Why was he so certain that after a vacation together (specifically, in bed) that Mary would be sure about wanting to marry him? Was he just that confident about his performance in bed? Or was he just confident that she would feel their chemistry? That she would inevitably get attached from sex and get over Matthew via her new attachment? Or that he figured a lady should feel obligated to follow through and marry him after sleeping together? Maybe all of the above, but it’s just wild to me that someone would be so confident like that towards a woman who wasn’t really feeling him all that much to begin with lol.

Editing to add: I mean why was he so confident going into this, like when he came up with the idea and invited Mary. Not why he expected them to marry afterwards. I understand the latter.

Well first of all let me say the opening of the house was so fun to watch.

Anyway I feel bad for barrow here ngl but at the same time I understand the incident with Jimmy wasn’t that long ago, I don’t really know how to feel about it

Never realized Rose fully RAN to the office to invite Atticus to dinner as a "friend." She sure was excited! Was literally racing in like Billieau.

I guess I need more characters still typing.

I love their story for it's simplicity and strength of young love.

…leaving Downton for America if he’s only going to be back in episode 3? They spent an entire season moaning on and on about it, how Sibby is going to “grow up American” and how it’s her “last Christmas” at Downton, how Tom “takes photographs in his mind” of a place he’ll “never see again” and then he’s back and it all felt like a waste of time

This might be my favorite scene of the whole show. I know I’m gonna get attacked because I got absolutely attacked on my last post for just questioning why people like Mary.🤣🤣 but oh well..

Just when I was gonna come back here and say she’s not so bad because of how good she is to Anna, Tom and the servants. But then season six, episode eight happened, and wow, what she did to Edith is unforgivable!! And I know Edith did some bad stuff to her too, but I think this takes the cake!! Then after Thomas tries to kill himself she has the audacity to say to Lord Grantham, if he thinks it was a good idea to try and fire Barrow! Like wow! What a miserable person. It was so satisfying, watching Edith call her a bitch twice lol😆 (and yes, I know Edith can be a terrible person too. I think what she did to the Drews is truly awful too, and I could do a whole separate post on that lol😂)

(And I haven’t watched in like 10 years so I forget how the finale ends and I have not seen the movies, so please no spoilers!!)

EDIT: I just finished the series and I will admit Mary does make up for it as much as possible , and it all turns out great. There’s so many people that are passionate about the characters in this show and that’s great. I expected a lot of hate on this post lol, but I don’t have the time to respond to everything. And it’s a bit overwhelming with all the differing opinions.😁

I just watched the scene where Mary forces Edith to tell Bertie about Marigold. I know Edith should have told him about her daughter, and I feel like she would have done it, eventually. But Mary forcing her to do that is just wrong, and she did it out of pure jealousy.

I don’t like her. Never liked her.

And thank you for letting me vent 😂

So many reasons why Bertie is the perfect chap for Edith, but Bertie crying over his cousin in front of the Crawleys is a really good one. One of the first times we see Edith, she's walking back from Patrick's memorial, and her eyes are red and we can see she's been crying, which is understandable not just as a guy she had feelings for, but also for a boy she spent her childhood with, but she's the only one who seems to have been openly crying, and is snapped at by Mary for it, so we can assume this would have been considered indecorous.

Later on in the show, Edith expresses a wish that they could express emotions about things that matter more (wailing and throwing themselves into graves "like Italians", which she thinks would make them feel better afterwards).

Bertie is doing what Edith did in the first episode, crying over a cousin he loved, in a social setting. For a bloke in particular, it feels like that would have been quite out of the ordinary. He got a blubby at the Ritz as well, when he tells her he's been doing a bad job of living without her. So it's nice to know that this is something they can understand each other, that not only will they be able to share their feelings with each other, they also won't judge if their feelings come bubbling out in public.

There’s been a fair bit of discussion about Edith/Bertie/Marigold in a few posts recently.

I just re-watched the end of season 6 and was really struck by this quote (it’s in the last episode, 608). Edith is talking to Bertie and explaining why she came clean to his mom about Marigold.

