Roseanna

Yes, she didn't want to embarrass Dashiell openly before relatives and friends, so she should have taken the line you suggest. After all, asking time to consider a proposal (and even asking advice of family) was normal in that age. I agree with you how Dashiel's behavior looks like from the modern POV. Yet, I don't think he is an evil man, he just is a quite usual man of that age. From his own POV, he offers Marion a privileged life without material worries and because she is penniless, of course she gratefully accepts his proposal. They aren't impossible couple, but he hurried too much. He should have taken time to learn her personality, tastes and plans and after they had become friends maybe some more had been born. But it was enough to him that she seemed outwardly suitable for his wife and step-mother for his daughter.

Well, even George asked if there was a school for workers' kids (although as a robber baron he would irl favor child labor which is cheaper). So plots are separate, but there is a common theme that is quite interesting. On the other hand, companies need workers who have basic skills in reading and writing (and English). On the other hand, literate people are more difficult to handle which is why (at least I suppose) Black schools must be suppressed.

I understand and respect your POV. However, it would be IMO far more interesting to keep George as a man who acts unselfissly only towards his family while otherwise pursueing ruthlessly his own interests.

Perhaps not an obsession, but surviving skills in the society. She is like an innocent lamb which can easily been eaten by wolves like Turner. Also, if Bertha succeeds to marry her to the duke, how can she endure a life among aristocratic Brits who look at her down despite her fortune?

Yeah, Fellowes presents it so, but it's not realistic in that age. Ultimately, what George can do is limited by his peers.

I agree with Sistermagpie. One doesn't even be a commanding and domineering mum to raise a passive daughter, all it needs is to do everything ready for her. Also Larry is weaker than his parents. He managed to get his dad's blessing to become an architect by just asking him, but it was rather like a hobby to him. He never gave a thought to his mistress reputation and accepted his mum's interference with his love life (she was right, but still). Both Russell children aren't adults. All they can is rebel for a moment like teens.

Yes, as Marion's friend Larry would be concerned by her odd answer to Dashiell's proposal. In an ordinary case a man who wasn't a family member could hardly ask directly if she loves him or felt pressured to accept, but she had told him how Raikes had jilter her, so maybed it will happen later. But I am not rooted for them as characters nor a couple. It's actually a common story: as Peggy wants to proceed in her writing career and she gets respect and encouragement from her editor, can she throw all this away even because she knows her feelings only grow being near him? Instead, he gets both ways: daily services (presumably including sex) at home and fighting and working for a common cause and her admiration in work.

But that's realistic in that age. She has no money and Agnes doesn't live for ever. After Raikes jilted her, nobody but Dashiell hasn't courted her. Clearly, he is her best option if she wants to marry and have no plans f.ex. to become a "real" teacher. But of course, as this is a fairy tale and she is meant to be its young heroine, Fellowes will arrange her something better.

Of all heroines I remember, only Polly in L. M. Alcott's An Old-fashioned Girl was wise enough to show in time that she didn't love a suitor and even she was helped by her true love's passing-by. I have understood that a woman couldn't say anything directly, but she could use indirect signs without embarrassing a suitor. Instead, Marian had even encouraged Dashiell and his daughter by offering to take her to the "mother and daughter" event.

Yes, George didn't got where he was now if he cared for other people. Let's remember how he behaved toward rich men in the first episode. Now we are supposed to believe that he cares for whjat happens to his workers' families and asked if there is a school (anyway, the oldest son seemed old enough to have left the scool). Also, we haven't seen the strikers enough to really root for them, they exist simply as helpers in George's plot. They don't seem especially reasonable: eight hour's work day isn't their long term plan but they demand it at once and it's foolish to prepare to shoot themselves as in a fight they are certain to loose.

Yes, and he lied to Bertha he didn't, just as he now tries to keep his help a secret. Formerly this kind of behavior was presented as a proof of great love, but now it's simply patronizing, especially as Bertha expressly told him never lie to her again. Nobody has so far mentioned Turner who now seems to have found a method to win Bertha - until George stepped in. Any suggestion how McAllister can offer to the duke and how can he otherwise beat Bertha?

Marian couldn't help but go to the party when this another lady (rector?) took her class. I think that the way both Dashiell and her daughter pressured her to come to the party and belittled her teaching ("you are not a real teacher", "surely the poor understand") was a red flag, showing what kind of marriage she will have: none of her own interests is allowed, they will always brushed aside by her husband and step-daughter's wishes.

Yes. When people know who you are, you don't need to boast. On the other hand, already when Marian came, Agnes paid for her many fine clothes. So she has done something to get her niece married.

I don't know about the US, but in Europe money wasn't only the standard of class. And even it the show it was the "right" family, the "right" address, socializing with "right" people and finally a box in the Academy that counted.

As a banker he should know not to put all his money on one project. Not to speak of loaning money for a risky investment. But greed is a great motivation.

They could have shown how Georges' workers live. Or maybe they still will, or at least tell more about strikers? But I am afraid that it will be very lame.

Turner wanted to become George's mistress and thus to get all he could offer her with his money. But there was never a chance to get George to dump Bertha: even if he weren't in love with his wife, she was the mother of his children and the divorce wasn't socially accepted. Of course, by becoming George's mistress Turner could emotionally hurt Bertha who loved him. But even that plan wasn't clever: if Bertha made George to chose between her and Turner, the result would be clear.

In the first season she told George that she didn't any more want to socialize with her old friends, not even with her sister, but wanted "new friends". Either she is embarrassed about her humble beginnungs or "a friend" means to her only somebody she can use for her own material or social benefit and vice versa.

And Bertha's husband chose his wife over Turner. So logically Turner should revenge on George who spurned him.

An "ordinary" duke (whitout HRH) doesn't belong to royalty but but aristocracy. Until WW1, British royals married royals (usually German where they were plenty). Wealthy Americans could marry off their daughters to aristocrats, not royals.

Yes, she is just silly. I wonder if Bertha may revenge on her after learning her tricks? She is also so cold that it's difficult to understand why her husband married her.

Well, some here have earlier written that, unlike Marian, Peggy has life experience but I haven't seen her learning of it. I don't of course think she whould have betrayed Marian's plan to elope with Raikes, but she shouldn't have encouraged it, either. An experienced woman would have at least asked: Why on earth does he want to rush things? Instead, Ada who was first presented nice enough but not so sharp as Agnes, made the right conclusion about coffers (whereas Agnes had no idea what was going on, not even after Marian came back and Ada reacted oddly). Ada was also quite right when she said that Marian should talk openly to Agnes.

Some young men are charmed by pretty face and have to endure a dull wife during the rest of life (cf. Mr and Mrs Bennett in Austen's Pride and Prejudice).

Actually I can understand and sympathize Agnes. A marriage means even in best circumstances a bit loss for the family and friends, but Agnes lost the constant presence of a sister with whom she had always shared everything. She never loved her husband and, unlike some widowed mothers, she doesn't hang on her only living child. Is there also in English a saying "a match for two, a slap for the third party" or something similar?

Bertha and George aren't only hot for each others, they are equal partners who respect each other, have common values (except perhaps about their children's marriage) and help each other to reach their goals.