Catherine: Good morning, Stephanie! Last night’s show was a bit lively, don’t you think? A good theme for the episode could have been “people having fits.” My favorite fit was when Lord Grantham yelped “Damnit!” and then proceeded to chew Miss Bunting out in a thunderous rage. I tend to side with teachers (exhausting but essential job with miserable pay) but that Miss Bunting…she was beyond rude. If you’re going to be combative and bait your host like a bull, why not during drinks after dinner? And if you’re eating someone’s delicious food and are being served by their staff (and seemingly enjoying it all), your combative remarks are a little disingenuous.
Stephanie: So much to get to this week! Ah, Miss Bunting. She makes valid points, but squanders any hope of being taken seriously by the upstairs crew with her social ineptitude. Though part of me feels like she sees her rude comments as a sort of victory by sticking it to the man. I agree with you-the same comments over drinks played more cleverly, she would fare better. Though we’ve seen her fail in that context already. The one moment I actually agreed with Mary was at the dinner table when she told Bunting to give it a rest. Lord Grantham’s outburst shows he’s nearing the point of meltdown. He’s a mess in regards to every domestic issue right now. Business-wise, Grantham shows maturity and progress in the final shot with Mary and Tom where they discussed selling off parts of the estate. Grantham is open to change so long as it preserves the integrity of Downton. If only he could pay more attention to his wife instead of snapping at her and shutting her out. If he’s truly smart, he’ll listen to his mother (ha!) and ask Cora her opinion on something. Anything.
Catherine: I was glad Lord Grantham got one thing right by pushing for the Downton area to retain its beauty while still building much needed housing. If only more townships felt this way rather than opting for fast cash and tract housing. But in other areas, his life fails in wisdom. His perpetual condescension towards his wife is starting to show even on her face. There was a shot of her turning away in disgust when he overrode her request for more information on the housing and even when she’s disgusted, her manners are far better than his. In a world that runs on manners, that means she’s a better sports(wo)man at the game than he is. He’s giving her enough reasons to fall into Mr. Bricker’s friendly arms but will she? I doubt it and I think that’s why we love her- because she always does the right thing. But I still wish she would fall for the friendly arms because she and Mr. B have such chemistry! One of the big surprises last night was that there may be news on Edith’s missing man, Michael Gregson. I didn’t expect him to show up till Marigold was ten and Edith was just about to commit suicide and then voila! he would appear before she did the deed and everyone would cry and then cue tearful smiles! (which could still happen, btw) So yeah, any news of him was a complete surprise. Also a surprise that Edith told her father of all people about Gregson and the possible gang attack. Also a surprise that EDITH WAS ASKED ABOUT HER NEWS. COLUMN. Someone finally did and it was Granny in a moment of stress after Papa stormed out.
Stephanie: I was also glad Edith was asked about her writing, though it was a bit of a last ditch effort to move on from Lord Grantham yelling at the table. So there’s that. Edith should officially be put on suicide watch at this point. She’s openly weeping while stalking the village family who has her daughter. It’s a slight relief when the Dowager at least acknowledges to Edith that Marigold is her child, though it’s swiftly followed up with the advice to put the past behind her. Any reprieve Edith receives is short lived. Though it’s perhaps foretelling that Mary will uncover Edith’s secret baby soon, given Aunt Rosamund’s probing to Mary about the situation, and how she slipped a detail. I’m thinking it may be a collaborative move with Mary and Cora assembling the pieces. Or maybe Mary and Tom, since they seem to be buddying up a little. It’s possible Mary’s sexual “indiscretion” storyline will converge with Edith’s given they both had relations with men they were not married to. Though likely the similarities are fewer than Mary would be apt to admit. And how about Gillingham refusing to accept the breakup? Seems a prime set-up for him to blackmail Mary into being with him or else he’ll release details of their affair. Which brings us back to comparing her predicament with Edith’s. Both women risk their reputation if the truth gets out. Mary can’t always rely on her her saintly widow status to conveniently fall back on. And how fun was the Project Runway-esque setting with the fashion show? A clever way to show off the era’s fashions, and a likely activity for noble ladies of their time.
Catherine: I loved the fashion show. The dresses were gorgeous and how adorable was Charles Blake waggling his eyebrows at Mary when the beautiful bridal gown went walking by? Mary needs to jump that pronto. Not only is Blake cute and feisty but he was the one of the few men at that fashion show and most importantly, he was taking it seriously. Who else should be at his side but Miss Mabel Lane Fox, the jilted fiancée of Tony Gillingham. She put Mary into her place in two seconds flat. We never see Mary interacting, much less sparring with women her own age and it’d be great to have a story line with Mary and Mz Lane Fox. And there’s poor Gillingham off on the side, saying desperate things and rushing off. It’s always impressive when any man denies Mary anything. Their will crumbles under her stern gaze but not Tony. Your call on Tony blackmailing Mary is a good one. All is fair in love and war. Speaking of love, I wish Thomas had someone, either lover or friend. He’s very alone now without Jimmy and the drug use isn’t too surprising. I wonder what was in that magazine that Baxter saw. Did you catch it?
