S06.E06: Season 6, Episode 6

[moonb]

My favorite bit from tonight's episode goes to sickbed!Robert musing about putting Mary in her bath on display for visitors, and Carson almost clutching his pearls in response. And of course the Crawleys putting their family squabbles on display for everyone on tour, staring at them as though they were in a zoo. 

 

I'm not sure what else anyone had to do this episode, but I also hope Mrs. Hughes is nearing the end of her patience. And Matthew Goode was so convincing as the suave ladies' man in The Imitation Game, but he's not working as well here. 

[Constantinople]

Tom should give up on the whole mechanic thing and start up AristoHarmony.

[helenamonster]

What I found more interesting than the Crawleys not knowing the history of their own house (which was very funny) was how appalled so many of them, as well as some of the servants, were by the idea of people paying money to walk around someone else's house, when it seems so common now. I mean Highclere Castle is a home as well as a museum/tourist attraction. When I was in London a few years ago we toured Buckingham and Kensington Palaces, also homes to people. Idk, I guess I just never considered the whole "tour a big fancy house with countless priceless artifacts" to be a relatively new phenomenon, but I guess it is. I wonder if they will go the route of having continuous tours and only living in a small part of it, like the Carnarvons do now.

 

Also go Cora go! I said in the last episode that it's time for Violet to finally accept that her role as a representative of the aristocracy is over. Not only is she no longer Countess of Grantham, but her whole way of life is becoming outdated very quickly. I think it says a lot that Violet didn't take her position as hospital president very seriously, while Cora is considering it as something of a full-time position (or very close to it) and will be given more responsibility than Violet had. I know the hospital plot annoys a lot of people but this transition of power really speaks to me.

 

I too loved Robert and the little boy. Just let Hugh Bonneville hang with the kiddos in all his scenes. He's delightful when he gets to be Donk.

 

I mean, Mary definitely knows Marigold is Edith's biological daughter, she's just waiting for someone like Tom or Anna to confirm her suspicions.

 

What is the deal with Larry Grey's fiancee? I kept getting distracted that her name was Miss Crookshank because it reminded me of Hermione Granger's cat.

 

Oh God, is Thomas going to try and fucking kill himself? Follow-up question: is it terrible that I don't fucking care?

[Milburn Stone]

it sounds like they pulled in some good money from the tour.

 

It sounded like they were charging about 10 pence a head, so to make the kind of money they were talking about, I'm guessing they had...a billion visitors?

[SFoster21]

They charged six shillings, not tenpence.

Twenty shillings to a pound. A pound was worth about five dollars. Three visitors equaled a pound, so 100 visitors would be about 30-35 pounds. That was a year's salary to one of their servants.

More or less.

[jschoolgirl]

I guess Ms Hughes is much to nice to make Mr. Carson a cup of fly paper coffee.

On the slim chance that the OP is reading, what is fly paper coffee?

[Knuckles]

The house tour was amusing...the Crawleys literally know almost nothing of the Abbey...though Cora at least knew it was originally an Abbey, seized by Henry 8th from the Church, and that the later updates had been done by the same architect who did Parliament. But the paintings, the carvings, heraldry...clueless. The annoyed looks of the some of the ticket holders were priceless. 

Daisy interfering with Mrs. Patmore and Mr Mason's  budding romance, including throwing his note in the trash...bitch can die now. And take the overbearing Carson with her...poor Mrs. Hughes, she is no longer a respected colleague, but a mere bullied wife.

Loving Bertie, love his taking the tour in hand, delegating work and competently organizing things. Love he and Edith together. 

Mary has a future ahead of her as an old bore...endlessly fighting against the future. 1929 awaits her, and the terrible 30s. And no Mary, you are not impervious to the changes in the world. 

[helenamonster]

Times might be changing, but I can't blame Mary for not predicting the Great Depression or World War II.

[Maisonette]

Jschoolgirl, fly paper used to be made with arsenic.

