Thanks. Lady Mary telling him about “the old bore” was the only time in the series I wanted to pull off a shoe and just “go Ike” on her in front of assembled family and guests. (True, she had reason to be p.o.d at Edith, but Mary’s action ruined two lives and was based on a lie; Edith’s offense was at least true.)
If not for Mary’s “the old bore” comment Strallan and Edith would probably be happily married by now. And Edith looked so lovely, adorably cute, and very sweet, when she stopped by his home to invite him for a drive. Edith and Strallan do look so well suited for each other, and even very romantic too. I keep trying to muster up sympathy for Edith but just can’t quite get there. That’s probably because I’m an older sister of a jealous younger sister who spent every waking moment of her life resenting me, competing with me, thinking up ways pick a fight with me, and generally making me miserable, when all I wanted was to be left alone. Yes, Mary was a meanie and I’ve never done anything like that to my younger sister, but I do relate to how Mary felt about Edith at that moment. And that is why when Mary nodded and tipped her glass of champagne to Edith after Strallan left it gave me such a delicious chuckle.
And even though Edith’s offense was true, what makes it worse IMO is that she did that to her own sister. Sadly, she wanted so badly to hurt Mary that she didn’t realize she was also doing a very great harm to herself in the same stroke.
Did anyone notice DA’s resident Über-Nit-Picker, Alisair Bruce, sitting at the lunch table after the grouse shoot? (The scene where Isobel asks Lord G if she can attend Bates’ trial.)
[QUOTE=Eve]
It might not have been *quite *so damning, if Bates had not also bought a gun. a noose, a hatchet, a catapult, and an Acme Explodo-Time Bomb as well.
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
And had Wile E Coyote in his employ.
[/QUOTE]
Sir Richard hired James “the Napoleon of crime” Moriarty to deal with Vera. Moriarty hired Wile E. Coyote. This is what happens when you don’t verify your sub-contractor’s references. Shoulda done the job 'imself.
[QUOTE=Sampiro]
…would Robert as head of the family have any control over tying up her money if his sister did not legally gave him control of her estate? {snip}
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure what legal right he may have, but he certainly could use his position as her (elder) brother to influence her to have a lawyer (solicitor, attorney, barrister, councilor, whatever they were called at the time. I’m still confused about that) draft a marriage contract or set up a trust that protected her £££.
[QUOTE=Sampiro]
…when Major Bryant’s parents visited I initially thought his father was played by the actor who plays Onslow. He wasn’t though. (Does that cast get around very much on other shows?)
[/QUOTE]
Major Bryant’s son, Charlie, will marry and have children. One of them will be Onslow’s dad. I can hear Hyacinth now, ringing the bell at Downton and demanding Carson’s great-great-grandson take her card in to Lord Grantham, as she has “strong family connections” with the place.
As for the cast of Keeping Up Appearances:
Patricia “Hyacinth Bucket” Routledge has been in tons of stuff, as well as Judy “Daisy” Cornwell and Clive “Richard Bucket” Swift. (Note to Whovians: Cornwell, Swift and Geoffrey “Onslow” Hughes have been in episodes of Doctor Who.) And, finally, for the trivia buffs, David Griffin, who played “Emmet” the next-door neighbor, was in Julian Fellowes Investigates: A Most Mysterious Murder - The Case of the Earl of Erroll, (TV 2005).
About Anna opening the door to Hepworth’s room: she did not use a key. She put her hand on the doorknob, turned it and entered. I consulted someone* with great knowledge of etiquette of the period. She hasn’t seen Downton Abbey, but this is her theory:
During a house’s “business hours”, servants could enter a room without knocking. This was necessary because of all the work that needed to be done (cleaning, tidying up, restocking, prepping the room for the night, etc.) When the guest declared they were retiring for the night, their maid or valet assisted them in getting ready for bed. Once the guest had retired for the night, the guest’s attendant informed the staff of this and the staff did not enter the room until the next morning (after the attendant had taken tea and toast in). If, during the night, it was necessary to communicate something to the guest or enter their room, the guest’s valet or maid was directed to do so.
Etiquette dictated that a Lady did not enter a Gentleman’s private room, much less, enter without knocking. If she needed to communicate with the gentleman, she sent a footman or her maid or some other lackey.
In “The Case of the Lecherous Lord and the Duplicitous Lady’s-Maid”, since Hepworth had not retired “officially” for the evening (and Shaw was supposed to be attending the Servants’ Ball), Anna had the “right” to enter Hepworth’s room without knocking or announcing herself in any manner. Thus, Lady Mary had to have Anna open the door if she wanted to catch Hepworth in a compromising position without breaching etiquette (or, perhaps just as important, displaying bad manners): “I just happened to be walking by your door when the housemaid entered–on official household business, I absolutely assure you–when, oops! I saw what you were doing with a member of the downstairs staff. Such poor form!”
*Okay, okay, so it was my mom. But she really knows about this stuff from having read tons and tons of (better quality) novels.
Terrific!
.
Just so you know, you really crack me up.
I also think Anna had to be there to open the door for the dramatic effect. I just watched it again and as Miss Shore left the room she walked very near Anna. At that moment Anna glared at her and gave her a look as if to say, “oh yeah, bitch, I was the one who told on your lying cheating ass. So, what about it?”
This also sets up Shore and Anna as enemies for future dramatic effects. Fellowes might not ever use the tension between them, but if he wants to, it’s conveniently there now.
I thought they were shooting pheasants, confirmed by Violet at about :13 in.
[Hah! I’m king of the nitpickers!]
