Downton Abbey: 4x02
As always, slightly random thoughts in roughly chronological order…
GWEN!! THEY REMEMBERED GWEN!! And she’s gotten married!! Um…they did write to her and tell her about Sybil, right?
I was mildly confused as to why Thomas was being so friendly toward Edna, but then Anna helpfully filled me in. She has the ear of Lady Crawley, obviously. I suppose a redemption arc isn’t on the cards for Thomas just yet.
I was getting nervous when Robert showed Violet the letter from Matthew with a fireplace crackling away behind them. Still, I like that the entire family is becoming increasingly reluctant to put up with his bullshit.
Aw, Matthew kept Mary’s little toy dog.
I’ve come to realize that it’s mildly depressing when you can relate to Moseley. But I’m totally Moseley right now.
I loved the immediate reaction from Edith and Tom when news broke that Mary might inherit the estate: she’s appalled and he’s as pleased as punch.
I’m not totally sold on Rose and Edna as characters; so far they feel more like devices to stir up trouble than actual people. I suppose Rose fares a little better than Edna, who really comes across as a younger O’Brian. Perhaps that’s another reason why Thomas reached out to her - he’s missing his partner-in-crime, but I’m a bit disappointed that he targeted Anna. I thought she was one of the few people he respected.
Cora is still as gullible as she needs to be in order to make the contortions of the plot work. She’s really going to tattle to Robert instead of just confronting Anna herself? Nonsense.
Does anyone care to explain to me the meaning behind Violet’s “now I sympathise with King Cnut” comment? I tried looking up the name on Wikipedia, but no obvious reference jumped out at me.
This is the first episode where I’ve liked Jimmy, not only in helping the girls in the tavern and partaking in a platonic dance with Anna, but also his baffled “what the…?” at the sight of Rose in a maid’s outfit.
Speaking of Rose’s outfit, I loved her pink get-up. And I’m by no means a pink person.
As said before, I’m not totally sold on Rose, but I quite liked her little subplot here. At first I rolled my eyes at the whole maid subterfuge, thinking that it was going to be a drawn-out series of hijinks that Anna should have put an immediate stop to by bringing LADY Rose to the door, but if this is as far as it goes, it was actually quite lovely. Every now and then Fellowes can surprise me with his subversion of tropes, and since I was totally expecting Sam to get huffy and throw around accusations of cock-teasing (or whatever they called it back then) once Rose tells him she’s engaged to another, he handles the let-down graciously.
Ivy was pretty cute in her naivety, first in falling for Mrs Patmore’s sarcasm and then drawing a blank on her “Convent Gardens” comment. Like Jimmy, she’s shown more personality in this episode than she has since her first appearance. I’m glad the new characters are finally starting to grow on me.
“Nothing’s as changeable as a young man’s heart - take hope and warning from that.” Truer words were never spoken, Mrs Patmore.
It’s very sweet that Bates did a kindness toward Moseley for Anna’s sake rather than Moseley’s. That’s how kindness should work.
Matthew stans will hate me for this, but I kind of like the idea that his destiny in life was always to hand control of Downton Abbey over to Mary, something that would have never been achieved without his (and Patrick’s) death. I’m looking forward to her beginning to exert her power - so for goodness sake Fellowes, don’t throw her back into the dating pool next week!
Someone get Tom a “Team Mary” T-shirt.
A neat little ending for the two Charlies, and though I preferred it when their split was a result of one’s thievery and the other’s career trajectory, at least the whole “girl who tears them apart” angle wasn’t overplayed.
So really this episode was all about repayment of debts and the conclusion of relationships, whether it be Matthew’s final words coming to light, Anna and Bates helping out Moseley, the resolution of Carson’s friendship with Charlie, or Rose letting Sam off easily. Nicely played, Fellowes. This felt more like an episode of the first series than anything I’ve seen from this show in a while.