https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-05-17/what-downton-abbey-doesnt-show-you-the-dark-side-of-life-as-a-servant-in-britains-mansions.html

  • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    The fictional one about Catherine the Great is good because it shows them literally burning serfs and servants during a plague and the nobles will just straight up kill servants for fun. Bonus for having enlightenment thinkers show up and be just as awful (Voltaire comes to the Winter Palace in season 2 and is shown as an awful person)

      • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        Yeah, pretty solid show. It's a bit lib, but they don't show enlightenment ideas as a grand solution and present the life of serfs as absolutely awful and at the whim of tyrants.

        Definitely better than most other period dramas due to it's lax handling of history and focus on satire. Got some Armando Iannucci vibes from it.