Yep, that was the plan. The Bates would be set up in a cottage on the estate and both would continue to work in the great house & take their meals in the servants quarters (at least until Anna got pregnant). There just wasn’t enough time between their wedding and Bates’s arrest to set all that up. Now I guess Anna will serve as Lady Mary’s lady’s maid & live with her & Matthew while Bates is in prison.
I guess that saves the producers the cost of another set!
I wonder if Mary & Matthew’s wedding will be shown, or if the story will pick up at a later date when there could be a baby even. I doubt that Sybil has been completely written out, but how much a part of the story can she be if she’s away? Does anyone know the history of what was going on in Ireland then - did it begin around this time? Was it foreshadowing when Cora said it might be useful to have a contact on the inside to protect them from the revolution?
Ireland was at war from 1919 to 1923, first against the British and then against each other.
Then it may be difficult for Sybil amd Branson to come home, or for someone to go there to visit (if they’d even want to). Or if she can come home, it could prevent her returning.
And that leaves poor Edith without any pending story line except being hopeful that Mr. Strallan will change his mind. Didn’t someone mention she could do the driving for them - that’s a plus!
Maybe Branson will get killed, and Sybil will come home. Could be an interesting story line with her adjusting back to the fancy life after having seen the other side.
The third series is being shot right now. “Branson” will definitely remain in the cast; his last appearance convinced me he can probably act when given decent lines.
Wikipedia has a good summary of what’s known about Series 3. Nothing really spoilery–most has already been discussed here.
I think Lady Edith is far more suited to a quiet life of retirement than Lady Rosamund is! LOL!
I do think Vera killed herself, and that she meant for it to look like Bates did it. Thinking from her perspective: She is Irish, and therefore married for life. Even if the divorce goes through she can’t re-marry, and she’s thoroughly PO’d to find out that he can and will. She married this guy who went off to war, came home a cripple, then turned to alcohol; and he’s a mean drunk. She steals the silver (to keep them from starving? ) and he goes to jail for her. She perceives this as romantic proof that he loves her afterall, and hopes when he gets out they’ll finally have a life together, only to find him running off to Downton and falling in love with another woman.
One can’t help but see that she’s got a right to a little bitterness, hey? And really, he doesn’t come out so terribly well when you look at it. She wants to force him to keep his vows and build a life for the two of them. She’s become rather nasty about it over the years, that’s true. And in the end, she joins the ancient order of “If I can’t have you I’ll at least determine what happens to you” jealous idiots.
I’m not saying she’s a nice lady, but she’s not so difficult to understand.
As for Sybil, I predict she has the baby and comes home to be safe during the fighting. Branson will almost certainly get himself killed early on.
I do hope we’ll get to see some lovely duels between Shirley McLean and Maggie Smith.
[QUOTE=Oslo Ostragoth]
I thought they were shooting pheasants…
[/QUOTE]
At least it wasn’t a snipe hunt. Or a wild goose chase.
[QUOTE=MsJinx]
I guess that saves the producers the cost of another set!
I wonder if Mary & Matthew’s wedding will be shown, or if the story will pick up at a later date when there could be a baby even. I doubt that Sybil has been completely written out, but how much a part of the story can she be if she’s away? Does anyone know the history of what was going on in Ireland then - did it begin around this time? Was it foreshadowing when Cora said it might be useful to have a contact on the inside to protect them from the revolution?
[/QUOTE]
I don’t think they’ll show the wedding. Maybe there will be oohing and ahing over the wedding pix.
I don’t think Lady G said anything about Branson being useful as protection, just useful because he was on the other side.
My groundless conjecture is that the political situation will get so dangerous, Lord & Lady G, and Sybil & Branson will agree Sybil & the baby will be safer at Downton while Branson continues his Important Work in Ireland.
[QUOTE=MsJinx]
…that leaves poor Edith without any pending story line except being hopeful that [Sir Anthony] Strallan will change his mind. Didn’t someone mention she could do the driving for them - that’s a plus!
[/QUOTE]
While I agree Edith could be very good at taking them both for a spin, I think Sir Anthony is too old-fashioned to allow her to drive him.
[QUOTE=TruCelt]
{snip} I do hope we’ll get to see some lovely duels between Shirley McLean and Maggie Smith.
[/QUOTE]
With Sir Richard gone, she needs some other par venue to spar with! En garde!
Those having trouble picturing Shirley in this role, may be overlooking her “Steel Magnolias” character. I can totally see Violet calling her on some obscure faux pas and Shirley saying “You’ll have to excuse me, I’ve been in a very bad mood for the last 20 years.”
Violet has already cast so many aspersions on Americans, I’m sure it won’t take long for something to happen.
I was remembering a tea (in the U.S.) for Daughters of the British Empire - the guests were middle-age and older women from the UK, many had married American men (some were even WWII war brides). Someone had placed a crocheted tea cosy over one of the teapots on the luncheon table. Granted, it was a rather hideous shapeless purple striated acrylic yarn thing. One of the British ladies was almost apoplectic when she saw it. Her friend snatched it off, her lips pursed, nostrils flaring, saying crisply ‘Oh, these tacky Americans!’.
I thought it was funny, but chose to keep my mouth shut and hope they wouldn’t immediately acsertain that I was one of those Americans.
BTW, there was a very Gwen-looking maid at the servants’ table at least once.
Among the monstrosities available at Amazon.UK is this lovely piece. British design allows you to decorate your home elegantly (modern, traditional, etc.) or fill it with unspeakable tattiness…
Quite rude of the old bat.
It’s a good thing that Thanksgiving is an American holiday then. It won’t offend the good taste of those in other countries.
I admit to crocheting a lovely little chick egg warmer, though. But it was cute!