# Downton Abbey S4 - spoiler-free until broadcast in the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844 "2013-03-02T19:48:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/361 "2014-02-04T21:16:03Z")
I thought it was sweet too. I thought Robert ended with a comment about “if he’d gone on we’d be hugging” (or something). I definitely got the vibe they appreciated his sentiments and genuinely were pleased for him, but that overt display of sentimentality made them feel awkward, since they don’t lend themselves to that outpouring of emotion. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/362 "2014-02-04T21:20:04Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It was mine too until the new gardener who we all know didn’t really steal the letter opener because it fell behind the couch or Lady Mary borrowed it or something. I was both right and wrong. I correctly guessed what happened to the letter opener, which was obvious, but I was wrong in that the resolution where Violet got one over on Isabelle made the whole story line totally worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/363 "2014-02-04T21:25:51Z")
Another [Downton Abbey on Facebook](http://happyplace.someecards.com/29059/downton-abbey-facebook-recap-season-4-episode-5/page/1). ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/364 "2014-02-04T21:52:03Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I thought it was sweet too. I thought Robert ended with a comment about “if he’d gone on we’d be hugging” (or something). I definitely got the vibe they appreciated his sentiments and genuinely were pleased for him, but that overt display of sentimentality made them feel awkward, since they don’t lend themselves to that outpouring of emotion. My take as well. It wasn’t as snobbish as Shodan would have it; more (a) bemusement at the breach of protocol and (b) discomfort with open emotion. (Remember Robert’s scene a few weeks back where he is open, emotional and warm with someone – Bates? – and ends it with mock horror at so much emotion from an Englishman.) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/365 "2014-02-04T22:13:48Z")
Maybe they’re not being completely snobbish all the time because of Cora’s influence. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/366 "2014-02-04T22:16:14Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Another [Downton Abbey on Facebook](http://happyplace.someecards.com/29059/downton-abbey-facebook-recap-season-4-episode-5/page/1). THANK YOU! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/367 "2014-02-04T23:36:05Z")
Can someone fill me in on the tenants? Do the Crawleys have a lot of tenants, that is, farmers who work the land on rented fields? What is it they grow, mostly? It all sounds so feudal. Does this mean the farmers in “All Creatures Great and Small” didn’t own their farms, but were actually tenants of people like the Crawleys? Were ALL farmers before WWII renters, not owners? That can’t be! When the family falls upon hard times, what then, do they sell off parts of their land?.. I hope I’m making myself clear and don’t sound too ignorant, I’m genuinely curious about this kind of thing. ---
**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:** [February 5, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/368 "2014-02-05T00:10:11Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Another [Downton Abbey on Facebook](http://happyplace.someecards.com/29059/downton-abbey-facebook-recap-season-4-episode-5/page/1). Love it!!! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/369 "2014-02-05T01:16:35Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I thought it was sweet too. I thought Robert ended with a comment about “if he’d gone on we’d be hugging” (or something). I definitely got the vibe they appreciated his sentiments and genuinely were pleased for him, but that overt display of sentimentality made them feel awkward, since they don’t lend themselves to that outpouring of emotion. That’s how I took it. While there is an element of upper class formality with everything they do there is also a stewardship mentality. They feel a duty to the people who work for them. Just because there is a class system in place does not equal disdain or disrespect between them. Look at how much of a kick Mary got supporting her “people” by knocking the snobby maitre d down a notch. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/370 "2014-02-05T01:19:13Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > Perhaps Edith is considering fleeing to Germany to look for her guy? > > Who is probably reconciled with his wife and expecting a baby with her, too! 🙂 I think she’s contemplating an abortion. She clearly stated she needed to know if he’s dead and needed to make a decision. ---
**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:** [February 5, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/371 "2014-02-05T02:23:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > …Just because there is a class system in place does not equal disdain or disrespect between them. Look at how much of a kick Mary got supporting her “people” by knocking the snobby maitre d down a notch. Cora, not Mary. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/372 "2014-02-05T03:33:25Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Can someone fill me in on the tenants? Do the Crawleys have a lot of tenants, that is, farmers who work the land on rented fields? What is it they grow, mostly? It all sounds so feudal. Does this mean the farmers in “All Creatures Great and Small” didn’t own their farms, but were actually tenants of people like the Crawleys? Were ALL farmers before WWII renters, not owners? That can’t be! When the family falls upon hard times, what then, do they sell off parts of their land?.. I hope I’m making myself clear and don’t sound too ignorant, I’m genuinely curious about this kind of thing. Not all farmers were tenants but most of them were. There were farmers who owned their own farms, some were smaller and some were larger. Remember William Mason’s father owned his little farm and offered to give it to Daisy when he died. Obviously, it was small enough that his son felt he needed to go into service in order to have something to live on. There were also larger farms and the owners of them were often considered either gentry or just below gentry class depending on the size of the farm, how many generations had owned it, and what it’s income was. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/373 "2014-02-05T04:24:45Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > Perhaps Edith is considering fleeing to Germany to look for her guy? Considering her disdain for the black singer, she’d probably have a good ole time in Germany a year after the current show year (consider that Gregson is supposed to be Munich of all places!!) ;). ---
**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:** [February 5, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/374 "2014-02-05T05:15:29Z")
We’re probably getting ahead of ourselves, but this is from the Wiki article about the Nazi Party (NSDAP) around that time: _During 1921 and 1922, the Nazi Party grew significantly, partly through Hitler’s oratorical skills, partly through the SA’s appeal to unemployed young men, and partly because there was a backlash against socialist and liberal politics in Bavaria as Germany’s economic problems deepened and the weakness of the Weimar regime became apparent. The party recruited former World War I soldiers, to whom Hitler as a decorated frontline veteran could particularly appeal, as well as small businessmen and disaffected former members of rival parties. Nazi rallies were often held in beer halls, where downtrodden men could get free beer. The Hitler Youth was formed for the children of party members, although it remained small until the late 1920s. The party also formed groups in other parts of Germany. Julius Streicher in Nuremberg was an early recruit, and became editor of the racist magazine_ Der Stürmer. _Others to join the party around this time were WW I flying ace Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler. In December 1920 the party acquired a newspaper, the_ Völkischer Beobachter, _of which NSDAP ideological chief Alfred Rosenberg became editor_. From here: [Nazi Party - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_party#Origins_and_early_existence:_1918.E2.80.931923) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/375 "2014-02-05T07:57:53Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Cora, not Mary. gettin old. I need score cards to keep up. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/376 "2014-02-05T14:00:02Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > gettin old. I need score cards to keep up. Good luck sorting out Edith, Edna, and Ethel, Tom Branson and Thomas Barrow, and Rose and Rosamund. You’re not old; it’s a conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/377 "2014-02-05T18:02:05Z")
^Not to mention all the titles and honorifics. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/378 "2014-02-05T18:23:00Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > ^Not to mention all the titles and honorifics. And which g.d. fork to use!! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/379 "2014-02-05T18:26:28Z")
Sigh. Is it Sunday again yet? ---
**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:** [February 5, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844/380 "2014-02-05T19:36:06Z")
Good question. And how many more eps to go, anyway? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s4-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/651844.md?page=20)