Five Predictions for Season Five

[DeepRunner]

Now that Downton is at the doors, time to come up with prognostications for the new season. Here are five things I think have a strong chance of happening in S5, as well as an alternate-universe prediction (AUP) underneath each:

 

1. Mary is the first Crawley who finds out that Marigold is Edith's daughter. This development would be too much for Fellowes to resist. We will also hear the word "bastard" used with the gusto that Horace Bryant used to belt it out about Ethel's baby.

 

(AUP--Robert is the first to find out, and he later learns that Rosamund knew about it. He tells Cora but never reveals it to Mary because he knows how ruthless she can be toward Edith. He will ultimately forgive Edith any shame she brings on the House of Grantham, but will exile Rosamund relationship-wise.)

 

2. Bates is questioned by the cops on Gillingham's death, and will find himself on the outs with most of the Crawleys (and a goodly number of the downstairs staff. In fact, I am betting it is Thomas who gives him up to the constables). (FWIW, I am tired of the "Bates is a murderer" angle, and it seems Fellowes is too lazy to not flatten characters who were at one time enjoyed. Bates is still my favorite character, but I am ready for something fresh for him and Anna. Bates is Fellowes' downstairs version of Edith: his torture doll. Unfortunately for Bates <sigh>, though, cardboard cutout is all Fellowes seems to care about writing certain stories.)

 

(AUP--Bates is questioned and arrested but is spared a trial when evidence that he did NOT do it comes to light. That evidence will point to Gillingham having done it, which ends any hope he has of ending up as the Drone to the Queen Bee.)

 

3. Daisy finds herself a man.

 

(AUP--Daisy falls in love with a man who has ill feelings for Mr. Mason. She must choose between the man who has her heart, and the man who has only ever had a heart of gold toward her.)

 

4. Branson does NOT leave the Abbey. He continues to manage the estate

 

(AUP--Branson finally leaves the Abbey for Ireland, The Continent, or America. The specter of Sarah Bunting looms over him the entire season, even if she doesn't appear in every episode.)

 

5. Isobel chooses Clarkson over Merton.

 

(AUP--A third,as yet unidentified, suitor enters the picture, and Isobel can't choose any of them.)

 

Bonus Prediction:

Rob James-Collier has mentioned that Thomas tries to come to terms with and even perhaps change his sexual orientation. So...

Thomas has a relationship with Edith, who has already had a fling with someone beneath her social class (John Drake). THAT would be interesting, although it would be Sybil-and-Branson Lite. But hey, what's another recycled storyline?

(AUP--Thomas attempts to romance one of the maids, although it would be far funnier if he connected with Nanny from last season. He kisses the maid and then thinks it is like kissing Baxter. Meantime, Edith starts a-courtin' Drewe, just as Gregson happens back onto the scene.)

 

OK, so there you have it. That's my take. What's YOURS?

[ZoloftBlob]

Is the guy who plays Dr Clarkson coming back?

[DeepRunner]

According the PBS cast listing for Season 5, he (David Robb) appears to be...

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/features/news/downton-abbey-s5-casting-news/

[ZoloftBlob]

My prediction? Hee!

 

We spend the whole season watching Mary pick a new fella. She finally decides on Tony (it really doesn't matter) only to have, at the point she's telling the family at a nice formal dinner that they're getting married to have *Matthew* storm in, declaring how he's finally escaped the dastardly kidnappers who were also pirates who held him captive waiting for a ransom that never came! Lightening will flash, we'll get a dun dun DUNNNN and then Greggson will also wander in, stating it was all a plot by the Nazis. Leaving us on a cliff hanger of will Mary choose her dead and now alive husband or her new boy toy and what was Greggson doing with the Nazis???  

 

:)

[helenamonster]

1. Anna will be a sad panda and Bates will brood in dark shadowy corners and we'll be led to think he killed Green for a few episodes until it turns out that he didn't. Then he and Anna will be happy again for all of five minutes until their next crisis. Maybe this time they'll flip though and Bates will be the sad panda while Anna broods.

 

2. Everything concerning Edith, her daughter, and Mr. Drewe will be blown sky high and it will be awful (awful as in nothing will really work out well for anyone; secrets this explosive always have the potential to be fun storytelling-wise).

 

3. Every single man who comes into the abbey will fall head-over-heels in love with Lady Mary and soon she'll have an entire gaggle of suitors. She'll sit back, sip tea, and watch them duke it out with no intention of marrying any of them.

 

4. Mrs. Hughes will continue to read everyone who crosses her for filth and it will be marvelous.

 

5. Cora will OD on whatever drugs she was on during S4.

[ZulaMay]

-Carson will be having a stroke about that devilish instrument of anarchy, the wireless.......until the sound of the King's voice comes over it and his equilibrium is restored.

 

-Rose will make up for her stupidity in bringing Bunting to the house "for Tom" by trying to set him up with one of her flapper friends.  

 

-Cora will go to the asylum after her OD and meet Lizzie Gregson there.

Edited September 19, 2014 by ZulaMay

[DeepRunner]

@HelenaMonster, like your take on Mary, Cora, and Mrs. Hughes.

 

@ZulaMay, I think you are dead-on with Carson.

[ZoloftBlob]

I'm sticking with pirates, kidnappers, Nazis, and Greggson and Matthew back from the dead and possibly gay lovers! :D

[oceanblue]

Mrs. Patton will object to some new appliance.  Cora will calm her down while looking at her like she's a lunatic.

[Andorra]

My speculation based on yesterday's episode:

 

- Mr. Drewe will die in a fire

 

- Thomas will try to blackmail Mary as a way to get Jimmy back to the Abbey

 

- Rose might have a crush on Tom Branson

[Andorra]

My predictions for series 5:

 

1. Mary will see the end of this series still single and neither with Blake or Tony.

 

2. Gillingham will be a suspect in the Green case

 

3. Bunting will leave soon and Tom will get a new love interest by the end of the series

 

4. Tom will be the first of the family who finds out about Marigold

 

5. Simon Bricker is there to steal a picture

[Avaleigh]

Based on the first episode:

 

1) I think Isobel is going to end up with Lord Merton. Violet's trying too hard to thwart the union so I feel like it's going to bounce back the other way. I hope so anyway and it'd be even better if it was partially due to her efforts at sabotage that Isobel ended up becoming Lady Merton. 

 

2) I definitely think that Tony is on the way out and that he might have even been responsible for killing his valet. Either way, I don't see the thing with Mary working out. 

 

3) I think they brought up the farm again to remind audiences that Daisy has that as an option. I'm just unsure as to what would give her the final push to finally go for it apart from the death of Mr Mason. I was surprised she didn't jump on the idea after Alfred left. 

 

4) The scene where Cora tries to talk to Robert about how he feels unwanted and he kind of brushes her off and walks away--I predict some difficulties in the Grantham's marriage. 

 

5) Marigold will be in the nursery with Sybbie and George by the season finale. Hopefully.