Does everyone know about Marigold but Mary and Edith's new flame?

I loved Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes's plan to get back at Carson. I hope he learns from it! And, even though Barrow was horrid in previous seasons, I feel sorry for him this year; no one is nice to him.

How many more episodes do we have?

I'm as nervous as Mary!! Please let him be ok.

Anonymous wrote:That's a fair point, but I think it's a little over-stated. She still probably has most, if not all, of her laundry done at the big house, and they are eating most of their meals there. Even when they eat at the cottage, she is bringing a basket packed by Mrs. H of food that's been at least partially prepped and cooked.
I am a little surprised by Carson being such a jerk about stuff--if you remember, he was supposedly previously in a traveling theatre group (which never seemed to fit)--I'm sure the beds were made perfectly when he did that. He's acting like he was "to the manor born."

This is so true. He's now acting like he's the lord of his own manor, much like his employer, Robert. Ugh. Poor Mrs. Hughes, I guess she's never seen (or imagined) this side of him.

That's a fair point, but I think it's a little over-stated. She still probably has most, if not all, of her laundry done at the big house, and they are eating most of their meals there. Even when they eat at the cottage, she is bringing a basket packed by Mrs. H of food that's been at least partially prepped and cooked.
I am a little surprised by Carson being such a jerk about stuff--if you remember, he was supposedly previously in a traveling theatre group (which never seemed to fit)--I'm sure the beds were made perfectly when he did that. He's acting like he was "to the manor born."

Anonymous wrote:Ok I was just thinking about the depth of Mrs. Hughes' change of lifestyle now that she's married.

I mean, think of it--before, she didn't cook, clean, do dishes, grocery shop or do laundry (something that DA has been silent on but is HUGE--this is before laundry machines!! They would have had a laundress at DA).

Before marriage, after she was done for the day, someone would feed her and do her dishes, and she'd likely hang out with the others, then go up to her room with her clean sheets and made bed and have clean clothes for the morning.

The more I think about it the more horrified I am that she got married!

But, remember that she has no savings and has spent all her money supporting her sister, who "isn't right in the head," so she wouldn't ever be able to retire---ever---if she hadn't gotten married. She was already aware that she'd "have to keep working as long as [her] poor body [let her]."

No social net, outside of marriage.

Anonymous wrote:Ok I was just thinking about the depth of Mrs. Hughes' change of lifestyle now that she's married.

I mean, think of it--before, she didn't cook, clean, do dishes, grocery shop or do laundry (something that DA has been silent on but is HUGE--this is before laundry machines!! They would have had a laundress at DA).

Before marriage, after she was done for the day, someone would feed her and do her dishes, and she'd likely hang out with the others, then go up to her room with her clean sheets and made bed and have clean clothes for the morning.

The more I think about it the more horrified I am that she got married!

Wow - I want to be her (pre marriage)!

Anonymous wrote:Ok I was just thinking about the depth of Mrs. Hughes' change of lifestyle now that she's married.

I mean, think of it--before, she didn't cook, clean, do dishes, grocery shop or do laundry (something that DA has been silent on but is HUGE--this is before laundry machines!! They would have had a laundress at DA).

Before marriage, after she was done for the day, someone would feed her and do her dishes, and she'd likely hang out with the others, then go up to her room with her clean sheets and made bed and have clean clothes for the morning.

The more I think about it the more horrified I am that she got married!

I've thought about this too. I assume that at one time she was a house maid and worked her way up from there, but obviously she's been in her current role for many years and probably hasn't had to do any of the above. I'm sure she worked very hard, supervising everybody, but you're right - it's been years since she's had to do any real household chores and being married must be a huge shock to her system. Especially with the incredibly obtuse and pompous Carson.

Ok I was just thinking about the depth of Mrs. Hughes' change of lifestyle now that she's married.

I mean, think of it--before, she didn't cook, clean, do dishes, grocery shop or do laundry (something that DA has been silent on but is HUGE--this is before laundry machines!! They would have had a laundress at DA).

Before marriage, after she was done for the day, someone would feed her and do her dishes, and she'd likely hang out with the others, then go up to her room with her clean sheets and made bed and have clean clothes for the morning.

The more I think about it the more horrified I am that she got married!

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Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I think it was probably really realistic for them to be like "Oh, wow -- I never even noticed that. It's definitely someone...." They lived with that stuff, but it's not like they picked it out or anything. They said they had a librarian that was in charge of it all (and apparently on vacation or something the one day they needed him?).

And, honestly, if you pulled out your grandmother's photo book.....would you be able to ID the people in it? Or would you be like "I think that was Great Aunt Phoebe. Or wait, maybe that was Grandma's best friend. Definitely one of those, unless it was her cousin Rose. Might have been her." Or who painted the random landscape hanging over your mother's piano?

My grandmother had one photo of her family, and I could identify everyone in it. My mom didn't have any paintings unless she did them herself let alone a piano.

However, my MIL had a long family history and heirlooms to go with it, so yes, I even knew who the people in the photos and the paintings were. Sometimes she would tell me and sometimes I would ask after seeing something repeatedly for years--and I only visited.

