It's all about Mary (saying there's something about Mary would be a bit of a cliche by now and it's old hat.) But she's still glad she sent Henry Talbott (Matthew Goode) packing and feels it's the best thing for her. Even with Branson (Allen Leech) telling her it's not. That she's unhappy cos of it and she's just sabotaging everything, especially her own happiness. In the village they see the paper headlines announcing the death of the Marchioness, that's Lord Hexham, cousin of Bertie Pelham (Harry Hadden-Paton) so many times removed. Now they feel Bertie will be out of an agent job, leaving Edith (Laura Carmichael) marrying a penniless man if she accepts. Still it's all about money and position cos that's how it is with Mary (Michelle Dockery).
As Bertie arrives at Downton on his way to Tangiers, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) mentions how he must miss his cousin, who was always so good to him. Bertie's mother is much sterner though and she's the only family he has left. Mary still making snide remarks about him and Edith until she finds out that Bertie is the new Marchioness and will become Lord Hexham, making him even grandeur than the Earl of Grantham and Mary too. Saying they'll all have to bow to Edith and Branson asks Mary if she could bow before Edith. Well we all know the answer to that one don't we. Mary is jealous and there's no denying it, as Branson tells her. Infact she's actually livid that Edith could do much better than her. Making excuses about how Henry is just a mechanic. Tony Gillingham is mentioned numerous times, though why I don't exactly know, I mean they don't have to keep talking about him being perfect for her cos he was titled and all the rest.
Rosamund (Samantha Bond) and Cora think Edith should tell Bertie about Marigold before she accepts his proposal and Robert (Hugh Bonneville) thinks she should do whatever makes her happy. Cora says she she should tell him though she can't make Edith say anything to him cos she's grown up and is her own woman. Robert doesn't really like Rosamund interfering and it's go nothing to do with her not having children. She and The Dowager (Maggie Smith) were in on the news at the start and did try to influence Edith into giving up Marigold.
Branson tells Henry to come down and he does so under the pretext that he's driving from Durham and right past the gates, so Branson thought he should drop in. Cora asks him to spend the night and Mary is quite angry at that. She wants him gone as soon as possible and says as much to Cora. Again she walks in when they're talking about Edith and how she should come clean with Bertie. Of course she's worked it out by now as she tells Branson as much and it wasn't his secret to tell as he puts it, confirming what she already suspects. Edith accepts Bertie's proposal, but she doesn't tell him and you can still see how she's agonizing over whether to tell him, or to wait. Though it would be marrying him under false pretences if she doesn't tell him. He takes the response as being a 'yes' to his proposal.
Mary has a fight with Henry when he says that they're different and he hasn't got a penny and she's livid (again) that he can call her a money grubbing gold digger, wanting him gone. Everyone knows he's right for Mary except Mary doesn't want to believe it. Instead she just lashes out at Edith the next day at breakfast. Robert making a quick getaway with the excuse of having letters to write. Wonder if Mary would've blabbed if he had stuck around. Bertie has an announcement but Edith stresses it's not a good time. Branson says if it's good news then they're all happy for her and Mary drops Edith right into it by blabbing about Marigold and then making excuses saying she thought he knew and Edith told him. Oh yeah pull the other one, she wasn't fooling anyone. Can't believe there was no slapping in this episode! (Or series between Mary and Edith.) Bertie leaves and Branson tells Robert how Mary accidentally told him, but Robert knows Mary wouldn't have done it by accident.
Bertie says he would've accepted marigold but she would've married under a lie and by not trusting him, which they'll never know now. Think Bertie gave up easily on her cos of the title and what that entails, but more importantly it was more about his mother than any trust issues. Even when Edith explains she knew it would ruin things and that's exactly what happened. Bertie didn't even want to meet her halfway. So who was the bigger person and who had trust issues?
Edith packs for London and leaves but not before having it out with Mary. It was the fight of the entire six seasons but they just should've had it before! Mary again saying she was wrong and thought she'd told him. Edith adding she knows her, she's her sister and she's not talking to their mother or anyone else. She's an outright vindictive, selfish bitch. Edith managing to get bitch in twice there! She wasn't happy and she couldn't see Edith happy either and so she ruined her life, as well as ruing her own life. When she's unhappy she just lashes out and it's always against Edith.
Branson tells Mary the same too, that she can't see how much she loves Henry and she's so high and mighty, trying to bring her down another notch or two.
In London Laura (Antonia Berth) tells her that Cassandra Jones, the agony aunt is coming in for a meeting cos she wants more money and so she suggested a meeting in person to negotiate. Edith thinks she might send someone pretending to be her, so they'll say 'bananas' if they think 'she's the real thing.' Of course I said it was a man and it turns out to be Spratt (Jeremy Swift) of all people. Should've got the hint when the Dowager returns after Branson writes to her and tells him Spratt's gone missing. That as a butler he should know when she's coming, he doesn't need to be told. She tells Mary about being in love and Henry is perfect for her cos he's strong and that's who Mary needs. Mary cries, it's not cos of that but the fact she can't be another car crash widow and after the accident, she thought it was Henry who died. He would give it up for her, but then he'd resent her. Mary says "nobody can believe I know my own mind." As she told Anna earlier. But we did know especially when she's not in a jealous rage. Of course she wanted Henry she flirted as much with him. Even Henry knew her when he told her, "if you're trying to get rid of me, I'm going to make this as hard and as horrible as I can."
Guess many would be disappointed it wasn't Branson in Henry's place, I mean those passionate fights between them and they came so close to ...almost kissing again! He even said outright, "you're not a princess in The Prisoner of Zenda." Granted she was Sybil's sister and so an unlikely couple, but there was more fire between them than laid back, boring Henry Talbott! Who didn't even raise his voice, to win her back, but somehow she changed her mind, even saying she doesn't quite know why and that was it!
