Season 5 Speculation WITH Spoilers (UK)

[Andorra]

I wasn't clear, sorry. I meant the show wasn't clear about whether Gillingham would inherit an estate and become the Earl/Marquis/Duke of whatever. Have that sort of position. As long as his father is Lord Something, he's Lord something, but only of he's the oldest son does he get to be Earl (or whatever) of Something. In other words, whether he's like Mary or Edith, who are Lady Something, but can't transfer that to their kids unless they marry the right person and don't haver any land to go with it, or whether Gillingham's like Blake or Matthew, who will one day be the Earl of Wherever.

 

As I said: He is already Lord Gillingham and owner of an estate. He was Anthony Foyle Viscount Gillingham as long as his father lived and when he died he earned the title Lord Gillingham and the estate. The show actually made that clear in the first episode that he appeared in.

Edited December 28, 2014 by Andorra

[Tetraneutron]

OK, thanks. I didn't remember that. In my defense the character was very boring. So all of Mary's love interests (Matthew, Napier, Gillingham, Blake) are titled heirs. I don't think they said about Henry Talbot one way or another but he comes from an aristocratic background as well. Except Carlisle, of course, but the show made clear Mary never really liked him.

 

Honestly, I think Fellowes is looking to give Mary a rich, old-money, titled Gentleman who doesn't even know what a real job is. That does seem to be the happy ending for protagonists in period dramas. But none of them besides Matthew have generated much interest from the audience, because when you have everything you want, and your love interest has everything he wants, there's not a lot of places to go, plotwise. And since Fellowes isn't great at coming up at new ideas (look at how many times the Bateses get falsely arrested) I expect a parade of brunet gentlemen until Michelle Dockery leaves the show or it's cancelled.

 

So while I can see the Mary character marrying a working-class or middle-class or non-Anglican or self-made man, (as long as he were 100% comitted to Downton in particular and her way of life in general) I don't see the show doing it.

 

Personally, I think a romance between Edith and Bertie Pelham has a lot more dramatic possibilities, He's a distant cousin. He's on the fringes of aristocratic society, and knows enough about it to know what he's missing out on. Like Matthew, if Matthew's father (or whoever) never got over it and embraced being middle-class. So if he were Edith's boyfriend, it would reinforce to her family that she's the iant loser they always saw her as. She's been reduced, she'll be of a lower social class, with untitled kids and having to lean how to dress yourself. At least Gregson represented something intellectual (which always has some small cachet), but Pelham would be unmistakeably The Help. They'd be on the outside looking in. I think that could be interesting and is actually a new plot for the show, so it will never ever happen.

Edited December 28, 2014 by Obviously

[photo fox]

Locking this thread since all of Series 5 has now aired in the UK. I will open a Series 6 topic shortly. Thanks!