Anonymous wrote:I figured out what I don't like about Bates. When he's suspicious about something he appears sinister. At the very best he seems awfully possessive of Anna: her whereabouts, her feelings and her thoughts. Not a fan.

I think he comes across that way because of all the "troubles" those two have been through. Whenever Anna gets secretive, he always assumes it's something bad (which it usually is). I loved his expression of true joy when Anna told him the good news last night.

I love the man.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does Lady Mary have a lady's maid but her sister doesn't and never has?

Why did Mrs. Hughes tell her fiance to call her by her first name (which he refused) when she wasn't sure she wanted to marry him because of sex?

What did Mary say was the reason she went to the doctor with Mrs. Bates?

What happened in the first season with the guy with the bad burns who said he knew the family from the war, but was cryptic and you weren't sure you believed him?

Lady Mary got Anna to herself once she got married.

I knew about breakfast, but wasn't Anna Mary's maid beforehand? Do you recall ever seeing the magazine sister getting dressed by a maid?

ok medical question here…so if Anna gets a 'stitch" to keep her cervix shut, then doesn't someone need to take out the stitch or if not, then wouldn't the cervix tear upon childbirth and she'd bleed out?

If so, What happens usually in this situation? Does the woman spend the last month in bed so as not to go into labor? Do they schedule a C section?

So, I thought last night's episode should have been called: "Girl Power."

The maid who Sybil helped to become a secretary returns and is married to a self made man of wealth and has become involved in women's education. Even the snooty Mary had to admit she was uneducated except for some French. I thought the remembrance of Sybil through that storyline was very touching. Sorry overly sentimental about Sybil.

Droopy Edith sparks to life and decides to be on the board of the school for women and also decides to hire a women editor for the magazine which is "a ladies magazine."

Cora, Isobel, Violet, Edith (slightly) and the new women Violet invited to be part of her claque are having a big smackdown over the hospital. Dr. Clarkson and Lord Grantham can only stand back and let the "ladies" have at it. I agree with a PP that the hospital will have a part in Lord Grantham's stomach issues, symbolized by his public farting.

Mrs. Hughes has gone all modern on us and decided to remain as "Mrs. Hughes" rather than take her husband's name "Mr. Carson."

Mary and Anna steal off into the night so that Anna can have her uterus opening stitched so that she will not miscarry again. Love that the London doctor told Mary that he would send her a big bill. This is what happened pre-NHS. Mary also owes Anna big for the "Mr. Pamuk" incident. 20 years from now, when someone utters the name "Mr. Pamuk," women of a certain age will still giggle in memory of Mary's presumed deflowering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must have fallen asleep during the part where Edith got a magazine. Can someone please explain it?

I think this season is so boring. The actors seem to be phoning it in.

Gregson left it to her a couple of seasons back I think. Literally most of her involvement with the magazine has been on the phone arguing with editor. Actually showing up to work didn't occur to her until after she kidnapped Marigold.

Yes, the plot lines are so contrived and boring. The Abbey is in financial trouble, Edith is weepy and sad, Mary is snotty and icy, Cora is mealy mouthed, Daisy is a sourpuss, Carson is stiff and formal, Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Padmore are the county laxative, the Dowager and Isobel disagree...the only new developments over the last four seasons is Tom is fat and Lord Grantham farted.

Haha. I like you too!

What?!

It's more a ceremonial title; they keep everything running smoothly....SSDD.

Actually, I like you even more.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't call Edith a go-getter. She mopes along and fumbles around indecisively as things happen to her. She's moved her daughter from parent to parent. She vacillates on where to live and what to do with the magazine that fell into her lap.

Tom likes someone feisty. And this is why Isobel is the woman for him.

Noooooooooooooooooo Dr, Clarkson is the only man for Isobel.

Anonymous wrote:Tom looked like he's gained about two stone

Good American food -- I am sure some Irish woman loaded him with spuds and milky tea.

I think the hospital drama is a lead up to some sort of calamity. PPs are saying Robert and his stomach problems, which turned out to be an ulcer before. It could be something with this, but I am wondering if there will be a serious issue with Anna's pregnancy. She had a cerclage done in London by a specialist, which they don't have anywhere near Downton. I just imagine her going into early labor and no one knows what to do. What a mess that could be.

I figured out what I don't like about Bates. When he's suspicious about something he appears sinister. At the very best he seems awfully possessive of Anna: her whereabouts, her feelings and her thoughts. Not a fan.

