So series 4 ends pretty much as it started for most of the characters, with only a few making some headway in terms of actual storylines or development. Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) is busy preparing for the annual bazaar whilst Robert (Hugh Bonneville) is still away and needs all the help she can get. Seems like he was the only one who could keep peace amongst the villagers. Rosamund (Samantha Bond) makes it a point to call Edith (Laura Carmichael) and tell her she's on her way down on the pretext of checking up on the Dowager (Maggie Smith) after her illness last episode, as she's come up with a plan as to how Edith can get away with having the baby, having told the Dowager that Edith "must be cherished." Being quite cryptic with that of course the Dowager would be curious. Later she tells Edith she has Damocles hanging over her, referring to the sword of Damocles.
Edith has her own plans and intends to ensnare Tim Drewe (Andrew Scarborough) into the picture when she's out visiting the pigs with Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Branson (Allen Leech). She thinks he's a likely prospect for the father. In which case she can get him to agree to be the father and she can see her child grow up, which is what she wants to do. Though Michael is mentioned there's no hope of him turning up. I was actually pinning my hopes on the Christmas special so we can see how Edith takes the news. Or maybe even next season if not. Remember how Edith kissed a local farmer early on in the show when she was driving the tractor down on the farm during the war and this was witnessed by his wife.
Rose (Lily James) has plans to meet with Jack Ross (Gary Carr) and Branson whilst in town with Isobel (Penelope Wilton) spies them both at the teashop with Rose touching his cheek. He makes a quick exit and runs to Mary to tell her, having told Isobel he must do something that will not make people very happy. Rose tells Mary she's engaged and they plan on marrying and that will show her mother, rather embarrass her. Mary must act on this and pays a visit to Jack who agrees with Mary. Robert wouldn't react to his colour, Mary tells him in all fairness, but to his being a band singer. Jack loves her but he has no intention of marrying her as he doesn't want to ruin her life with everything she'll have to put up with. Mary believes Rose only wants to marry him to spite her mother, which he knows, since his mother said the same. He likens Mary to his mother. Mary would have liked to think they could have made a go of it if times were different as does he. So it seems that dalliance is over. He writes to Rose to let her down gently so they didn't have him let her down gently in person which was annoying and taking the easy way out.
Branson meets Sarah Bunting (Daisy Lewis) who turns out to be a teacher at the local school and really doesn't like the aristocracy. She mentions him being at the meeting which Isobel persuaded him to go to and isn't much of a Liberal. Well he's not much of a Socialist now either, more a pig farmer, ha. Later he sees her with her broken down car and fixes it for her, telling her his life story practically and how he was a chauffeur at the estate when he first arrived there. She knows about Sybil and calls her "unusual and independent." He introduces her to Cora at the bazaar and she seems a bit standoffish towards her, like not acknowledging who Cora is, until he tells her and then only saying hello. She didn't seem like she was pleased to meet her and where were your manners girl, as Cora tells her she's interested in the school, Sarah couldn't care less.
Rosamund announces she and Edith are going to Switzerland to improve their French but the Dowager smells a rat since Rosamund hates French and can only communicate to foreigners by "shouting at them." Edith doesn't want to tell her cos she'll hate her but does so, since the Dowager is willing to pay for her going and thinks Switzerland is a good place to raise a child. All worried about what if the child looked like Edith then they'll all know. Still another social commentary from Downton as not only were the wealthy in a superior position in all matters but when it came to holding their heads up in public they did have to hide a lot behind the scenes and grin and bear it or as the Dowager tells Edith, life is hard and must be endured as they face problems everyday and then they die.
Anthony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) turns up again on his way to London again with Green (Nigel Harman) in tow and Mary couldn't stop him from coming, since Anna (Joanne Froggatt) was too late in telling her it was Green who attacked her. Green tries to be his funny self when here and tells them London is great and all that which impresses Jimmy (Ed Speleers) cos Green lives near tot he West End and Bates (Brendan Coyle) asks him where he lives. Also Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) can't keep her disgust from him and Anna tries to act normal. Bates having asked her if she still likes him cos she used to before. She says she doesn't remember liking him and again gives the game away. Of course it's obvious Bates knows it was Green, with Anna still going on about Bates being hanged if he found out or given a life sentence.
Mary must go to London to see Jack and Anna too and when there she has no choice she says but to tell Gillingham to dismiss Green but she can't tell him why, even though Gillingham doesn't like him. Bates gets his chance to ask for a day off and under the pretence of heading to Ripon. Carson (Jim Carter) lets him go since he doesn't know why he wasn't in New York but he can't stop him from going.
Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) pays a visit to the Dowager who needs Isobel here as she can't stand him and he takes a shine to Isobel which must be relief to the Dowager. Later he makes a faux pas when he doesn't remember Matthew is dead as he didn't recall who Isobel actually was. But he sends her flowers and also some to the Dowager, but Isobel's bunch is much bigger than hers, as the Dowager keeps observing. She read the note and he's apologized for his lack of tact. So Isobel has an admirer there.
Alfred (Matt Milne) comes to visit for the last time as his father has passed and he's sent a letter to Ivy (Cara Theobold) asking him to marry her and move to London. She likes him but doesn't want to get tied down already as she tells Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nichol) as they try to hide this from Daisy (Sophie McShera). Who tells her she and Ivy "can't have a falling out if they never had a falling in." Daisy gets the day off and has a picnic with Mr Mason who advises her she has to make peace with Alfred and be friends with him. They decide to be "friends forever." They can give each other 'Forever Friends' friendship bracelets and teddy bears! He says he didn't notice her before and Daisy tells him "love is blind" but she's over him now. She brings him a basket of jams and food which she says Mr Mason prepared for him and Mrs Patmore is proud of Daisy as if she were her own daughter.
Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) and Molesley (Kevin Doyle) bond as he compliments her on using the sewing machine. He also tells her no one likes Thomas (Rob James-Collier) but they'd like to make up their own minds about her. Everyone makes ready for the bazaar and Jimmy sneaking drinks from the punch bowl is sent to the tea tent until Robert arrives. Having sorted out the trouble Harold was in. Cue Harold's arrival in the Christmas special. Thomas asks for news from Baxter who replies nothing happened and Molesley comes to her rescue by telling him not to bully her. That is after he shows up Jimmy.
Mary has all three of her suitors at Downton once more and competition is hotting up especially between Gillingham and Charles (Julien Ovenden) though Napier (Brendan Patricks) doesn't stand a chance. Charles has changed his opinion of her not thinking she's stuck up anymore and Gillingham has abandoned his engagement to Mabel Lane Fox. Cora and the others decide that they should give them "a desire of suitors" as the collective name. Mary insists she won't change her mind about marrying anytime soon but neither one of them are giving up.
News arrives from Gillingham that Green is dead. He was thrown in front of a car at Piccadilly, at least he was run over. No one knows if he was pushed. Though Anna doesn't seem to put two and two together and come up Bates since he wasn't at Downton, hmm what's his alibi then? She is relieved it's over though. As Mary asks Charles if someone did something wrong and then ended up dead what would he do and he thinks he'd keep quiet about it. Oh hey just a thought what was Anna up to in London? I mean she could have easily sneaked away, gotten lost in the crowd and that would have ended her worries over Bates and his action and reaction. Especially since Bates was being so cagey about what he did, wouldn't he share this with his wife and it just struck me now that Anna kind of seemed too relieved about it and asking what happened too. usually the questions of a guilty party. Of course I could be watching too many murder mysteries and solving them too! Ha. What was Anna doing when Mary went to see Jack alone? Does Anna have it in her?
Bates did seem to be walking round like he's on cloud nine through smiling quite a bit and Robert could have done with him as his valet. Though there were a crowd of people and no one could tell what happened on the street. All the better to be inconspicuous in. Bates telling Anna he always does what he sets out to do or something lyrical along those lines.
Oh what was this an Agatha Christie novel, let's see Murder is Easy perhaps? Coincidence since we also had the Dowager playing amateur sleuth as she works out what's going on with Edith. She should get her own spin off with Isobel, who remembers The Snoop Sisters. The show where they solved murders. Although the Dowager would be loathed to call Isobel her sister.
Lord Merton is Mary's godfather and in his earlier appearance he was invited down for Mary's wedding. His son Larry Grey drugged Branson to make him seem drunk and was angry at what he did along with Robert and Matthew.
Seems all is well at Downton for another year, or at least a few months, as we get lots of possibilities as to what's coming next. What with Mary and her "menage a trois" as Robert asks about, as Rose, Isobel and Edith look on curiously as Mary shows out her two suitors. Then there's Branson and his teacher but how will they fare since their politics are so different and even their two worlds it seems. Not like she'd jump at he chance of living at Downton, ha, with her snobby attitude.
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