Megara

I just wanted her with someone who complements her personality moreso than he does. I thought it was insulting to the audience that they had to tell us they were in love rather than show us. I’m just reminded of how when Charles Blake basically said she’ll get bored with Gillingham because she’s smarter than he is—there’s very little that distinguishes Henry Talbot from him. Same smarmy attitude that she’s in love with him despite her repeatedly telling him no, same pushiness, same overall dull personality. Even her parents were scratching their heads as to why this was even a thing. I always thought Anna’s opinions were a good gauge for what’s actually going on—her tepid reaction to Talbot made me think maybe this isn’t the right guy (she was the same way with Gillingham). Tom seemed more in love with Talbot than she did.

Is it though? He’s barely there 🙃

I hope they’re not just for the sake of drama. The thing about happy endings is I felt like it was hard to justify this movie when hardly anything happened. I enjoyed having new content but I want Mary’s marriage to fall apart in the sequel 😈

I was thinking more they’d go bankrupt during the Depression but I’m awful like that 😂. Apparently the auto industry didn’t tank completely in England so maybe they had a chance. Tom has a good head on his shoulders sometimes.

Caroline doesn’t have a claim to any of Matthew’s money. I have to go back and listen to the scene where they read his letter, but I was under the impression that “you must take charge” meant she was his heiress for the purposes of being in charge of George’s half of the estate (i.e. Matthew’s half which he left to his son). In other words she’s just the trustee with a fiduciary duty to George not to do anything crazy with his money until he’s of age (like leave it to a stepsister). I mean I don’t think Julian Fellowes knows what he’s talking about because the letter is saying two different things: “you’re my sole heiress” + “take charge (of the estate) for our child’s sake”—like which is it? The debate wasn’t who was ultimately going to get the money because the answer is George, just who was going to look after his share until he was of age. None of that money specified in the letter acting as a will would Caroline have a claim on. Or at least that’s what I would argue if I was George’s lawyer at any rate. She’d probably get something but that something would come from Mary’s allowance or Henry himself, not from Matthew Crawley’s estate. EDIT: So I went back and read a transcript and she is the beneficiary, and I’m assuming it’s fee simple so she could theoretically convey it to Caroline, but I don’t really think she would because the intent of this letter was clearly for the interest to go to their kid eventually. If anyone’s interested:

Not if she doesn’t want to split up the estate. Even though Mary has the 50% stake, the end goal was to keep the property with the title (which was the whole point of the entail to begin with), and the title holder will be George. Robert is passing on his half to George so naturally you’d think she’d give her whole 50% to the future Earl. Henry Talbot was a terrible economic choice and I’m hoping she had sense enough to write a will because it’d be unfortunate if he somehow got a hold of Mary and George’s money. Caroline can have half of that used car dealership, leave Downton Abbey alone 😂

Henry’s kid has zero claim to Downton, thank goodness.

Evelyn was great. Henry Talbot still reminds me of a less intelligent and less interesting version of Richard Carlisle with his whole “i want to make things as hard and as horrible as I can” and I just can’t sweep that under the rug. Charles Blake made Mary laugh and I loved that.

I didn’t think it fizzled out at all—I was watching the beginning of Season 5 over the weekend and the confrontation over her deciding on Gillingham was some of the best back and forth dialogue she’s had with a love interest in the last half of the series: ”Plantagenets are just as susceptible as housemaids when it comes to sex.” “Are we talking about sex or love?” ”That is the question mankind has been wrestling with since the dawn of time.” And her face when he gets up and leaves! I don’t know—I think I appreciated that he was more on her level than Henry ever was or will be 😂. I mean how often does Mary not get the last word?

Not just paper—in the flesh. Their chemistry was outstanding. I feel like it’s nonexistent with Talbot. It also really helped that they were united towards a common goal, and I think he had a way more interesting backstory. His being from Northern Ireland could have caused some interesting tension with Tom, and I’m curious about how long he knew he was supposed to be the heir to a baronet. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lived a perfectly normal life until the line of succsssion died out during the war.

The fact that there were eligible men chasing Mary around for three seasons was unrealistic, sure—especially when you consider how Edith was having trouble in S3 finding a man her age. I would say Gillingham and Talbot at least might have been after the money to some extent. I’m rewatching the series now and I do actually think they spent ample time showing her working with Tom and her father on the estate, but I agree that it should have been the priority and not her love life. But out of the three, I think Charles Blake would have been the most suited to her.

I think that’s true and it would make sense for anyone else but Mary—I was under the impression that her love for Downton is going to outweigh her love for any man (let alone this one) and the thing about Downton now is that it’s her and Matthew’s legacy, and she’s supposed to be leaving it to George. I agree that there’s probably a part of her that wonders but I don’t think that part of her should ever seriously have a chance of winning.

He’s definitely the kind of writer who can benefit from co-writers.

I liked it for what it was. I wasn’t expecting much plot and didn’t get it but they won me over with the nostalgia factor since Downton was six years of my life, having watched it live. I didn’t notice the bit about Edith and Bertie but I think that’s true and they probably just didn’t want to overshadow Mary in her own house. I thought Mary wanting to give up on Downton was extremely out of character as well—it’s her Tara or Green Gables, and she’s always been adamant on defending it. I just can’t see herself folding and giving her son’s inheritance away. So that part really peeved me. I also still can’t stand her husband and wish Charles Blake was there instead. I’m rewatching the series now and just finished Season 4—they were so well suited, intellectually and just in general. I think he’s a lot more like her than I gave him credit for the first time around (which I think is why they didn’t get together, both of them were too proud to tell the other how they really felt). If there is a sequel, I would be over the moon if he came back. I just want them to sing one song and Mary to realize she made a big mistake.