The women should have at least known who painted the paintings, there's a few by Van Dyke and it's not as though the writers had to be incredibly lazy by inventing some never before seen character. They have a historical advisor to the show as well lots have been written about Highclere Castle:
http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/antiques-of-downton-abbey.htm

Ok, you know your family history, but how many friends and acquaintances know theirs? I know plenty of people who struggle to name second cousins (people who have a common great-grandparent), let alone their great grandparents names.

No the point is, I we didn't have paintings of dead relatives or famous artists. But if we had Napoleon's desk, we'd definitely know it.

Great houses like Downton Abbey/Highclere Castle, put on lavish parties, entertained for most of their existence--of course the host/hostess/heir would know the history, style of architecture, and what century the tapestries came from, or who painted the frescos. Also, everything would have been inventoried to the last tea spoon b/c of inheritance laws.

It just shows the lazy writing of the show and made the characters look simple minded.

Agree. I was rolling my eyes during those scenes. Could they have made those characters look any more shallow?

The purpose was to add some humor, and yes make fun of the characters a bit, maybe a little hit to the crawly pride.... We're so proud... Wait a minute, we've no idea what we're proud of

I think it was to show that they take it all for granted - it's just there and that's the way they live. They don't see what's so special about the luxury and history that they live amongst, because, of course (to their eyes) everyone lives like that!

Sorry, but I completely disagree. They have all witnessed (if not lived) the way the other half lives - they've visited their tenants (Mr. and Mrs. Drewe??), farmers, villagers, etc. and know full well that most people do not live the way they do. While they may take their wealth and opulent home for granted, it's not as if they have zero idea how the larger world lives.

Mr. Bates' DUI --
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/ent?guid=20160211/a85c37c7-dba1-4365-b209-ce387c93140a

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Anonymous wrote:Yeah, I think it was probably really realistic for them to be like "Oh, wow -- I never even noticed that. It's definitely someone...." They lived with that stuff, but it's not like they picked it out or anything. They said they had a librarian that was in charge of it all (and apparently on vacation or something the one day they needed him?).

And, honestly, if you pulled out your grandmother's photo book.....would you be able to ID the people in it? Or would you be like "I think that was Great Aunt Phoebe. Or wait, maybe that was Grandma's best friend. Definitely one of those, unless it was her cousin Rose. Might have been her." Or who painted the random landscape hanging over your mother's piano?

My grandmother had one photo of her family, and I could identify everyone in it. My mom didn't have any paintings unless she did them herself let alone a piano.

However, my MIL had a long family history and heirlooms to go with it, so yes, I even knew who the people in the photos and the paintings were. Sometimes she would tell me and sometimes I would ask after seeing something repeatedly for years--and I only visited.

The women should have at least known who painted the paintings, there's a few by Van Dyke and it's not as though the writers had to be incredibly lazy by inventing some never before seen character. They have a historical advisor to the show as well lots have been written about Highclere Castle:
http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/antiques-of-downton-abbey.htm

Ok, you know your family history, but how many friends and acquaintances know theirs? I know plenty of people who struggle to name second cousins (people who have a common great-grandparent), let alone their great grandparents names.

No the point is, I we didn't have paintings of dead relatives or famous artists. But if we had Napoleon's desk, we'd definitely know it.

Great houses like Downton Abbey/Highclere Castle, put on lavish parties, entertained for most of their existence--of course the host/hostess/heir would know the history, style of architecture, and what century the tapestries came from, or who painted the frescos. Also, everything would have been inventoried to the last tea spoon b/c of inheritance laws.

It just shows the lazy writing of the show and made the characters look simple minded.

Agree. I was rolling my eyes during those scenes. Could they have made those characters look any more shallow?

The purpose was to add some humor, and yes make fun of the characters a bit, maybe a little hit to the crawly pride.... We're so proud... Wait a minute, we've no idea what we're proud of

I think it was to show that they take it all for granted - it's just there and that's the way they live. They don't see what's so special about the luxury and history that they live amongst, because, of course (to their eyes) everyone lives like that!

This. Duh.

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Carson is being really boorish with his new wife, and aside from how he diminishes her constantly with all his demands and criticism, can you imagine how horrific it must be for her to have him lying on top of her huffing and puffing like a walrus? Sweet mystery of life.

I'm hoping he'll expire in the act, and she'll squirm free, with a nice future running the B&B. And Barrow gets to step in as butler.

Maybe her and Mrs Patmore can run away together.

I want Mrs. Patmore and the pig farmer to get together, but the two women running the B&B together would be great too.

That would make a great spinoff! I'd watch it.

+1

isn't that what Gilmore Girls is?

Yes, agree with the PP.

And, responding to the PP that posted pics of the interiors. It looks very grand, but, still, I think most of that is kind of crap in the larger art world sense. I mean, there were a couple of decent 18th century/early 19th century portrait painters, and then scores of yeoman painters who were basically the Sears Portrait studio of their day for the upper crust. So everyone got their portrait done by some schmuck who wasn't Reynolds, and they all got hung up on the wall somewhere. There's an awful lot of wall space to fill. I don't find it surprising that they wouldn't know every person and every painter. They knew the one good one (and, if you remember from previous seasons, there was one even better one that they sold off). I liked how Robert was commenting that there really wasn't much to see and that basically most of the art wasn't really any good.
I worked in a very small art museum that had a lot of those 18th and 19tj century portraits....there's really a lot of that stuff out there.