Downton Abbey: S05E02

1. So in case you were wondering, this was the most exciting thing that happened in this episode, for both the audience and the characters:

Seriously, it was staged as the climax and everything.

2. Elsewhere, Mary mortifies Anna by asking her to buy contraceptives for her. Still, that was an interesting little scene. Anna nervously asks for a lady to serve her, the woman behind the counter is quietly judgmental, Anna fibs that she has health problems, and is later disgruntled on behalf of hypothetical housewives everywhere who may not want to live their lives knee-deep in children.

Say what you will about Fellowes, but he does have an eye for woman’s issues that many other writers wouldn’t even know about, let alone address.  

3. Mrs Hughes continues to be the most intelligent person in the house, picking up on the meaning of the baby picture concealed under Edith’s pillow, and connecting the dots when the policeman comes calling to ask questions about Mr Green.

4. Does Robert ever stop complaining? Ever? And once again Fellowes bails him out of having to make any sort of meaningful sacrifice by letting him keep his cricket pitch.

5. The funny thing is I suspect that Fellowes is deliberately writing Robert as an ass in order to make the audience root for Sarah Bunting, who isn’t afraid to stand up to him. Which leads me to believe that Fellowes clearly doesn’t understand the nuances of shipping.

But I’m still in Sarah Bunting’s corner. I like that she agrees to help Daisy with her mathematics (and proves herself a good teacher) that she’s incredibly insightful when it comes to Sybil. Like it or not, all her conjecture on the late Mrs Branson was accurate.

6. So long Jimmy. You were pretty pointless in the end.

7. I still don’t care about Mary’s love triangle. I’d much rather see her in her role as a mother, or in her financial dealings alongside Tom regarding the estate. Heck, even squabbling with Edith is preferable to this!

That said, my money’s on Blake in the long run. You don’t have a man make that sort of speech without planning on bringing him back in some capacity.

8. As much as I’m interested in Edith and Marigold’s plot, I smell contrivance on the horizon. Why would Mr Drewe’s decide to keep his wife in the dark? She’s raising that child as her own and seems genuinely concerned that the lady of the house will lose interest in her little “doll”. Tell her the truth, and all will be well.

9. Nice little moment of compassion between Anna and Thomas – though honestly Thomas, if you want people to like you, then maybe stop threatening them at every turn?

10. Richard E. Grant! Always nice to see him, and he even gets to flirt a little with Cora.

11. As dull as the debate on the war memorial was, at least Fellowes took the time in establishing both points of view. Do they locate it in the centre of town where it will stand as a daily reminder, or do they place it in a quiet location in order to encourage peace and reflection? It felt like a genuine issue that would have been debated in the interwar years.

12. Random question – have Violet and Mrs Hughes ever interacted? I’m wracking my brains and nothing is coming to mind. I suppose I’m only wondering because next week Violet is going to get up in arms about Mary’s incandescent affair, whilst Mrs Hughes seems to be on the fast track to figuring out what’s up with Edith. If they ever teamed up they’d be unstoppable.

13. As snarky as I was about the wireless scene, there were some real gems: a) Daisy confused that it was called a wireless when it was filled with wires, b) Mrs Patmore concerned that the King might be able to hear them, and c) Violet standing when she heard the King’s voice. Priceless!