Stephanie: The magazine article was about Choosing Your Path-perhaps it relates somehow to Thomas’ sexuality? Trying to force himself into society’s conventions? Sad how he will likely struggle with this for as long as he’s at Downton. Maybe his best option is to move on, but given his pride, that may not be likely. Thomas was definitely looking rough. Seeing him puffy-faced with dark rings under his eyes lent a gothic feel to the show, which was kind of cool. When Miss Baxter spied the syringe in Thomas’ room, I wanted her to exclaim, “Barrow’s taken to the needle!” Not sure if that was ever an expression, but it should be. Baxter, for whatever reason, is choosing to be his ally, which is a testament to her character given how much crap Thomas put her through by holding her past against her for potential gain. As for Mary, it was a bit of change seeing her interact with women her own age. She’s always with the family, and even her sketching trip was a ruse. If Mary had some girlfriends she might be more well-rounded!
Catherine: Thomas is bringing a certain gothic feel. He’s already got one hand always in a black glove (self-inflicted war wound) and now he’s got that sickly look of malaise. Stealing a spoon while everyone is watching is certainly one way to cry for help. I hoped for a similar exclamation on Baxter’s part but alas, everyone is too straight laced to get it. I’m guessing only Carson would understand what the syringe is for given his colorful history when he was young. Maybe Mrs. Hughes because that woman is on it, regardless. One scene that I appreciated, and that’s easy to forget in this episode, is Mrs. Patmore’s impassioned speech and fight for her nephew’s name to appear on the war memorial. I’m not sure what they called post-traumatic stress disorder then (nerves? madness?) but whatever her nephew suffered from, Patmore’s fiercely advocating for the mental victims of war to receive their due. Mental illness still plagues the military today and Mrs. Patmore is ahead of her time as she works to bring honor and recognition for a family member who was mentally and emotionally damaged by the horrors of war.
Stephanie: I don’t think I fully got Mrs. Patmore’s nephew’s true situation until this episode. It’s heartbreaking how many people have been damaged by war, but not fully recognized for their efforts. Interesting how the war themes are coming back this season, with the memorial and with Cora romanticizing the days when she felt useful. Even Thomas’ struggle probably relates to his time in the war. As for the Russians, it was striking to see the Dowager and Mrs. Crawley visit the refugees-their finery a stark contrast to the dark and dingy shelter. And props to the sometimes-shallow Rose, who seems to have committed to serving there. For as much in the know as the Dowager usually is, she was certainly out of her element here, and possibly never questioned the reality of what could happen if an aristocracy fell. When Mrs. Crawley asks why the Dowager asked her to attend, I think the Dowager simply needed Mrs. Crawley’s support, and she knows how well she relate to more of a working class. It felt significant that the Dowager confessed how the Russian man had asked her to run away with him all those years ago-a rare vulnerability for her. Mrs. Crawley was shown equally as vulnerable when Merton proposed. I’d like to title that scene: A Very English Proposal. Merton so eloquently stated, “My proposal is a romantic one.” That made me laugh at how proper and straightforward he was in explaining how the proposal was indeed, romantic. But Mrs. Crawley’s genuinely touched response shows a side of her we haven’t seen before. She’s so good at managing other people’s lives, and though we’ve seen her grieve for her son, a romantic relationship is new territory for her on the show. Also nice to see both of these women navigating romance and the complexities that come with that in later years. They’re seeming more like Violet and Isobel, reluctant friends who are growing to confide in each other.
Catherine: There is a definite reluctant friendship between the two ladies. And the Duchess was thrown off by how the Russian refugees were being sheltered in a crypt. A crypt! It must be a huge shock for her to see what happens to the aristocracy when they fall from grace and power. It was interesting to get a peek into Violet’s life with the former Lord Grantham. He sounded dreadful with his thick layer of conventionality- but giving her a photograph of the children before she decided to race off with the Prince showed a depth of feeling and thought. And let’s not forget that the former Grantham’s own reputation would have taken a huge beating if his pretty young wife ran off on him. I thought Lord Merton’s proposal to Isobel very sweet. He didn’t beat around the bush but he also let her know he didn’t want a servant or someone to entertain him. He loved her because of her. Her reply was so stiff! but she did bend more towards the end and she even bit back at the Duchess saying she would think about accepting instead of shooting the whole idea down. Isobel could do a lot of good in the community as Lady Merton but she also marches to the beat her own drummer and likes to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants to. Being a Lady might put a damper on her freedom.
Stephanie: This was a busy episode with a lot of minor goings-on too; Rose and her parents’ divorce, which really isn’t all that interesting. At least Rose has insight enough to ask her father to side with her if it ever comes to choosing love over an arranged marriage. Strike while he’s down, Rose! Then, the running gag of Molesley burdened as First Footman, being saddled with more and more work. Even Carson delights in tormenting Molesley. Then again, if part of your job is watching wine decant via a crank handle contraption, maybe you get your laughs where you can. The rather inept cop still poking around Downton for facts seems to be finally nearing some concrete details. I wish Anna and Bates were more open with each other. I don’t like the silence and speculation going on between them. I worry Anna is about to be set up somehow. I think we have a lot to look forward to next week. Hopefully we’ll see at least one major reveal to put Downton in a state of repressed calamity. Thanks for chatting, Catherine!
Catherine Eaton is a contributor to The Stake. Catherine is a writer living in a western suburb of Chicago. She blogs over at sparrowpost.com and enjoys foraging around the neighborhood in her spare time.
Stephanie Scott is a Young Adult writer living in the western Chicago suburbs. Library superfan, award-winning TV-binger, and she just might be your cat’s new best friend. She tweets at @StephScottYA.
