285 replies to this topic

[TWoP Roxy]

From zap2it.com:

The fate of Downton Abbey hinges on a letter from beyond the grave; Edith and Sir Anthony face fate; Mrs. Hughes deals with a crisis.

[Ever After]

Ugh, Sir Anthony, why? WHY?! I'm starting to think Edith killed Julian Fellowes's puppy or something.

[callietwo]

What the fuck was that? Seriously, this episode just pissed me off. Edith is left at the alter, and little miss Pissy Mary gets her way. Bleah.

[Lived In Inch]

They did pad the US version with extra scenes. I do like the UK version, but watching small tidbits here and there kind of made up for the horrible editing jobs PBS submitted us for the first two seasons.

[stopeslite]

Oh, poor Edith. I never liked her much, but that was cold. "Spinsters get up for breakfast" just killed me, especially after Matthew's comments last week about how Mary wanted breakfast in bed because she was married now. (What's that about, anyway? Only married women eat in their rooms?) I still don't understand why they were all so opposed to the wedding. It's not like she has any other options, and isn't that better than whiling away her life living in a Downton house at the whim of her brother in law? Is it supposed to illustrate just how divorced from reality Robert and his ilk are? Anthony had better have a male lover somewhere he was running to, that's all I can say.

Wait, Tom and Sybil were able to just stay for a month until the next wedding? He doesn't have a job to get back to?

I thought Mary's outfit was the most beautiful of all of them at the wedding, even Edith.

There was no cheering townspeople ride to the church? Only the heir of Grantham gets that?

Poor Matthew, Reggie took away his big chance to be a martyr. It looked like it pained him so much to have to admit that he didn't have a cross to hang on any more.

"If the poor don't want it, you can bring it over to me." Heh. There were so many good zingers in this episode.

OMG, Carson and Mrs. Hughes are the cutest things in the world.

[nilyank]

My poor Edith. She didn't deserve the pain and humilation and the future I told you so's.

I know some might say this was her karma for writing the truth about the Turk in Mary's bed but she paid for that when she lost Anthony the first time. She then turned around her life and became a better person during the war for all those soldiers. She never deserved that. Mrs. Hughes was completely correctly.

I won't get into the whole contrived letter where Lavinia's dad is totally okay with maybe leaving his gazillion dollars to the man who was kissing another woman the night before his dying daughter's wedding. To add insult to the contrived mess, Lavinia's dad then gives his blessing instead a polite fuck you Matthew.

[Skylergirl]

Poor Edith - my heart broke.

Thomas - beware the wrath of O'Brien.

So glad that Mrs. Hughes is okay. And boy, did Ethel look bad (and doing it in front of her kid --- ew!)

[Dana Girl]

Wait, Tom and Sybil were able to just stay for a month until the next wedding? He doesn't have a job to get back to?

No, they weren't in the episode where Mary and Matthew came back from their honeymoon. I think they went back to Ireland and then came back for Edith's non-wedding.

Y'all, that totally broke my heart! She loved him! How dare he humiliate her like that?

But, Carson singing after finding out Mrs Hughes is all right? Aww!

[oceanblue]

It turns out I like Edith a lot more than I thought. I am furious with Anthony. I was so hoping that he'd be surprisingly good in bed. I hope he's sleeping with Thomas.

[cyberducks]

Poor Edith. How much more can they pile on the poor woman. Meanwhile, Mary gets her way as usual.

[stopeslite]

No, they weren't in the episode where Mary and Matthew came back from their honeymoon. I think they went back to Ireland and then came back for Edith's non-wedding.

Ok, I could see Granny paying for them to come out again, especially since it was all out in the open last time.

I'm getting so sick of the Bates thing. Every time he came on screen my brain just shut down in a WHATEVER BACK TO THE WEDDING mode.

I'm not sure, if I were Edith, which would be worse - to come down to see wedding decorations, or to come down to see everything eerily put back to normal as if it had never happened. The latter seems too much like a weird reality-wipe.

[wolvfbfn]

We always knew that Mary was the favored child and Edith was the "red headed step child", but, jeez, that was just ridiculous. Must be nice to be Mary and lead such a charmed existence.

[stopeslite]

The one thing I did like was how Mary didn't try to be all fake-lovey with Edith. "We still hate each other, but I'm happy for you today." That was respectful of her to do.

[Ever After]

Will they ever give Edith a happy ending? I'm hoping the whole series ends with a long shot of her reclining on a pile of money, cackling, and being lovingly fanned by a half-naked sex god.

[keagan1]

I was never a big fan of the Anthony/Edith pairing, but when she mentioned how (following WWI) young men her age were few and far between I gave it a second thought. She didn't have that many options.

I think that I softened on Edith a bit when she was so excited that something was happening at DA that was all about her. Loved Violet popping up at the church and coming to Edith's aid.

Anthony had better have a male lover somewhere he was running to, that's all I can say.

Where was Thomas at the time?

