Downton Abbey 5.9

In this final episode of Downton Abbey for this season, we have a lot going on. Rose's new parents in law invite everyone but her parents over for grouse hunting. The pompous butler irritates everyone so Thomas takes him down a notch and then tries to take down Lord Sinderby when he insults Thomas. But Rose coolly handles the situation and keeps the potential scandal contained, earning her Lord Sinderby's affection and gratitude. Meanwhile, poor Anna and Bates are stressed out trying to poke hole sin the police's case. Bates now finds himself in Anna's shoes having to comfort her when she had previously been the strong one for them. Bates then writes a confession and vanishes to Ireland, ripping a giant hole in the case and causing the police to release Anna on bail. A new footman is hired and an event that I've been waiting for ever since the show first started finally, finally happens! The end was so funny, touching, sad and happy all at once. Nothing can quite move one like the ups and downs on this show. I do wish they weren't sending Bronson off to America though; he's one of my favorite characters!

Downton Abbey 5.8

Fast-forward two months from the last episode and the wedding preparations for Rose and Atticus’ wedding are in the final stages. Their parents are set to meet just days before the wedding is to take place. They’ve had some difficulties with the difference in their religions and get another blast of meanness when someone frames Atticus, supposedly caught sneaking around with another girl after his bachelor party. Tom, meanwhile, seems to have made up his mind to leave Downton and move to America, much to Mary’s vocal dismay. There’s a lovely scene with her and Carson, reminding us of how close they are despite the different circles they live in. And Robert, the thoughtful lord that he is, has a special surprise for Mrs. Patmore at the ceremony for the memorial. But with all the happy turns taking place, poor Anna and Bates are extremely unhappy. When the inspector starts interviewing them again, having dug up new evidence of Green’s nasty character, they worry that their hopes of putting it all behind them were in vain. And that is exactly what happens when Anna is wrongly arrested for the death of Green. Oh, the drama and heartache! Poor Mr. Bates. Mrs. Hughes put it well when she said, “Sorrow seems to follow them around.”

Downton Abbey 5.7

When Mrs. Drewe goes all tattle-tale on Edith, Cora puts Violet and Rosamund in their places and resolves to find Edith and learn what she wants for Marigold. Edith is then tracked down in London by her Aunt Rosamund and her mother. Together the three women think up a plan for Edith to retain Marigold and convince her to return to Downton. Meanwhile, Bates and Anna are hopefully putting the nasty business with Green behind them and making plans for the future. Bates is hostile toward poor Miss Baxter when she offers to swear she saw the intact train ticket, should the need ever arise. And Daisy, down in the dumps again, gets buoyed up by Moseley and Mr. Mason. Isobel announces her engagement to Lord Merton, feeling rather happy with her final decision, but when his sons are rude to her at dinner {causing Tom, Robert and Lord Merton to all angrily order Larry out of the house}, she wonders if she's made the right decision and asks for time to consider. And poor Robert learns the heartbreaking news that his dog Isis has cancer and is dying. He and Cora take her into bed with them to comfort her in her last hours. And Atticus proposes to Rose!

Downton Abbey 5.6

We have a lot of action and drama going on in Downton this week. First off, poor Edith learns that her beloved Michael is indeed dead. She goes into mourning and inherits his publishing company, making her a suddenly successful woman of independent means {though that is just assumed on my part since they didn't exactly say that much}, and she makes the drastic decision to leave Downton secretly, forcibly taking her sweet little daughter Marigold with her. If they had just told Mrs. Drewe the truth, it would've been so much easier. Though, as my sister pointed out, it also would've been less dramatic.

Meanwhile, Mary gets a daring new hair do and goes all out to impress her poor slighted would-be lovers Gillingham {who seems to be getting back together with his ex} and Blake {who has sudden new hopes} at a horse race. It would be a very difficult feat for me to ride side-saddle in a fast race like Mary does. Very impressive. Mrs. Patmore takes on her new cottage, inspiring Carson to tentatively ask Mrs. Hughs if she would be interested in jointly investing in a property of their own. So cute. And Molesley kindly offers to help Daisy in her studies in anyway he can. I liked how Miss Baxter is being friendly to snarky Thomas and gives him a genuine compliment after taking him to the doctor. They could become good friends if he lets it happen. I can't wait for the next episode!

Downton Abbey 5.5

We have a lot going on at Downton this week. The police inspector interviews Mary and Anna, but appears suspicious of their answers and warns Anna not to go away. All the interviews focusing on the Bates has sickly Thomas very curious. Miss Baxter figures out what he's up to, or at least, what she suspects he's up to and why he looks so ill, but he continues to brush aside her attempts to help. Miss Bunting gets a new job and moves away, leaving poor Bronson to make a painful but good decision to stay at Downton and let her go away. Mary renews her friendship with Blake, who has a stupid plan to reunite Gillingham with his former sweetheart.

