Downton Abbey 3x3
Never did get around to discussing last week's episode--time was limited and updating AGIB took priority. But here I am to discuss the third episode, although I'm not sure how coherent I'll be because I'm in the Depths of Despair.
Edith. Oh, Edith. Everything about her broke my heart tonight. Even her happiness did, with that sad line about how for the first time something that's happening in Downton is about her (and what was that look from Cora there, as if she hasn't been as guilty as anyone of giving Edith the brush-off all her life), to the very last moment of her getting up from bed because spinsters go down for breakfast. Contrasted with last week's line about Mary being married and therefore allowed to take breakfast in bed, it was just devastating. And of course the jilting. It was awful. Absolutely awful. THE WORST. And while I utterly disagreed with Violet saying Anthony was doing the most sensible thing he had in months, I was glad she at least put a stop to it, so that Edith wouldn't be tortured and further humiliated? IDK, Edith also deserved her chance to fight. But still. Edith.
The way everyone rallied around her after that was tremendous but not quite enough to ameliorate the awfulness of it. Of course I appreciate Robert wanting to get everything out of sight so as not to hurt her (and Robert earned a point or two back after last week with his being happy that Edith was happy line,) and especially Cora practically throwing herself on top of Edith and holding her, and Alfred trash-talking Anthony and Mrs Hughes arguing with Carson about it being okay and Carson finally agreeing that it was, just that once. And I think I also ship Alfred/Edith a little bit now after his remark about her not being "bad looking." Indeed no, Alfred; I thought Edith's dress was far, far prettier than Mary's (and designed by Lady Duff Gordon! It's canon!), and Edith has looked absolutely lovely all S3.
But the thing about this jilting plot (I mean apart from it just being THE WORST, is that I'm just astonished that Anthony could do it like that. He's proved himself to be such a good man, if easily frightened by the Crawleys. I cannot believe he'd lose it at the altar and put Edith through that humiliation. And yet...he was so heartbreaking about it himself. So I take it back, I don't really ship Edith/Alfred, I want Edith/Anthony to work out! (It's always the doomed ships for me...) But how do you come back from that? I don't know...
Back to Alfred, though. He is my favorite thing on the show this series. "Do you have any cheese, Mrs Patmore?" And asking Daisy to play a game! And giving Molesley the brush-off, LOL. Oh Molesley, no one wants you (and he totally killed Vera Bates, I'm looking at you gilpin25, he was observing how tired Anna must have been going to London, sniffing around for clues again ;)). And of course so interesting to see how all will play out with him, Thomas, and O'Brien! (Oh, the two of them were just spectacular, weren't they? With their "honest mistakes." And Thomas' jab about it being lucky no one ever asked O'Brien to marry him so she wouldn't die of the humiliation of being left at the altar.)
Really, the downstairs arcs are the most interesting to me at the moment. Mrs Hughes' storyline (though what an odd two-episode arc) was so touching, and I've loved seeing the relationship between her and Mrs Patmore, right down to the intimacy of Hughes having shown Patmore the lump) and of course Carson thrown in. He was back on form this week, I thought, after being a bit OTT last week, and how can you not love him singing as he polishes the silver when he learns It's Not Cancer? (Except I find myself fearing this is a House situation, where they really will need House instead of Clarkson!)
Upstairs has been much less exciting to me. I was afraid Mary/Matthew would be totally boring once they were married and that is generally my opinion now. Mary has had basically nothing to do except read Vogue and look stunning in her 20s outfits, and Matthew's inevitable decision to accept Reggie Swire's money has been needlessly melodramatic and of course was solved with a deus ex machina. (Lavinia wrote a letter on her death bed, really? As she was ravaged by Spanish flu? Is it not enough that she spoke through a Ouija board to give Mary and Matthew her blessing? Now we're getting letters from beyond the grave?)
Oh, I have adored Cora the past two episodes. Her scene with Mrs Hughes was touching. Despite wanting her to get really angry at Robert for being stupid with her money, I really admired how she looked at Downton Place and actually seemed happy about it, which says a lot about her depth. (As Branson rightly pointed out, it did look like a fairy palace to most people, lol.) Sybil had that great little banter with Violet, too, about being crude vs witty, and that was great. More Sybil, please!
