Downton Abbey, I'm disappointed, in you. Very much so.
This episode takes place a year after the last one ended, which is fine. I didn't have a problem with that at all. Mary is eight months pregnant (not that she looks it) and has a naive attitude surrounding it, which is odd especially after what happened to poor Sybil. She still insists on journeying to Scotland for a family outing to visit some distant relatives there (aka Lady Rose's parents). Branson will be left behind, which will please the new maid Edna (MyAnna Buring). She likes him, but also undermines his climb into society and tries to encourage him to get back to his roots. She also doesn't really like her job nor the family in which she serves. She also hopelessly flirts with him, and he does nothing about that. Toward the end, she even comes into his room (he doesn't have his shirt on!), without permission, and continues to approach him even after he tells her she should go. They kiss. Nevertheless, Mrs. Hughes fires her. Tom doesn't fight it, though he insists that she give Edna a good reference. Mrs. Hughes also says that (in something right out of Glee, circa season one), "You never encouraged her, but you didn't discourage her either." So Edna leaves. Tom cries to Mrs. Hughes over how much he still misses Sybil. Crisis averted. For now.
In the meantime, the servants are having some fun, despite Carson's constant disapproval, with the family being away, though there is always work to do. Mrs. Patmore also has a suitor, a local grocer, Mr. Tufton (John Henshaw). However, though he likes her, he only wants to marry her for her delicious cooking and he flirts hopelessly with any woman that moves. Fortunately, Mrs. Hughes alerts Mrs. Patmore to this before she can accept his marriage proposal, and Mrs. Patmore is relieved by all of this. Crisis averted, hopefully forever.
Also there, Jimmy and the others participate in a tug of war contest and Downton wins and Jimmy wins some money in a bet, but the losers are sore and after Jimmy gets drunk, they nearly beat him up but Thomas intervenes. Thomas has some horrible battle wounds, though he will recover. At the end, Jimmy goes into his room (after knocking, that is key) and says that he can't give Thomas what he wants, but Thomas is okay with that. Jimmy sits down and reads him the newspaper. That plot line is settled, thank goodness.
Isobel also was not invited to go to Scotland so she stays put and continues to look for a purpose and visits with Dr. Clarkson (David Robb) a great deal. In the end, Clarkson does not propose because Isobel makes it clear that she doesn't want to married again, that she enjoys being single. As my sister put it, friend zoned. It truly was somewhat upsetting, though why Clarkson waited until now to start dating her seems a bit random, but I would have enjoyed them together. This plot line might continue into the next season.
As for Daisy, they did nothing with her, leaving her plot line hanging until next season, to my dismay. Ivy was likewise ignored. Alfred merely expressed interest in his passion is really cooking. But that is all.
Now, to the family in faraway Scotland. For the servants, O'Brien meets her match in the ladies maid Wilkins, who, after O'Brien shows her how to do Susan's hair the same way as Cora's, tries to get her drunk, though she fails as Moseley finishes the drink and starts to behave like a madman. Needless to say, Wilkins will regret getting on O'Brien's bad side.
Bates and Anna catch Rose smoking, but instead of telling, Anna insists that Rose teach her the reel which impresses Bates. That is basically all that happens to them.
Meanwhile, the hosts, Shrimpy (Peter Egan), fortunately that is only his nickname, and Susan (Phoebe Nicholls) are having a whole bunch of marital issues and can barely stand to be in the same room as each other. The children are mostly grown, and they have simply grown apart. Their estate has also fallen into ruin as they have failed to modernize, which Downton did, only after the insistence of Matthew. Only now does Robert realize how truly valuable is.
Also, Michael Gregson returns and tells Matthew the truth about everything. Matthew encourages him to let Edith down gently but he does need to go. This plot line is left open, so I guess we'll be seeing Michael Gregson again and Edith might become his mistress, though Gregson says he does love her, but he can offer her nothing more than this as his wife will forever be in the mental institution.
Mary overdoes it in Scotland and journeys back to London a few days early and doesn't even go home. She goes straight to the hospital, where she delivers a tiny, somewhat premature baby boy. Matthew arrives (as word was given to the family immediately thanks to Carson) and the family has a sweet lovely moment. "The end tail is secure." Mary's line, not mine.
Meanwhile, the family awaits the news eagerly at home. Carson (who actually had a soft side, picking up the crying baby Sybil and showing her around the house, just as he did with her mother) informed Mrs. Hughes that everything is fine, but didn't even think to ask whether the baby was a boy or girl. Matthew starts the drive home to tell the family the good news, but he never makes it. He is hit by another car and is dead. (We know this because Dan Stevens didn't renew his contract for the next season.)
I hated the ending. Yes, I knew that they had to get rid of Matthew in some way, but they basically repeated what happened right after Sybil died. A baby is born and a parent dies, within hours after the birth. Thanks for coming up with something original. Now, the heir is a fragile, premature baby, so in my opinion, the end tail is not secure, not anywhere close to being secure.
Downton Abbey has killed off many characters, but most of them are young, in the prime of their lives. Last season, with the war and influenza, that made sense, but now, without those huge obstacles, it seems unnecessary. I am furious that they killed off Matthew immediately after the birth of their son. He was everything to Mary. He saw through her evilness as she still could be a horribly nasty person, especially to Edith. Their happy ending was ripped out right from underneath them. Does anyone in Downton get a happy ending? So far, Sybil didn't; she was close, but then she died. And Mary didn't. And it doesn't look like Edith will end happy either, being jilted at the alter and now being in love with a married man. Fortunately, at least for now, Bates and Anna are happy, but that is it. I wish they could have ended the season differently.
As for next season, Rose will continue to appear because they need another character, I guess.
This season was mostly good, with witty dialogue (most of it coming from Violet) and great acting, but the writing suffered and apparently liking characters doesn't mean they will survive. I hope that season four goes differently. If they kill of Tom or either of the two small children, I'm done, just warning you. Grade: B
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