Once you're married, tradition says you can have a ladies' maid and you can have a breakfast tray in bed. Apparently marital duties were considered that strenuous for a lady, the effects even lasting into widowhood.

Mary said she had something medical she wanted to be seen to right away, but that it was nothing dangerous. Anna Behhhts just went along because she's the ladies' maid. See above.

I don't like how the servants were speaking out of turn so much to the Crawleys this episode. I mean, they always do to an unnatural degree to advance the plot, but servants did not speak without being spoken to.

Thomas's bitchy remark about the former housemaid while serving at table? That would have gotten him fired by a real employer. Lazy writing.

Anonymous wrote:Why does Lady Mary have a lady's maid but her sister doesn't and never has?

Why did Mrs. Hughes tell her fiance to call her by her first name (which he refused) when she wasn't sure she wanted to marry him because of sex?

What did Mary say was the reason she went to the doctor with Mrs. Bates?

What happened in the first season with the guy with the bad burns who said he knew the family from the war, but was cryptic and you weren't sure you believed him?

Lady Mary got Anna to herself once she got married.

Three quick comments:

1) (sorry, spacing out on names…Sybill's husband) says: "I liked (America) but (I'm back because) it was a different country."
Uh, he's from Ireland.

2) Andy and Daisy! Andy says "My (future) is in the country" and he and Daisy look at each other a beat too long!!

3)Now I don't think Lord G will die--I think he will need advanced medical technology to save him, and that will resolve the fighting over the hospital (Violet will bow down after seeing the error of her ways)

4) If Mary ever is impressed by Edith (either by discovering the secret of Marigold, or by the magazine stuff)---IMO it would be out of character for it to become a new, loving chapter for the sisters. It may happen because it's the last season, but Mary is not that type. Look at the Sybil discussion. What does Mary take away from it? The competition--it's all about Mary not being as good at one thing as Sybil (the thing being "as good hearted"). It's not, oh, lovely sweet Sybil, blah blah…it's "I haven't accomplished what Sybil has!!"

So she may be momentarily impressed by Edith's transformation and motherhood status but I just think if it were real life, there's no way out of that relational dynamic.

I read once an article about siblings, and birth order. It started with Susie and Larla talking about each other. Susie goes on about how she has to take care of Larla, her little sister, etc. Larla goes on about how bossy Susie is etc. The sisters were…ready? 103 and 101. The point was that that two years difference defined 101 years of their relationship--think of this! They were both adults for 80 years, yet that little sister was always the baby to the older sister.

Why does Lady Mary have a lady's maid but her sister doesn't and never has?

Why did Mrs. Hughes tell her fiance to call her by her first name (which he refused) when she wasn't sure she wanted to marry him because of sex?

What did Mary say was the reason she went to the doctor with Mrs. Bates?

What happened in the first season with the guy with the bad burns who said he knew the family from the war, but was cryptic and you weren't sure you believed him?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must have fallen asleep during the part where Edith got a magazine. Can someone please explain it?

I think this season is so boring. The actors seem to be phoning it in.

Gregson left it to her a couple of seasons back I think. Literally most of her involvement with the magazine has been on the phone arguing with editor. Actually showing up to work didn't occur to her until after she kidnapped Marigold.

Yes, the plot lines are so contrived and boring. The Abbey is in financial trouble, Edith is weepy and sad, Mary is snotty and icy, Cora is mealy mouthed, Daisy is a sourpuss, Carson is stiff and formal, Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Padmore are the county laxative, the Dowager and Isobel disagree...the only new developments over the last four seasons is Tom is fat and Lord Grantham farted.

Haha. I like you too!

What?!

It's more a ceremonial title; they keep everything running smoothly....SSDD.

Ha, brilliant!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I must have fallen asleep during the part where Edith got a magazine. Can someone please explain it?

I think this season is so boring. The actors seem to be phoning it in.

Gregson left it to her a couple of seasons back I think. Literally most of her involvement with the magazine has been on the phone arguing with editor. Actually showing up to work didn't occur to her until after she kidnapped Marigold.

Yes, the plot lines are so contrived and boring. The Abbey is in financial trouble, Edith is weepy and sad, Mary is snotty and icy, Cora is mealy mouthed, Daisy is a sourpuss, Carson is stiff and formal, Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Padmore are the county laxative, the Dowager and Isobel disagree...the only new developments over the last four seasons is Tom is fat and Lord Grantham farted.

Haha. I like you too!

What?!

It's more a ceremonial title; they keep everything running smoothly....SSDD.