Downton Abbey

[missmogwi]

Bloody mum rang to ask me about how much Internet she can use before it's full. Don't ask.

Why did bates have to leave?? Aaargh missed crucial bit!

Oh no, I don't mean comeback from the farmer's wife, I mean from JF. I can't believe he'd have her do it and then go unpunished. Otherwise it was a pointless plot feature. Something has to come from it.

I agree that the farmer's wife has done all she can - although I bet the farmer was sleeping in the cowshed for a while.

"Now, diddl....if Mary had done the same"

But the same would apply

I see what you mean Imp

Could be part of her becoming more understanding/forgiving of other´s mistakes?

Regretting what she did re Mary?

Where was it said that two of the actresses aren't returning next series?

I agree JF would struggle to kill someone core off. But I still think the most likley candidate is Lord G.

Also agree that the Edith kissing plot device won't be left to lie (fallow -har har har.)

I still think Cora may die of flu.
Lord G remarries.Lavinia???
Lavinia bears the heir.
Mary marries Matthew,for himself not his inheritance.Oh,and Matthew wounded.

I also think that Matthew will be wounded.

No point in him dying as they´d be left without an heir so it would be the same as the beginning of series 1!

Like the idea of Lord G & Lavinia.

Much more fn if Lord G would marry Isobel - Violet would combust!

No heir though in that case though - shame.

You do realise Julian Fellows is probably reading this and nicking our ideas? In which case Julian - watch what you do with the General Strike as the House of Eliott covered that nicely already.

Isobel is matthew's mother right? Who's cousin is she? They all refer to he as cousin Isobel but I'm not sure how she's related....

I appreciate my questions today suggest otherwise but I did watch series 1

She's only a relation by marriage. Her husband was the cousin.

In fact Wikepedia says Matthew is the third cousin once removed which means (also via wikipedia!) that Lord G's great great grandfather is also Matthews great great great grandfather. Might have a go at a family tree........

I doubt Cora will die of Spanish Flu- didn't the lethal strain kill mainly young fit adults? Cora must be knocking on a bit by then. Apparently, it killed between 50 and 100 million people- that's 3-6% of the world's population then

I could so do with a family tree for it - you could sell it to the BBC for them to put on the red button when it is on?

Ok.......can't do a tree but there is

The Common ancestor - Earl with at least two sons

Younger brother (one assumes) of heir has a son who has a son who has a son (Matthew's father_ who has a son - Matthew. Meanwhile the older brother has a son who has a son who has a son - Lord G. The heir drowned on the Titanic was presumably Lord G's first cousin - so the child of his father's brother. No male offspring of any older brothers than the son that Matthew is descendant from can survive or they would be the heir.

I'm getting less and less keen on Branston Pickle hassling Lady Sybil. Beyond having quite a nice time at a socialist rally now and again before the war, she hasn't shown the slightest interest in him. It's awfully presumptuous of him to keep insisting she should throw her family over for him- and he looks the type to turn nasty if she backs off, or worse, spend their married life haranging her for her posh background if she doesn't. And she seems far too sanguine to pour the required vinegar for the chip on his shoulder.

What a load of old tosh it all was or still is? I know P. Anne can't be Queen unless all her brothers die . Didn't i hear that 'they' are discussing changing the law? was wondering if it applies to commoners as well?

Princess Anne cant be queen even if all her bro's die, as William is second in line to the throne. Think it goes: Charles, William, Harry, Andrew, Edward, Simon Cowell then Princess Anne if she takes them all out

Yep Branston is pickling me out a bit too, he just seems to follow Sybil everywhere am wondering if there is some kind of stalking storyline there somewhere

northernlurker my brain hurts with your family tree - can you do a spreadsheet please? colour coded - ta

at Simon Cowell being in line to the throne (wouldn't surprise me though )

I agree re Branston Pickle too - presumably this is before restraining orders were common place.....

And where does princess Anne fit in terms of age between her brothers (hopes this isn't a hanging offence or treason to not know )

succession

Age= Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward.

if 3-6% of the worlds popn was killed by spanish flu, mostly young people
that could be ethel, daisy, and thomas

william limps home from the war to marry his sweetheart only to find her dying of flu, he commits suicide very romeo & juliet
matthew comes home very damaged, lost a leg and an eye, very piratical, lavinia cant take marrying a wounded bitter man, mary nurses him and sweetly falls in love properly

edith elopes with farmer giles, set up their own pig farm in durham

lord g has heart attack with the shock, sybil nurses him
cora has une affaire avec branston pickle
mary marries matthew and concieves the heir, a boy called Philip James
O'Brien steals the family silver when wartime rationing becomes too much, but gets mugged and viciously attacked and left for dead

I really wonder if JF or his crew have seen this thread yet.

How come none of them have come on for a 'mumsnet chat' yet?!

Prollies cause Justine and co know they'd do a search and find this dodginess on there.

diddl that succession has me, how come those 'ladies at Jane Norman'; Beatrice and Eugenie get to be queen before Princess Anne.. surely the first daughter of the Queen goes before the Queens granddaughters. Also how come Savannah Phillips goes before the lovely Zara Philips - i presume that Savannah is Peter's daughter and so follows the same mindset. Also loving that there is a Davina and a Tullulah in there - Arise Queen Davina...

sorry that was completely off topic!

Anachronism alert: When Branson was being examined he had his shirt open and wasn't wearing a vest. Shockingly indecent.

Everyone knows that men only dared to cast off their vests when Clark Gable revealed he didn't wear one in It Happened One Night in 1934.

I wouldn't normally notice things like that and speech anachronisms but the plot isn't very gripping and my mind wanders.

My other preoccupations are whether Elizabeth McGovern's eyes are all squinty because of too much Botox or not enough of it and whether JF has a vendetta against Hugh Bonneville so is making Lord G more and more ridiculous with each passing episode.

I think that Elizabeth McGovern had been told to lay off the botox because the War Series, she may be required to frown as well as simper. Hence her brows have dropped about three centimetres.

I think Cousin Isobel's butler - the one who weasled out of war - will turn nasty now Anna has turned down his advances. His sweaty insecurity look to me as if it could do more harm than Thomas's schemes...I hope he doesn't attack her....

Who is Elizabeth McGovern?