[LittleIggy]

I defended Carson for years, never minding his general stuffiness, but I straight up hate him now. He is the most insensitive husband imaginable and he is being downright cruel to Thomas. I started to cry before Thomas did. Carson and Daisy are despicable.

I want Mrs. Hughes (I'm glad she kept her name now!) to dump the food in Carson's lap, then go crack open a bottle of wine and have at it. Carson is such a dick to her.

In "The Big Lebowski," every time Donnie would say something, Walter would say "Shut the fuck up, Donnie." I want Mrs. Patmore to say "Shut the fuck up, Daisy" every time Daisy opens her yapper. I can't stand that dowdy little shrew.

The little boy talking with Robert was cute. I like how nonchalant Robert was about it. I still want them to give Robert a new puppy!

[AndySmith]

I wonder if Tom's pushing so hard for Mary and Henry to get together so that Tom can position himself (hee hee) as Henry's side piece

 

Well, apparently, Sybil did ruin all women for him or something, right?

 

Oh Mary. As long as you keep giving Olympic gold medal worthy eye rolls, you will forever have a place in my heart.

 

Also, shut up, Edith.

 

Also more, shut up, Carson!

 

Also even more, shut. Up. Daisy!

[WatchrTina]

I binge-watched season 2 today and then tuned in to tonight's episode. The contrast was startling -- especially in the case of the Dowager Countess.   Violet's melt-downs (first over the letter from the doctor about Denker's rudeness last week, then her calling out Cora in front of strangers) make me concerned that the Dowager Countess may be losing it, mentally.  I hope this is not a hint of a tragic end for Violet this season.

 

And I can't believe I'm saying this but . . . poor Thomas.

[jschoolgirl]

Was the earl who collected women and horses Violet's late husband, or one of his progenitors?

Why in the world is Evelyn single during a time that held such a dearth of young men???

[madam magpie]

Oh, Carson.

Oh, Mary.

Oh, Edith.

Oh, Daisy.

Poor Thomas.

The tours of the house were great. I love that they know nothing about the property. And the Dowager coming through in a sputtering fit was hilarious.

Edited February 8, 2016 by madam magpie

[Lillybee]

He was the earl who had Downton built around an abby.

[boes]

In "The Big Lebowski," every time Donnie would say something, Walter would say "Shut the fuck up, Donnie." I want Mrs. Patmore to say "Shut the fuck up, Daisy" every time Daisy opens her yapper. I can't stand that dowdy little shrew.

 

 

Also even more, shut. Up. Daisy!

 

This.  A thousand times this.  She's a moron and an utterly charmless one at that.  She doesn't have a clue what she's talking about yet she keeps talking.  I guess Show thinks, or wants us to think she's charming or a truth teller or some such thing but they couldn't have gotten it more wrong.  

She's the only character - Thomas included - who I'd enjoy seeing come to a horrible end. 

Like maybe Carson sitting on her and smothering her.  Or Mrs. Patmore having had enough and shoving her openmouthed and yapping into the oven.

[statsgirl]

A few episodes ago, when Mrs. Hughes was insisting that she didn't want the wedding to be in the great hall, she said that Carson will get his way every day in the marriage, she wanted it her way on her wedding day.  Poor woman, she didn't know how right she was.

 

One of my favourite parts was Bertie's expression as Mary kept putting down Edith in the scene in Robert's bedroom.  It was a combination of "Good god, is she for real?" and "No wonder Edith has self-esteem issues."

 

 

Why in the world is Evelyn single during a time that held such a dearth of young men???

It's fiction?  That's all I've got because I'd certainly pick him over Gillingham or Henry. 

 

Did someone suggest that he was pining over Mary?  I thought he was the one who turned her down.

[Quilt Fairy]

It makes no sense that  Cora knows nothing about the paintings in the house. Remember her not-quite-an-affair 2 (?) seasons ago? That guy wanted to review all the art at DA and she was joined at the hip to him whenever he was in the house. If she didn't know it before, she should have picked up something then.

 

I will never understand why it's Lord Grantham that's discussing details of the staffing. Wouldn't staffing fall under the lady of the house? And geez, Carson isn't getting any younger. They should be retiring him and promoting Thomas to butler.

