'Downton Abbey' Pro-Life Storyline Opportunity to Reach Millions of Fans (SPOILERS)
Many "Downton Abbey" fans are familiar with the show's more dour storylines: death, abandonment and betrayal, but this season Juliann Fellowes is taking the show in a different direction.
In upcoming weeks fans will see a storyline that presents rather unique opportunities for one particular character. Stop here if you do not wish to know more.
As many already know, Lady Edith Crawley is excited about her job in London and the romance with Michael Gregson. They share a night together, a first for Edith, who is clearly torn about the status of being with a married man.
Soon it comes to light that Edith is pregnant, and Michael has left the country to establish a new residency and divorce his wife so that he and Edith can be together. Only he's disappeared altogether, leaving Edith alone with a surprise pregnancy.
Edith decides to have an abortion and tells no one but her aunt. They go to the clinic together and as Edith talks through her decision, it is clear that she is undecided but feels constrained by her situation and social status.
She states that she would be "killing the wanted child" of a man she loves and that things would be different if he was around. After hearing a patient sobbing in the physician's room, Edith makes the decision to leave the clinic for good.
"This was a mistake," Edith repeats as she walks out with her aunt.
Pro-life writers have praised Fellowes for dealing with the situation in a unique way, one that reaches millions of viewers on both sides of the ocean.
As viewers will come to find out, Edith makes the decision to give her child up for adoption, which in itself is a hard choice to make, especially given her family's reputation and social standing.
"Of course, the story doesn't end there," Gina L. Diorio wrote for Live Action News. "Just as in real life, the story never ends when an unborn baby is saved – that's when a new story begins. This is a huge platform from which to deliver a message – any message. Hats off to Mr. Fellowes for using his platform to spread this message to millions of people."