Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 4 Recap

• Branson is back in his position of charmingly keeping the peace and floating along. He thinks wants to get into the car world, saying he’ll ask Henry for advice. I like when he and Edith are pals, they get along very well.
• Mary is going to keep doing the land agent job. Branson’s just happy to be back, so he’s fine with it. They have a fun conversation in which Branson considers capitalism. Mary made a little jab about Ms. Bunting and Tom shot back about Mary “firing” all her suitors.
• About halfway through the episode Matthew Goode (Henry Talbot) is back for a dinner, and I’m thrilled. And my, does he wear the vintage tux well. He’s looking for a racing car. He gives Mary his card and sets a lunch date in London. Mary is honest in the fact she hates cars. By the end, they go on a date. It feels very modern. He’s impressed that she’s a working woman, and tells her “you are the opposite of shabby.” They banter on the same wavelength, which is why I’m convinced that they will end up together. He’s like a male version of her; self assured and sassy. Whereas Matthew sort of lovingly tolerated her attitudes, Henry matches her and raises another.
• I should note though, that several of my viewing partners are holding out for Branson and Mary. I still say no way, she’s just too bitter and cold for him. I mean the man was married to Sybil who was like a human angel (more on that later).
• Thomas is thrilled to be in charge for a little while with Carson away. He bosses people around with his chest puffed out and also manages to stir up trouble, getting a reprimand from Lord G, who basically says to be ready to pack his bags. Thomas is sad because he has no friends and feels purposeless, with Baxter still supporting him, and he returns the favor. “You are stronger than you think...also, you’re wrong, I do mind what people say.” Hey Thomas, here’s an idea, maybe you shouldn’t have been nasty to people for the last 10 years.
• I had forgotten that Baxter has a past with crimes, and I still forget the details. They want her to testify against a guy who did bad things that worked all the old house with her. Baxter doesn’t want to testify. She’s very emotional, and worries that it will mess up her life to see the guy again. After pushing from Mosely she gives in, but she seems sure it is going to cause harm to her life.
• There were approximately four scenes that had to do with battles about the hospital, I know because that’s how many times I wrote, “Boring boring hospital boring.”
• Andy mentions he is willing to clean a cottage for the Carson’s return, and is once again has an interaction where Thomas offers to help him and he’s like, seriously, leave me ALONE.
• Daisy is throwing a fit about Mr. Mason again, complaining and stomping around like a child. In the end she about to burst into the upstairs and give an angry speech, but thankfully they save her before she looses her job, saying he will get the land. Just as I was bemoaning the time they’re wasting giving her this dumb plotline, Andy randomly says he wants to be a country boy in his future, and Daisy’s eye widen, with an internal mhhm.
• The major plotpoint and scene of this episode was that Rosamund arranged for a couple who want money for their poor women’s college to come to dinner, and it turns out it’s the former housemaid Gwen, and her husband. At first, the family members don’t quite realize who she is, and she’s certainly not about to tell them. She and Anna (former roomies and bffs) catch up. Branson sneakily chats with her. As the evening progresses, Thomas the jerk face outs her to the whole family; it comes out she worked there. They’re mostly pleased but surprised. Gwen passionately tells them the whole story about Sybil working tirelessly and ended up changing her entire life, and it’s quite an emotional moment. Branson’s eyes glow for his one true love, and the family is speechless, with Mary crying “oh dear Sybil.” I liked that this forced them all (in particular, Mary) to remember the one person in their family who was selfless to her core, and realize they should be more like her. 10/10 for writing and acting: a very wonderful scene.
• Anna’s losing the baby and Mary, ever quick to take action in a crisis, enlists Branson (I have to mention it because I’m obsessed with him and his constant, everyday heroism) to drive them to her doctor in London. The baby is saved, and she comes home and finally tells Bates the happy news.
• Carson and Elise are on their honeymoon for most of the episode. The family has multiple conversations about how annoying it is they’ll have to call her Mrs. Carson. In the end, they come home and decide they will keep their regular names, because it would be the end of the world and far too much work for the family to bear.
• I should also mention that Lord Grantham is having stomach issues again. I'm sure this is going to come to a climax at some point. But he wouldn't die would he? There's no telling for sure what Julian Fellows will do.

That's all for this week! Exciting relationship potential in the weeks to come, starting with next Sunday on PBS at 8/9c. Thanks for reading!

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 2 Recap

• Tom writes they’ve opened a new car sales room, and Rose is most likely pregnant.
  
