Mary is testing the limits of propriety, Cora can't get a straight answer to a question...and Anna is crying.…

[Downton Gabby Off-Season 9] - It's a super-packed conversation in our last episode of the off-season before the (sob) final season of Downton Abbey begins. We're preparing, reminiscing, and predicting, and one of us might be taking a deeper dive into fandom activities than ever before (send 1920s garb now!). Helping us fill some of the time before…

[Downton Gabby Off-Season 8] - This episode celebrates The Danc e, and who better to title it than Zoe Saldana's epic Eva in beloved teen film Center Stage.We take a nostalgic trip back to that 2000 ballet classic, but first we talk about Starz's (sadly) limited series Flesh and Bone. This story of a simple girl from Pittsburgh who becomes the toas…

[Downton Gabby Off-Season 7] - Fall TV has just begun and we are treating it like a big appetizer sampler. We run through our opinions on new buzzy shows like Quantico and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend while also touching base with some old faves Nashville and Jane the Virgin. Then we dive into a big discussion on Nancy Meyer's latest film The Intern, which …

[Downton Gabby Off-Season 6] - As the Damsels count down the days until the final season of Downton (and weep over the first glimpses of the end), we're also game to check out a show that pokes fun at our beloved Abbey – Comedy Central's Another Period, filled with horrible people doing horrible things to each other in the most hilarious of ways. T…

[Downton Gabby Off-Season 5] - The Damsels are so emotional, with Joy, Anger, Sadness...and some Hot and Bothered. We start with Pride and Confusion over DOWNTON ABBEY's Emmy nominations and a new pilot for Michelle Dockery. Then, INSDIE OUT fills us with Sadness, which is actually a really good thing (except for our Disgust with the opening short …

[Downton Gabby Off-Season 4] - The Damsels are still on the "Game of Thrones" bandwagon (despite the several public defections) as we talk about the season finale: Jon Snow's really bad day (or is he?), Cersei's epic Walk of Shame, and Arya gettin' stabby with it at the brothel. Why is the girl aggrieved? Maybe it's because this season's GoT had no…