:eek: I too was thinking car crash (& how the hell can Mary even stand to watch an auto-race is beyond me). And I doubt Violet’s going to change her position one bit just because her son’s life was saved by an operation at North Yorkshire Hospital (it was painted the side of the ambulance). If I heard Carson right they performed a gastrectomy, which is a removal of Robert’s stomach in full or part. What are his prospects with 1920s medical science?
AFAIK, it would have been similar to today’s gastric-bypass patients. Have to eat a very simple, limited diet of many tiny meals; nothing rich, nothing spicy, no alcohol, for quite a long time as it heals up.
I guess he’ll be okay if he doesn’t get an infection or go binge eating.
The Crawleys acting as tour guides and not being able to answer questions about their own home was hilarious. Carson’s an ass and I can’t wait until his wife takes him down a peg. As for Thomas & Andy; it was obvious this was going to happen as soon as Thomas started teaching him how to read.
I was amused at the notion of charging 6 pence to each person, and then vowing that they’d made a fortune later that evening. Now, there weren’t THOUSANDS of people traipsing in and out of Downton Abbey, and even if there had been, they couldn’t have made more than a couple hundred pounds. Probably less than Robert would spend on a new saddle.
Carson IS acting like an ass - what the hell! - why is Mrs. Hughes putting up with that! His comeuppance had better be swift and merciless, as well as hilarious.
Am I the only one that started to get the idea that Mr. Mason was making eyes at Mrs. Patmore?
No, it’s pretty obvious. Daisy’s reaction to her ersatz-mother and ersatz-father getting together should be interesting.
Awww… that episode! Best apology ever from Violet. Though wasn’t the ancient Egyptian in question named Tia? It sounded like Robert said Tio.
Carson in the kitchen was priceless. I snickered a lot.
Molesley leaving might leave room for Thomas after all?
What kind of dummy is Edith’s new boyfriend? Her dead fiance leaves her a flat and a magazine, and then suddenly the family has a new “ward” that Edith is particularly keen on, and she can’t leave her behind if she gets married? Duh!
I’m not ruling out the possibility that Bertie has sussed out Marigold’s identity and is playing along to spare Edith’s feelings.
The scene between Violet and Ms. Cruikshank was the standout. If only the season could have had more of that and less of hospital.
Looks like Edith and Mary finally go thermonuclear next week!
Yes, that was hilarious. Too bad we didn’t get to see the look on Mrs Patmore’s face as she realized the real reason why Thomas & Andy were sneaking around. On the plus side it looks like her first guests are adulterers.
Agreed; he’s waiting for her to tell him. Speaking of butt monkeys; I’m glad Mosley has finally caught a break, but how plausible is him becoming a teacher? :dubious: I know it’s just the village school, but by the 1920s didn’t English teachers have to have some kind of certificate? And is Daisy actually going to do anything now that she’s past her exams, or just keep talking about how great it is to have options while waiting for Mrs Patmore to retire or die?
We don’t know if she’s passed yet (she’s obviously going to, it’s just not confirmed).
Anna’s starting to get fairly pregnant, and not a word about retiring or even taking time off. Although, admittedly, there was some side-talk from Mr. Carson about how Mary probably wouldn’t REALLY need a lady’s maid anymore.
It seemed to me that Andy had made a fair amount of progress at reading if he was able to figure out “Czar Nicholas” as the first couple of words of that question that Daisy wanted him to read from. “Czar” is kind of an unusual word, and “Nicholas” isn’t the easiest word to sound out, either, if you’re starting from scratch from reading.
It seems obvious that they’re progressing towards tying up all the loose ends/storylines; my guess is that they’ll leave one either unresolved, unexpected, or or an unhappy ending. Any predictions on which one? I say they’ll leave Mr. Barrow’s arc for the very end, but it ends on a very positive note.
Mrs. Mix is convinced that Mary will hook up with Branson, but I have my doubts.
Agreed…nice acting by the actress playing Ms. Cruikshank to subtly reveal her deceit.