  

• Mary is doing agenty things and some disgruntled land man who doesn’t believe in career women is incredulous. She’s arranging for the local prized pigs to compete in a contest. Best line of the episode was telling Edith, “Don’t be such a ninny.”

• Carson and Elise start discussing the wedding. The family offers to have the reception in the house, and Carson really wants Mary to be at the wedding. Mrs. Hughes isn’t thrilled:  “I don’t want to be a servant on my wedding day. It wouldn’t be us.” Mary is being brat and is going to take over the wedding planning. Ms. Hughes is maaaad (rightfully so).

• I am already over this storyline with the hospital and infighting and it’s literally barely started. Literally no one cares about the hospital. no. one. Ms. Crawley throwing shade at Clarkson. Merton still wants to work and be friends with Ms. Crawley in any way possible.

• Thomas continues gazingly gazing at Andy. Andy: tbh LEAVE ME ALONE. Thomas: PLZ LET ME DO STUFF WITH YOU. Andy: Srsly no. Repeat three times over. Poor Andy is running for his life. Thomas has a job interview. The guy takes him down a peg from his high horse: “you’re a delicate looking fellow aren’t you? (LOL).”

• Edith’s publisher (Skinner) is very angry and shouty, and she’s not quite sure how to handle him. She also discusses the idea of living alone. Rosamond tells her to not get “too” used to it. I’m thinking that she should move with Marigold and take her far away from the village and just do her own thing. I’m sure she’d be much happier for it.

• Mosley is sticking himself in Daisy’s business for some reason, both with trying to help her take her exams and how to solve Mr. Mason’s housing problems. I’m not really getting why he cares so much, but I guess he’s just being a nice guy. He’s bugging Baxter to ask Lady Grantham for help, but Cora doesn’t know how to help either, unless they end up kicking the Drew’s out. Daisy is suddenly very angry  at the man and the system. Branson would be thrilled. #anarchistprobs

• Anna’s mopey as is her normal and is positive she can’t have kids, and is on her second cry of the day. At this point I’m seriously worried about her mental health. She’s going to jump off a bridge or something. Mary insists Anna see her doctor, and she smiles for the first time in like 3 seasons. Anna can have a surgery when she’s pregnant to save her baby. She’s smiling so much for the rest of the episode and it feels very foreign.

• Lord G ends up bullying poor poor Mr. Drew to move because it might make Edith and Mrs. Drew upset about Marigold, and it’s painful to watch. By the episode’s end, unhinged Mrs. Drew stole Marigold and took her back to her house. The reason I say she’s a bit crazy is because she already has like 5 kids? Why is she so obsessed? And a sad Drew realizes because she’s cray he does has to move, thus opening up a spot for Mr. Mason to live I think?!

• A side note on hats, I really loved the flowered one Anna wore when she and Bates walked home. Later, also Lady Violet’s hat is super pretty too. Am I just now noticing the amazing hats in this show?

Overall a fairly uneventful episode, but I expected as much, to set up for future plotlines.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 1 Recap

