ISIS - A TRIBUTE

Well, that should bring Toobworld to the notice of Homeland Security. Hallooo, boys!

'Downton Abbey' viewers in the UK knew this since last Fall, but American viewers only learned of the latest death to strike the Crawley family last night.....

Isis was the second Yellow Labrador owned by Lord Grantham. Previously he had Pharaoh, who passed away at some point around 1914. He probably had Pharaoh since the Lab was a pup, probably around 1898. Isis may have been sired by Pharaoh so that it was a continuation of the bloodline at Downton Abbey. Lord Grantham would have liked that since he was wedded to the idea of tradition.

As with any TV show, we didn't see every moment in the lives of the Upstairs family and the Downstairs servants and that would include Pharaoh and Isis. So just as it's pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, that Pharaoh sired a litter of pups which included Isis, perhaps Isis gave birth to her own litter at some point off-camera. I don't know if Lord Grantham will eventually get another Yellow Lab, but I think we saw a future descendant of Pharaoh and Isis in another show.

'Midsomer Murders'

"The Maid In Splendour"

In the village of Midsomer Worthy, a hunter owned a Yellow Lab female whom he addressed as "Jezzer". It could be that her name was "Jezebel" in full. I don't see why it couldn't be that in 2004, Jezzer was the great-plus granddaughter of Isis who lived from 1914 to 1924.

It never came up in the series, but there's a reason why Isis and her sire (maybe) Pharaoh are remarkable dogs.

They are Yellow Labradors, a breed that wasn't begun until the middle of the 20th Century. Before that time, the closest in color would have been the Golden Lab.

This isn't the first time that temporal anomalies have affected the world surrounding the town of Downton. Television antennae have been seen on the buildings in the village of Downton. Cars of a later vintage have rumbled down the streets. Even certain types of window glazing not available to that time period have been remarked upon. Plus there was that song to which Matthew and Mary danced to - it wasn't recorded until two years later.

Last year I inducted a character from 'Downton Abbey' who didn't even exist into the Television Crossover Hall Of Fame - Lavinia Swire's cousin Ellie Swire. And she must have been a Companion to the time-traveling Doctor, because she was the one who presented the phonograph and the record as a wedding gift for her cousin Lavinia and Matthew Crawley.

For whatever reason, she and the Doctor probably presented Pharaoh to the Crawley family at some point around 1898. And since that falls in the window during which the previous Lord Grantham may have still been alive, it might have been a gift to him directly. Why? Maybe he helped them in some adventure - but the conjecture as to what that might have been is best left to a real fanficcer.  (But I will  have a theory during the 2016 "Who's On First" blogAthon......)

So here's to you, Isis. I hope you enjoyed your time at the Toobworld Rainbow Bridge until you were reunited with Lord Grantham....

BCnU!