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)

I reckon Strallen won't make it to the wedding either. Edith will go back to the States with Granny I think.

As for losing Downton, is it just me or did a huge farking 'Van Dyck' type picture appear in the dining room last week where no Van Dyck had hung before? I reckon they'll flog that, and the crisis will be over faster than even WW1 was in DA la-la land.

Oh I hope not-don´t want Edith to leave.

Then it´s just the bores left.

Although bit odd to have 2 whole series about M&M-didn´t Sybil marry in S2?-& then to have all daughters married at the beginning of S3.

Hope she´s not the one who dies

I think you might be right about that portrait, defo new addition.

Who got Edith up the duff secoond time around?

My money is on Thomas.

Ooh, clever spotting of the portrait. I assume Van Dyck is not like this?

"Who got Edith up the duff second time around?"

Isn´t she now working as a prostitute?

In which case it could be anyone & not at all connected to Downton?

Isn´t Thomas gay?

Ethel = was maid at DA, up-duffed once by Major Cad and now stomach-stroking-poss-up-duffed by being fallen in York.

Edith = is daughter no.2 at DA, soon to wed the lovely Sir Anthony Strallan and hopefully be carrying Little Strallans.

I've been in that room for real last summer. It was there then. Can't remember whether I've seen it in the show. I've got a feeling it was in the episode where Sybil sobs about just about every boy she's ever known being killed and Lord 6 looked perplexed/as if he had painful trapped wind. Lady 6 tried to move her eyebrows sympathetically but failed.

Isn´t Thomas gay?

That just seems to have been forgotten about.

Not according to the series 2 trailers

Thomas fell in love with one of the soldier patients for about ten minutes last series, I think.

Sorry, I meant in Series 3 - wasn't there sobbing and shirt-removing being ogled in the trailer?

Ooh, I missed that. I will look out for it.

I missed it as well.

Any links?

Thomas is def gay and that's a major character arc for him in series 3 apparently, watching him try to deal with that fact

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/19555485

Maybe he´s lusting after the new footman

He had been seeing a Duke or someone hadn´t he?

Who left him at Downton & burnt letters which were proof?

Also Mrs Patmore said to Daisy that she was wasting her time.

Can´t remember the words, but meaning that he didn´t like women.

Would he really have been so obvious?

Oh-there´s a bit of a spoiler in that link-sorry.

Don't be sorry, diddl. I knew from the trailer that there was lusting between Thomas and a new male servant but the clip is so short I couldn't see his face.

Then along comes Alfred the Tall and I thought, heh? No way could there be anything lustful (even if one-sided) there. Could not see Thomas in tears over AtheT. But the new one, oh yes, sparks indeed.

If they can afford to hire a new footman then all must be well with the DA coffers. Perhaps they sold the Van Dyck or found coal.

It´s all very bitty, isn´t it?

No money, but hiring staff?

I thought that they "downsized"-but then they wouldn´t need more staff, would they?

What´s "Downton Place" that we saw last week, then?

New footman and a new scullery maid.

I assume some local pile they were invited to and by "coincidence" (aka DA script implausibility) it was going to be sold?

Daftest and bittiest to me is that Matthew is supposed to love Mary "so very very much" and Lord G welcomes him as his son. Yet he's all "taking the money would be a "criminal act" so he's prepared to let them lose their home with all that entails (pun intended). Ffs, all the self-flagellating is wearing a bit thin.

I hope he overhears the servants distraught about losing their jobs and has a Change of Heart. He was all dismissive of Molesley being his valet till Lord G put him straight about how much it meant to Molesley - the lower classes loving to serve

I don´t have a problem with Matthew not handing over his dosh tbh-Lord G has shown himself to be crap with money.

He needs to hold on to something to when he takes over!

But is that the idea-that MC Matthew saves the day??

He needs to hold on to something to when he takes over!

But if he does hold on to it there may be nothing to take over.

I reckon someone will find a spare wad of cash under a mattress.

"But if he does hold on to it there may be nothing to take over."

But with Lord G´s record there will be nothing to take over anyway-and no money!

I just hate the way they all expect others to hand over money-but are doing nothing themselves to help.