• The episode starts by informing us it is now 1925. Time certainly flies by on this show. One of the best first moments is the proof that little George (who basically looks like a mini Matthew) is alive and Thomas, in  a rare moment of humanity, gave him a piggyback ride. Within the first 5 minutes Anna is already crying as per usual and I am rolling my eyes.
• Best pals Ms. Patmore and Hughes have a conversation in which Elise admits she is feeling insecure about herself and her ability to fulfill her wifely duties. She asks Ms. Patmore to talk to Mr. Carson on her behalf to see if he’s interested in a “just friends” marriage. Ms. Patmore is a very good friend and wingman so she agrees. The conversations these two have are hilarious.
• Isobel, Dr. Clarkson, Lord Merton, Violet, Cora have a meeting about the future of the hospital. It seems the royal hospital wants to take over and convert their small, local hospital. Lord Merton is for it, as well as Isobel. They think the money and the people they could bring would be a huge benefit to the sick and hurt. Lady Violet disagrees vehemently because she is unwilling to give up her power. Cora and Dr. Clarkson sit in the middle quietly and try to be reasonable. It seems to be the subject of this season’s Violet v. Isobel battle.
• Robert is having pain and is very wiped out after a day of riding, but he tells Mary not to tell Cora. Very sketchy. His health is almost certainly going to come into play this season.
• A mystery woman starts low-key stalking Mary, and we eventually found out her name is Lisa and she was a chambermaid in the hotel when Mary was there for her “week in sin” with Tony Gillingham. She has the register to prove they were there and wants money to keep quiet, threatening to go to the papers if not. Mary scoffs and tells her to get lost with a “you’re not the first person to blackmail me” line. (She’s right. We’ve seen this before.)
• In typical form, Anna refuses for a few scenes to tell Bates why she is acting so upset. He finally gets it out of her that she thought she was pregnant and found out she’s isn’t after all, and that this has happened several times. Bates responds with love and patience which left me saying SEE HE LOVES YOU JUST TELL HIM THINGS UP FRONT YOUR AND ALL OUR LIVES WILL BE BETTER. Ahem.
• Lord Grantham and his mother have a conversation about cutting down on the staff because their salaries are too expensive. Later, Lord G. has a conversation with Carson about it, and Violet mentions it offhandedly to the evil Denker (why does she continue to trust this woman with privileged information? She literally always blabs).
• Mary says she intends to take over the estate, essentially doing Branson’s old job. Edith is thinking about moving to London, mentioning things about her publishing business and house tenants. Mary has a snippy no-one-likes-you-or-cares-Edith response locked and loaded. She has something mean to say literally every time Edith opens her mouth this episode. You have to feel for E, I mean really, imagine growing up with a sister like that. As a side note, I like that Mary and Edith both have industrious things to attend to; they’re certainly breaking gender expectations for the time period and Robert has come a long way to be supportive of it (Sybil would be proud).
• In an entertaining scene, the blackmail lady (I’ve already forgotten her name) somehow lies and sneaks her way into Mary’s room and Anna is all OH NO YOU DINT and literally drags her out the door.
• Dr. Clarkson and Isobel fight about the hospital decision. Dr. Clarkson makes a comment about Lord Merton and Isobel has a freakout moment and scurries away.
• The dreaded Scotland Yard Inspector is back and says the Bates’ have a hope of getting off because some has confessed but mostly just serves as a grim reminder them they still could go back to jail. *bangs head against wall*
• Cora gets word that a newlywed Rose is happily settled in NY.
• Daisy’s father in law (Mr. Mason) asking Lord Grantham’s help. He’s getting kicked out of his house by new estate owners, because the old family is broke and moving away. As far as it was left off at the end of the episode Lord G is pretty useless.
• Denker shows up at the “big house” to stir up trouble and tell them they’re probably all getting fired and they start to worry. There’s always gotta be an evil housemaid somewhere.  
• Ms. Patmore and Carson have the awkwardest conversation ever and it’s amusing as they have some difficulty getting on the same page. Carson says he expects a real marriage, asking the faithful wingman to “tell [Ms. Hughes] she is beautiful to me.“ Awww.
• Edith is in London with Aunt Rosemary and laments about her current place in life. “Sometimes I feel I’ve been given one little bit of happiness and that’s it. I’d like to have a life again.” Same Edith, same.
• The sassy blackmailing lady somehow pushes her way into house and ends up telling Lord Grantham everything. Can I just pause here to ask why is it that everytime one of his daughters ends up having a lover he ends up paying people off to cover up the scandal of it coming out? Good grief do these girls need to smarten up. He pays her off and takes care she will never return, just as Mary arrives home, fully embarrassed. She tells him she would never have given into the blackmail herself, saying she would rather have the scandal come out. He puts her in her place by bluntly asking, “Didn’t you think about George?” and, “That’d have been rather tough on Tony and Mabel.” Both great points  - the answer is obviously no, because Mary is selfish to her core. The conversation then takes a strange turn when he decides to reward her behavior by giving her the job of running the estate for him. What a father.
• Thomas is sweating about the staff reduction. He (rightly) knows they would love to have a reason to get rid of him. I think he’s trying to decide if he needs to start sucking up or just hit the road preemptively.
• Violet publically shames Denker for spreading the rumors about people getting fired in a marvelous display of her power and wit. I didn’t realize until this moment how much I missed her (I actually clapped with delight at the moment). In yo face, evil housemaid.
• Daisy attends the auction of the broke family with the Granthams and Mr. Mason, and she looks so cute in her-out-and-about-life-clothes. She gets up in the face of the new owner of the house for throwing out her father in law and it’s so precious and fiery, but the family is embarrassed. It’s the most action she’s had in like 2 seasons. She is scared for her position but ends up getting off with just a stern talking to from Carson. The new footman Andy asks her how her day went, and Thomas creepily inserts himself into the situation, but everyone kicks him out of it, haha.
• The inspector returns with joyus news, assuring the Bates them they’re free from danger and that the end of this drama has come. Pardon me if I don’t believe it for one minute, but okay. The whole upstairs family is so pleased they pop open wine and join the staff for an impromptu party. Daisy and Andy dance and my little sister says “I ship it!” and I concur. Robert and Cora decide to raid Ms. Patmore’s fridge and hang out in the kitchen for a few minutes, and it’s so strange/funny. Cora informs her husband that she is going to fight her MIL on the hospital matter. Sigh.
• In the final scene, Carson and Ms. Hughes confirm their engagement and share a kiss - I believe their first one on the show? -  and it felt weird but it was cute.