[magdalene]

Urgh. Words can hardly express how much I loathe both that twit Daisy and the insufferable Carson.  Every episode I think I can't dislike them more and every new episode proves me wrong.

 

My favorite moment in this episode was Robert's encounter with the little boy. It was charming.

 

Violet is really saddled with such an awful story line this final season.

[izabella]

It's so weird that Tom came all the way back from America just to be Mary's wingman. 

[kristabell]

I used to find Carson's overly-conservative jerkiness sort of humorous, but I'm done now. Between the way he treats Mrs. Hughes and  his "I'm not drinking because my Lord isn't" BS, I hope Mrs. Hughes stabs him through the temple with an ice pick.

I want to feel something for Thomas, but I think the character has been too stagnant for too long. Seasons 2 and 3 were the highpoint for Thomas imo. He was actually my favorite character at that point, mainly because he was multi-faceted and there was actual dramatic tension between him being a mean vindictive ass and a person trying to better their lot. I still think that scene of him trashing the room full of fake black market goods that had bankrupted him was the best exploration of his character the entire series.

But that was many seasons - and what 8 years in show time - ago. There's not much interesting in a character who behaves like an ass all the time and then cries by themselves. And the crying and playing with kids isn't a very good way to manufacture sympathy. The character needs some growth; and I need some more actual tension in his storyline.

I don't know why JF bothered with this Henry nonsense. If he had been introduced a season or two ago, and allowed to actually air out as a character, that would be one thing. But being the third (fourth?) cardboard cut out of "insert love interest for Mary here" just isn't doing much for me. As others have said, I'd much rather Mary remain single and in control of Downton. That's seems much more her destiny. I have always enjoyed her business and family scenes far above any love-interest scenes. I think romance is where her character is weakest.

I did enjoy the house tours. It felt very organic, and there were some amazing shots of the house. And, of course, Mary's blue dress!

[Llywela]

I guess I just never considered the whole "tour a big fancy house with countless priceless artifacts" to be a relatively new phenomenon, but I guess it is

It's not that new - in Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle tip the housekeeper to show them around Pemberley while the family are away, and that was written in the 1890s. Gentlefolk would take tours around stately homes going way back - but always when the family were away, and always gentlefolk. What was new was opening a house to the general public for cash, allowing common folk in. Downton's first true step into the modern era!

Edited February 8, 2016 by Llywela

[twoods]

Shut up Daisy! Why is no one calling her out on her bitchiness? Poor Miss Pattmore- after all she's done for Daisy and she's being a selfish idiot.

Carson really is an uptight jerk. Poor Mrs Hughes.

Love Bertie and Edith. And poor Tom isn't getting a storyline other than being Mary's BFF.

[boes]

It's not that new - in Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle tip the housekeeper to show them around Pemberley while the family are away, and that was written in the 1890s. Gentlefolk would take tours around stately homes going way back - but always when the family were away, and always gentlefolk. What was new was opening a house to the general public for cash, allowing common folk in. Downton's first true step into the modern era!

 

It was actually written 80 years earlier, in 1813.  

[Driad]

Carson is a middle manager. Too bad he does not realize that a middle manager's function (as one told me) is analogous to that of a manure spreader -- to take the lumps that fall from above and distribute them downward as a fine nourishing powder.

Mrs. Hughes, before she married Carson, had no retirement savings because she was spending her money caring for her disabled sister. Now I hope she can narrow her options to either "wife of cooperative understanding husband" or "financially secure widow."

[lulee]

I have a suspicion that Miss Crookshank is fond of her future father-in-law and will try to play matchmaker between him and Isobel. Maybe she thinks it would redeem his character to have that fixed. Although I will always think he's a total lowercase-p (S)prat, with a dollop of Denker in his personality too.

Edited February 9, 2016 by lulee

[Llywela]

It was actually written 80 years earlier, in 1813.  

Hehe, good catch. I meant to say 1790s, as it was written about 20 years before eventual publication.

