I can't decide if John and Maria will get together at the end of this, or will there be some horrible tragedy to keep them apart (see Mary/Matthew and Edith/everyone lol).

Do you mean Charles/Maria, because I think John/Maria would hust be miserable for both of them? I thought Matthew and Dybil were written offbecause the actors wanted to leave, but Edith's no good love life was her character arc until she'd suffered enough. But they are about the only viable happy ending, beyond Anne and James reconciling. Long way of saying I don't know.

I think so far Speer is less vile than O'Brian was, but we'll see.

And Mrs Oliver has an inkling that Speer is in it for the money.