‘Downton Abbey’ season 5, episode 2 ratings drop further; why?

What is going on with the ratings for “Downton Abbey“? We could understand if some out there are asking this question, but for the time being, we would still insist that there is nothing to worry about.

For its second episode of season 5, the Carnival Films production drew a total of 8.1 million viewers on ITV. This is a drop from the premiere, and also from what the show drew at this point last year. “The X Factor” also topped it as the #1 program of the night.

All phenomenon do have an expiration date, and what we feel like this proves is that the time for Downton is nearing an end. It’s no longer a critical darling in the UK, and while it still makes a ton of money and is popular all around the world, you always want to leave with the audience wanting more. Too many other shows (“True Blood,” “Scrubs”) tend to overstay their welcome, and almost everyone forgets about them the moment that the show is over.

We’d argue that next season should be the last for the series, since this at least allows the show an opportunity to write towards a specific end. At this point, we’d be opposed to season 5 being the end. It was not written as such, and given the global success of the show, we feel like ITV and Julian Fellowes owe us a grand send-off for so many of the characters. Plus, this could give them an opportunity to bring back some living characters who have left over the years for one final turn.

What do you think about the latest round of “Downton Abbey” ratings? Share your thoughts right now with a comment! Also, you can click here to get our take on this past episode, or here for some further TV news on all we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: ITV