[renatae]

Carson is becoming distinctly less likable as Thomas becomes more so. Seems to me that Carson should retire so that Thomas can replace him as butler. Then Carson can spend his days learning how to be the perfect house-husband. Staffing problem solved, Your Lordship!

 

Oh, my! If that happened, he'd drive poor Mrs. Carson 'round the bend! I'm thinking that it will probably be Molesley who gets a position at the school, leaving a place for Barrow.

 

And I found Henry a little more appealing in this episode. I liked the way he laughed at himself and covered his mouth after he mentioned racers' wives!

 

I get the feeling we are not supposed to be liking them as a couple, as if you've seen Matthew Goode in "The Good Wife," he is the essence of charm. He gets this little twinkle in his eye that's the cutest thing, to me at least. To find him bland like he is in Downton, I feel he is doing a great job of holding back his natural charm to come off as boring. Perhaps we are to grow to like him little by little if they are to wind up together.

 

I do like Mary/Tom, though. :) He did appear somewhat jealous to me at one point. But he brushed it off, and I think it is because he feels there is no future for him and Mary, especially after her recent pronouncement about "not settling."

[Sulador]

They charged six shillings, not tenpence.

Twenty shillings to a pound. A pound was worth about five dollars. Three visitors equaled a pound, so 100 visitors would be about 30-35 pounds. That was a year's salary to one of their servants.

More or less.

I could have sworn that the sign for the open house tour read "6d."? "d." stood for "penny", so sixpence for the ticket. "s." was for "shilling"; hence the popular abbreviation £sd, standing for "librae" (pounds), "solidi"  (shillings) and "denarii" (pennies). So that would have cut the takings considerably, though it did look as if there were many more than a hundred visitors, so maybe not. A six-shilling entrance fee would have been pretty pricey for locals.

 

[AndySmith]

I get the feeling we are not supposed to be liking them as a couple, as if you've seen Matthew Goode in "The Good Wife," he is the essence of charm.

 

I'm the opposite. I found him as dull as beige on TGW and am actually liking him here. He and Mary were rather cute together this episode.

[txhorns79]

A few episodes ago, when Mrs. Hughes was insisting that she didn't want the wedding to be in the great hall, she said that Carson will get his way every day in the marriage, she wanted it her way on her wedding day.  Poor woman, she didn't know how right she was.

 

I'm so mixed on this.  Mrs. Hughes deserves better, but I also kind of feel like she and Carson went into the marriage without any real discussions (aside from that Mr. Carson wanted sex) of what they expected from each other, so it's not surprising that Mr. Carson is doing all the wrong things.

[Ina123]

I think Mrs. Hughes is just waiting for the right time to explode on Carson and give him what for. He has a sudden awareness of how unfair he has been. They decide to retire to their own little house in the village.

 

Thomas becomes butler for however long Downton Abbey maintains it's present inhabitants. Thomas becomes to George what Carson has always been to Mary.

 

Mrs. Patmore and Mason gently help Daisy to understand she is being childish. Daisy apologizes. Patmore and Mason marry.

 

Daisy passes exams with flying colors and goes off into the world.

 

Moseley becomes a teacher and marries Baxter.

 

Edith and Bertie suddenly elope and return for Marigold to all live in London.

 

Unlike others, I've thought Mary and Henry had chemistry ever since she saw his fancy car for the first time and they said goodbye at the front door. (Was that last season?). They fall in love. Maybe the last episode will be a grand wedding for Mary.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Ina123

[Andorra]

I liked the episode. It was more like the old Downton episodes, with one "event" happening as the centre of the episode. JF is so much better with those little storyarcs for one episode than with his ongoing storylines!

 

Liked:

Tom and Mary. How cute are they by now? I liked their grin to each other when Robert complained about the house opening, then I loved it, that Mary took him with her to London, their silent communication when Mary wanted to have some time alone with Henry, then Tom waiting up for her and their comfortable talk about love and life again. Also it was Tom again who understood Mary in the end when it came to giving up on Downton. She is determined and he will support her no matter what. Tom is  the best relationship Mary has ever had besides with Matthew.