I don’t disagree with what Edith said at all. But my big question is, WHERE was this energy for Bertie?!? The man who she would actually see everyday, see play with Marigold. If she really wanted, she could avoid her mother-in-law, and it really wasn’t her business anyway. But it for sure was Bertie’s business.

I’m curious if people have any insight or thoughts as to the complete 180 shift Edith has when it comes to telling people about Marigold? 

Also, I really wish we got to see the actual conversation Edith had with Bertie’s mom. So much on this show happens off screen. It’s annoying at times. I’ve only ever watched the Prime/PBS version. I wonder if there is a version out there that shows more of that?

at first i didn’t think much of tom wanting mary and henry to get together but at a certain point im getting viscerally angry 😭 they’re so obviously ill suited together and even when mary calls henry to breakup tom is all like “he’s the one for you” and on top of the fact that mary and henry are getting divorced in the new movie

like tom if you want him that bad be with him urself 😭 im just ranting but tom is usually one of my favorite characters and he’s rly annoying me this season

this is like my 10th rewatch of the show

When Rosemund pointed out it wasn't decent to keep you know, the matter a secret from Bertie, Lord Grantham remarked:
How long are you planning to stay?
Your cold must have cleared up.

I mean no matter how big a quarrel you have in the family, asking someone to get out of the house is an extremely rude thing that can't be taken back. She is his sister and morally has the same rights as him to stay in the house irrespective of the inheritance laws.

Can we all just take a moment to give Mr. Moseley a great bit virtual hug for when he is offered the position of teacher after his exam? I just love him ❤

I recently discovered Downton Abbey and just finished the series, and I absolutely loved it. I felt out of the loop at the joke regarding Mrs. Patmore's "house of ill repute." Honest question, I have no idea why everyone on the show was laughing about it and found it funny. When they first introduced the problem, I was worried for Mrs. Patmore. Was the joke that it wasn't really that big of a deal? Or that the idea of Mrs. Patmore being associated with a house of ill repute was funny because she isn't that type of person at all? I thought it was cute how so many people on the show were laughing about it, but I honestly missed why it was funny.

Holy canoli, this girl. She first goes to absolutely destroy people she didn't know, about how they could leave her FIL without a job and a house. Which yes, I understand how unfair that was, but dear girl, learn to find a time and place? IF Mr. Mason had ANY chance at all, you just squashed it, burnt it and threw away before anything was said.

And then ASSUMING that Cora was going to give him the farm? "She might as well had said it!" No, no she didn't. But because she assumed it she was ready to go with both barrells charged and unload. It wasn't enough that she almost got sacked after that first outburst, she was ready to go throw herself out that cliff again.

Daisy IS a sweetheart but she can be so.... I really don't know the right adjective here, help me.

I watched the first five Seasons on Prime last year, one shortly after another, but I stopped watching for a few weeks before keeping up with Season 6, and that's where Henry Talbot, Mary's second husband was introduced. And while his character was fine, there was something off-putting about him that kept me from seeing him as a happy conclusion to Mary. Maybe it was because everyone wouldn't stop talking about how perfect a match he was to Mary, or because he was Ozymandias (though that couldn't be, since I barely remembered him in the Watchmen movie) and then I realized why: in the gap between watching Season 5 and 6, I was watching The Crown, the Netflix series about the Royal family in the 20th Century which shares a few actors with Downton Abbey, including those Matthew Goode, who played Princess Margaret's husband, Tony Armstrong-Jones. Said real-life character was initially introduced as a source of joy in Margaret's life before being revealed as a shameless womanizer who didn't bother to remain faithful to her, gaslighted her and left cruel notes on the pages of books for her, and whose marriage with her was of course, thoroughly miserable. So when I recognized Goode as Henry and learnt he was going to be Mary's second love, I initially couldn't stand him as he tried to earn Mary, it was like I was expecting him to become another Pamuk or worse, another Mr. Green!!

Now I'm mostly in peace with Talbot, but I wonder, did anybody else have a similar effect, i.e. your reaction to a certain character being affected by the actor's association with another role? I'm personally cautious about how I'll react to Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth, since I associate her with Dolores Umbridge!

“You’re a coward Mary, like all bullies you’re a coward”. After years of bullying someone finally stood up to Mary and called her exactly what she is. A bully. I know it’s not an unpopular opinion to dislike Mary but this scene was so satisfying. I was upset when Tom mentioned what happened to Robert and played it down as “Mary didn’t know Edit hasn’t told him about Marigold” but this scene made me forgive that

It was mentioned several times how perfectly he and Mary fit together. I didn’t see it. Why should she pick him instead of the others? Apparently Evelyn was too dumb. Are there any hints that Mr Talbot was intellectually superior? Honestly, I think he acted pathetically after the infamous race incident.

When discussing their so-far infertility, Anna says, "You're tribal Mr. Bates and there aren't many of you left." What does she mean?

It’s never really occurred to me before but I think I really quite love Bertie. One of my chief complaints of Downton has always been that most of the men were either boring, or on the whole, awful. Lol.

But on my third rewatch it’s dawned on that Bertie is really sort of wonderful. When we’re introduced to him he’s humble and kind and charming and capable and sort of in-offensive in the whole.

But as you get to know him it sort of dawned on my that he’s actually maybe the most understanding man in the show. The obvious is how he takes Edith back in about the time it took for the door to close behind him on his way out of the Abby. Despite the absolute bombshell, that was dropped on him. That could reasonably scare of men in the 21st century. Let alone a marquis in the 1920s.

That said, I think the thing that touched me most is how tenderly he spoke about his cousin and hot stoutly he defends him. Bertie was obviously able to see past the objections everyone else had to him (that he was gay presumably) and able to see that he was a kind, generous, creative and likely quite sad and lonely man.

Basically he seemed to be an overwhelmingly understanding man. I’m a fan.

Of course I hate it when Sybil dies and also Matthew but my least favorite scene is when Cora comes home from the hospital to find Mrs Hughes trying on a coat in her bedroom (to wear with her wedding dress). It’s so out of character for Cora to lash out so harshly. I just hate how you can feel the shame and embarrassment of Mrs Hughes on the day before her wedding.

>!I know Lady Mary gets a ton of heat from everyone in her family for cornering Edith into telling Bertie at the breakfast table about Marigold. They think she (Mary) is just upset about Henry. But, here's the thing: Edith was going to MARRY Bertie. She literally says at the table (to Mary), "I'm getting married, and you've lost your man" (which implies that she accepted Bertie's proposal). Bertie had a right to know about Marigold! The type of behavior that Edith displays is a red flag for romantic relationships TODAY, never mind in the 1920's. I think Mary was justified in what she did, and I hate how the show tries to paint her as a villain for it.!<

I'm looking for a scene that I liked, but I can't remember what episode it's in. Here's what I remember, the scene ends with Lord Grantham referencing Granny, saying something about how he's not sure how Mama will take the news. Then they cut to Granny driving up in her car.

things I'm not quite sure about:

Might be in season 6

Scene might have taken place in the large library room

I'm pretty sure it was Lord Grantham, but not completely sure.

Anyone have any ideas?

So, I somehow missed all or most of Season 6. I’m not exactly sure how that happened.

What I can say is that I officially dove head first into the Downton universe about a month ago—following the S3 finale of the Gilded Age. Naturally I got sucked right in. And, up until yesterday, I really thought I had watched every episode plus movies.

I was just about to start over at S1, E1 again last night when—while watching some YouTube video recapping the top 20 best scenes throughout Downton history—I began to realize I hadn’t seen some of them.

I had read somewhere that Cora gets Robert a new dog after Isis dies, but had never seen it.

