I cannot even care about hospital subplot. I don’t know that I have ever been so bored by a DA plotline, including the time that old flame showed up and said he wanted to marry Mrs. Hughes (didn’t that happen?). And this one just won’t go away! I was more interested in the flower growing contest argument plotline than this one. Isobel and Violet are at their best sparring over ultimately inconsequential issues, not big ones like this. It’s no fun seeing them truly on the out and out.
Wait…is Lady Shackleton’s nephew…could he be…just the shot of Matthew Goode this season needs?!?!? I hear a mention of race cars…and it is! Huzzah! I’d expected rather more sparkle from Matthew Goode, but let’s give him some time.
Daisy, seriously, you are kind of the worst. Miss Bunting was a bad influence on you (and I appreciate Mary’s throwaway comment to Branson about never finding another one of her). However, I did enjoy the scene of Daisy running upstairs to confront Lady Crawley, against the advice of all the other servants. Even if that plotline in general kind of gave me flames on the side of my face. I couldn’t believe it when William’s dad thanked her at the end for the farm – it was practically in spite of her, not thanks to her efforts!
It is possible that Thomas will end up being my favorite character of this series. Right? What do we think of his current sad-sack state? Could the show lay it on any thicker?
Gwen the SECKretary!! It’s like every episode is This is Your Life on Downton, now! It was heartwarming hearing her reminisce about Lady Sibyl, though, wasn’t it? Lovely lovely scene, and the aftermath with Mary feeling petty was a nice bonus.
This is the first episode I’ve felt was really worthy of the show – less going through the motions, more actual heart and story and throwbacks to season 1. I will say, though, that I find the show’s (and Mary’s) amnesia about the way her husband died to be a little strange. How is it that she can have all these conversations with The Nephew about cars, and driving them fast, and how they’re only a way of getting from A to B and nothing more…and never mention that her husband died in one? I think it’s weird.