 

The house opening was so funny. Of course the Crawleys looked very stupid, but I loved it anyway. Violet was the best "horses and women"! LOL

 

The dress Mary wore! OMG, that was spectacular. I loved it. 

 

Bertie and Edith continue to be cute together. He is such a sweet man. I don't like her, but I like their romance very much.

 

 

What I didn't like: 

Talbot. OMG how boring is he?? And how dull is their "romance". The kiss was cringe worthy instead of romantic. His line "Cars are your enemy, but they're my friends" is SO incredibly stupid, if I was Matthew Goode, I would have sued Julian Fellowes for it.

No, that storyline is just awful, sorry. The contrast to Edith/Bertie who didn't have any more screentime, but who are so more genuine! And the contrast to Mary/Tom who are so much more intimate with each other than Mary and her "love" even though they're supposed to be only friends or brother/sister. 

 

Daisy. Urgh.

 

Carson and Mrs Hughes. Urgh. 

[QQQQ]

The Stately Homes of England by Noel Coward

Lord Elderly, Lord Borrowmere

Lord Sickert and Lord Camp

With every virtue, every grace

Ah, what avails the sceptred race

Here you see the four of us

And there are so many more of us

Eldest sons

That must succeed

We know how Caesar conquered Gaul

And how to whack a cricket ball

Apart from this, our education

Lacks co-ordination

Though we're young

And tentative

And rather rip-representative

Scions of a noble breed

We are the products of those homes

Serene and stately

That only lately

Seem to have run to seed

The stately homes of England

How beautiful they stand

To prove the upper classes

Have still the upper hand

Though the fact that they have to be rebuilt

And frequently mortgaged to the hilt

Is inclined to take the gilt

Off the gingerbread

And certainly damps the fun

Of the eldest son

But still, we won't be beaten

We'll scrimp and scrape and save

The playing fields of Eton

Have made us frightfully brave

And though if the Van Dycks have to go

And we pawn the Bechstein Grand

We'll stand

By the stately homes of England

We have been able to dispose of

Rows and rows and rows of

Gainsboroughs and Lawrences

Some sporting prints of Aunt Florence's

Some of which were rather rude

Although we sometimes

Flaunt our family conventions

Our good intentions

Mustn't be misconstrued

The stately homes of England

We proudly represent

We only keep them up

For Americans to rent

Though the pipes that supply the bathroom burst

And the lavatory makes you fear the worst

It was used by Charles I

(Quite informally)

And later by George IV

On a journey north

The state departments keep their

Historical renown

It's wiser not to sleep there

In case they tumble down

But still, if they ever catch on fire

Which, with any luck, they might

We'll fight

For the stately homes of England

The stately homes of England

Though rather in the lurch

Provide a lot of chances

For psychical research

There's the ghost

Of a crazy younger son

Who murdered in 1351

An extremely rowdy nun

Who resented it

And people who come to call

Meet her in the hall

The baby in the guest wing

Who crouches by the grate

Was walled up in the west wing

In 1428

If anyone spots

The Queen of Scots

In a hand-embroidered shroud

We're proud

Of the stately homes of England

[Artymouse]

I think Henry is starting to grow on me. I'm still not seeing a lot of chemistry with him and Mary, but I did think the scene where they got out of the rain was cute.

Bertie is nice, and I like him with Edith, so I hope they get the happily-ever-after ending. Everyone seemed so surprised when he essentially took over the planning for the house tour, like "we should rope off the stairs? We should have tour guides? Do you really think people would steal our stuff?" They seemed pretty clueless, so I'm glad he was there to offer sensible advice.

How many episodes are left? Do we have three, including Christmas special?

[fastiller]

The house tour was amusing...the Crawleys literally know almost nothing of the Abbey...though Cora at least knew it was originally an Abbey, seized by Henry 8th from the Church, and that the later updates had been done by the same architect who did Parliament. But the paintings, the carvings, heraldry...clueless. The annoyed looks of the some of the ticket holders were priceless. 