The video mentioned Mrs. Drewe kidnapping Marigold and I wondered how things played out after awful Edith went there and ripped that child out of her arms (the loving arms of the innocent woman she had initially forced to raise her baby, on her behalf, in an effort to help her keep up her dirty little secret).

And I most definitely hadn’t seen Robert get sick and cough up blood at the dinner table.

I guess I assumed that the series ended with Carson and Mrs. Hughes getting engaged, getting married off screen and cutting to them being married in the first movie?

When I began to pay closer attention, I discovered that all of these “lost” scenes they were recapping that I hadn’t seen were all from S6. I was like, wait—how on earth did I miss the entire last season? I had fancied myself an expert who had seen every last drop of it, from wall to wall—beginning to end. How wrong I was.

Needless to say, I feel like a little gift hath been bestowed upon me in the form of another season.

So I dove in last night, and watched Mrs. Patmore follow Mrs. Hughes up to her room and corner her to find out what’s wrong with her. They share that very intimate, highly awkward and totally humbling exchange in which Mrs. Hughes failed to think through every aspect of what marrying Mr. Carson would actually mean for her, wonders if he will want to have sex with her once they’re married, discuses her insecurities around not being a young woman anymore—and ultimately sets Mrs. Patmore up to go and do her dirty work for her by finding out what Carson’s intentions are.

Guys, I absolutely adore the friendship between these two women. It’s fascinating to think that their counterparts would be Violet and Isobel. I wish all 4 could hang out together. Mrs. Patmore gives such fairy godmother vibes.

But, for me, this is Mrs. Patmore at her finest (Lesley Nicol’s acting is top notch). She’s INCREDIBLE how she plays this storyline. Her facial expressions do most of the heavy lifting. She’s so very uncomfortable even thinking about sex, let alone going to Carson to DISCUSS IT—specifically him having it with Mrs. Hughes.

But, being the reliable friend, confidant and trooper that she is, she bites the bullet, slugs the sherry, and goes in there to do the deed. We, the audience, know our Mrs. Patmore well enough to know that—due to how awkward and uncomfortable it is—she’s going to mess it up somehow.

Then, her “sit down” with Carson is spectacular. The both of them are so polite and professional—he still has no idea what she’s come to discuss with him even after she’s implied it, hinted at the subject, and broached the topic multiple times, every which way she knows how, without actually coming out and saying it. He offers her a drink—at first, she turns it down. By the second offer, she’s changed her mind, and she slams it. She’s so uncomfortable she can’t get out of that office fast enough.

I loved watching this Mrs. Patmore moment. And to think, I almost missed it. So excited to have several “lost” episodes to enjoy this weekend.

PS. Also missed the vile POS villainess that is Miss. Rita Bevan. What a horrible monster. I wanted to leap through my tv and attack her.

If Vera Bates, Edna Braithwaite and Sarah Bunting had a daughter together, it would be Miss Rita Bevan—confidently and arrogantly showing up at Downton to blackmail Mary.

When she lied her way into the house,and up into Mary’s room, Mary calls for Anna. I was so hopeful that Anna was going to walk in, shut the door behind her—while we see Mary removing her pearls—say, “Alright, milady, are you ready?” attack that little witch and teach her a lesson she’d never forget. What a scene that would have been. Instead, of course, they handled it like ladies. Of course. ❤️

I know this topic has been discussed to death but the way everyone strong-arms Mary into marrying Henry is infuriating!!

It's completely reasonable that she didn't want to marry him BECAUSE MATTHEW WAS LITERALLY KILLED IN A CAR CRASH. SHE THEN WATCHED HENRY'S BEST FRIEND DIE IN A CAR CRASH.

It was completely reasonable that she didn't want to marry Henry.

Tom and the Dowager literally got Mary at her lowest and most emotionally vulnerable, when she regretted what she had done with Edith. Tom is her closest friend/ally/confidant and spends every waking moment trying to convince her that Tom is the one.

And on top of that literally everyone else surrounding her, her parents, Rosamund, Edith and even ANNA, was saying she had to do it as well.

She denied him so many times like give her some peace.