# Downton Abbey S5 - spoiler-free until broadcast in the U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2014, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244 "2014-07-28T15:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**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:** [February 3, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/281 "2015-02-03T17:49:44Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > You know you’ve been watching Downton Abbey too long when someone writes and the idea starts growing on you.🙂 And apparently [I’m not the only one.](http://www.reddit.com/r/DowntonAbbey/comments/2kcq3g/series_5_spoilermy_husbands_theory_on_mr_green/) Either great minds think alike, or fools seldom differ. 😉 ---
**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 3, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/282 "2015-02-03T18:02:43Z")
Hmmm. Intriguing! ---
**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 3, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/283 "2015-02-03T18:23:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I didn’t know that Mr. Gervais was a TV critic, but I agree with him (and you). > A cat fight would have been interesting. So would the idea of Mary saying “I’m done with him and he isn’t much in the sack, you can have him back” but they didn’t even explore that very much. > > Maybe it is just the fact that the Mary character is not doing much besides posing and saying “I am all tragic and rich and besides am I not just the hottest thing you ever saw but you will never have me, not really since I loved Matthew so much but I am still hot”. She needs to be shaken up a bit, like she was when Whats-His-Name the foreigner died _in flagrante delicto_ in that bedroom farce earlier. Miss Fox doesn’t so much hate Mary as she is upset with Gillingham for flitting off with the next pretty face he saw after they were engaged. How does she know that he isn’t going to do the same thing again? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/284 "2015-02-03T18:53:47Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Miss Fox doesn’t so much hate Mary as she is upset with Gillingham for flitting off with the next pretty face he saw after they were engaged. How does she know that he isn’t going to do the same thing again? Then there should have been a hideously embarassing public screaming match between Ms. Fox and Gillingham and Mary and Mary’s former boyfriend where Ms. Fox tells everyone she refused to go to bed with Gillingham before the wedding because she wanted to come to the marriage bed a virgin, and Mary will try to smooth things over by telling Ms. Fox “don’t worry, dear, you’re aren’t missing much - he can’t get it up unless one spanks him with a cricket bat and lets him call you Mummie” and then Mary’s ex says to Gillingham “what, you like that too? I had no idea” and then Gillingham and Mary’s ex elope to India and leave Mary and Ms. Fox to commiserate about the infelicities of men and the servant problem. Regards, Shodan ---
**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 3, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/285 "2015-02-03T18:55:51Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > You know you’ve been watching Downton Abbey too long when someone writes and the idea starts growing on you.🙂 The more I think about it, the more I think that it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/286 "2015-02-03T19:03:05Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > You know you’ve been watching Downton Abbey too long when someone writes and the idea starts growing on you.🙂 > [@John\_Bredin](#): > > And apparently [I’m not the only one.](http://www.reddit.com/r/DowntonAbbey/comments/2kcq3g/series_5_spoilermy_husbands_theory_on_mr_green/) Either great minds think alike, or fools seldom differ. 😉 Wait a minute, wait a minute. . . I thought it was obvious that Thomas was the cruel man who made her steal the jewels?!? If not, why did he bring her to Downton? He thought she would be “his creature” as Violet so charmingly put it. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/287 "2015-02-03T22:32:07Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Wait a minute, wait a minute. . . I thought it was obvious that Thomas was the cruel man who made her steal the jewels?!? If not, why did he bring her to Downton? I thought it was obvious that the cruel man was Thomas’s father, who hates Thomas because of the whole gay thing, so despite everything Thomas feels some kind of kinship with Baxter because they’ve both been screwed over by his father. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/288 "2015-02-03T22:38:45Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I thought it was obvious that the cruel man was Thomas’s father, who hates Thomas because of the whole gay thing, so despite everything Thomas feels some kind of kinship with Baxter because they’ve both been screwed over by his father. Except that Baxter said that Thomas’s father had been kind to her. Surely she wouldn’t have said that if he had persuaded her to steal from her mistress and then taken off without sharing the proceeds, leaving her to take the blame. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/289 "2015-02-03T23:00:13Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Wait a minute, wait a minute. . . I thought it was obvious that Thomas was the cruel man who made her steal the jewels?!? If not, why did he bring her to Downton? He thought she would be “his creature” as Violet so charmingly put it. The assumption is whoever convinced her to steal the jewels did so by pretending to romance her, and I can’t imagine Thomas doing that. (More the fact that he seems charmless than the fact that he’s gay.) ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/290 "2015-02-04T02:59:12Z")
I didn’t see it above, but does anyone know what Thomas is injecting to turn him straight? Estrogen, maybe, like they gave Alan Turing? Bob ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/291 "2015-02-04T16:30:12Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > (a) Robert’s anti-Catholicism was likely tied inextricably to deep issues in British-Irish history and politics – the Irish are next door to Britain and had a history of rebelling against English/British rule, while the Brits could say neither about the Jews in 1924. 🙂 In any case, it seems to have softened or at least become dormant. 🙂 . Plus that whole Guy Fawkes Gunpowder Plot unpleasantness. But yeah, it will be interesting to see how they play the inevitable anti-Semitic plot elements. I was so glad to see Robert punch out Bricker. God, he had it coming. I’d noticed that Robert and Tom are wearing black tie to dinner this season, and so did the Dowager. I loved that scene, wear she chides them for wearing “rompers” – clothing that nowadays one would only wear to one’s wedding. I’m worried that Mrs Patmore’s investment would turn out to be a replay of the final season of Upstairs, Downstairs. (To recap for you youngsters: head house parlormaid Rose has a little money to invest. It’s the Roaring 20’s, and the eldest son of the household tells her to put it all in the stock market, where everyone is getting rich. The market crashes, Rose loses all her money, and the son blows his brains out. The End.) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/292 "2015-02-04T16:42:16Z")
Well there you go. Next season of Downton - everyone rents from Mrs. Patmore because they lost the estate. ---
**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 4, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/293 "2015-02-04T18:00:00Z")
The DA cast did a Christmas spoof for charity - don’t know why I didn’t see it before now: > **[George Clooney takes over 'Downton Abbey' in hilarious charity video](https://www.today.com/popculture/george-clooney-takes-over-downton-abbey-video-thats-holiday-hoot-1D80385604?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_351626)** > > "Downton Abbey" fans, Christmas has come early this year! The long-discussed charity video George Clooney made with the cast of the popular "Masterpiece" show on PBS finally aired in the U.K. last week, and is now available Stateside in all of its... ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/294 "2015-02-05T02:19:04Z")
“Papa don’t! You know what happens when people take the car out for a spin at Christmas.” 😉 ---
**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, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/295 "2015-02-05T02:38:41Z")
I liked how Carson appeared on both sides of the Earl just before he left the room. And Thomas trying to get a kiss from Lord Hollywood. And Molesley’s tattoos! ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/296 "2015-02-06T19:51:08Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Wait a minute, wait a minute. . . I thought it was obvious that Thomas was the cruel man who made her steal the jewels?!? No, it was _Gregson_ who made her steal those jewels. His mental problems began long before he was lost in Germany: his multiple personality disorder is what gave him the funds to open up his fancy magazine. As “Meinhard the Merciless,” he had a whole network of ladies’ maids stealing valuables for him. And as Meinhard, he has, of course, risen high inside the Nazi ranks. The poor old “Gregson” personality hasn’t got a chance of resurfacing. (Thanks, Shodan! You’ve made DA interesting, again!^\_^) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/297 "2015-02-07T19:09:50Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > That was fun. It also led to the best line of the night, when Edith was checking to see if everything was ok, and Cora goes “we were just playing a silly game and knocked the lamp over”. Silly game, eh? 😉 Yeah, I’m sure that would be MUCH less uncomfortable for Edith than “your father just punched out our house guest who was attempting to take advantage of me, thank god…” :dubious: A real “Eeew, _MOM_!” moment if ever there was one… ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/298 "2015-02-07T20:20:17Z")
My favorite part this week was the shout-out to the Glossops arriving at the Grantham’s cocktail party. My mom and I happen to be rewatching the Jeeves & Wooster episodes and have been giggling because Highclere Castle was used in that series as the family home of Madeline “every time a fairy blows its wee nose a baby is born” Basset. I have no sympathy for Edith. She doesn’t have any problems that she didn’t create for herself. Madeline may have been a loony but she wasn’t a total fool. I’d like to know more specifically what Thomas was going through. The current murder mystery is too dumb for words. As if Scotland Yard has endless money to blow on trips to Yorkshire and keeping plainclothes men lurking in Picadilly - looking for what, exactly? It’s a public thoroughfare. They probably get a thousand people a day through there. ---
**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 8, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/299 "2015-02-08T04:02:42Z")
Many thousands. I _thought_ I heard “Glossop” mentioned - all right! Nice Wodehouse shout-out. ---
**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 9, 2015, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244/300 "2015-02-09T02:58:30Z")
Best line of the episode: Violet: “Prior to 1914 no one thought about anything.” I fear Isis is headed to the Rainbow Bridge. I only hope they let her go peacefully and don’t contrive some gruesome death. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/downton-abbey-s5-spoiler-free-until-broadcast-in-the-u-s/694244.md?page=16)