Daisy interfering with Mrs. Patmore and Mr Mason's  budding romance, including throwing his note in the trash...bitch can die now. And take the overbearing Carson with her...poor Mrs. Hughes, she is no longer a respected colleague, but a mere bullied wife.

Loving Bertie, love his taking the tour in hand, delegating work and competently organizing things. Love he and Edith together. 

Mary has a future ahead of her as an old bore...endlessly fighting against the future. 1929 awaits her, and the terrible 30s. And no Mary, you are not impervious to the changes in the world. 

Bertie is the agent for some other grand house, correct?  Perhaps his (a) taking the tour in hand & delegating, and (b) assuming all the Crawley women knew something about the art works, etc., within Downton will serve to remind Mary that she'll need to either bone up on her own family-home history or hire someone who does.  (Moseley?)

[Milburn Stone]

I could have sworn that the sign for the open house tour read "6d."? "d." stood for "penny", so sixpence for the ticket. "s." was for "shilling"; hence the popular abbreviation £sd, standing for "librae" (pounds), "solidi"  (shillings) and "denarii" (pennies). So that would have cut the takings considerably, though it did look as if there were many more than a hundred visitors, so maybe not. 

 

Thanks for confirming that I was pretty close to right on the admission price, Sulador. So this again makes me wonder how many visitors they had, if the Crawleys could view the day's take as significant. If I imagine a U.S. family today with Crawley wealth, I'd think the minimum amount of money to make the day worth the trouble to them would be $10,000. (Anything less would be chump change. To be happy with, say, $1000, they'd really have to be down to their last dime.) Six cents in 1925 would be a bit under a dollar today, according to the inflation calculator, so let's round the admission price up to a dollar. Meaning 10,000 visitors came to Downton that day. I have trouble with that. 

[terrymct]

Speaking of Lady Mary: stop behaving as if you have no brains. You know exactly who Marigold is, throw that hissy-fit everyone is dreading and be done with it! And make it really dramatic - throw it into Bertie Pelham's face and hopefully you'll get the smack-down he's already planing for you.

 

 

I'm hoping that all this culminates with someone, maybe Tom, Robert, or Cora, telling Mary that everyone else in the family (and a good number of staff people) all have known for some time but they decided to keep it from her because of the general agreement that she's an awful human being who would use the information to score cheap points against her sister and would end up hurting the child.

 

That would make putting up with Mary all these seasons worthwhile.  She's my least favorite character on this show by a mile.

Edited February 8, 2016 by terrymct

[ShadowFacts]

Will Violet go quietly into that goodnight?  I feel a little bad for the indignity she is suffering, especially that everyone else knew before she did.  Is Fellowes punishing Maggie Smith a little?  I don't know, just wondering.

 

Not sure of the point of showing Evelyn Napier more than ten years later still single, still with the long face at Mary and her latest flame.  Did he say anything at the dinner?

 

Thomas' final scene was powerful.  To know that no matter what he did, no matter what, he would never be trusted, at least by Carson.  Must be how people who have served their sentences feel when no one will give them a job.  He hasn't suddenly turned in to a nice person to the kids, he has been slowly built up over the seasons, in many ways.  Being protective of Sybbie, helping Andrew last year in London in the gambling den, of course saving Edith, kindness to the old aristocrat when no one was looking, noticing Andy's discomfort with books.  I really hope Carson and Robert both have to beg him to stay since it looks like Andy and Molesley are moving onward and upward. 

[terrymct]

Frankly, she doesn't have to say anything about Marigold. Edith outed Mary to the Turkish ambassador! I would think Bertie would shut up after that story.

This is why I want their fight to be private and end with both owning their roles in this toxic relationship. I will be seriously annoyed if Mary is treated as the only villain.

 

Remember that the outing wasn't primarily about the affair, there's also the issue of dragging his body to another room and staging the scene to protect Mary's "virtue".

 

I used to detest both Edith and Mary, but Edith appears to have grown over the years.  Mary, beyond taking on some of the work of the estate, really hasn't.

