Downton Abbey - update required

[StagnantRabbit]

Any big Downton fans out there who can tell me what happened in the very last episode of series 2 and also the Xmas special? Tryin to get ready for the new series on Sunday but is there anything else I missed? (apart from Lady Mary and Matthew getting together that is)

Even they did after Pickles outbursts there's little hope they'd be invited back for a rematch!

Did anyone else think his suit looked really scratchy?

Like it was made of nettles.

He had a smarter off duty suit than that when he was the chauffeur. Should have pinched it.

There was an important observation in season 2 that Sir Richard had a soft shooting suit spun from the eyelashes of unborn lambs instead of a hairy tweed one like the aristos because he was a ghastly arriviste.

There's probably something about that in JF's Moleskine notebook.

Why are they the Crawleys but their title is Grantham?

And why is he called Lord Grantham when he is an earl?

Were housemaids and valets allowed to marry?

Awww I miss Sir Richard. He'd have given Mary a rollicking good time on the wedding night. Matthew probably just shook her hand solemnly and then climbed into bed with Mamma.

Crawley is their family name -the title is Grantham.

I think you address them as Lord & Lady Grantham but the title is Earl & Countess Grantham.

Kate Middleton is The Duchess of Cambridge but will be addressed Princess Catherine or M'lady.

Oooh sorry no not Mlady.....Ma'am

You would address the Earl and Countess as Lord/Lady Grantham or my Lord or my Lady.

Kate Middleton is HRH The Duchess of Cambridge and should technically be addressed as "your royal highness" at first, and "ma'am" subsequently (in the same way that you address the Queen as "Your Majesty" at first, and then "ma'am subsequently). She is not Princess Catherine, she is Princess William of Wales.

Of course she is .... you are quite right MadamGazelle

squoosh

I don't mean Matthew had 'relations' with Mamma, more like she reads him a bedtime story and sings him a lullaby!

I can't remember what I was watching recently where someone instantly shone out as a Person Of Breeding even though she was going undercover as a humble servant because she addressed someone as my Lady rather than milady.

Or maybe she shone out as the servant of a Person Of Breeding, which is better than nothing.

That was game of thrones! Arya and tywin lannister.

I rather like strallan. He's sweet

Thanks erik knew my TV obsession would come in handy.

Already added Iain Glen to my spreadsheet and Owen Teale from Stella.

God, that Sheridan Smith is getting a lot of work too.

I quite like Strallan too.

I think he would dote on Edith-and she would love the attention-having never got any from her parents.

Odd that he was called up & Lord G not, though?

Violet was all for Strallan ("Any port in a storm"?) and set up a meeting between Strallan and Edith at her house at Christmas. It was only when he couldn't shake Edith's hand and explained about being injured (with no hope of recovery, unlike Matthew's Tingle) that she turned against him as a suitor.

What was the significance of the shots of Daisy cycling up to the House? Seemed to imply she was cycling to work but surely all the servants lived in? Her extra 7 shillings a month wouldn't cover a room lodging somewhere, surely.

I can´t make Violet out at all tbh.

Sometimes she just seems so nasty.

Would it be embarrassing to have her GD marry someone with an injured arm?

And Matthew for a while wasn´t good enough-until the Pamuk incident iirc!

Surely anything for Edith would be better than what Sybil did!!

diddl yes sometimes she's a posionous old bag & she is a product of her era snobbishness & convention wise, but she makes me hoot!

Pickle hasn't been mentioned in a few posts and he is a delight for the senses :o Roll on Sunday, he is the only reason I watch it :o

Three sleeps to go.

sunday times magazine on 9 sept had an interview with Matthew. He tried very hard to be discreet but the interviewer drew the conclusion that this series of downton would be the last for him and therefore the show. Lady Violet is taking one day at a time, as a woman of her years probably does.

I liked the main pic of him even though he was wearing more make up than Julian Clary. The cover shot of him tried to convey a man in a dilemma but looked more like a man who'd put his hand in superglue before absent-mindedly sweeping it though his hair.

His shirt collar looked terribly grubby and his eyes looked very goaty, as always.

Seemed nice, though. I can't believe he's only 29.

Well when M&M marry-what´s left?

Them at the helm at Downton?