# Downton Abbey, Christmas Special (U.S. premiere Feb. 19, 2012) - Spoilers embargoed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265 "2012-02-18T20:06:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/141 "2012-03-03T02:16:04Z")
> [@abmabardy](#): > > I think I remember Matthew telling Lavinia he loved her. Precisely–Matthew is really “NOKD.” I mean, he _worked_. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/142 "2012-03-03T03:16:27Z")
He even knew what a weekend was. Heavens! ---
**Author:** ![raindrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@raindrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindrop)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/143 "2012-03-05T23:39:52Z")
The word “love” is used sparingly, or not at all, as was the custom. But Fellowes seems to make it clear who is really in love. Mary seemed in love with Matthew, but was also very conflicted. Matthew loved Mary, then loved Lavinia, but still loved Mary. It is made clear to us even when it wasn’t spoken aloud. Anna said aloud she loved Bates, with no reservation or apology. Bates was stuck on Anna right from the start even though he didn’t say it for a while. William was never not in love with Daisy. With just a look we knew how he felt. It was also made clear that Edith loved Patrick, and now she’s having genuine passionate feelings for Strallan. I think Branson loves Sybil, but came off as more presumptuous and bullying IMO. I just didn’t think Sybil was in love with Branson. She lingered around Branson a lot, but I never saw anything from her that was a clear indication as love. (IMO it looked more like curiosity?) With or without the actual “love” word I think Fellowes intentionally left some characters’ feelings ambiguous or unclear. And since he’s knows how to make it clear who is really in love, I think he left it unclear for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/144 "2012-03-07T01:11:10Z")
> [@raindrop](#): > > I just didn’t think Sybil was in love with Branson. She lingered around Branson a lot, but I never saw anything from her that was a clear indication as love. (IMO it looked more like curiosity?) With or without the actual “love” word I think Fellowes intentionally left some characters’ feelings ambiguous or unclear. And since he’s knows how to make it clear who is really in love, I think he left it unclear for a reason. I agree, I don’t think Sybil loves Branson. She made it fairly clear that she was marrying him mainly to get the hell away from Downton. It’s nice that Mary won’t have to change her name when she gets married. Or she could be known as Lady Mary Crawley-Crawley. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/145 "2012-03-08T13:52:05Z")
If the Crawley-Crawleys have a son, they could name him “Creepy-Creepy”! Or just Boris. As far as what is coming, what year are we in now? 1918? Then I’d say the Roaring 20s are coming on! ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/146 "2012-03-08T14:09:28Z")
The last show we saw covered Christmas, 1919 and New Years Day, 1920. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/147 "2012-03-08T19:49:00Z")
Can any British history buffs give us an idea of what life was like in England during the 20s? Did the distinctions between classes ease up? Did England enjoy the same economic prosperity that the U.S. did? I know England went through a depression immediately after the war, but I wasn’t sure how long it lasted. Perhaps the Crawleys will honeymoon in Paris with Ernest Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds. Or maybe that’s a Woody Allen movie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265/148 "2012-03-08T21:27:57Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > Can any British history buffs give us an idea of what life was like in England during the 20s? Did the distinctions between classes ease up? Did England enjoy the same economic prosperity that the U.S. did? I know England went through a depression immediately after the war, but I wasn’t sure how long it lasted. Well, there was the General Strike of 1926 [(wiki)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Strike_of_1926), which implies that (1) the working classes perceived something to be wrong with the broader economy (2) a good three years before the Crash of '29. > [@](#): > > Perhaps the Crawleys will honeymoon in Paris with Ernest Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds. Or maybe that’s a Woody Allen movie. 🙂 More likely Branson and [del]Lady[/del] Sybil. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-christmas-special-u-s-premiere-feb-19-2012-spoilers-embargoed/613265.md?page=7)