Edited February 8, 2016 by terrymct

[JudyObscure]

I don't think Fellows intended this but I'm on Lady Violet's side in the Hospital President Feud.  This is a volunteer position for which she has given her time, prestige, effort and money for years.  Now it's been jerked out from under her and handed to someone else without a word of notice, appreciation or consideration. The powers that be should have talked to her before ever mentioning the position to Cora.  They could have asked her if she felt she could still give it her all since the decision didn't go her way and they could have told her that it was soon to become more time consuming.   Left up to Violet, she probably would have decided it was a good time to step down.  But no one did that, which showed a glaring lack of gratitude for all the effort Violet has given the hospital over the years.  Lady Cora understood all this and was entirely wrong to accept the position behind Violet's back.  I don't care if she does want "work," to do, just pushing Violet out and walking over her was very wrong.  IMHO.

[poeticlicensed]

I am calling foul on the whole "no one knows anything about the house" storyline. Good grief, JF. I realize that the whole theme of the season is these times they are a changing, but really, to suggest that characters like Mary, who are so devoted to the preservation of the house and estate know absolutely nothing of it's history is ridiculous. Cora even mentioned that the house employed a librarian, but he was conveniently away. Librarians in those big old house served more as historian and archivists and it would have been his job to catalog all the art and artifacts in the house and perhaps note their provenance. He would have probably written a history of the house, which undoubtabely would have been made available to the family members. Why open up the house the week the librarian is away? And if you do it anyway, then go get the catalog, pick out 10 pieces you want to point out and make a list and read about them.

 

I kind of got the feeling that JF was poking a bit at the aristocracy, who he has deemed out of touch, but 1) making them act like nitwits who know nothing of their house, and 2) not having the vaguest idea why people might want to visit. To see Lady Mary in her bath? Um, how about to see the art on the walls? I know nothing of the aristocracy and I'm not British, but I would think that it would have been important for the heirs to learn about their heritage, of which the house plays a major role, that's why you hire a librarian or historian. To suggest that not one family member knows anything is ludicrous. 

 

I;m sorry, but the hospital storyline is a big bore. 

 

I'm starting to loathe some characters, like Daisy. 

 

At this point I'm in it for the clothing and house porn. Mary's outfit when they went to London, the green evening dress, was to die for. 

Edited February 8, 2016 by poeticlicensed

[Constantinople]

It sounded like they were charging about 10 pence a head, so to make the kind of money they were talking about, I'm guessing they had...a billion visitors?

 

 

They charged six shillings, not tenpence.

Twenty shillings to a pound. A pound was worth about five dollars. Three visitors equaled a pound, so 100 visitors would be about 30-35 pounds. That was a year's salary to one of their servants.

More or less.

 

 

I could have sworn that the sign for the open house tour read "6d."? "d." stood for "penny", so sixpence for the ticket. "s." was for "shilling"; hence the popular abbreviation £sd, standing for "librae" (pounds), "solidi"  (shillings) and "denarii" (pennies). So that would have cut the takings considerably, though it did look as if there were many more than a hundred visitors, so maybe not. A six-shilling entrance fee would have been pretty pricey for locals.

 

Here is the text of one of the posters used to advertise the house tour

 

OPEN HOUSE

--- AT ---

DOWNTON ABBEY

SATURDAY 6TH JUNE

A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE

STATE ROOMS OF DOWNTON ABBEY.

IN AID OF DOWNTON

HOSPITAL TRUST

6d. ADMISSION

BRING ALL THE FAMILY

 

That's based on a photo that accompanied a review of last night's episode in the Baltimore Sun

 

Of course, it's possible there was a continuity issue and some posters said 6d. and others 6s.

[txhorns79]

This is a volunteer position for which she has given her time, prestige, effort and money for years.  Now it's been jerked out from under her and handed to someone else without a word of notice, appreciation or consideration. The powers that be should have talked to her before ever mentioning the position to Cora.  They could have asked her if she felt she could still give it her all since the decision didn't go her way and they could have told her that it was soon to become more time consuming.   Left up to Violet, she probably would have decided it was a good time to step down.

