I went back and read the statement from Fellowes that WGBH (the presenting station) sent us on Friday to help us cope with viewer reaction following the “shocking plot twist” —
So “Fans would have thought it too sad or contrived if he and Mary separated or left, so instead we killed him off the same hour his son was born, kind of like the fulfilment of a dark prophecy.”
That’s so stupid. There are all kinds of plausible reasons for a happy couple to spend time apart without being estranged, parted, or separated. Matthew might simply away on business. After all, we are not seeing every minute of the lives of these people.
Am I alone in thinking the role could simply have been recast?
Thanks for the information.
Regards,
Shodan
Unfortunately, under the terms of Matthew’s will his estate passes to the next most tangentially connected person to the late Lavinia’s father, which is in fact Lavinia’s late mother’s former dry cleaner, thus in order to maintain Downton the family must make it into a Karl May themed dude ranch for German tourists who want a wild west experience but can only afford to come as far west as England.
article of interest re character’s death
Sampiro - You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?
StG
I don’t think that Matthew’s death would have been such an eyeroller if Sybil hadn’t died. Now it just seems there’s a curse on mating with a Crawley:
Sybil- dies instantly after successful reproduction
Mary- had sex with two men, the first of whom died instantly without impregnating her and the second of whom died instantly after successful reproduction. (The second had attempted to mate before, but his wife died before they could reproduce.)
Edith- cannot find a man to mate with, but-
—The cousin she was in love with died of unnatural causes
—Her battle hardened aged fiance publicly humiliated her and himself because something about him sensed danger in going through with the mating
—Currently she’s circling a man whose first wife went mad after mating
Somewhere the farmer she kissed probably grew breasts and then impaled himself.
There’s a curse on the Crawley vaginas. And Grandma in America is totally pulling the strings. (She probably made her husband a megamillionaire through similar blood magick.)
It would be interesting to learn what became of Violet’s husband.
Well, given all that, then Thomas is the only sensible bloke on the place.
That’s all very logical, but I thought the definitive point was that it couldn’t run at the same time as “Upstairs, Downstairs.” I, for one, manage to confuse them occasionally even with the two-month lapse in between. (When somebody up hread said they hadn’t replaced Branson, I had to quickly delete a post “reminding” them of the good-looking boxing coach dude. :smack: )
For those confused about the entail and succession, just pretend that the honor has been awarded to the “Y” chromosome. The “X” can not carry it.
Re: The change in law of 1925, would it allow Mary to inherit the estate, but not the title? Or both? I thought titles still go with the “Y”?
You’re killing me.
Don’t stop.
Titles still go with the “Y”. Not in Scotland–which fact was mentioned in the last episode. And now the heir to the very throne will be the first child–not the first male, with females only taking the throne if no XY’s are produced…
(Hmm… blood magic. Perhaps there’s a crossover with Game of Thrones. Actually, there probably is–in fanfiction. We thought Gwen went to a secretarial job–now she’s even farther north than Yorkshire! And Ser Richard is still hung up on an aristocratic female–but this one has dragons.)
[QUOTE=Bridget Burke]
(Hmm… blood magic. Perhaps there’s a crossover with Game of Thrones. Actually, there probably is–in fanfiction. We thought Gwen went to a secretarial job–now she’s even farther north than Yorkshire! And Ser Richard is still hung up on an aristocratic female–but this one has dragons.)
[/QUOTE]
So maybe we’ll finally get some Lady Mary:Tyrion action going. It will be wonderful seeing his introduction to her grandmother.
Mary: Grand Ma-ma, this is my new fiance, Tyrion Lannister.
Violet: Where, dear?
Despite Matthew’s horribly rushed demise, I enjoyed the episode, all in all. Carson’s soothing the baby, Mrs. Patmore’s relief when she learns the truth about her bumpkin suitor, Jimmy’s careful offer of friendship to Thomas, Bates’s beaming when he sees Anna dancing a reel, and Mrs. Hughes’s comforting of Tom when he admits how much he misses Sybil - all gold.
I have to admit, when O’Brien crossed the dance hall to speak to the Scottish lady, I thought she was going to try to get a new job as her lady’s maid!
The whole Scottish plotline seemed to be a way of showing that not every household was as happy as Downton - quarreling lord and lady, a mean and overbearing butler, a sullen staff, etc.
Here’s the castle where they filmed: Inveraray Castle - Wikipedia
And here’s “Downton Place”: Greys Court - Wikipedia
Heh. I have another Steve in mind, and better yet, he’s already played a character named Ruprecht: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqMc9B7uDV8
I thought she looked like Frasier’s evil agent, Bebe: Harriet Sansom Harris - Wikipedia
Would that it were so, but I’m afraid that he’s “really most sincerely dead.”
Gosh, wasn’t it, though? Nothing says “Yuletide cheer” like seeing blood run down a man’s face after a car crash.
Predictions: Rose and/or Edith get caught up in the suffragette movement, and Tom feels the call of Ireland once more when the Free State is established in 1922.
Now that the season’s over, here’s the earlier open-spoiler thread: Downton Abbey -- Series Three (open spoilers) - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
I thought so, too! Then O’Brien could get to travel with Shrimpie & Co., and the sourpuss would take O’Brien’s place at Downton. New reality show: Lady’s Maid Swap! That cranky old bitch would make O’Brien look like Mother Teresa.
O’Brien and Lady Shrimpie would open a bitterness vortex a sonic screwdriver couldn’t close. Ultimately they’d make a suicide pact with a bar of soap and a curling iron.
I’m wondering if cranky Scottish lady’s maid will follow Rose to Downton to give OBrian a new nemesis, since the one with Thomas seems to have petered out.
As soon as I saw Matthew driving the car, I knew an accident was coming.
This was an OK episode, except the whole thing with the new maid and the ex-chaufeur seemed like a bit of fluff.
I did notice, however, that the actress who plays Mary looks like she could, IRL, be the daughter of Lady Grantham.
Shrimpy. That made me laugh every time someone used it. And Rose… well, I can see her causing all sorts of trouble in the next season!
Looking at Duneagle I was struck by how much it looked like a fairy tale castle, so much so it was probably built intentionally to look like one (ala Mad King Ludwig’s follies). Looked it up, and it’s Inveraray Castle in Scotland, and while the castle (or, I suppose, the mansion) is 17th century, it looked like this until at least 1880 as opposed to its current appearance. The family also still has 60,000 acres. Apparently, they were pretty good stewards (as opposed to Stewarts, who they’re probably related to as well) or married very well.
I wonder if there are any of the great estates that are still all of the following:
-In the original family
-In good repair
-Not open to the public or dependant on tourism or film for their upkeep
Anyone know of any?