[JudyObscure]

I do hope Edith blames her father's interference for the jilting. His Lordship's untimely glee over Matthew's found money and his flippant remark that Edith would soon, "get over it," made me want to punch his bloated, smug face in. Maybe Edith will go off her head and run over him with a tractor.

[quentin312002]

If it were before the war I would have agreed with Lord Grantham's reservations to the marriage, Edith and Matthew have a lot in common this episode, they both wanted to be martyred. But the simple fact is there aren't a lot of guys Edith's age left and a lot of them have worse physical and mental wounds from the war and no money or titles for Edith. However I did like that Alfred spoke out at the table and said he thought she could do better.

I am enjoying the tension and nastiness between Thomas and O'Brien. Maybe it's because they leave a rest of the house alone when they are focusing on making each other miserable.

Glad to see downstairs got a real taste of an upstairs wedding. So something nice came out of Edith's suffering.

By the time Matthew told Lord Grantham about the money and he also tried to reject it I was sick to death of the same arguments going over and over. Take the damn money already!

[mochamajesty]

Oh, Edith.

I normally hate the fashions of the period, but I LOVED Edith's gown.

The servants ate good that night.

Please clear something up for me. How can Matthew invest in Downtown if it's already his?

[stopeslite]

I think it won't be Matthew's until Robert dies.

Loved Violet popping up at the church and coming to Edith's aid.

She did that like she's seen it before - I bet she has a few good stories of her friends who were jilted after the Afghan war or something.

[callietwo]

Please clear something up for me. How can Matthew invest in Downtown if it's already his?

It won't be his till Robert dies. Which at this point, won't come soon enough, that ASS.

[LibraryDragon]

I remember something similar from Upstairs Downstairs. When the father got into financial trouble the son purchased the house. It became a source of strain. Who was the master of the house? I gather Matthew will share in any income from the estate now rather than waiting until he inherits. Of course, if Downton is sold he won't inherit the main estate.

[zoey1996]

It's not Matthew's yet - not until Robert dies will he inherit it.
Oh Edith! I can't imagine what she will do now.
So many nice moments tonight, and some great lines! Anyone else think Daisy is taking a fancy to Alfred?
I don't mind the Bates scenes, but this does seem to be dragging on and on. Hope Anna breaks the case soon, but it's not looking good. Wonder why the other prisoner warned Bates to search his own cell, thus finding the contraband (what was that, anyway?) before the actual search.

[irisheyes]

I think that Thomas needs to be careful. We've all seen just how far O'Brien can go when she's angry.

Poor Edith. Her two sisters live the charmed life, and she gets left at the altar. I hope she heads off to London to live the wild, liberated life of the 20's.

Usually I love Matthew (and Dan Stevens makes my heart go pitter-patter), but OMG, just use the money already! You're saving your future home for heaven's sake! Stop the sad pathetic faces already.

[AnalogHeart]

Is no one relieved that mrs Hughes didn't have cancer? I was! Love her. And yes, poor Edith. I felt for her. Also too: take the money already, Matthew. Or we shall join lady Mary in thrashing you about the head. Good thing I find you pleasant to look at, Matthew Crowley!!

[JudyObscure]

Who was the master of the house?

I remember that in Up/Down but at Downton Abbey I don't think there will be any question about it. Mary will be the undisputed master of the house.

[mochamajesty]

Thanks, guys.

I can see how that will cause issues later.

I did not like what Edith said about her sisters. I knew she was angry, but that amount of venom? It's not Sybil and Mary's fault that she was jilted.

And I so wanted to say to Robert, "Anthony will take better care of her than you." He would at least appreciate Edith and say kind things about her.

I get the feeling that no one above stairs likes O'Brien. Why employ a maid that you dislike?

Edited by mochamajesty, Jan 13, 2013 @ 10:51 PM.

[keagan1]

...but OMG, just use the money already! You're saving your future home for heaven's sake! Stop the sad pathetic faces already.

I loved how his first reaction to Mary reading him the letter was that she had forged it. She had to go find someone to prove to him that the letter from Lavina to her father was real. Trust issues, anyone?

Edited by keagan1, Jan 13, 2013 @ 10:53 PM.

[Milburn Stone]

Matthew is a narcissist.

[mochamajesty]

I loved how his first reaction to Mary reading him the letter was that she forged it. She had to go find someone to prove to him that the letter from Lavina to her father was real. Trust issues, anyone?

I know! And then to wimp out and say, "I didn't mean to accuse you of faking it. " What if no one remembered mailing the letter?

Having said that, forgery was my first thought also. But I'm not Marys husband.

Edited by mochamajesty, Jan 13, 2013 @ 10:55 PM.

[skeeter22]

I loved how his first reaction to Mary reading him the letter was that she forged it. She had to go find someone to prove to him that the letter from Lavina to her father was real. Trust issues, anyone?

In Matthew's defense, the letter was completely ridiculous and unbelievable. Forgery was a much more obvious explanation than the truth.