 

I don't disagree, but I also kind of feel like Violet has been almost extraordinarily difficult on this topic, so they wouldn't want to leave any chance that Violet would continue on and try to undermine the transition (because she does seem the type to be that petty when she doesn't get her way). 

[lulee]

Does the DA merchandise include fashions? Because some of the dresses from this season would sell like crazy.

Edited February 8, 2016 by lulee

[ShadowFacts]

I don't think Fellows intended this but I'm on Lady Violet's side in the Hospital President Feud.  This is a volunteer position for which she has given her time, prestige, effort and money for years.  Now it's been jerked out from under her and handed to someone else without a word of notice, appreciation or consideration. The powers that be should have talked to her before ever mentioning the position to Cora.  They could have asked her if she felt she could still give it her all since the decision didn't go her way and they could have told her that it was soon to become more time consuming.   Left up to Violet, she probably would have decided it was a good time to step down.  But no one did that, which showed a glaring lack of gratitude for all the effort Violet has given the hospital over the years.  Lady Cora understood all this and was entirely wrong to accept the position behind Violet's back.  I don't care if she does want "work," to do, just pushing Violet out and walking over her was very wrong.  IMHO.

 

Exactly.  And I thought I heard a couple people in this episode - maybe Tom and Molesley? - refer to Violet as old lady Grantham.  If so, is that acceptable, and I've just never heard it before?  I thought I've heard her usually referred to as the Dowager.  Seemed a little disrespectful, but maybe it wasn't, and only a way to distinguish Cora from Violet when people are talking. 

[SFoster21]

I thought someone said "shillings."

If they made the equivalent of ten dollars, it would have seemed a lot of money for essentially doing nothing. Coffee used to be ten cents a cup in my lifetime, which began in 1948.

Here is the text of one of the posters used to advertise the house tour

OPEN HOUSE

--- AT ---

DOWNTON ABBEY

SATURDAY 6TH JUNE

A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE

STATE ROOMS OF DOWNTON ABBEY.

IN AID OF DOWNTON

HOSPITAL TRUST

6d. ADMISSION

BRING ALL THE FAMILY

That's based on a photo that accompanied a review of last night's episode in the Baltimore Sun

Of course, it's possible there was a continuity issue and some posters said 6d. and others 6s.

Sorry. A glitch put my comment within the quote.

Edited February 8, 2016 by SFoster21

[Kat From Jersey]

It's official: I HAAAAAAAAATE Carson with the fire of a thousand suns.  I really, really want to thwap him over the head with his stupid walking stick.  He's much more a representation of the dying way of life than even the Dowager Countess, and that's saying something.  I can't wait to see poor Mrs. Hughes snap and dump some horseradish (with a little sour cream mixed in) over his pompous head.

 

I hate Daisy only slightly less.  WTF is up with her.  Ugh.

 

And how embarrassing that the ladies that actually live in Downton Abbey know nothing about their home.  Sad.  It looked like Molesley was going to pipe up and add some commentary there, for a second.  I wouldn't put it past him to know some of the history and artwork in the house.

 

Oh, and as much as I hate Mary (but love watching her character snark and swan around!), that outfit she wore to dinner in London was gorgeous!  It might be the best thing she's worn on the show.  Better than Edith's beautiful gown last episode.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Kat From Jersey

[lovinbob]

Lord Grantham in bed -- I kept thinking of Kate and Allie, when they put Susan St. James in bed to cover up her pregnancy.

 

I hope the Daisy-Mason-Patmore triangle is put to rest next episode. Daisy being emotional stunted and incapable of managing her emotions is so tiresome! Same with Carson, Hughes, and CookGate.

[Former Nun]

He's being quite nice and helpful about it by refering Mrs Hughes to Mrs Patmore.

 

 

"Nice" in his own way.  "Obtuse" is the perfect word, Isazouzi.   I don't see things changing for the better.