Photo Credit – ITV.com

I was out of town this weekend but was able to catch the latest episode of Downton Abbey at the hotel. However, the recap is a day late. Sorry!

Secrets

The show opened with Anna and Mrs. Hughes discovering the photo of baby Marigold that Edith hid under her pillow. Anna is a woman of discreetness (she’s getting a lot of practice from Lady Mary lately) and the look on Mrs. Hughes’ face showed that she is putting two and two together, especially after she overheard Edith and Drewe talking after the fire.

I am waiting for Mrs. Drewe to put two and two together. Her annoyance with Edith is growing and her anger towards her husband is understandable. I’d be having a “lively chat” with my husband if he was trying to pawn off the child I had adopted into my heart. I think there will have to be some confessions made from Drewe if he doesn’t want to damage his marriage. Whether or not Mrs. Drewe would keep quiet if she found out, or be spiteful, I don’t know. Worst case scenario, she realizes the baby is Edith’s but thinks Drewe is the father.

Meanwhile, the other keeper of secrets is Anna. I wanted to hug the poor girl when Mary kept telling her she wanted to avoid the consequences and Anna exclaimed OMG when she realized what she was being asked. Anna manages to procure Mary’s requested item and Mary ventured out on her “sketching holiday.”

On the downstairs front, Jimmy made his goodbyes and left Downton. There was a sweet exchange between him and Thomas. (And later between Anna and Thomas.) I like that Thomas is not shown as a 100% villain. I enjoy when the veil is lifted and we get a glimpse into the vulnerable and hurting man inside. My heart goes out to Thomas at these moments. However, these glimpses do not last long. Thomas was back to his nastiness as he sought his revenge on Baxter by spoiling the good opinion of the man who cared for her most.

I felt for Mosley as he struggled with the revelation of Baxter’s past and her refusal to justify her actions. She does admit that she may not have acted on her own but she’d say no more. Although, I wish she’d come clean, I admire Baxter for accepting the responsibility and the consequences of her actions. You can see how much it pained her to relive that moment of her history and the shame she felt because of it. Her confession to Cora has seemed to give her an inner strength she did not have when she was cowering under Thomas’ gaze. I do hope things work out well for her (and Mosley) in the end.

Sex vs Love

A new character is introduced tonight, an art historian by the name of Simon Bricker. (A familiar face to the lover of period movies.) It seems that things are being set up for Cora to have a romantic brush with Bricker. In turn, Robert spent most of the show upset about something. (Huh. I said that as if it was unusual.) He is correct to suspect Bricker’s intentions, even though he seems more concerned about his dog Isis than his wife. (I couldn’t stop laughing at that.)

Charles Blake is back and he is not pleased with Lady Mary. He does not hide his displeasure, although he does wish Mary happiness. Her exchange with Charles shook Mary’s confidence a bit. I find ill logic in her thinking that having sex with a man she thinks he might love will help her avoid divorce. If anything, the opposite is true, but as I mentioned before, that is a topic for another post.

Despite her temporary misgivings, Mary secured her hotel room, which was adjoined with Gillingham’s room. Moments later, he knocked on her door looking as dashing as ever. They share seductive banter with one another with lines like, “We’ll make love all night, and in fact, for as long as either of us has any stamina left.” Wait, wait… is this Lord Gillingham from Downton Abbey or Rico Suave from a telenovela? It’s getting hard to tell. (Insert eye roll.)

For me, part of the charm of Downton Abbey, and period movies in general, is the subtlety of attraction and the slow simmer that a glance or a smile can produce. The touching of a hand and eventually a tender kiss can send a heart fluttering and wanting more. I find that more enticing to watch than what actually goes on in the bedroom. I am a big fan of a healthy sex life but that should be left to a husband and his blushing wife. (Or vice versa.) 😉 I don’t want (or need) to see in on screen. But that’s just my opinion. I don’t begrudge you yours. 🙂

Case in point, I love the sweet dialogue between Carson and Mrs. Hughes about the location of the memorial.

Carson: “There’s a bonus. It puts us back in agreement, Mrs. Hughes. I am not comfortable when you and I are not in agreement.”
Mrs. Hughes: “You are very flattering. When you talk like that, you make me want tot check the looking glass to see that my hair is tidy.”
Carson: “Get away with you.”
Mrs. Hughes: “No, I mean it.”

That little dialogue and the looks shared between them was swoon worthy and for stodgy Mr. Carson, it was the strongest testament of affections we’ve seen from him so far.

In the closing scene, a policeman came to talk to Mr. Carson about Mr. Green. (Anna’s rapist.) Apparently there was a witness, which means that Mr. Bates and Anna’s relationship will be raked over the coals once again. Dun, dun, dun… Just please, let Mr. Bates be innocent. (No, it’s not preposterous to think Greene bent down to tie his shoe and then he accidentally fell into the path of a moving vehicle.)  Well, at least do not make us endure another dragged out Bates-is-in-prison storyline. Okay, thanks.

Favorite Quotes

— Violet: “Mrs. Crawley has been distracted lately with Lord Merton frisking around her skirts and getting in the way.”

— Robert: “Do people think we are some sort of hotel that never presents a bill.”

— Mrs. Hughes: “That’s a nice thing you are doing.”
— Mrs. Patmore: “Is it? I think I’ve been a damned fool and doubled my workload.”

— Robert: (Speaking of the wireless) “It is a fad. It won’t last.”

— Violet: “Mrs. Crawley is never happier than when she has the chance to use her guiding hand.” (The only thing better than Violet’s lines were the looks Isobel was giving Violet in return for her barbs.)

— Bates (Discussing Lady Mary’s trip.): “It doesn’t sound much like Lady Mary. It sounds a bit bohemian.”

— Lady Mary: “Charles, I am sorry if I’ve hurt you. It is just only lately that I’ve started to come out of the midst.”
— Charles: “And the midst is clearing around the lithe and supple figure of Tony Gillingham.”

— Cora: “She was a German Communist who was shot and thrown in the canal. We wouldn’t wish that on Miss Bunting.”
— Robert: (Considering the thought.) “Hmmm.”

— Mr. Bricker: “Goodness. Is this what they call a lively exchange of views.”
— Mary: “It’s about now that Papa usually fetches his gun.”

— Carson: “I don’t like it when we are not on the same side.”
— Mrs: Hughes: “We’re different people, Mr. Carson. We can’t always agree.
— Carson: “I know. But I don’t like it.”

— Mary – “You are not being fair. I am not some over-heated housemaid drooling over a photograph of Douglas Fairbanks.”

–Robert: “And tell your friend Bricker to stop flirting with Isis. There is nothing more ill-bred than trying to steal the affections of someone else’s dog!”

— Daisy: “Why is it called a wireless when there are so many wires?”

Random Thoughts

— Like Thomas, there are moments when Miss Bunting is not aggravating me and I was touched that she was determined to help Daisy with her studies. If she can channel a little more of her charitable heart and tone down her abrasive rudeness, I’d enjoy her character much more.

— Brian thinks that Charles Blake knows something about Gillingham that he is not telling Mary. I’m not sure.

— I thought is was so unkind of Robert to say about Edith that he hopes that Drewes don’t get sick of her. (As if he is a bed of roses.)

— I’m looking forward to learning more about Rose’s Russian refugees. One of them is going to have a past with Violet. Hmmm. Do tell!

Okay, now it’s your turn! Share with me your thoughts, comments and predictions! 🙂

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