Downton Abbey - No spoilers!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised no one has mentioned how rude Carson was about Mrs. Hughes's cooking. What a jerk! I felt so bad for poor Mrs. Hughes, being humiliated like that.

Also, re: the spoilers - I'm the OP of this thread and by "No Spoilers," I was hoping we could have a thread with none of the big spoilers from the UK airing (as other PPs noted). I really don't want to know how the whole series is going to end, so I avoid that other thread like the plague! But for this thread, I assumed it was understood we could talk about each episode after it had aired here. I don't really consider that spoiling it. Is that ok with everyone?

That's what I assumed about this thread too. I like it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised no one has mentioned how rude Carson was about Mrs. Hughes's cooking. What a jerk! I felt so bad for poor Mrs. Hughes, being humiliated like that.

Also, re: the spoilers - I'm the OP of this thread and by "No Spoilers," I was hoping we could have a thread with none of the big spoilers from the UK airing (as other PPs noted). I really don't want to know how the whole series is going to end, so I avoid that other thread like the plague! But for this thread, I assumed it was understood we could talk about each episode after it had aired here. I don't really consider that spoiling it. Is that ok with everyone?

That's what I assumed about this thread too. I like it that way.

I think everyone understood that but one person. I'm surprised Jeff changed it so quickly based on one report. Anyway, back to the discussion . . .

[Anonymous]

Yeah, that was me. Don't know what the holy heck I was thinking, but I'm glad I only screwed it up for a minute before wiser heads prevailed.

Now back to worrying that Edith's looking-like-a-happy ending is going to get yanked away!

[Anonymous]

Ugh, Mr. Carson has gone from adorably uptight to downright insufferable. So sick of him criticizing Mrs. Hughes's cooking (and now housekeeping).

So clearly Mary knows Marigold is Edith's. Couldn't believe her disdainful comment re: (something like) "I can't believe Edith saddled herself with a child! Who would want to marry her now?" She is awful! I really thought the shock of finding out her sister is a mother would give her some respect for Edith, but she's still making her snide comments.

Poor Thomas. I really feel horrible for him, always on the outside, never trusted or able to find love. The scene of him crying at the end broke my heart.

[Anonymous]

I still think there's something going on with Carson that is altering his moods. He's not normally such an ass.

I think Mary put up a HUGE wall when Matthew died. Once a man is in her life and the guards come she will be a bit more reasonable... Maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, Mr. Carson has gone from adorably uptight to downright insufferable. So sick of him criticizing Mrs. Hughes's cooking (and now housekeeping).

So clearly Mary knows Marigold is Edith's. Couldn't believe her disdainful comment re: (something like) "I can't believe Edith saddled herself with a child! Who would want to marry her now?" She is awful! I really thought the shock of finding out her sister is a mother would give her some respect for Edith, but she's still making her snide comments.

Poor Thomas. I really feel horrible for him, always on the outside, never trusted or able to find love. The scene of him crying at the end broke my heart.

Me too. I was actually thinking that the last scene was a lead-up to him killing himself.

And Carson is acting like an ass. I hope Mrs. Hughes blows up at him.

[Anonymous]

Ok, switching between SB and DA, I must have missed a few things.
When/how did pp conclude that Mary knows about Marigold?
When did the Bates talk to Andy about Thomas and his being gay?
No one mentioned the best part of the show? (The precious few scenes with Matthew Goode?)
Did the show ever have anyone come to the realization that the family knows nothing of the history of the house?
I see I'll need to rescue this episode from my "recently deleted" file on the DVR.

[Anonymous]

The car guy has the same open face that Matthew had. He's like a brunette shorter-haired version!

Re Edith and Mary; one PP had it right--that to really continue in Mary's narcissistic character is that Mary's chief concern will be that everyone knew about Marigold but her. And then anger that no one told her. No reflection on what kind of self-centered, vindictive person she is that no one wanted to tell her, not even Anna.