Mary and Branson? He’s like a brother to her! No way, no how. Nope, I think she’s not going to find love before the series ends. She’ll have a Queen Elizabeth “I’m married to Downton” sort of moment. She already had her big beautiful wedding, anyway. And she’s been fickle and terrible to just about every guy that’s been interested in her ever since.
Now Branson and that new chick that Edith hired… I can see that going somewhere. She’s all the things that Branson seems to like, in a kinder and gentler package than Miss Bunting. A nice moderate choice that should be acceptable to all the interested parties.
Also, Molesley and Baxter need to just get together already.
That would suit me just fine.
Looks like I was wrong!
Ha! Robert’s uncontained glee at the prospect of Edith marrying a marquis and out-ranking them all! I’m sure Bertie will come around by Christmas.
As I watched the final episode, I found myself thinking, “What’s this strange sensation I’m experiencing?” And I realized it was actually suspense. For the first time in ages, Downton had me on the edge of my seat, wondering where and when the shit would finally hit the fan. When it did, I wasn’t let down. Well, I was let down by Talbot and Mary. They still don’t make sense to me and it seemed a classic example of having characters tell the audience what to think (“He’s perfect for you!” “You’re meant to be together!”) rather than simply showing it to them. But the Mary/Edith scenes did not disappoint.
Still, there were enough loose ends that if that truly were the final episode, I’d be pissed. As it is, in the Christmas special we definitely will see:
- Edith and Bertie reconcile, possibly with Mary’s help
- The arrival of Baby Bates
- Some kind of resolution for Thomas
- Rose returns, pregnant
Also pretty likely:
- Daisy leaves service
- Molesley leaves service and asks Baxter to marry him
- Mr. Mason asks Mrs. Patmore to marry him
- Tom is set up for some future happiness (I agree Edith’s editor is a likely candidate)
- Mary is pregnant
Also, I watched the last scene of the finale again. When the kids are playing in the cemetery, they’re actually chasing each other around Sybil’s grave.
Spratt, the Agony Aunt! I had a good chuckle at those bananas. Good stuff!
Tom Branson was kind of nervy and obnoxious in this episode, like they were kind of lampshading him “getting his Irish up” or something. It was vaguely… racist or something kind of demeaning to the character. Like the Magical Negro trope, except it’s Mr. Irish brogue up in Mary’s face telling her that Henry is just perfect for her, for no particular reason other than he’s into cars. Weird and off-putting.
Thomas looked much better after his suicide attempt, weirdly enough. It took about 10 years off of his face.
Branson’s man-crush on Talbot was so over-the-top throughout the season I was really expecting him to be called out for it much more than he was.
Admire the actress, loathe the character. [Mary, not Edith.] I was hoping she’d wind up in debtor’s prison, hooked on laudanum or selling poppies a street corner, somewhere, without any teeth. Yeeeeesh!
Agreed, I hate the resolution of Henry & Mary. She never even told her core reason for not wanting to marry him (the whole crash widow thing) even it was pretty damn obvious that was the problem the whole time. :mad: This is the 2nd time she’s inserted herself into Edith’s person love life to wreck a marriage. Now Edith is not entirely free of blame (I guess I was wrong about Bertie figuring it out on his own), but calling Mary a bitch is an insult to dogs every. Another world would be much more appropriate. I was really hoping Violet would just slap her.
And now for the rest. I’m happy Mosley finally caught a break (which weirdly means so did Thomas), and Mrs Patemore’s bed & breakfast is still a go. There really wasn’t anything she could’ve have done to protect herself; that’s just a risk of being an innkeeper. Carson was an insufferable ass, but at least he feels guilty over the way he treated Thomas (I half expected him to go off on a tangent about how such things are to be expected of a man with Thomas’s “affliction”).
For the Christmas Special there’s still Baby Bates to look forward too, and we still have 1 more wedding and a funeral left. 
And I did like the children playing around Sybil’s gave (I had to rewind to make sure I was reading the name right). If they weren’t so innocent it would’ve been really morbid though. 
PS I’d love a scene in the Christmas Special were Lord Merton sits Larry down and explains the implications of the Law of Property Act, 1925. 
Or better yet Lord Merton dies off-screen and we only see Larry’s reaction to the reading of the will.