Downton Abbey and Cousins in Love

In the enormously popular PBS series, Downton Abbey, cousins Mary and Matthew fall in love and eventually marry. In England through the time of Downton Abbeyit wasn’t unusual for cousins to marry, and many of the Jane Austen novels involved cousins marrying. Many countries and about a third of the American states allow marriage between first cousins. It’s become more controversial in recent years because of the slight genetic risks involved.

In the opening scene of Boundaries, there is a hint of attraction between 16-year-old Kaia and her 22-year old cousin Mark which develops into something more. Through their story and the interwoven subplots,  Boundaries tracks the conflict between personal desire and societal expectations.

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