Now because the season is wrapping up, maybe the two would reconcile, but not in real life. It reminds me of my mother. She STILL can't believe her SIL doesn't reach out to her (or me, now that I live one mile away). For example, she always asks, "Did Aunt Shirley call you?" and is surprised when the answer is no.
My mom is 90 and this has been going on for SIXTY years. My mom is perpetually hopeful and then (sadly) surprised. But past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior; people tend to stay in character. So my Aunt will continue to be unavailable, and my mom will continue to not be able to process that.

[Anonymous]

What's an open face?

[Anonymous]

Matthew Goode - yum!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The car guy has the same open face that Matthew had. He's like a brunette shorter-haired version!

Re Edith and Mary; one PP had it right--that to really continue in Mary's narcissistic character is that Mary's chief concern will be that everyone knew about Marigold but her. And then anger that no one told her. No reflection on what kind of self-centered, vindictive person she is that no one wanted to tell her, not even Anna.

Now because the season is wrapping up, maybe the two would reconcile, but not in real life. It reminds me of my mother. She STILL can't believe her SIL doesn't reach out to her (or me, now that I live one mile away). For example, she always asks, "Did Aunt Shirley call you?" and is surprised when the answer is no.
My mom is 90 and this has been going on for SIXTY years. My mom is perpetually hopeful and then (sadly) surprised. But past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior; people tend to stay in character. So my Aunt will continue to be unavailable, and my mom will continue to not be able to process that.

It does seem like everyone but Mary knows. Is that just because it's so obvious, given the circumstances? Or did I miss that those outside the immediate family somehow found out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still think there's something going on with Carson that is altering his moods. He's not normally such an ass.

I think Mary put up a HUGE wall when Matthew died. Once a man is in her life and the guards come she will be a bit more reasonable... Maybe.

Something about alcohol? Mrs. Carson said he might be grumpy if he skips his drink.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, Baxter helping Thomas was a big deal because he'd been so mean to her and she took him to the doctor who told him to just be himself.

Yes. I think Baxter and her kindness are entirely responsible for turning Thomas around. While he can still be a jerk at times, you can tell her warmth and compassion have really changed him. I love her character.

On a related note, did anyone find it a little too "modern" when Bates and Anna were gently chastising Andy for his remarks about Thomas being gay? They seem entirely too open-minded for the era. Of course, the viewers appreciate it (or at least, I did), but that seemed very unrealistic. Mrs. Patmore is also very understanding of Thomas's homosexuality.

Since this is the last season, I personally would like to see Thomas happy at last. I doubt that will happen, as gay couples simply didn't pair off then, but it would be nice to see him finally find love. I think his loneliness is directly related to his meanness, and I love seeing flashes of kindness from him.

The sensibilities in last few episodes definitely feel too modern. Last night the whole we'll show the house for money (to help the estate pay for itself) seems like a spoof of the series itself and the crowds the actual site is seeing. And the BIL character seems like a blatant device to guide us quickly through the end of the series. Like his character's return was a last minute decision, "hey! Wait if we bring him back, he can be Mary's Jiminy Cricket re: men, the arbiter between the Crowley sisters, etc". For awhile I thought they were going to marry him off to Mary. Please, no!!

BTW Will Thomas survive? Will Baxter's nemesis in prison turn out to be a relative or husband?

[Anonymous]

Carson was horrible! Maybe Mrs Hughes will poison him.

Daisy! Why is she such a miserable person. Maybe Mrs Patmore will poison her.

Thomas, it's hard not to feel for him. You know he's not a bad person, he wants love and to be accepted. He's just really messed everything up with all of his sneaky and conniving behavior in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, switching between SB and DA, I must have missed a few things.
When/how did pp conclude that Mary knows about Marigold?
Mary said to Tom that it was stupid of Edith to saddle herself with a child; what man would want her now?

When did the Bates talk to Andy about Thomas and his being gay?
I don't remember that scene- was it from a previous episode? Anna did say to Mary that Thomas wouldn't be having children (with a knowing look between them).

No one mentioned the best part of the show? (The precious few scenes with Matthew Goode?)
Did the show ever have anyone come to the realization that the family knows nothing of the history of the house?
No one made an issue of that after the open house, that I recall.

I see I'll need to rescue this episode from my "recently deleted" file on the DVR.