"Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked"

[epea_pteroenta]

OK, I promised eolivet an analysis of that intriguing line of Mary's from S02E03 "The truth is we're very much alike so naturally I think she's perfect".

I've already written about it quite a bit in this post so this will quote and use that (because I'm lazy).

Comments

[rochvelleth]

I love this :)

My initial instinct was that Mary was saying she was like Lavinia, but I like the idea that she was rather saying she was like Matthew. Maybe Mary and Matthew realise that they just can't be together after what has passed between them, and Mary is saying that Lavinia is perfect - as her substitute. Maybe Lavinia is perfect because she's so different to Mary, and because it's so easy to understand why a sweet, innocent-seeming person is a good choice while at the same time not being a suitable rival for Matthew's affections. He knows he can't bear to have what he wants (namely Mary), and so chooses something (namely Lavinia) very different rather than similar. Because something similar would just remind him that he has opted for second best, much as Mary is half-planning to do with Richard. Mary's line could then be taken as an acknowledgement of his choice.

(But of course you're completely right about the complexity of Mary's statements, so having a meaning that could be straightforward to both of them is not ideal! Or maybe this is just what might be going on in Mary's head... Oh, I do love overanalysing these things! It's the classical training.)

I really like the way that Mary is treating Lavinia. I think she's really taken Matthew's plea to look after Lavinia to heart. In some ways I think this is creating the reverse of what happened in the first series. In the first series, Mary delays in accepting his proposal and it ends up looking like she doesn't love him but is being opportunistic in accepting him when he's confirmed as heir to Downton again. In this series, Mary has the power to damage Matthew's relationship with Lavinia when it could be opportunistic for her to do so (assuming that Matthew would reject Lavinia and choose Mary instead, which I don't think is very realistic, but it could conceivably be her hope), but instead she holds back and protects Lavinia and Matthew's relationship with her. My expectation is that when Matthew realises this it will convince him that Mary really is the woman for him, but we'll see!

[epea_pteroenta]

Oh, I do love overanalysing these things! It's the classical training.

Of course!

Maybe Mary and Matthew realise that they just can't be together after what has passed between them, and Mary is saying that Lavinia is perfect - as her substitute.

I really like this idea! That Lavinia is perfect for their situation - perfect for Matthew as a "consolation prize" (hee) because she is so different to Mary - which adds a layer of irony to what Mary says. I am adding this to my interpretation. :)

I completely agree with your last statement. Mary really is trying so hard - and it's a really good point that it really is a reversal in appearance at least to her prevarication at the end of S01.