I don’t see anything wrong with Daisy. She knew what she felt for William & didn’t shilly-shally–like Mary blowing hot & cold with her “great love” for Matthew. Without the war pressing, Daisy would have probably explained that she loved William like a brother–not romantically.
And now we know why Isobel’s character changed so much after the first series–from well-mannered do-gooder to bossy harridan. Her behavior gave passive-aggressive Cora an excuse to drive her away. Thus leaving the injured Matthew in Mary’s hands. If he’d arrived with his mother still in place, Isobel would have taken charge…
And why the hell didn’t Bates go ahead & push for a divorce when he first found out wifie had been untrue? Adultery was the only grounds for divorce in those days.
Yeah, yeah. All the delays in the various romances are needed to keep the plot chugging along.
I’m guessing Jane isn’t really a widow, and is therefore not receiving a pension. The other housemaid (Ethel?) will move on and use the same ruse to get work in another house.
How realistic was William’s injury and death? Did that really happen? All he did was give a few wee ladylike wheezes (my mother had bronchial asthma, and would have rolled her eyes at those tiny rasps).
Matthew’s winkie won’t work? I thought that was one problem paralyzed gents did not have (didn’t Christopher Reeve father a child after his accident?).
Am I the only one who’s kind of annoyed at Grantham’s characterization this season? They’ve made him so saintly, I was half expecting him to cure William and Matthew with a laying on of hands.
I thought Daisy showed great integrity in contrast to the high-born, game-playing, wishy-washy Mary who can’t sh8t and can’t get off the pot. I got the feeling that at the moment when William and Daisy actually got married (possibly with the kiss), Daisy’s solid loyalty kicked in and that’s why she wanted to sit with William til the very end. That she really grasped what he was doing for her–and it was a lot. He loved her and wanted her to have this, and she accepted his gift. A bittersweet transaction.
As for how much was the widow’s pension? If it was more than zero, it counts.
What I can’t figure out is what Sybil sees in that dufus of a chauffeur. She looks a little daft herself, what with her mouth always hanging open.
Can we just kill Mrs. Bates, please? I think Richard could arrange that.
It must KILL Grantham to just hang around the house all day wearing his uniform, reading the paper.
I heard in an interview with Dana Reeve after Chris’s accident that he was able to achieve erection, penetration, and ejaculation. But presumably Matthew’s injuries are not the same.
I agree. I thought Daisy showed a lot of integrity when she resisted marrying William initially. Mary should marry either Richard or Matthew and get over with it. Frankly I might have chosen Richard over Matthew as he is vibrant and hard working. The moaning mush she’s become this season is not as interesting as her hard mannered, brittle, sharp tongued, confidence from the first season.
What exactly was William’s injury? Was it severe gas inhilation in his lungs? My understading of paralysis before WWII was that even short term survival was rare due to infection and lack of access to effective antibiotics. So Matthew’s ability to even live might be in question after that sort of injury. Someone feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
Just a WAG, (haven’t seen the episode yet) but pleurisy was a very common cause/result of collapsed lung. Having experienced it (an infection of the pleural lining surrounding the lungs) I can say that as long as I lay still, there was little discomfort and I was able to talk normally. The slightest movement, deep breathing, or exertion induced extremely sharp stabbing pain. Like, you know that horrid stab of a “stitch in your side”? Now imagine that over a large area, any time you try to take a full breath.
Luckily, in the 1980’s it was fairly easy to drain the fluid and destroy the infection with antibiotics. William wouldn’t have had the latter, and therefore the former would have been a fatal risk to take.
Thanks for starting my day off right! :: giggle ::