Downton Abbey (US version)

I also don't understand why the match was so taboo. She is a middle daughter, so marrying a title, any title would have been appropriate historically speaking, even if he was older and had issues...especially if the family is facing financial issues.

Seriously. Did they all forget that Mary SEXED A GUY TO DEATH in the first season? And now Sibyl's married the chauffeur? You'd think Robert and Cora would have jumped at the chance to marry Edith off to a respectable guy with a title.

I am so bored by the Misteh Behhhts storyline that I actually found Ethel's storyline more compelling. I tuned out so much that I have no idea what is going on between him and his cellmate. Something about burlap? That's all I got.

Robert grows more priggish every episode, particularly in his dealings with "Johnny Foreigner." Shout out to Maud Gonne!

I want an Olde Time Toast Maker of my own.

Francie Nolan wrote:I am so bored by the Misteh Behhhts storyline that I actually found Ethel's storyline more compelling. I tuned out so much that I have no idea what is going on between him and his cellmate. Something about burlap? That's all I got.

ITA. What is happening there???

I tune it out too. I don't even know why it's so boring; I just know any time either of them are on-screen I fall asleep.

From what I read elsewhere, the burlap is a package of opium that cellmate was trying to frame Bates for bringing in and selling. Don't know if that's right but that's what I've heard.

Good on Edith for writing her letter and getting it published! And for getting Robert's shorts in a twist over it being there. Her family really doesn't care about her, do they? If she doesn't go to America, send her to London to become a real 20's flapper, entertain lovers in a posh flat, and become a leader in getting all women the vote and other women's issues.

Speaking of Robert, he really is clueless. And a pie-in-the-sky, trapped in the past, overly-romantic dreamer who can't manage the estate to save his life and wouldn't dare entertain the idea of change. Matthew's got an uphill battle.

I know Isobel's heart is in the right place but Mrs. Hughes was right. At that time, in that setting, there was no way Ethel could have kept Charlie and given him any kind of life. She did the only thing she could do. At least the Grandmother was kind and willing to keep Ethel in the loop with letters.

Branson needs to make up his freaking mind. Is he going to be some major Irish revolutionary and take what comes or is he going to support the aristocracy that he married into? He can't have a foot in both worlds, something's going to have to give.

Carson's horror at Mrs. Hughes's electric toaster was amusing. As was his sudden approval of Alfred and deciding to take him under his wing. The verbal bitch-slap at Thomas, "He asked for help. You never did." was kind of satisfying, too. And with O'Brian seeing the look on Thomas's face when he saw new footman Jimmy...something's gonna hit the fan before too long.

Man, I feel bad for Daisy.

I hope Edith finds great success as a newspaper columnist. It'll make her happy, and it will seriously upset her dad.

I loved that the Dowager was pleased that such an ugly building was burned. Though the plot does seem like a forced way to keep Sybil and Branson around.

The only thing entertaining about the Bates storyline right now is the fact that some part of my brain always thinks "Look, it's Master Bates!" when he comes on. I'm twelve. I guess it was nice that they finally got the letters, though.

I can't wait to see what O'Brien pulls on Thomas (new footman has no idea what he's stepped into). I'm enjoying their conniving much better now that they're at each other's throats and not directly going after more innocent folks.

I had totally forgotten that Thomas was gay until this episode. If he gets the boot for putting the moves on the new footman, I will be so conflicted. Like, I hate Thomas so much but he needs to get the axe for being a total shit, not for being gay! Also what would O'Brian do without Thomas to fight with?

I also have no idea what's going on with Bates in prison, but more because I cannot understand a damn word that's being said in there! Also I don't really care. But I care even less about Ethel so I was really annoyed to see next week's previews. Isobel is being so annoying that I didn't even feel bad for her when the other prostitutes were making fun of her in the workhouse (well okay, I felt a little bad, but not much).

Edith TOTALLY needs to become a suffragette, but we already sort of saw that with Sybil's activism. I want Edith to do something all her own. Like be a journalist!

OK FIIIIINE, I was sort of emotional about Ethel and her kid, and sort of happy when Anna and Mr. Bates finally got each other's letters.

Poor Daisy. Stupid Alfred. Hopefully the new hot kitchen maid pairs off with the new hot footman and Alfred will sulk off into Daisy's arms.

I am super annoyed at Robert for being like "Well, that's that, our home is gone, I'll just go cry under a weeping willow tree" and then, after his estate is saved by Matthew, it turns out he's losing money through mismanagement and he's like "ehhhhh I don't feel like talking about it." If you're going to be a fancy rich nobleman, figure out how to manage your shit, or hire someone who does with your zillions of pounds.

Bates' story is the worst. I loved him and Anna in season one, but now they're the show's punching bags -- well, them and Edith -- and it's exhausting. I seriously don't care about his dead wife and it's getting to a point where I just think they need to leave him there and let Anna have a torrid affair with Mr. Moseley.

Also, why did O'Brien WARN Thomas that he had some shit coming to him? Never give your enemy the heads-up. She should know that; she got caught off-guard by him and it was way worse than knowing he was out to get her. Oh, O'Brien. Just keep your mouth shut and scheme in private.

I was spoiled on Edith getting jilted, and I hated it and was SO dreading it. I do hope they let her keep shining intellectually, if they insist on making her personal life miserable. Poor Edith. TEAM EDITH.

Ha - "torrid" and "Moseley" are not concepts that belong in the same sentence, I think.

We're definitely seeing that Robert isn't the father/husband/landed gent of the year as the show progresses, which is all right by me. If he's smart (and I'm not saying this is likely to be the case) he'll see that Matthew's strengths make up for his shortcomings in many ways. Probably won't play out that way.

