IMHO, Downton is often better when the stakes are low.
Sounds ripe for a spin-off series. Or some just zany adventures on the other side of pond.
Rose in NYC and Tom in Boston puts them at about the same distance from each other as Downton is from London, which we’ve already established is “pop over to kill a man and be back for dinner” distance. Enough for some varied scenery, but still easy interaction.
[QUOTE=Chefguy]
I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole broth intrigue.
[/QUOTE]
I think we’ve established that Violet deliberately hires argumentative staff to save on entertainment expenses. She has to have heard of Denker’s adventures in London, but kept her on nonetheless.
I know! I could hardly contain myself… Can she make broth? What if she can’t? Will Sprat sabotage her efforts? Will Violet taste the broth and what if she doesn’t like it???
There were so many possibilities. Probably the best piece of TV writing in years! Can anyone say: Spinoff? Maybe a reality show modeled after The Voice. The Broth.
That’s the only explanation why there wasn’t a scene where she says “resolve your differences, or I will sack you both and start over fresh. Don’t think that I won’t.”
And is making broth really that hard? Granted I am not a chef, but it seems like it’s just a water + stuff + heat + time thing. Soufflé it ain’t.
Yeah, I thought the same thing. I’m not much of a cook, but the first time I made home-made broth it came out fantastic. And I didn’t cheat by using the internet. She had instruction from 1st rate cooks!
Rose has really blossomed as a character. She’s just the right mix of smarts and silliness. Loved the bit where she said they should use her father-in-law’s “Christian name”. 
Well that was quite lovely. I really was happy when Carson asked Hughes to marry him (in his own way ;)). And Robert telling Edith that everything was alright was quite nice as well (in addition to Robert getting all chocked up and sentimental at Sibby leaving).
Did I look away at the wrong minute? I thought Spratt checked out Daisy’s basket on the way in, and it was empty. But later he has a bottle of broth he pours out. How did that get there?
I’m guessing that he snooped around after Daisy left.
Most likely explanation: he caught her on the way out.
And great-aunt Martha and cousin Harold inbetween in Newport. 
Some people have no kitchen skills.
Downton Funk you up… Downton Funk you up: - YouTube
Oh Anna you dreary little bore. How the charming have fallen. Once perhaps the most interesting and likable character on the show, you and your gloomy snore of a husband should just kill yourselves and be done with it. When Moseley went to their cottage I really did expect to see that Bates had hung himself. The two of them should disappear. I don’t care if she dies in childbirth like Sybil, runs off India like O’Brien (and where is she now that Lady Susan is dead broke?) or gets offed a la Matthew with car crash. Just get off my screen. And take that stupid husband with you. He’s more stalker than lover at this point.
Other thoughts:
Wear your hair down, Lady Edith. You look lovely that way.
Lady Mary is a first class bitch. How does Edith not slug her?
What does Thomas have to do to get fired? Set Cora on fire? Have sex in the drawing room when there’s a party? Spill hot tea on Carson?
Speaking of which, that proposal was coming from a mile away. I am not sure why our Scottish housekeeper likes him but I suppose there’s no one in the house their age at this point.
One wonders about the late prior Earl of Grantham. Was he such an ogre that Violet was prepared to leave her kids and go off with another man?
Tom should have proposed to Edith. They’re allies. She’s grown quite a lot and clearly loves children. She ought to welcome the chance to leave Lady Mary to her stupid castle and make another life for herself.
When Mosely was poking around the Bates’ residence I was half expecting him to find the errr… device that Anna was keeping for Mary.
I just loved that last episode!
Poor Prince Kuragin - he looked like a man off to the gallows. It was very apparent that he would have preferred not to be reunited with Yelena. Maybe Igor will outlive her, and be reunited with Violet in the end.
I got the warm fuzzies when Robert tells Edith that little Marigold is safe and welcome in the family. She just glowed with happiness - poor Edith has been through so much.
My fuzzies got even warmer when Carson and Mrs. Hughes got engaged. What a payoff! I remember thinking there was potential between them back during the first season!
It seems like the upstairs crowd has all realized that Thomas is a manipulative bastard and are using this fact to their advantage.
Yeah, Isis died and not a word about it. Good grief! At least a mention!
(Or did I miss it? I had to pee at one point.)
He did order a gravestone last episode. It’s what gave him the idea to commission the plaque for Mrs. Patmore’s nephew.