All in all, a great first episode. It set up many different plot points while still having good moments in and of itself. Can’t wait until next week.

Thanks for reading!

Catch Up For Downton Season 6

This is an overview of where the major characters were left at the end of the Christmas special/finale, with some background, although I did not dig very deeply into the entire season’s archs.

Rose married Atticus with a lot of pointless inter-family drama. They are moving to America because Atticus got a job in New York. When it comes to their families, I want to be optimistic and hope they won’t be too involved in the final season. However, there are two noteworthy points that could come into play: 1) Thomas pressured Atticus’s parents’ grumpy butler Stowell into sharing Lord Sinderby's secrets. Thomas knowing scandalous secrets = never a good thing. 2) Rose saved the day at a family party when her father-in-law’s mistress and illegitimate child showed up to cause trouble. Robert and Mary end up being in on it and promised Sinderby to keep it a secret.

As a character, Rose provided a young and interesting young girl to stir up drama for the family. Now that she’s married and moving away, I’m curious to see how big of a part she will play in the final season. A pregnancy, maybe? At any rate, I will always remember the awesome outfits she got to wear; there were a lot of them.

Tom Branson is soon to leave for Boston to be involved in his cousin’s car business. I assume he will already be gone in the beginning of season 6, although rumor has it he will be back for a few episodes by the season’s end. I adore Branson - I always have, always will. He’s come a long way: he started off in an angsty rebellious phase and ended up in a matured, quieter, family duty-minded place in life. Although I do feel he has been underused in recent seasons, I very much enjoy his and Mary’s relationship. I always enjoy in-law-sibling dynamics and this one played out in an entertaining way. Even he and Edith ended up with a sweet bond, with some of his parting words to her being an encouragement to get into the publishing business. I love that he has been there for the family time after time, in the absence of any other sons, even after how badly they treated him in the beginning. I think he particularly stands out as the consummate gentleman and ultimate nice guy in the midst of a family who is constantly backstabbing and bickering. When re-watching the finale of season 5, I straight up cried when he, Mary, and Edith had a moment in the nursery to say goodbye and remember Sybil. I will miss him terribly and look forward to seeing if/when/how he returns.

Mary’s ex-boyfriend/lover Tony Gillingham ended up engaged and settled with his long time girlfriend. I’m glad Mary didn’t end up with him; he was pretty boring IMO. In the season finale, she told Carson, “I feel as if our household is breaking up. But that’s what happens I suppose. People grow up and move away and things change.” Her life changed soon after when they went away to Atticus’s parents’ castle. For their shooting party she was paired with newcomer and friend-of-somebody-or-rather’s-friend Henry Talbot (the handsome and epically smooth Matthew Goode), whom she gives a characteristically hard time, because she’s Mary and she can. She makes it clear that she’s a widow and he is genuinely sympathetic. They have several witty conversations and part ways with “maybes” of meeting in the future, and there is mention made that he is big car guy. I have to think that this is some kind of strange ironic symbolism of their future relationship because, you know, Matthew died in a car and whatnot..?! Also, I assume her son (George) is still alive but we rarely see him, so you never know.

Fresh off the whole deal with Cora hanging out with the guy with the painting/Robert blowing up like he isn’t a huge hypocrite/but then they reconciled, Lord Grantham is having medical issues that turn out to be an ulcer, so he needs to go on a diet. I don’t even remember what Cora did this season, I just know every time she opens her mouth I always find myself saying the same thing I’ve been saying for years...why is Elizabeth McGovern such a terrible actress and why did they cast her in this show???