Mary finally resigning to the fact that she loves him after all and asks him to come down. She pays a visit to Matthew's grave and asks for his forgiveness, she's getting married but she'll always love him. Isobel (Penelope Wilton) sees her there and tells her she comes down often out of habit, as Mary replies she doesn't come down often enough. Isobel tells her she doesn't need her forgiveness. So they embrace and Henry already has the marriage licence, have and decide to get married already at the church. After they confess they're not twenty but they still tremble at the touch of each other's hands. She doesn't want a huge society wedding. Mary reiterating what Branson said how a marriage should be about equals which has nothing to do with money.
Edith turns up for the wedding and Mary apologizes to her. Edith saying she only means it when she's happy which she will be for a while and then she'll go back to being horrible and mean. Edith bringing up Sybil and they will be the only ones who will remember her, as well a their parents and Carson (Jim Caret) and anyone else who matters to them. Branson tells Henry he's the best man at her wedding for a second time. Cue another marriage for Mary.
Sgt Willis (Howard Ward) tells Mrs Patore (Lesley Nichol) the doctor couple staying at her B&B were having an affair and she may be required to appear as a witness in the divorce. The place being labelled a house of "ill-repute." I'd preferred a 'den of inequity'. She can't believe it and Anna (Joanne Froggatt) tells Mary about it who laughs, as well as Anna and Bates (Brendan Coyle) laughing too. Mrs Hughes (Phyliss Logan) tells Carson she'd have done the same, laughed. When they find out about it Rosamund suggests they should have tea there and the photographer can take photos with them cos she's worked very hard for it. Carson once again expressing his distaste at the entire matter and how the family will be brought down. Cora wonders why she didn't think of it before and Carson thinks Mrs Patmore should turn them down. Mrs Patmore asks if they really want to do this and then cries at the response. Mary saying they don't need her there sounded so stuck up and flippant, like why should she get her picture in the papers for a servant. Carson still objects and Mrs Hughes calls him a curmudgeon but she's not going off him cos he's her curmudgeon.
Molesley (Kevin Doyle) starts teaching at the school and one of the children draws a picture of him on a note. Which is then passed around. By the end of the day the class is in uproar and he tells everyone he had a challenging time. Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) thinks he should tell them he was a servant at the house and then they won't find it out. Which he decides to do. He tells them education should be for everyone and not just the rich. He taught himself and read at every opportunity he could get. As they finally accept him. Daisy (Sophie McShera) listens to him and tells everyone he was really good and a natural.
Thomas (Rob James-Collier) wasn't shown much in this episode and Baxter sees him looking out of character, after receiving another rejection letter cos the place is looking for a chauffeur and a butler all in one and he's over-qualified. Didn't think they could do that with such a position. Molesley tells Baxter that Thomas wasn't looking the best and said how he hopes Molesley has a better life than he did. As she runs back Andy (Michael Fox) has to break the door down and finds him in the bath after trying to slash his wrists. Luckily Andy says he didn't cut too deep. Carson tells everyone that he's got influenza and only Mrs Hughes, Anna, Baxter and Carson know. Carson tells Robert who blurts out Thomas tried to kill himself. Mary berating Robert by saying he wanted to make a saving in getting rid of Thomas and Robert thinks that's below the belt even for her. Did anyone think back to Thomas in the war when he put his hand up with the lighted match and got shot, especially when Andy says the cuts weren't too deep. Then that'd mean his character hadn't evolved at all and everything we saw the past eight weeks was all pretense for sympathy and in order to stay on. Which would be one int he eye for Carson who acknowledges Thomas has a heart! Ha. Just thinking out loud!
Carson tells Robert he's going to let Thomas stay on for now and Robert was going to suggest the same, since "no man is an island." Carson didn't think he had a heart and didn't give him credit for having any feelings. Thomas saying to George he's the only friend he has here as Mary brings him to visit. Bringing up her own woes that they're both in the same position, well it's not quite the same is it. She'll pick herself up and still be in the house at the end of the day with George. Thomas answers he'd agree if he didn't think he was being out of place. What made me laugh was Carson's line of "the suicidal footman in the attic!" What was this some sort of mystery game and not a real person he was talking about. Though what was also funny was Mary and Thomas being compared to each other, re their lives sucked right about now. Though Mary had a quick turnaround with hers! The princess!! Ha.
Though it was rather unfair that Mary got her happy ending, but it seems the show was mostly about Mary and no one else since series 1. It was kind of intriguing when Robert says out of all of his children Edith is the one who has given him the most surprises and he's waiting for the next one. Now what could that be. Even if I have been saying for quite a while now that Michael will return and surprise her. The way they showed her at the end at the cemetery, but more than that. It was Michael who Edith was the most happiest with.
Isobel talks with Amelia (Phoebe Sparrow) and tells her in no uncertain terms she's not going to rekindle anything with Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) until she has Larry's blessing and his say so on it. Amelia thinking she'd marry him cos it's what Larry wants, whereas it's what she wants.
Thus ended an era for some in terms of a watchable TV show. But this last series did drag its heels especially with that hospital storyline which took forever to be over with and the agonizing over Marigold, of course we all knew it'd be Mary who'd be the last to find out and that everyone was right in not telling her, cos she went and did what she did after finding out anyway, blab to the whole world (practically).
The Christmas special should finish off the Edith storyline, Isobel's accepting Merton or not, Anna's baby being born and anything else left to resolve; and they may as well give Molesley's Downton job to Thomas since he just wants to teach.
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