I found the Ethel stuff compelling this time, mostly because there was actually something happening and being resolved. Bates? Feh. I just can't invest in the prison storyline.

Branson's getting a dose of reality (that could've been Sibyl and her family instead of some random unknown rich person) has potential, unless Robert keeps ruffling his feathers whenever he tries to grapple with some personal growth.

Carson remains awesome, and happy to see Edith trying to get past the wallowing.

inversed wrote:I had totally forgotten that Thomas was gay until this episode.

My friend and I were just talking about how we'd forgotten that. Then we realized that the last time we visited that storyline was about ten years ago in Downton time. (I forgot about that soldier who killed himself while he was convalescing at Downton during the war, but that only lasted half an episode).

Oh, so there's opium in the burlap sack of mystery--I thought it might be a shiv. Stop being so mumbly and boring, prison storyline!

Instant Monkeys, I admit I welled up a little when Ethel gave Charlie up. Isobel making everyone super uncomfortable about Ethel is hilarious to me. No euphemisms for Isobel--she's going to keep using the word "prostitute" even among the most uptight!

This season has made me solidly Team Edith. I want her to become an intrepid lady-reporter. Stupid Sir Anthony and his crazy eyes.

I feel like Moseley has become the Jerry Gergich of Downton Abbey. Which makes me want him to just succeed and be happy.

The Bates/Anna storyline is so boring. And unnecessary. I was actually starting to root for his cellmate to off him. At least then it would all be over. It's especially upsetting because I love Anna so much. So. Much. She really deserves so much more than to be stuck with Bates.

I don't hate Lady Mary yet, but I did want her to stop insisting that Matthew take the inheritance, especially when she's blaming him for the family losing the estate. He had nothing to do with it, Mary. Look to Sir Bad Investment, Mismanagement Esquire for that. Honestly, I hope that Matthew just takes the running of the whole state away from him. Otherwise, all that money will be gone in a few years as well.

I am also concerned that Mary is going to side with her father and not with Matthew, creating more tension... sigh.

This show does frustrate me a little with its briskness with some stories and boringness with others -- like, Bates and Anna is INTERMINABLE, and yet Edith got jilted and wept on her bed and then POOF the episode ended and by the next hour she was completely fine. I'm glad she's not wallowing, but that feels like they just didn't feel like telling the story.

I am also concerned that Mary is going to side with her father and not with Matthew, creating more tension... sigh.

Though I seriously wanted to slap Matthew when he was talking to Violet about how he had sunk his money into the estate. You mean the money that you have had for a second and a half and did nearly everything in your power to refuse, including accusing your wife of foraging a letter? Like simmer down, son! I mean I am not saying that changes shouldn't be made and that Robert appears to be completely and woefully incompetent at the only job he has (I am surprised he managed to successfully marry an heiress, he is so incompetent, I am surprised he didn't get confused and marry her maid instead), but that remark just seemed so ridiculous.

biakbiak wrote:I am surprised he didn't get confused and marry her maid instead

"Crikey!"

Heather wrote:This show does frustrate me a little with its briskness with some stories and boringness with others -- like, Bates and Anna is INTERMINABLE, and yet Edith got jilted and wept on her bed and then POOF the episode ended and by the next hour she was completely fine. I'm glad she's not wallowing, but that feels like they just didn't feel like telling the story.

Yep, the pacing is always my biggest gripe with this show. My complaint is often more across episodes rather than within any given hour of the show. I was saying to someone that maybe Julian Fellowes is more used to the format of movies so he writes each hour as a mini-movie. It doesn't always string so well together.

dionneshea wrote:I feel like Moseley has become the Jerry Gergich of Downton Abbey. Which makes me want him to just succeed and be happy.

Yes! I just watched the last two episodes back-to-back. There was a moment, and I can't remember what it was now, but all he did was, like, chime in on the conversation in an agreeable way and everyone was all, "Ugh! Shut up, Moseley!" That was the moment that he fully became their Jerry. Poor guy. I hope he's the one the new kitchen maid blows off Alfred for.

Robert really kind of sucks, doesn't he? None of this is as bad as when he kept making out with a maid, but still. I hope this thing with him and Matthew isn't too unbearable to watch. Things like this make me squirmy.

Man, I hate it when I click on the UK thread by accident.

I was convinced once Ethel gave up her son they'd find her body in the river. I thought she was sending him to the grandparents so she could kill herself knowing that he was being taken care of.
I, too, am done with Anna and Mr Bates.

As regards the pacing, what the hell was the point in dragging out this big "mystery" around Ethel for multiple episodes, where she needed help for an unspecified other person? Everyone already knew she had a kid! The viewers knew, Isobel knew, Ethel knew, and Ethel even knew Isobel knew, since she dragged the kid out to the dining room at a big Crawley/Grantham dinner. It is not dramatic tension when literally everyone already knows what is about to happen.

I officially hate Lord Grantham.

Everybody does, dear.

This was the big storyline that I was spoiled about a long time ago. It still sucks.

And I have never wanted to punch someone in the crotch as hard as I can so much as I want to punch Robert. What in hell is Julian Fellowes playing at?!

I too was spoiled (thanks a lot, Jezebel) and yet I cried anyway. Cora broke my heart tonight. I'm glad she kicked Robert out of their bedroom.

WHAAAAAAAAAT!!!! I was not spoiled and WHAAAAAAAAT!!!!!! I had no idea the show was going to go there. ROBERT, SLEEP ON THE COUCH FOREVER YOU ASSHOLE.

That was so sad. SO SAD. I cried. EVEN THOMAS CRIED FOR GOD'S SAKE.

Also HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT MR. BATES AT A TIME LIKE THIS. I'm sorry he's in jail and everything BUT GOOD LORD WHO CARES.