Meanwhile, poor Edith is suffering a slow heartbreak over being warned away from visiting Marigold. When Rosamund comes to visit, she gets the story from Edith and they visit the little girl, only to have Mrs. Drewe tell her husband to forbid Edith from visiting ever again. This puts Edith in an even more uncomfortable position. She rejects the advice of her aunt Rosamund and Grandmother Violet to take Marigold and put her in a boarding school. Instead, she makes a secretive call to London. And that sly Mr. Bricker is back, making more trouble. He goes uninvited to Cora's bedchamber and gets into quite a tussle with Robert when he throws out Bricker. Cora tries to make up with Robert, but he remains very frosty toward her, even during their cocktail party.

So lots going on and the plot thickens considerably!

Downton Abbey 5.4

In this latest installment of Downton Abbey, we have quite a bit going on as the show begins to build up to a dramatic climax. Mary and Anna go to London for a few days where Mary reunites with Blake at a fashion show and then breaks off her relationship with Gillingham {yay!}. Gillingham refuses to believe her and tells her they'll get through it together. Anna delivers a letter to Gillingham's flat for Mary and then walks into the square where Green died, attracting the suspicions of the police. Meanwhile, Edith is still upset over not being allowed to see Marigold anymore and gets news of what might've happened to Michael, then asks her uncle Shrimpy to look into his disappearance. Shrimpy is visiting to tell his daughter Rose that he and her mother are getting a divorce. and Mr. Brickers comes calling again, to Robert's displeasure. Robert finally loses it when Miss Bunting prods too far with her outrageous views and demands she leaves the house immediately, causing quite a flutter of talk and activity. When he recovers, he explains to Mary and Bronson why he doesn't want to sell his land to the big developing company - I agree with his logic.

There is a lot of stuff going on that's all leading up to something pretty big. I can't wait to see the next episode!!

Downton Abbey 5.3

In the latest episode of Downton Abbey, not much is really going on. The sergeant explains about the witness who heard Green speak just before his death, and he interviews Bates - to Anna's agitation. But Bates' alibi seems intact, though Mrs. Hughes is doubtful. Meanwhile, Mrs. Patmore is distraught over the fact that her cowardly nephew won't be remembered on any of the local memorials being set up for the war. Daisy is progressing well with her math and begins to dream of something other than being a kitchen maid, while Rose gets involved helping out the Russian refugees. She invites some of the Russians over to visit Downton and discover that Grandmama knows one of them, to Mary's amusement. Mary has been getting some heat from Grandma over her week with Gillingham and her own indecision over whether she actually wants to marry the guy or not, which is stupid because he can now use that week against her. Mary sends Anna home with her birth control to hide it which is definitely gonna backfire on her if and when Bates finds it. And poor Edith is getting too chummy with the little Marigold, which ticks off Mrs. Drewe and Mr. Drewe has to tell Edith to keep her distance for awhile. Why don't they just let Mrs. Drewe in on the secret? Seriously, it would make their scheming so much easier.

I think the next episode will be interesting.

Downton Abbey 5.2

In this second installment of my favorite historical fiction show, lost is happening. First, Rose is keen on getting a wireless for Downton Abbey but Robert refuses until she mentions the king plans on addressing the nation via wireless. Robert is busy arguing with Carson about the war memorial location and Carson finds himself at odds with Mrs. Hughes over the same issue - a position he is not used to being in. Miss Bunting threatens to create more drama when Mrs. Patmore hires her to tutor Daisy in math at the Abbey, though Bunting keeps to herself this time. I disagree with Robert in speculating that Bronson will take Sybbie away; his refusal to allow such a thing to happen is understandable but stupid. Bronson is the father and can decide what to do with his own child. Meanwhile, Mary has Anna buy her some birth control {to Anna's discomfort - I betcha this comes back to haunt her when Bates finds out; he'll think she bought it for herself cause she doesn't want any children}, and then Mary prepares to set off on her secret visit with Gillingham. The evening before, however, she meets up with Blake {the guy I liked better} who argues with her and makes her doubt her decision, though she goes anyway. That will definitely come back to bite her in the back. I can't wait for the next episode!! :)

Downton Abbey 5.1

In the brand new fifth season of Downton Abbey, we have quite a lot going on and the first episode sets up the drama nicely. Sweet Anna and Bates are whispering about having a child someday, while the ladysmaid eyes them and earns Thomas’ wrath by not sharing her suspicions with him. When he finally threatens her position, the ladysmaid takes Moseley’s advice and tells Lady Cora about her past, beating Thomas to the punch and getting him into trouble at the same time. Edith, the secretive child of the family, is busy nursing her broken heart and visiting the farmer Drewe and his family to see her little daughter Marigold. With Mrs. Drewe getting suspicious of her reasons for being there, Drew and Edith begin to come up with a plan for her to still visit Marigold and more. And it’s Cora and Robert’s thirty-fourth wedding anniversary. Rose causes trouble by inviting Branson’s teacher friend Emily to visit. When she expresses her strong opinions at dinner, Robert and Branson have an interesting discussion afterwards that prove both have grown and changed so much. In Sybil’s death, Robert may have lost a daughter, but he gained a son in Branson. That night, visiting guest Tong Gillingham proposes a scheme to Mary, the footman James gets up to no good and Thomas redeems himself by saving Edith when she accidentally sets her room on fire. So much going on and only the first episode!

I don’t like Gillingham; he’s very creepy. I liked the other suitor from the previous season better. And I do hope that Anna and Bates can have a baby; it’d be wonderful!