Anna & Bates: A Traditional Love Story Fit for A Modern Audience
The history of television is full of great love stories. By mentioning that now, your mind is recalling the many love stories that you have admired and been touched by. As a young person, I was completely invested in the ups and downs of Zack and Kelly. Corey and Topanga was the first time I contemplated the idea of a soul mate. As I’ve grown older, I found myself emotional when Ross and Rachel finally worked it out. Jim and Pam became relationship goals and the sweetness of Ben and Leslie is overwhelming. Whichever TV couple you’re thinking of, each and every one warms our hearts and fills us with love. Another entry into the pantheon of great TV relationships is Anna and Mr. Bates.
Downton Abbey is a show full of relationships. After six seasons on television and two movies, pretty much every main character on Downton is either married or in some sort of relationship. Love is something Downton Abbey does very well. The awkward sweetness of Molesley and Baxter, the beauty of Mary and Henry Talbot, the destined love of Edith and Bertie or the classic relationship of Robert and Cora, are just some of the examples of Downton excelling in love stories. While Downton certainly loves love, it also explores the pain that comes with heartbreak. William’s unrequited love of Daisy, Barrow’s consistent struggle, Edith being jilted at the altar and Matthew’s death are some of the ways Downton challenged its characters to give us a clearer picture on love. You can look to any character to see Downton exploring that character’s idea of love and how they handle it. Of all the love stories in the series, Anna and Mr. Bates stand out the most.
The series opens with Bates arriving at Downton and not long after we get our first glimpses of the passive, but quite intentional glances between he and Anna. The foundations of their relationship slowly builds from the very beginning of the series. For much of its early run, Bates and Anna are the central romance in the series. Even with plenty of love and courting in the air, it’s Bates and Anna that our minds return to often. They are the core relationship in the show. The emotional center that grounds the story in a grippingly beautiful way. A clever choice by creator/writer Julian Fellows, because it sets them apart early. It also levels the socioeconomic playing field, by making the most important romance one between two of the staff. A choice that pays off handsomely because Anna and Bates shine as a traditional romance, befitting of the time period while also gripping a modern audience.
Love Enduring Trials
Typically in a long running series, the relationships, especially the main ones, will go through several trials. Not unlike the realities of real life, tragedy or some sort of complications will put the couple through tests. The quality of a relationship, and trial, will ultimately determine the effectiveness of this portion of the series. Cory kissing Lauren on the ski trip, an act that ended their relationship for a brief period, completely rocked me as a kid. Watching the two of them process that action, ultimately added to the substance of their on screen relationship. When the opposite happens and the trial is forced, simply to create “drama” then the show and relationship suffer. Anna and Bates are again a unique example because they persevere through two examples of this.
Early in Downton Abbey, Anna and Bates deal with their first trial, literally. Bates being accused of, on trial for and eventually convicted of murdering his ex-wife is quite the test for the couple. However, the genuine love that was shown all throughout their courtship is the buoy for this relationship here. Each character develops throughout this process separately, and the couple grows together. We see a strength in Anna that wasn’t present in the beginning. Her faith in Bates is truly heartwarming. Never doubting him, no matter how bleak it looks or how hard he tries to push her away. Bates, gets a clearer picture of the strength, both physically and mentally he contains. And together we see how strong their love is. They are a true testament to trials strengthening love.
Later, in the show’s run we get essentially the opposite. Anna is accused of murder, which is the culmination of a season long arc after she was raped at Downton. Even though this plotline isn’t handled as well from a writing standpoint and both Anna and Bates act a little out of character, what brings us back is the love they have for each other. Ultimately, this trial becomes a testament to how even the most unlikely of couples can falter in ways you would never expect. When lying to protect your partner becomes more important than the truth, it forces you to reevaluate your values in that relationship. Both Anna and Bates do that, and we get to do it with them. They are such an ideal match, you grieve over their bad luck but also learn from their mistakes. If they can falter in that way, so can anyone.
Anna and Bates are such an interesting relationship in the pantheon of television. There is an element of them that is the “ideal” couple. Their love seems and feels destined. It’s why O'Brien and Barrow can bristle at it, but also why everyone else at Downton drops everything to support them in their time of need. The trials they endure are unique to them and unique to the narrative I referenced before. Even though fate has brought them together they have to work to make their relationship work, through some of the toughest experiences. That, ultimately, adds to the sweetness of their relationship because now they deserve all the happiness in the world.
Fit For a Modern Audience
Relationships take on so many forms now. Love is as open to interpretation as ever, which is great. It is also what adds an additional level of uniqueness to Anna and Bates. They almost feel like a historical relic, of which we’ll never see again. A simple, slow paced courtship that willfully follows the cultural regulations of the time feels quite different then other modern television relationships. Even as a throwback to a simpler time, one that doesn’t match modern cultural norms or expectations, Anna and Bates offer a lot to a modern audience. That’s because their love isn’t about anything other than just that. It’s a pure and unflinching love.
Stripping away the pomp and circumstance of something, often allows for you to be reminded of the simple things. We often take so many things for granted, because they get lost in the bustle of everyday life. Through any level of drama or trials, you can find yourself far away from what you once thought was most important. Thus is the beauty of Anna and Bates. Their simplicity is a reminder of what is most important, which is love. Their love is undeniably strong. That strength is what is aspirational in their relationship, not their purity. Power dynamics and the weight of the cultural injustices of the time don’t play much of a factor in their relationship because they exist together. Their combined existence is higher than all of that because it is the love they share for one another that fuels it.
Anna and Bates are a beautiful reminder of the power of love. Finding it, holding on to it and most importantly cherishing it. They are the best example of this on Downton Abbey and become the standard in which all other relationships are compared to. What they share together is so pure and true, that it is undeniable. It’s what we all long for and the reason why we love love stories. We all want the type of faith, passion, admiration and trust that Anna and Bates share. If we are lucky enough to find it, we all hope to honor and cherish it the way they do. As traditional and unlike our modern view of relationships is, Anna and Bates are a beautiful picture for the thing that we all have in common, love.
