The show’s underpinned by the differences in character and country of Lady Cora and her formidable mother-in-law, the dowager Countess Violet Crawley, played by the equally formidable and much missed Dame Maggie Smith.
—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
The empress dowager’s legacy Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power.
—
Stephanie Balkwill,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Additional cast includes James Purefoy as Laban, the patriarch of a complicated household and the older brother of Rebekah, Will Stevens as Birham, who, much like his father Laban, prefers fun over tending the flock and Taylor Napier as Acar, the older and more dominant of Laban’s two sons.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
Doan Hoang Anh rounds out the principal cast as the family patriarch Zung, a father attempting to bridge the distance created by years spent establishing their life abroad.
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.