It was nearly dawn by the time they got around to moving Mr Pamuk’s body. Part of Daisy’s job involves getting up before everyone else in the household to light the fires. Daisy was just up doing her job when she saw them.
Yep, while they’re carrying the body one of the ladies comments that they need to hurry, the servants will be up soon. Somebody answers that they have plenty of time, which apparently they didn’t. From the first episode we know that Daisy is the one who wakes the other maids, so she’s probably routinely the first one up.
But that brings up something else. I got the impression that it wasn’t that late when Pamuk came to Lady Mary’s room. Midnight at the latest…soon after the household had retired for the night. So it took them sixish hours to accomplish all of that? Maybe I’m missing something…
There’s no indication that he died early in the night.
Unfortunately, I’ve erased it from the TiVO now, but in the first season two episode I caught a glimpse of the bell panel behind the servants table. Besides the obvious “library” and “drawing room” bells, there seemed to be ones labeled “station” and even “Ripon.” How could that even be possible?
Ok episode last night…glad to see Bates back, even if I doubt Vera is gone for good.
I have a feeling between Mrs. Padmore and William, Daisy is going to end up married with a kid by the end of the war (especially at the rate the soldiers seem to get leave.)
I just really like Mary…if I got to pick a time warp character to live as, I’d want to be her. Especially lately, because she actually has been humbled a little and isn’t quite the insufferable snob.
I hope that Sybil doesn’t fall for Branson… too bad he can’t still be Agrippa.
This is not truly a spoiler for episode 2, but how many rooms are there in this place, which appears HUGE, that the library has to be divided? The family uses the dining room, library, drawing room, and there is a great hall, and maybe I’ve missed a ballroom? It looks like there could be whole wings that are unused.
The dead Turk thing, it is just Fellowes inserting an Edwardian trouser-dropping, nudge-nuge wink-wink farce and having it played as straight as a dye for his own amusement, isn’t it?
Obv. it has a place in storylines as well, but this is about the writer having a little ‘naughty’ fun.
Seriously, Earl of G., you can’t toss their ping-pong ball back for them?
I was wondering the same thing.
After you watch the second season, there is a “Making of Downton Abbey” special that you can find online or perhaps PBS will broadcast it. But the death of the Pamuk is based very closely (it is claimed by Fellowes?) on a real incident that was found recorded in a diary of an “upstairs” member of a house like Downton. The comment is that the “least realistic event in the DA series is the only one that actually occurred!” I am pretty sure this was in the “Making of” documentary as I can’t think where else I would have heard it.
Not to worry. The second episode has already aired, so it’s okay.
I wasn’t sure if a new thread would be opened for Episode 2. Since this thread is labeled Episode 1 with a no spoiler header, I didn’t want to ruin it for anyone who hadn’t seen 2 yet.
Hmm. To say the least, Fellowes is a storyteller.
Anyway, I was talking about the perfect, dead pan execution of what is, on one level, a Fawlty Towers scale event.
It sits well with the Heir and his twinge.
btw, was I alone in seeing shades of Freddie Mercury in the toothsome, dashing Turk?
I thought the Turk reminded me more of Lorenzo Lamas, or perhaps, Harry Hamlin, than Freddie. (On a side note, I saw on a Freddie Mercury bio that the reason his mouth was so messed up was because he had four extra teeth on the top jaw. He wouldn’t have them pulled because he thought they’d mess up his voice.)
Enjoyed the episode, but thought that Thomas, the footman, returning to be the liaison between the military and the house staff was a eyeroll-worthy contrivance. No way would Lord Grantham allow a thief, let alone one of the lowest members of his staff, to return, let alone be rewarded with such a position just because his wife was keen on the idea. Remember, he overruled her when she suggested that Mr. Bates be fired.
The yoyo-ing with Mr. Bates is getting old already. I also found it odd that Anna was given a day off. In Season 1, it was remarkable when the staff was given time off to go to the local fair, no?
BTW, nice touch to cast the same woman who played Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in the role of Mr. Bates’ stubbornly wedded wife.
I like that they’ve defrosted Ladies Mary and Edith a bit. I can buy a bit of cattiness among sisters, but they reached a level of cruelty in season 1 that I had a hard time swallowing. (Besides, Edith would know that ruining the reputation of her sister would also reflect negatively on HER as well.)
I also liked that they the evil Mrs. O’brien grew a half a heart towards the shell-shocked Lance.
I liked the introduction of the curling iron, though I’d have expected it to be heated in a fire instead of plugged in. Still, I was amused that the design hasn’t significantly altered in a century.
Finally, a favor: Can we please desist with the “You shall see” comments. Let us enjoy the new season without hints of what is to come. 
That was remarkable because so many of them were leaving the house at once, and at an odd time of day, I think. Housemaids and footmen and the like usually had a half day off every week. Or so I gather from novels.
I thought that Thomas’s grief over the blind officer was genuine. It’s one of the first indications that while he’s a selfish bastard (and he mentioned having been pushed around a lot in his past) he’s not a total monster. It’s almost the same with O’Brien and Lang- she’s still a bitch (though guilt ridden over Lady Grantham’s miscarriage last season) but I think her concern for him is genuine.
Next to the Greek tragedy line I loved the genuinely much put upon Lord Grantham’s response to Isobel. Paraphrase:
Isobel: I was wondering if I might ask what you intend to do to keep your dog out of the convalescent wards?
Grantham: That I’ll answer you… Absolutely nothing!
Just in case there remains anybody who hasn’t seen this brilliant parody:
Uptown Downstairs Abbey, Part 1 and Part 2. (Features Jennifer Saunders as Maggie Smith and her AbFab co-star Joanna Lumley as the head housekeeper along with many other familiar faces.)
That has *ruined *the series for me–every time I see O’Brien I think, “Me ‘air’s nothin’ but knittin’!”
Brilliant!
Joanna Lumley: “You know me. I’m posher than you!” Love how she just jettisons the Scottish accent.
The youngest, political daughter: “Hiiiiii …”
Was Jennifer Saunders addressing Kim Cattrall as “Tim … Tim … Tim … Tim Cattrall!”??
Best of all Simon Callow as Julian Fellowes: “I don’t know how I do it!” – I haven’t seen the interviews. Is he really like that?