Downton Abbey Season Finale Review

In a switch from previous seasons, the Christmas Special actually took place during the summer.  It's the "Society Season," and time for Rose to be unveiled to London's upper classes.  The entire family are at the Crawley's London house, and are joined by Cora's mother, and brother (played by Paul Gimatti and Shirley MacLaine) from America.

The question of Bates' involvement with Green's death is finally answered.  Mary chooses not find out, and burns the ticket to London found in his jacket.  Mary meanwhile has two (or possibly three if you count Evelyn Napier) suitors jostling for her hand in marriage.  She finds out Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden) actually has money to his name which changes her perception of him.  Following her introduction to the King, he appears at Rose's party to take the first dance. The Dowager Duchess Violet had a great 'cat fight' scene with Martha. Edith decides to take her future into her hands, and brings the baby back to give her to the farmer we met in the first episode.

The servants take advantage of the break, and a day by the seaside is arranged. Daisy is invited to become Harold Levinson's cook (which position Ivy ends up taking).  Baxter broke free of whatever hold Thomas had on her, and looks to be on the road to happiness with Moseley. Thomas is trying his best to spoil it though. The final shot of the episode was one of the most  memorable of the series: Carson, and Mrs. Hughes playing in the waves.

Downton Musings:

Season #5? Looks that way; there's a listing for it on IMDB. Part of me hopes it's the last.  These dramas are usually better quality over quantity.

-I wish the stunt casting would stop; Downton Abbey doesn't need Shirley MacLaine, and Paul Gimatti to be a success.

-Baxter and Molesley are cute.

-Mary bugs me: In this episode, it's as if the writers hit the reset button with Mary, and her love affair with Matthew never happened.  Now she has three possible suitors, and it's as if it's a game to her to play one off against the other.  Character development would be nice.

-Character Development 2: Thomas:  Season 3 was a big arc for him; we found out he was gay, he was beaten up, and generally reviled by the other characters for it.  Would've loved seeing some more of the consequences, and a peek into what it must have been like for a gay person in the '20's.  Instead we get plotting, scheming Thomas who spent a couple of episodes in America.  What a waste!

-Give him a kiss: I would've kissed Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden) before he left the house in the morning. 

-Is Gregson dead? or a spy?

Downton Abbey Season 4 Episode 3

Mary and Anthony Gillingham

Episode 3 found the end of the house party, and Mary (Michelle Dockery), Tom (Allan Leech), Edith (Laura Carmichael) and Rose (Lily James) going to London.   Mary and Tom were going to see the tax people, while Rose just wanted some fun, and Edith to see her boyfriend Michael Gregson (Charles Edwards).  They stayed at Rosamund's (Samantha Bond) house, who managed to hold a dinner party featuring Anthony Gillingham (Tom Cullen), and then an evening of dancing at a local dancing club.

The club was where a lot of drama happened.  Rose's beau left her alone on the dance floor, to be rescued by the black American band leader (a big deal in those days).  The group was scandalized, and left right after.   Gillingham travelled to Downton on the same train as the rest, and proposed marriage to Mary.  She turned him down, but admitted that decision might come back to bite her.

Edith meanwhile spent the night with Michael Gregson at his house. He had her sign something to make it semi-official while he was in Germany.  She was caught sneaking back into Rosamund's house by a maid.  Rosamund lectured her on putting her reputation at risk, and agreed not to tell Cora.

A fairly quiet episode from Lady Violet.  Isobel (Penelope Wilton) was asked by the doctor to help out at the urgent care clinic, and she did.  She even agreed to look in on one patient and her son.  I like how they're using work to pull her out of her sadness over Matthew's death.

Below stairs meanwhile everyone came to Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) with their problems.  She was urging Anna (Joanne Frogatt) to go to the police about the rape, and to tell Bates about it.  Mrs. Hughes helped Tom get rid of Braithwaite helping him to prove she was trying to blackmail him into marriage.  Mrs. Hughes served as confidant  to Carson as they talked about Alice, with Mrs. Hughes getting him to put her picture on his desk in an attempt to make him seem more human.


Downton Abbey Musings

"The business of life is the acquisition of memories.  In the end that's all that matters."  Quote of the week from Carson, the Butler.

"I'm sure Matthew was a good chap..." There's a romantic way to start a marriage proposal.  It's no wonder Mary turned down Anthony Gillingham.  Use some tact next time (if there is one)

-Love the way Mrs. Hughes tries to bring the 21st century sensibilities to the rape story line urging Anna to go to the police

-Edith pregnant? One night is all it takes as Braithwaite kept telling Branson.

-The Edith/Gregson story is going to continue into next season.  I think he'll be forced to become a Nazi in W.W. II

-I love Thomas' new seen and not heard attitude.  It gives him more opportunity to be a trouble maker.

Downton Abbey Season 4, Episode 1 Review

Downton Abbey reopened its doors to North American viewers last night on PBS.  Lady Mary was in deep mourning for her husband Matthew (Dan Stevens left the show) while life slowly moved on around her.  Edith resumed her life with her beau; the newspaper editor. Robert spent most of his time trying to protect Mary from the outside world, even offering to handle baby George's wealth- we all know how well he managed his own.

Below stairs the servants were astir with news O'Brien had quit for a position with Lady Flincher.  This left Thomas (Rob James Collier) without a foil, and Cora without a lady's maid. He managed to cause trouble on his own, first by getting Nanny West fired,  then by going after Anna for advising new maid Bratihwaite against being friendly to him.  Anna, and Bates worked together to help Mosely who had fallen on hard times following Matthew's death.  Bates ended up giving Moesley 30 pounds to pay off some debts.

Violet as usual had her hand in a lot of pies last night.  When she wasn't helping Molesley try to find work, she was helping bring Mary out of her depression.  She invited Mary and Branson to her home and proposed that Branson tutor Mary on the estate's affairs. "But what would Papa say about it?" Violet answered: "There is sometimes too much truth in a relationship."By the end Mary  was starting to come out of her depression, and Molesley felt a bit better about himself, and Isobel was starting to find purpose again through nursing an old friend of Carson's.

I loved the pacing in this episode.  It would have been easy to milk the grieving widow storyline for all that's worth, but Julian Fellowes didn't and that helped capture the whole life moving on around Mary story. So much of the last three seasons has been about Mary and Matthew's love affair that you forgot that hey this is an ensemble show and there are other characters.   I love how in the premiere at least we're getting separate storylines for Violet, and Isobel, and Carson, and Daisy.  I hope this is a hint of things to come; if so then I think we're in for a great season.

This week's memorable lines from Lady Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham: