SusanSunflower

Daisy was pretty much "adopted" into service as the neglected one-of-11 children of a poor home. Mrs. Patmore, as surrogate mother and mentor, would have definitely smacked some sense into her by now, and not gently, likely because Daisy's behavior would have been felt/seen to be reflection of Mrs. Patmore's mentorship.

Fun to imagine the family waking up in a house empty of servants ... I doubt we'll get quite there ...

I think Mary losing her sangfroid -- her wide-eyes, fluttery eyelashes, halting speech and obvious discomfort/nervousness -- was supposed to telegraph "smitten" ... I didn't see "Mary doesn't care" ... I saw Mary trying to avoid acting like a schoolgirl. Henry's "indifference" was also feigned. Too sophisticated, too mature, "too cool for school" I'm not sure if it's a matter of changing times, Roaring 20's, or if Henry's aware of Mary's reputation wrt Blake and Gillingham (and Carlyle for that matter). eta: Yes, I also think it failed. I think the "saucy talk" at dinner was supposed to be sophisticated banter, suggestive and "hot" ...

re: Tom and Wedding -- do we know if he even knew it was "wedding day"? Mary had received a letter from him from America the day before, (I think), and the mail service was fast -- mail traveled regularly and "quickly" on ocean liners (5-6days https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch3en/conc3en/linertransatlantic.html)so Tom must has boarded almost immediately after posting that letter to arrive -- having to make the transit from Southhampton or where ever -- to reach Downton wiht Sybbie in tow. and I note, we still haven't been told what prompted such a sudden departure or unannounced arrival.

Mary knows that her good deed will be revealed eventually ... at least when Anna gives birth to a bouncing baby ... and keeping it secret, necessitated by Mr. Bates, is so very very modest. There's no harm in her calculations, doing good deeds to feel good about herself after being "shown-up" by Sybil's goodness, or just reminded of Sybil's goodness. It's one of her Scarlett O"Hara qualities. Edith, Isobel, Rosamund and Gwen all have "vocations" ... as do Cora and Violet with the hospital ... She was a little bit odd-man-out at the lunch table... where managing the estate was old news, and Tom was now back to help. I was glad to hear word of the new housing that Tom and Matthew had planned (however long ago), not being completed and/or being too far away for the Carsons to occupy during the work-week... or something. eta: Mary reminds me of that 1980's phrase wrt people to whom everyone else is merely an extra in their movie ...

Robert's effusive greeting and praise last episode was not.in.character. but welcome ... as was Rosmund's interest, etc. Edith may be a nobody in Mary's universe (as Mary sees it) but she's beginning to impress others ... Was Mary bragging to Henry about being estate manager and having a "career" reactive ... I'd guess so... I know I almost guffawed ...

yes, Mary and Henry's dinner for two was supposed to be hot ... and it was not ... as written, it might have been better with closer camera work ... I think all of Mary's eye-fluttering is also supposed to suggest she's utterly smitten, and he's almost playing hard to impress. Yikes. Yes, Tom reacting to memories of Sybil was very touching, most touching moment in ages, and gave Allen Leech a moment to show off some genuine acting. Tom's upper crusty accent is approaching Mary's ever more pronounced drawl ... which keeps seeming odd and "off" next to Cora, and Edith and even Violet. and even more striking is how much Robert now looks like Tom ... and Tom's metamorphosis into Robert's Mini-Me is complete. There was a lot of worrisome foreshadowing between Robert's bad tummy and Thomas' thwarted career and Carson's exit.... and Mr. Mason and Daisy ... More Change is A Comin' In... Everyone's paradise seems very tentative... Pls. more Rosamund, always.

Actually, imho, Edith's role as "volunteer" in some ways was harder than Sybil's as "nurse" ... Sybil had training and proscribed tasks that needed to be checked off. Edith's role was to "be available" to "be helpful" (but of course not to overstep her role). Also generally volunteers are not listened to or respected. I was surprised and impressed that she stuck with it and did it with enough grace that the soldiers thought she was a champ. Particularly since she seemed so overwhelmed and adrift early on. My opinion of volunteers in this regard comes from working with volunteers in a hospital setting ... they are really champs ... being vaguely "helpful" is much harder than performing a specific job.

I would assume that Martha would have been cheering Sybil on ... just to spite her stuck-up aristocratic daughter ... laughing, not in mean way. I'm just suggesting that if Boston was not comfortable or promising, it wasn't Tom's only choice, his cousins were not his only family in America and the Levinsons had plenty of money and connections to be "helpful"

yes, they are not children sharing a bedroom ... even if Mary acts as though they are and as if Edith were some interloper ... stealing her spotlight ... She acts as if she quietly resents the air Edith breathes... but she'd never admit to begrudging her, that might suggest she felt threatened or -- worse -- cared ... and we wonder why she can't find a "suitable" husband ...

Tom has already "trancended" his roots several times ... and America is that "great melting pot" where money buys respectability and tolerance, even for (some) Jews ... in some places, within limits and covenants ... Grandma Levinson would probably love to show Cora how open-minded and generous Americans can be ... unlike the class-bound stuffy stuffy British ... Alas, I have no memory of Levinson's opinon of Tom+Sybil union ... but I think she'd pull out all stops to help a grandchild ... on the other hand, we have had no reassurances wrt Tom's possible Irish antisemitism.

as if PBS would allow it or Fellowes would/could write it .... Downton's audience got squicked out and recoiled in droves with Bates and Anna's wedding night as I recall ... no, rather we get old people being adorably embarrassed and uncomfortable talking about possible sex .. because happy faces the next morning (Bates and Anna) was radically daring (apparently -- he's so old, she looks like his daughter ... etc.)

But Tom had his brother and even Great-Grandma Levinson and Cora's brother to provide entrée. Some of the discrimination against the Irish was that they were poor and uneducated, cheap labor driving wages down ... some was because they were Roman Catholics ... some was likely because there were so very many of them and they formed their own "members only" neighborhoods/culture Was Tom looking for work as an off-the-street employee competing with "the masses" of other immigrants? If Sybbie were older and had been treated badly by peers ... meh ... would she have gone to public school rather than being placed in a Catholic school ? I don't know. Having an established brother imho should have smoothed edges with the Irish ... and having a very very rich "modern" and Jewish grandmother-in-law, a priceless alternative.

I agree and it's also interesting that while we have seen Mary being mentored in running the estate that is Downton, she has shown little interest or concern with regard to running the household, i.e. Cora's role(s) wrt to the community and the household -- where George will be raised to eventually also assume the mantel of (glorious aristocratic) responsibility. I'm surprised that Mary isn't outspoken wrt maintaining "standard" and sufficient domestic staff to maintain appearances for George who, in a few years' time, will be off to boarding school, with school chums to invite home (i.e. keeping up with George's peers' parents whomever they may be) ... They worry about a superfluous "underbutler" but are quite able and willing to host fox hunts ... Are Mr. Drewe's pigs and piglets somehow extra-special that their contribution to Downton's economy is actually meaningful? and meaningful enough to offset the muck and smell they produce?

my bad -- lifetime is not available free on Roku -- only with a cable/dish subscription -- bummer...

Actually, I don't think we know that Tom did (or did not) know of the impending wedding -- for all we know, he arrived back FOR the wedding ... and yes, he looked prosperous, well-rested, clean and well-tailored as did Ms. Sybbie. Will we ever hear the tale of his American adventure?

My problem with Cora "gifting" the coat is that it could very easily been misinterpreted as "now that you've worn it, it's worthless to me" and, in fact, Mrs. Hughes was never given an opportunity to chose what SHE wanted to wear. My recollection is that Cora's "drab" coat was chosen by Mrs. Patmore as "going with" the drab dress ...

I should clarify that it was the eyeliner under the lower eyelashes that was unforgivable ... yes, and that features in the tintypes -- see also that poor-folks rarely posed for photographs in rags, if they could help it ...

