Downton Abbey
Season 2 episode 6
In April this year we remembered the 100th
anniversary of the RMS Titanic’s tragic first and final voyage. The sinking of
the Titanic has meant many different things to many different people. It was
the loss of loved ones, it was about surviving a catastrophic disaster, and for
a fair majority during the 90’s it was the reason they had to hear Celine Dion
confess that her heart would go on and on repeatedly.
For the residents of Downton Abbey, 100 years ago it
meant that the foundation that they had built their future lives upon was
shaken loose and changed forever. It also means that if they were real and
alive now, they would be very old. Except for Lady Violet that it’s, who would
probably look the same, maybe even younger (she is a wizard after all.)
The sixth episode of Downton was ultimately in a way
about beginnings and endings. As the war came to an end, those who lives at the
Abbey had been overturned over the last few years could reflect on what they
had lost; William, Matthew’s legs, the majority of the house, Mr Moseley’s
ambition, but also what they gained; Sybil and Branson’s forbidden romance,
Robert’s mid-life crisis, Thomas. As the battle lines were tore down, our
favourite English family and friends unfortunately had to brace themselves for
another exiting new development, which for many characters could have been the
beginning of the end of their time at Downton. What’s that saying, when one
door closes, another ones waiting right there to open and have a long, thought
lost relatives smack you in the face.
Patrick Crawley, fiancé of Mary b.m. (before Matthew, a
sad time for everyone) and heir apparent to the Downton Abbey Empire, was
thought to have perished when the Titanic sank in season 1. You can imagine
then, that it was quite a surprise to all those involved when a mysterious relative
put in a request to stay at Downton Hospital, claimed to be non-other than the
presumed dead Brit.
This Patrick (Trevor White), was an officer in the
Canadian Army with the world’s fastest absorbed accent, and had a face that was
unrecognizable due to a war-time injury, in the shadow-iest of shadows decided
to confess his real identity, to the woman who had actually truly loved Patrick
before the boat trip, unlucky in love Edith. Canadian Patrick’s claim was that
after the ships sinking he had been pulled out of the ocean and mistakenly
identified as someone not English and sent overseas and mountains and plains,
without any memories to keep him warm at night. Eventually he joined the
Canadian light Infantry which shipped him back to the motherland and the rest
is complicated back story.
As you can imagine everybody took this news extremely well.
Matthew summed up his emotions on the subject best:
“First my legs and now this?” The beautifully blue eyed man could not catch a
break.
While Edith was quick to believe the new/old Patrick,
because of the love, while Mary and Violet were very much convinced that they
were just pawns in some kind of elaborate scam. A suspicion, which might have
very well been right?
It seems that Patrick Crawley had a friend called Peter
Gordon with whom he may have shared his life story with. There is a lot of toing
and froing over whether Patrick is Peter. Edith is pro-Patrick’s re-emergence,
certain he is her former, sort-a beau. Mary is adamant that the scarred man is
fraud and seemly crushes Edith’s hope pointing out how Patrick/Peter’s memories
could come from any “I grew up in aristocratic England” playbook, while Matthew
thinks that they will all soon be rejoicing about an heir that can produce
spares. Robert is entirely confused on the matter, devastated for Matthew, but
after viewing a hand gesture from Patrick/Peter is as confused as if he was
trying to figure out who knows, what on Once
Upon a Time? I will figure it out!
Unfortunately, the Crawley & Grantham they do not
have the benefit of another 15 episodes, to ponder this development as
Patrick/Peter either loses his nerve or is beginning to feel awful about
misleading Edith or is just saddened that his family does not believe him,
disappears into the shadowy shadows leaving behind just a note saying: “It was
too difficult, I’m so sorry. P. Gordon”
Make of that what you will.
Other surprises, whether you like them or not:
- Sir Richard took it upon himself to poach Mr Carson, an
ally of Miss Mary’s, to run the new property he had poached very close to
Downton. The man knows nothing about proper staff-stealing etiquette and the
way he manhandled Mary this episode has put him on the list of people. Maybe we
should tell Branson he did something rich people do and he’ll
pour gross stuff all over him.
- Matthew is sad and that makes me sad.
- Never on a TV show should you make vague assumptions that
you would like someone dead, it will always come back to bite you. With Vera visibly
deceased at the end of the episode the question is whether Bates was pushed by
his ex-wife to far or is she setting him up for some post-mortem revenge? I say
the latter because there is no way may Bates would do that and yes it is
possible I’m in denial. I can accept that.
- The scene where they had a moment of silence
in honour of the ceasefire was very well done. All our Downton people gathered
together, quiet and still in remembrance of the tragedy that has passed but
looking forward to the dawn of a new day. For some the future is not so bright,
Sybil has lost her purpose, Mary has to marry Richard, Thomas is still around and for others, things
seem to be looking up Cora has her house back and masterfully got Isobel
interested in another worthy cause that doesn’t involve her living room and
Matthew may be getting some motion back in his feet very soon.
Thank you for reading, until next episode where Robert
better stay away from that maid.
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