Downton Abbey 5.06

[shallowness]

I loathed Mary to the point where I hoped she’d get injured in the race (although I suppose that would have been traumatising for George). Seriously, full bitch mode, especially WRT Edith, her men, Mabel. And the trouble she’s caused Anna.

On the other hand, there was lots to enjoy in this episode. Things happened!

Maggie Smith was fabulous – and if there hadn’t been such good stuff at Downton, I really would start wishing for the show to be all about her and her household (with Rosamond moving next door or something), because there was sharp banter, and her butler is amusing and now there’s going to be a tussle with her new lady’s maid. Plus for all her Violetness, she conveyed her vulnerability and in that moment she went to the farm, she was simply a worried grandmother. I have to say that even the Dame’s powers failed in convincing me about the past Russian romance, though.

Other stuff I Don’t Care About is how Bates didn’t commit murder, again. Fine. It’s ridiculous and it’s a plotline we never need to see revisited. The complaint that they made raping Anna all about Bates still stands, and I hope that if we must find out whodunnit, it was someone else having their revenge on Greene for being a rapist. Let the Bates have their kids – Anna never explained that it was Lady Mary’s fault was it? Sigh. At least they talked properly after months and months of not doing so.

Speaking of repeating plot-lines, the show has descended to trying to promote a hairstyle, but all that Mary’s grand entrance reminded me of was Sybil’s trousers in the first series.

Diminishing returns, show.

Long may Sybbie calling her grandfather Donk continue, though.

Cora was fabulous in how she dealt with Robert – she could have been much more righteously angry. Overall, I’m glad they resolved it between themselves.

I so want to make a joke about the dog’s name.

In as much as I care about Mabel/Tony, she should absolutely make him work for it.

Poor Edith. While I still sympathised the most with Mrs Drew, because she was betrayed and used and then they took the girl she'd taken into her heart from her, of course one felt sorry for Edith, and it’s true – as it’s been for most of the show's run – that she should leave if she wants to be happy. I can’t believe she’s left our screens for good, and I also suspect that real life and bringing up a child are going to be tougher than she thinks. It was so sad that nobody except Violet knew why she was doing a bolt.

(Also, I was reduced to comparing who’s beau died because of Nazis and who’s husband died in a very silly car crash AND urging Edith to slap Mary at one point.)

[ETA: It looks as though Gregson's insane wife will never be mentioned again. I suppose it's for the best that we don't see how Downton handles mental illness.]

Rose and Atticus are sweet, but Isabel deciding to have an adventure with Lord Merton is even sweeter.

I also liked that Molesley interacted with Daisy, who deserved the setdown about churlishness. Meanwhile Baxter being the Better Person around Thomas was about the best we could expect of the blackmail/gay cure plotlines. The ‘brave’ line was a nice callback to what he did in the war.

The ‘Elsie Hughes, you are the BEST’ moment came in the interview. All protective of Baxter and then asking THE relevant question after the criminal record revelation.

Would it be a viable or desirable move for Baxter to become a housekeeper from lady’s maid? Because I see seeds of equal awesomeness.

The way that Carson’s proposal was played was a delight, although I don’t know that I’d want to manage his humours, but I suppose Mrs Hughes would get bored in retirement if she didn’t have something to manage. I do enjoy the way her affection for him is tempered by her awareness of his many foibles.