Writing about Mary and Sybil makes me just cry again for Edith. So I'm going to wrap this up, and not think about it anymore. If only people would stop posting Gifsets of Sadness on Tumblr. *cries*
Edith. Oh, Edith. Everything about her broke my heart tonight. Even her happiness did, with that sad line about how for the first time something that's happening in Downton is about her (and what was that look from Cora there, as if she hasn't been as guilty as anyone of giving Edith the brush-off all her life), to the very last moment of her getting up from bed because spinsters go down for breakfast. Contrasted with last week's line about Mary being married and therefore allowed to take breakfast in bed, it was just devastating. And of course the jilting. It was awful. Absolutely awful. THE WORST. And while I utterly disagreed with Violet saying Anthony was doing the most sensible thing he had in months, I was glad she at least put a stop to it, so that Edith wouldn't be tortured and further humiliated? IDK, Edith also deserved her chance to fight. But still. Edith.
The way everyone rallied around her after that was tremendous but not quite enough to ameliorate the awfulness of it. Of course I appreciate Robert wanting to get everything out of sight so as not to hurt her (and Robert earned a point or two back after last week with his being happy that Edith was happy line,) and especially Cora practically throwing herself on top of Edith and holding her, and Alfred trash-talking Anthony and Mrs Hughes arguing with Carson about it being okay and Carson finally agreeing that it was, just that once. And I think I also ship Alfred/Edith a little bit now after his remark about her not being "bad looking." Indeed no, Alfred; I thought Edith's dress was far, far prettier than Mary's (and designed by Lady Duff Gordon! It's canon!), and Edith has looked absolutely lovely all S3.
But the thing about this jilting plot (I mean apart from it just being THE WORST, is that I'm just astonished that Anthony could do it like that. He's proved himself to be such a good man, if easily frightened by the Crawleys. I cannot believe he'd lose it at the altar and put Edith through that humiliation. And yet...he was so heartbreaking about it himself. So I take it back, I don't really ship Edith/Alfred, I want Edith/Anthony to work out! (It's always the doomed ships for me...) But how do you come back from that? I don't know...
Back to Alfred, though. He is my favorite thing on the show this series. "Do you have any cheese, Mrs Patmore?" And asking Daisy to play a game! And giving Molesley the brush-off, LOL. Oh Molesley, no one wants you (and he totally killed Vera Bates, I'm looking at you gilpin25, he was observing how tired Anna must have been going to London, sniffing around for clues again ;)). And of course so interesting to see how all will play out with him, Thomas, and O'Brien! (Oh, the two of them were just spectacular, weren't they? With their "honest mistakes." And Thomas' jab about it being lucky no one ever asked O'Brien to marry him so she wouldn't die of the humiliation of being left at the altar.)
Really, the downstairs arcs are the most interesting to me at the moment. Mrs Hughes' storyline (though what an odd two-episode arc) was so touching, and I've loved seeing the relationship between her and Mrs Patmore, right down to the intimacy of Hughes having shown Patmore the lump) and of course Carson thrown in. He was back on form this week, I thought, after being a bit OTT last week, and how can you not love him singing as he polishes the silver when he learns It's Not Cancer? (Except I find myself fearing this is a House situation, where they really will need House instead of Clarkson!)
Upstairs has been much less exciting to me. I was afraid Mary/Matthew would be totally boring once they were married and that is generally my opinion now. Mary has had basically nothing to do except read Vogue and look stunning in her 20s outfits, and Matthew's inevitable decision to accept Reggie Swire's money has been needlessly melodramatic and of course was solved with a deus ex machina. (Lavinia wrote a letter on her death bed, really? As she was ravaged by Spanish flu? Is it not enough that she spoke through a Ouija board to give Mary and Matthew her blessing? Now we're getting letters from beyond the grave?)
Oh, I have adored Cora the past two episodes. Her scene with Mrs Hughes was touching. Despite wanting her to get really angry at Robert for being stupid with her money, I really admired how she looked at Downton Place and actually seemed happy about it, which says a lot about her depth. (As Branson rightly pointed out, it did look like a fairy palace to most people, lol.) Sybil had that great little banter with Violet, too, about being crude vs witty, and that was great. More Sybil, please!
Writing about Mary and Sybil makes me just cry again for Edith. So I'm going to wrap this up, and not think about it anymore. If only people would stop posting Gifsets of Sadness on Tumblr. *cries*