Downton Abbey (May contain spoilers)

[Deleted]

Now that Mr Moseley passed his exams, doesn`t that neatly pave the way for Thomas to have his job?
I was expecting Robert to have that puppy at Christmas as a gift from his wife. I never expected his Mother to buy him one. Deep down Violet is an old softy.

Tom Branson needn`t have bothered to be in last nights episode - he served no purpose whatsoever. Tom looks like he`s been over indulging in Mrs Pattmore`s dinners lately too.

[Deleted]

Well Downton finally ended last night but it didn’t seem the end somehow. The very unpleasant Lady Mary of course spoilt Edith’s happiness – although I suspect Bertie Wooster will turn up at Christmas and will wed Edith after all –  either that or Michael will come back and then rather unfairly I thought found her own happiness although why all these men seem to find find this caustic hard faced sourpuss so irresistible I don’t know A lot of time was devoted to and wasted on the silly nonsense about Mrs Patmore and the “house of ill repute” and in true touchy feely 21st century mode everyone pandered around the consistently dislikeable Thomas, at a time when suicide was a crime, and looked upon with horror and of course given a job for life.   Even though this once great series was flogged to death and became faintly ridiculous, I will still miss it on a Sunday night.

[Deleted]

In the scene at the end I expected Michael to turn up at the graveyard where Lady Sybil was. Never mind, no doubt that will happen next month. Or Bertie comes back declaring undying love.
Lady Edith was right...Mary is a b*tch. A nasty vindictive one. She just couldn`t bare to see her sister happy.
I suppose Thomas will get a job as Henry`s valet now.

I`m guessing the episode on Christmas Day will see another child born. But not in a stable like Jesus, but in the hospital. So if it`s a boy, he will be Master Bates. The jokes just write themselves.

[kitkat1971]

I have to agree. I hate, hate, hate that Mary stuffed up another of Edith's romances (remember her scaring Robert Bathurst's character off in an early season) and was not only not punished but rewarded with a new husband who adores her and everybody's approval to 'move on'. Plus, she effectively gets Edith saying that no matter what she does in the future, she will always take it because they'll need each other in their later years to remember their lost family.

Now of course that is true of siblings, they share losses of parents so are important to each other, even if they wouldn't actually like each other if they weren't related, but it just seems like Mary can be as big a bitch as she wants forever and Edith will always take it.

It wasn't really an ending but that was inevitable given the upcoming Xmas special and I believe they hope to do films after that so they'll still leave threads dangling.

[Deleted]

I too couldn't believe that Mary got the wedding and the happy ending having stuffed Edith's life …… and she got a hug from Granny. I thought Granny was going to disown her but, no poor Mary is "unhappy" so she has be handled with kid gloves. Well, what about Edith ? I was pretty mad at the end !

[kitkat1971]

Exactly.

Yes, Mary lost Matthew in tragic circumstances but Edith lost Michael and hadn't even the fulfillment of marriage and recognition before hand or being able to claim her own child. Plus she'd been constantly disaPpointed in lpove prior to that. Whereas Mary toys with people's affections, including hurting other women these men she dismisses try to move on with but somehow always ends up not only with the man but everybody being happy for her and saying she 'deserves' it. Tom has lost people too. They don't go around bitching at everybody and being understood.

She even had a pop at her own father over Thomas trying to kill himself!

I never used to mind her that much but these last couple of episodes she has really got on my wick.

I do also agree Bluebell about the sympathetic reaction to a suicide attempt. People would have been absolutely horrified at such an action back then and probably have been even keener to get rid of him, not give him a job for life and forgive his past misdemeanors.

But then Downright Shabby has always had a generous attitude to historical accuracy and I just love their hindsight predictions such as last night's "soon everybody will be flying all over the World" - commercial air travel didn't really take off until the 1950s and didn't become cheap enough for 'oridinary' people until the 1970s. Still, my favourite one of those was Grantham "yes i've heard about these people, they all march and bully people whilst wearing brown shirts" - thanks for that, Fascism summed up in one easy soundbite!

[Deleted]

I just started watching Downton Abbey online from the very beginning again.
PM me if you want to watch it online too. For free of course

[Lotty27]

Never liked Lady Mary - I've seen icebergs with more warmth.