Edith freaks out when Robert tells her he knows that her beloved Marigold is actually her daughter, but he promises to accept and love her no matter what. Tom also tells Edith he figured out the truth in the most kind and gentle Branson-like way possible (why is he so awesome?). They all agree that Mary probably hasn’t caught on, because, as Edith puts it, she is completely uninterested in her life. She mentions she likes living in London and, as I said earlier, Branson encouraged her to go back to running her dead lover’s [you gotta love the drama of this show amirite?] publishing business. She also has several flirty interactions with Atticus’s friend Bertie Pelham who, from what I understand, is a land agent. Not much about his character was explained, but it seemed like they were setting it up for this to go somewhere.

Isobel got a marriage proposal from Lord “Dickie” Merton but ended up telling him no because his sons expressed anger at the match. Lady Violet told her, “Dr. Clarkson will be delighted.” Hah.

The Dowager Countess (Violet) got a proposal from an old friend named Count Kuragin, who had an estranged and missing wife. However, his wife was found, so she shut him down, telling him that regardless of what she wants, it’s “how it must be.” She also dealt with an ongoing conflict between her lady’s maid Denker and her (always good for a chuckle) butler Spratt.

Anna and Bates. Ai yi yi. Their entire storyline for the last 3 (4?) seasons is so old and tired that I want to scream. I understand they wanted to address the topic of rape for that time period, but these actors are capable of so much more than the back-and-forth, “I’m in jail, you’re in jail” rigamarole. It’s a complete waste of air time because we’re all tuning out. In case you need caught up: Anna got arrested for being identified as being with Mr. Green moments before he died. Murray (the family’s grim and increasingly busy lawyer) told them the case was pretty strong, so naturally Bates sacrificed himself by confessing to the crime and Anna got released.

The closer-and-closer-to-being-a-real-couple Moseley and Baxter took it upon themselves to prove Bate’s innocence. They played detective and ended up tracking down the pub he had been in to establish an alibi, so once again Bates and Anna are home together right back where they started. *facepalm.*

Overall, Daisy had a fairly uneventful season. She took some lessons from the town teacher (who is Branson’s kind of ex-girlfriend). She had some big dreams about her life and where she could go, especially when they stayed in London (she looked for some jobs). She eventually decided she is staying at the Abbey and should maybe give up on her life and settle where she is because “nothing will ever change or happen to me.” Ms. Patmore and Ms. Hughes encourage her to go back to her studies. Ms. Patmore, by the way, also had a pretty slow season. She spent most of it mourning her nephew who deserted the army and got shot, and worrying whether or not he would get a proper memorial. Thanks to Lord Grantham, he did. Again, a wasted character and plot line. What did that accomplish for her? Borrringg.

In London, Thomas for whatever personal weird reasons looked after an up-and-coming footman named Andy, and ended up rescuing him from a gambling scheme in which he was mixed up. Carson announced that they were hiring new footmen and Thomas recommended Andy, and we saw in the finale that he did get hired. At this point I’m unsure if Andy will turn out to be gay or is a new love interest for Daisy, because they did have a few flirty (though brief) moments.

Carson and Ms. Hughes navigated through the family and staff’s drama as per usual. They discussed properties and real estate ventures to invest in together, and their relationship got deeper when she confessed that she couldn’t do it because she has no savings, as all her earnings go towards care for her disabled sister. He naturally loves her all the better for it. He ended up buying a house and proposing to her at long last.

I foresee this last season mostly containing a grand combination of characters marrying each other and having babies, which, for the record, I am totally okay with. We’ve got Baxter and Mosley, Isobel and Dr. Clarkson, a single Daisy, and I really am curious to see if poor, foolish Edith will get a happy ending. A few more specific predictions: I think (and to be honest, hope) that Mary ends up with this new guy Henry, that Anna will get pregnant (she deserves some happiness, no?) and that Branson will come back in the end married to some spunky American girl who Sybil would have been BFF with. After six years of this show, I already know I will be irritated with whatever happens with Thomas and Mr. Bates. However, and hear me out on this, even if the majority of the plot lines are terrible, I think it will be worth tuning in to see Carson and Ms. Hughes [fun fact you probably forgot: their first names are Charles and Elise] plan and have a wedding.

I hope this helped you get caught up and excited for the new season. Hard to believe it’s been a whole year since we tuned in and heard the masterpiece theater theme song, huh?

I plan on posting my recaps and comments within a day or two of airtime, but no promises. ;-)