Slate Plus members get early access to our Doughton Abbey Spoiler specials this season, immediately following the broadcast on PBS.

If you're not a Slate Plus member, try out this early access for the first three Downton Spoilers.

If you like it, sign up for Slate Plus Sparler special on Season 5 of Downton Abbey.

I'm June Thomas and I'm here with the amazing Seth Stevenson.

Hello, Seth Stevenson.

Hi, June, but please call me Shrimpie.

Please call me Hoppy.

We'll do.

Shrimpy.

We're back for another season of Downton,

and I think that the thing that is most annoying and most fantastic about

Downton Abbey is that the same thing happens over and over and over again. And the first few

seasons you complain about it. And then after a while, you just accept that that's what you

like about it. Am I speaking for you or is that just my own response? No, I agree. It was like

putting on a pair of old shoes.

You know, I was very comfortable. I was glad to be with these characters.

Again, you know, I remember thinking, I think it was, you know, somewhere in season three that

it just went off the rails and I was like, why am I watching this show?

They're killing all the actors and characters I actually like.

It's the same thing happens over and over again. They've completely run out creative steam. But as I watched this first episode of season five, I felt like, hey, this is

quite pleasant. You know, I'm just going to dip back into this river again, and I'm fine with that.

But June, times are changing. Things have changed. There is a labor prime minister.

...