Count me as another one who was right royally pissed off that SHE got her happy ending never mind Lady Edith actually turning up for her wedding spouting some clap trap about "one day we'll be the only one's who remember .... blah, blah, blah" I'd have been more like to go back to stab my sister to death for what did  smiley-angry  smiley-biglaugh  I would have never forgiven her, and for Mary to try and wriggle out of it later saying that she thought Edith would have told him was a blatant lie.  She WANTED to destroy her sister's chance of happiness, the bitch.  She wasn't happy so she didn't want anyone else to be.  Well boo-bloody-hoo, if she didn't treat everyone like a bad smell or something she'd just stood in she might have had a happier life. But ah, poor thing.  She's unhappy you know  free-rolleye-smileys-323  She makes me unhappy just by looking at her  smiley-angry

If the Christmas special isn't Edith-centric with HER getting her happy ending (whatever that may be) then I will be abso-bloomin'-lutely FOAMING!


There, glad I got that off my chest, lol!

[kitkat1971]

Good on you Lotty and i sooooo agree.

I actually want this new husband to die in a racing accident. And to have defrauded her out of her proxy rights somehow. Little George can still get his Title and money, but everything stripped from Mary.

Usually I like these 'cold' characters, i think it denotes depth "still waters run deep' and love inner trauma. I am Jac Naylor in Holby City's biggest fan who is, undoubtably, a cow and i understand and forgive due to her background and unhappiness.

But Mary isn't like that. She has had the same upbringing as her sisters. As much love from Cora and Robert. She has had losses and disappointments but no more than her sisters. And indeed she could have have had years more with Matthew if she hadn't played games when they first met.

She is a stuck up, snobby, coldhearted bitch who has learnt nothing in / years of series and approx 15 years fictionallu anddoes not deserve a happy ending.

Oh and re her being snooty about Edith having a baby out of wedlock. Shal we remember her dalliance with the Turk early on and then her 'test driving' her suitor last year - involving making poor Anna getting an early Durex for her.

[Deleted]

It always amazes me that when vile characters are being particularly vile and wicked the people round her, usually family, just say "tut,tut' mildly and then life goes on as normal . It is the same in Corrie with Tracey . It really, really, really pees me off.

[Deleted]

Well that’s it. Downton Abbey is finally over. I enjoyed it although I thought too much time was spent on silly Daisy and Barrow, who after his plotting and nastiness every series suddenly had a personality transplant and was brought back to the house as butler to live happily ever after. Edith’s illegitimate child would never have been accepted in 1920s aristocracy but I am glad it was glossed over and she married Bertie Wooster in the end. Great to see Patricia Hodge even though it was only a small part. I would have liked to actually seen Isabel wed Lord Merton and Mosley wed Baxter though. With the general strike of 1926 imminent I wonder how Branson and Mary’s husband’s motor car business would have fared but I suppose we will never know.

[Deleted]

Maybe that will be saved for next years episode if Julian Fellowes decides to make a Christmas special Bluebell.

You could drive a double decker bus through some of the plot devices last night. It was obvious Anna would have her baby at the end of the episode.
Although at the church when the vicar asked the congregation if there were any unlawful impediment why these two should not be wed etc etc, I was expecting Michael Gregson to appear declaring his love for Lady Edith.

[Lotty27]

Well that was like some treacle followed by some syrup wasn't it?   And I LOVED it, lol!  Any other day but xmas day and I've have been sitting there picking holes, shouting "that would never happen!" but it was a perfect sugar-fest for Xmas.

So glad Lady Edith got her happy ending, but then again EVERYONE got a happy ending  smiley-biglaugh   Everyone's stories wrapped up with a little bow on top.

But 2 days later I can say: As if Anna would be having her baby in Lady Mary's bed, they'd have carried her to her own room even if the baby was half out of her lol!

[wallis]

I just watched it this afternoon.

It was far too tidy for me. I understand that they wanted to wind all the stories and characters up but it was just too clinical IMO.

I would have loved Michael to have turned up to put a spanner in the works but that's just me. Don't really like happy endings all that much. Life rarely is like that.

I will miss it though as the production was first rate for ITV who I never really rate for drama especially Costume.

I watched the programme mid-week about the Bafta Award and it seemed a really happy ship.

[anna]

I think you are all ahead of me with this show. I must keep my eyes closed and come back when it's finished here. At the moment I am terribly worried that Anna and her baby. I do hope to see that Violet returns before the ending.

Right I had better stay away till it's over.