I don't think there were very many "essential services" in 1920 ... x-rays and lab work were rudimentary but could still be accomplished in-office, by any practitioner . Most people were nursed (and died) at home, often by local private nurses. Hospital were considered places where people went to die (because they were too sick to be cared for at home). Too bad the story hasn't bothered to tell us the pro's and con's beyond ego and "tradition"

It was the eyeliner that I found so startlingly incongruous ... and distracting ... see also the fact that many of the costumes/clothing appeared to be brand-new, never before worn ...

yes, removing the "fern" was an unpleasant detail, particularly after being so rude to Mr. Moseley, senior (who we saw carefully chosing and cutting a dozen or more of his prized roses (in May?) .. particularly odd and unpleasant detail if it was (Scottish) heather meant to honor Hughes' heritage -- and I think it, like the bagpipes, was ...

Dramatically, Tom and Sybbie showing up in such a public way precluded any exposition as to why, when, how he decided to return to Downton (beyond vaguely being homesick) and/or anything about his American adventures. This is fiction, under the control of the writer, Fellowes ... Tom "could" have just as easily been written to arrive the night before or later that afternoon ... etc. My reaction to Tom's unannounced return was that something terrible had happened in America to prompt him returning unannounced, to expect/demand to be reinstated in his former comfort as a permanent resident, member of the family ... obviously ymmv, but when someone who has embarked with fanfare on a planned great adventure returns so quickly ... well, it raises questions, none of which could be even suggested at such a moment of community happiness ... oh, and making such a public declaration -- this is my real home, you are my real family -- is incredibly manipulative, precluding any discussion. ETA: I'll be very surprised if we ever hear about Tom's American adventure

As far as I can tell -- for cord cutters -- this is available free on the free Roku Lifetime network although the first episode (which is premiering now, is not yet on their stream menu ... hooray! Sounds like this version represents a solid effort for the new century or something ... and quite a lot of things are going to keep being re-made in high-def with young and younger casts (and more and more lavish production values, scenery, clothes, jewels) because they've discovered that people who like this sort of thing (extended drama) really like this sort of thing, and buy DVDs (and want to see faces they recognize in the lead parts). I've been rooting for Paul Dano, who I think is a promising young actor in a field full of pretty faces, and his notices in this have been good ... Now just to access the thing ... (I should add that I thought the Kiera Knightly / Hans Matheson Dr. Zhivago was very interesting and deserved better appreciation than it got. Of course it paled in comparison with Julie Christie and Omar Sharif ... but in many ways was closer to the original (very long) story that had been condensed for a 2 hour movie. Nuf.

Aside from Clarkson and Violet's egos I'm not sure what the objections to the merger really are ... Clarkson can still continue to practice in Downton Village as a local doctor and he will then have the support of the medical staff both for consultations but also so he can have time/days off. I'd say he's too good and conscientious a doctor (for all his errors in the past) to hold out very long ... and we see him failing Violet's obstinance but without explanation ... feh. As usual, we have no idea if the population of Downton has recovered from warttime losses or if jobs elsewhere has shrunk it further ... whatever became of all that post-war housing Matthew, Tom and Robert had planned ... and even started ?? I will be very annoyed if Moseley and Baxter do not get their happy ending ... I just remember Moseley attempting to woo Anna, way back when, and she would have none of it. ...It was nice to see the cheerful, happy Mr. Bates, but for me there is something threatening and sinister about that justifably and not so justifiably angry man ... we've seen his willingness and capacity to hate ... not pretty ... Too late for Anna but Moseley deserves a woman who appreciates his caring and his patience . (Gotta be glad Daisy hasn't fallen for him) ETA: the above is not a complete nonsequiter ... I was thinking about Thomas getting the ax, and then Bates getting the ax, and Anna decommissioned by a "blessed event" ... Even more than Thomas, Mr. Bates is deserving of some "what does he do all day" scrutiny...

That's one of Thomas' problems -- he's made it so very very clear that he considered everything beneath him -- service, generally ... but also everyone mostly due to his seniority. Part of Fellowes' infernal redundancy means Bates and Anna have their inheritance, Carson and Hughes have their nest egg, Daisy has the farm, and Thomas is an object of pity ... Shouldn't Thomas have a nest egg of his own (supplemented with whatever he has pilfered, stolen or extorted over the years) or did he blow it all on his attempts at joining the blackmarket?