Thus leaving Mary and Dowager Violet (Maggie Smith) no choice but to find a way to convince Martha (Shirley Maclaine) to give them the money somehow. But she sees right through them of course. Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) and her brother, Harry will share the money and it's not right that her brother should lose out on half his fortune just to save them. Cora tells Mary she must move on with the times, and isn't too perplexed by them having to move; but Mary insists she wants to save Downton and become Countess Grantham here one day.
More goings on under the stairs, ha, too this week as Thomas (Rob James-Collier) is definitely out for Alfred's (Matt Milne) blood again. This time he makes mischief by advising Alfred on how best to remove a stain from Matthew's tails. Instead he burns a hole in there which he can't fix and Matthew can't wear for the elegant dinner Mary has planned. Thus he sends it to his London tailors, so why not just get another one instead after lavishing money on a car. Alfred insists he doesn't know how it happened and Thomas is adamant he showed him to use soda crystals, however Alfred has an ally in O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) who gets her own back on Thomas by stealing all of Robert's (Hugh Bonneville) good shirts. Whatever happened to Thomas and O'Brien and their never ending alliance.
Thomas is beside himself when Robert doesn't have any shirt to wear for the dinner and asks him, "are you not so popular downstairs Thomas?" That should have been obvious two series ago. Cue Robert and Matthew both wearing their dress suits and black ties instead of their whites. Alfred gets cosy with Martha's maid and they steal kisses whenever they can which Daisy (Sophie McShera) spies them doing. She finds it all a bit fast and he says he's happy and that's all that matters, even if it doesn't last.
Mrs Hughes (Phyliss Logan) finds out she may have cancer as she finds a lump and Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) accompanies her to the doctor. The house being in even more turmoil now as they haven't the staff and Carson (Jim Carter) doesn't feel Mrs Hughes is pulling her weight. She wants her condition kept quiet but you know Mrs Patmore will spill. Daisy notices the oven is smoking but they don't really notice it until the night of the dinner when there's no food cooked. Martha comes to their aid by telling them to throw together whatever they can find and allow their guests to eat anywhere around the house. A picnic at Downton. This is all too much for the Dowager who needs a drink and asks Robert for one. "Oh, I thought you were a waiter," she tells him in his suit. Alfred finds the shirts and returns them to the cupboard and Thomas can't explain their reappearance.
Anna (Joanne Froggatt) visits Bates (Brendan Coyle) in prison still and is attempting to find info to help him. She wonders why Vera would write to her best friend instead of visiting her. She brought a garter in France, the highlight of her trip then. Later on, Bates threatens his cellmate as we see another side of him. Probably leading us to believe he had it in him to do away with Vera. He's not happy to hear Downton may be sold.
The scenes with Mary and Matthew make me wonder why they got married, aside from their canoodling, they seem to be so distant especially with Mary showing her elitist snobbery at every moment wanting him to take the money and rescue her family. Robert is resigned to them losing their home as Matthew tells him about the inheritance and he reluctantly accepts Matthew's decision. All the while maybe thinking why his son-in-law doesn't have more backbone.
Isobel (Penelope Wilton) has taken it upon herself to help the pros of York and meets up with the maid with the baby from last season who runs away from her. Edith (Laura Carmichael) is still pining over Sir Anthony (Robert Bathurst) and the Dowager gets Robert to tell him to keep away from Edith. Not cos he's a cripple, as Anthony refers to himself, or has money, but cos he's 25 years her senior. Edith thinks it's cos they don't want to see her happy and she runs to Martha. She asks why Robert accepted Branson, a chauffeur but can't accept a titled man. Robert asks her if she's accusing him of being shallow and finally allows the union. Though they haven't told anyone about their wedding plans yet.
It's no surprise the ratings have dropped for this episode since there doesn't seem to be anything different or exciting happening as in the last two series. The buzz has fizzled out. But at least Dame Maggie Smith won an Emmy for Best Supporting actress, without her quips and one liners the show would be even more duller.
Martha decides it's time to leave and they can't wait to be rid of her. Also singing Let me Call You Sweetheart at the dinner and holding the Dowager's hand in the process. The Dowager was napping during those proceedings and it's hardly surprising why.
No comments:
Post a Comment