Downton Abbey
Season 2
episode 7
In the words of John Lennon “War is over.”
In the
words of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham “Don’t be defeatist,
dear, it’s very middle class.”
As the
final pieces of the hospital are taken away from Downton Abbey, we find
ourselves gazing upon an estate and its residents returning to their normal
state. Which luckily for us, “normal state” means secrecy, romance, medical negligence,
suspicion, betrayal, yelling, baking and various dinner scenes.
Yes,
post-war life had officially begun for our favourite aristocrats and friends,
and boy did they come out swinging.
Robert and the Help: It seems that all it took was a few
sideward glances and some light fawning from new maid Jane (Clare Calbraith) to
kick Lord Grantham’s mid-life crisis into high gear.
Looking ahead to his life after the war,
Robert laments that “before the war my life had value, I suppose I should like
to feel that again.” Jane, who gives him her full attention and appreciation is
just what Robert’s ego ordered, resulting in a number of sequences I feel like
I should have been watching through my fingers due to sheer awkward horribleness.
Mr Bates in the kitchen with the rat poison:
Oh Bates. Why must
the writers hurt you so?
Afraid that
the police will discover that he was the one who had purchased the rat poison
that Vera had consumed before her death, Bates considered talking to the police
in order to put a stop to any suspicion that may be thrown his way.
I bet he’s
regretting all the “former Mrs Bates” comments now.
It goes to
show that you must always be careful with what you say, just in case your
vindictive ex-wife stages her own murder in order to continue to ruin your life
from beyond the grave.
Driving Miss Sybil: After years and years of pining,
rebuffs and slightly passive aggressive declarations of love, Sybil and Branson
are getting married. That’s good, I guess.
Honestly, I
understand and respect the appeal of them as a couple, but I have never really
been a fan of Sybranson.
I know, I
know, I don’t know what’s wrong with me either. I was a fan of Branson first
season, he was the cool Irish rebel who rescued and care about Sybil but now I
find him to be really off-putting. He wouldn’t accept any comprises in order to
fit Sybil’s lifestyle with his, describing her upbringing and the people in her
life in not very nice terms after basically declaring that she was in love with
him despite her many, many protests.
Maybe she was
in love with him, but in my opinion Sybil’s reason for wanting to marry him
now, has more to do with her lack of purpose now that the war is over and the
fact that he represents freedom from the future her family expects. She is in
love with the idea of what Branson symbolizes, rather than the chauffeur himself.
Which makes me a little sad for Branson. Until he starts yelling at someone
again.
Flour power: I know it’s probably wrong but how
good did it feel to see Thomas get his comeuppance.
Thomas who is too searching
for his purpose after the war (preferably one away from his servant-status at
Downton) fell victim to what we could equivalent today to one of those “send me
all your money and I will make you millions” e-mail scams. His gamble on the
black market, selling supplies from a guy he met at the pub and didn’t get the
name of, turned out to be a disaster, with the lesson we all must take away
from this being taste-test before spending all your money on flour from a mysterious
vendor.
Someone just find him the rum: So
stuff happened with Mrs Hughes and Ethel this episode and I’m sure it was
powerful and well-written and very Downton Abbey-ish but I found myself not
wanting to watch these particular scenes. It seems that my brain, the strange
organ that it is could not connect the very talented actor, Kevin McNally who
played the wonderful Mr Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with the
rude jerk who spent his screen time yelling at everyone. Take the baby and run
Ethel, take him and run.
-Side Lunch
Bar- Who would have thought however, that Mr Bryant’s moustache would be even
bigger and more remarkable than his son’s. That Charlie is going to have some
impressive facial hair when he grows up –End of Meal-
Mary and the Cad: Speaking of people that should run,
did anyone else fear for Mary and Anna’s safety during this episode, emotionally
and physically. Richard, ever the charmer, decided that he would have Anna, the
docile housemaid report back to him every person that Mary saw, talked to,
thought about, or whose pictures Mary drew hearts around anytime he wasn’t
around. Not counting on loyalty or the fact that Anna is the best, he
eventually found himself without a spy and a man to run his household.
Upon hearing
about the mogul’s scheme, Carson a man of honour unlike some people (cough,
Richard) takes back his offer to join Mary at the site of her sure-to-fail
marriage.
Mary as you
can imagine did not take the news very well.
Walk this way: This however was the least most important
event to occur this episode because, Matthew can walk again! Huzzah! Heirs all
around!
It seems that
Dr. Clarkson, had doubted and therefore chosen to ignore the opinion of a
second unseen doctor, who had diagnosed Matthew’s injuries as a case of spinal
shock rather than a case of permanent paralysis in order to deprive him of any
hope, whether it was false or not. That is a malpractice suit if ever I’ve
imagined seeing one. Matthew’s a lawyer still right?
With this
development all cards are back on the table and Violet, the most awesome and
wise, not only knows it, but is the first to actively address and do something
about it.
Going to
Matthew’s bedroom (the scandal) Violet urges Matthew to reconsider Mary, the
woman he actually loves.
Matthew
however could not be schooled by the Dowager Countess, feeling obliged to marry
Lavinia, who had previously agreed to essentially spend the rest of her life
being his nurse.
But, isn’t it
better to marry someone you truly love than someone you feel indebted to?
Yes, Mary and
Matthew that was directed at you?
Ok, that was
episode seven of season 2, sadly we are nearing the end. Episode eight is next,
the final one before the one after that.
Start making
those “Free Bates” t-shirts, I have a feeling we are going to need them .
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