Robert (Hugh Bonneville) sets off for America but is loathe to do so since he doesn't know why he has to be there, at the request of Cora's (Elizabeth McGovern) mother. Cora thinks it's to give some sort of credibility to her brother with the other senators, that having an Earl from England will help in their reputation. Robert adding that most Earls he knows don't have good reputations at all. Just a little aside to ensure we know Robert isn't like any other Earl or aristocrat and that he is changing his ways to fit in with a modern society. Robert requires Bates (Brendan Coyle) to accompany him but he really doesn't want Anna (Joanne Froggatt)to be on her own at this time. SO Mrs Hughes (Phyliss Logan) speaks with Mary (Michelle Dockery) to get Robert to take Thomas (Rob James-Collier). He's acted as valet for him before and he can do so now. Mary wants to know why Bates can't go and Mrs Hughes tells her that "it's not my secret to tell," but does so anyway, for a second time.
Thomas is pleased to get a free trip to America and Mary convinces Robert to take him adding, think of all the stewards he'll meet on the ship. Robert telling her to stop being vulgar and asking how she knows all this anyway. She replies "I have been married." To which anyone would ask, so? Ha. Jimmy (Ed Speleers) wishes he was going too and that things are off with Ivy (Cara Theobold) since she didn't play ball with him and he spent all that money on her. Charming! Thomas tells him he expects him to court a village girl by the time he returns. Also telling Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) he wants the low down on why Bates isn't going, i.e a "full report" when he gets back, which Molesley (Kevin Doyle) overhears. Later when he asks Baxter about it she doesn't say anything.
Edith (Laura Carmichael) wants to go to London and Rose (Lily James) persuades Cora to let her go too as Robert left her in charge of fun and maybe she can cheer up Edith. Edith telling Cora she's worried about Michael not being found. Cora doesn't want her to give up hope but she can worry as much as she likes. Edith admits the truth to Rosamund (Samantha Bond) in London cos she wants to be away the following night. Admitting she's pregnant, she loves him but can't keep his baby. Rosamund being very progressive for the times tells her she can't begin life with Michael on a lie if he returns. Edith can't bare to live like some woman in Maida Vale, Sybil could but she can't. Also how she won't be able to face baby George or Sibby anymore. When Edith arrives and hears the doctor talking to another woman, she has a change of heart and leaves. Rosamund tells her she'll stand by her and they can make it work. Edith will have to tell Cora.
Rose meanwhile sees Jack (Gary Carr) and doesn't want to stop but it's not like Robert or Mary will approve he tells her. Feel like a song coming on, "underneath the arches..." Rose is in a huff when Edith returns home already cos she made other arrangements. Rosamund tells her she'll be there with her when she tells Cora if she likes. Yeah cos Edith asked Cora if she's bad and has bad feelings. Cora replying she can have bad thoughts but it doesn't mean anything if she doesn't act on them. Well, too late, cos she already did. To think she made judgements over Mary and Pamuk when the news was revealed.
Cora has received a letter but she doesn't tell anyone what it was until Anthony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) returns with his valet, Green (Nigel Harman) in tow. She recalls when he's arrived that Anthony has arrived which is news to Mary. You see she spent the night in mud with Charles (Julian Ovenden) sorting out the new arrivals at Downton, the pigs. Charles having called her 'aloof' to Napier (Brendan Patricks). But Mary is pleased Napier is here. Charles just wants to see Downton make a go of it cos they are trying whereas other estate owners just gave up and lived off their inheritance until it was spent. Anthony doesn't tell her about Lane Fox and her name wasn't even mentioned this week, so I did. He thinks Charles is lucky he'll be here this long and he knew Charles from the war. They were at Jutland together. No mention of Matthew this week, so everyone's over him by now!
Elsewhere the Dowager (Maggie Smith) suffers from bronchitis and Isobel (Penelope Wilton) offers to nurse her day and night, refusing help and not letting Mary or Cora do the same. She remains with her constantly and Dr Clarkson (David Robb) tells the Dowager when she's fully recovered how Isobel nursed her without sleep or food. The Dowager thinking she had a nurse there. They end playing gin together.
Alfred (Matt Milne) wants to visit cos he's looking in on his parents but Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) convince Carson (Jim Carter) to tell him there's flu here and he doesn't want to miss his classes. Putting him up at a hotel instead. You see no one wants to stir up the love triangle again and Ivy speaks highly of Alfred now he's gone, much to Daisy's (Sophie McShera) chagrin, especially since Ivy wanted nothing to do with him when he was here, but now she does. Alfred turns up before leaving and sets them off anyway. SO much for that plan.
Green arrives and it comes as a shock to Anna, talk about making it obvious when she stops still in her steps and is shocked at seeing him here. Green being his usual jokey self. Mrs Hughes with that look of disgust on her face and tells him he's lucky to be alive and if he wants to remain so he should keep to the shadows. He tries to say Anna was at fault too cos they'd been drinking. But Mrs Hughes knows it was all him. At dinner he brings up Dame Nellie Melba and thinks he's home free by making comments of not liking her singing thus he had to come downstairs. That look on Bates's face. Of course he knows it was Green, he all but gave himself away when he said that. Will there be murder at Downton?
Really trudging along with this season which I didn't find that interesting at all. It had some good moments but series were much better. What was up with that woman Branson (Allen Leech) met at that political meeting. First she doesn't give the chair up she was saving for him and then she did. It was like that political meeting scene from The Thirty Nine Steps, barring intrigue and er, murder! Everyone's after Mary, let's see, she's got three potential suitors at Downton now. Particularly as she demonstrated her skills of cooking, scrambled eggs, that's all she can do. Scrambled eggs and drinking wine! Oh and she can also fling mud too, well wipe it across Charles's face.
Though we were shown the hardships faced by women especially where "bastard" children were concerned with the more wealthy being under an obligation, or expected not to get themselves into that situation, but deal with it, especially if they were unmarried. The differences were shown by Ethel when she got pregnant but kept the baby. However the stigma attached to unmarried pregnancies existed in both societies. Providing a social commentary on the times, in a way.
Final ep next week, will Michael show up and how will news of Edith's baby be taken. Will Mary make any headway with her three men, that sounds wrong, especially since she wasn't ready to be with anyone just yet, and what news does Robert bring from America. And murder, wait I'v e mentioned murder twice already, ha.
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