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)

Yes Sybil used to be a proper firebrand, wearing harem trousers, nursing, interest in politics. Now she's a dutiful wife. They've shortchanged her character.

I think they'll probably kill him off although if he does die it will need to be at Downton rather than in Ireland as they don't film anywhere else and will be reluctant to miss out on Pickle's tear jerking departure.

I think Bates will be murdered in prison, or murder his cell mate in self defence therefore giving him a real reason to be in jail :(.

I dont like pickle either. He never used to be so OTT, otherwise why was he working at Downton? Its like they have made him a bit more controversial to spice up the story line.

I think it's beacause he was a bit of a wounded lamb. The scene where he crying in his sad little room after being fired from his Valet job after being set up by the baddies was v

I don't fancy him though, that baffles me!

Loathe the Bates storyline. I love Anna but never 'got' him or the affection between them. We use it as tea wine breaks.

It almost feels like Julian Fellows has got himself into such a hole he can't let it go even though logically it doesn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the story.

The food intolerance thing with Cora's mother was ridiculous too.

HOpe Edith finally gets it together with Sir A.

I don't think the male characters are half as good as the female.

They need someone a bit dashing and handsome to swoop in. Someone exciting.

Oooh it would be good if he did!

Yep, it's getting dull, there's only so many times he can stare fondly at Anna and she can stare fondly and stoically back at him.

I want to see Bates snap, scream "I killed her and now I'll kill you!", decapitate his cell-mate and then eat his internal organs. It is post-watershed after all, and it would definitely shut up the people who moan that everything is cliched and predictable.

Why does a good story in a period drama have to be 'spiced up' with grisly bits, affairs, illegitimate babies (well, I suppose they did have them then), hauling a dead body from one bedroom to another and people lost on the Titanic.

Let's have a nice Mrs Dale's Diary sort of thing.

I'd LOVE Matthew if it weren't for his weak chin (I have a thing for chins - don't ask me why). As it is I like him very much, and Mary too, and if it had been anyone other than Pickle uttering the line "you could never be with anyone else so long as Lady Mary walks this earth" I'd have sighed instead of retching. I thought the scene in Series 2 where he and Mary danced together and broke Lavinia's heart was electrifying - it redeemed, at least for me, all the rubbish that had gone before in that series. I think they have fantastic chemistry - I also loved the scene in the Xmas special when Mary confessed all to Matthew and he said, with a sly sideways glance "I could never hate you". SIGH!

Michelle Dockery sealed her status one of the best acresses of her generation with her scene in Series 1 when Cora asked her whether Mr Pamuk had "forced himself" on her. Without a word, she nailed brilliantly that little flicker that told her that there might be a way out of the horrible mess she'd found herself in, but she just couldn't bring herself to so dishonour a dead man. I wish Cora had given her more credit for that, and Robert too, once he found out (what, 7 years after it had happened?!).

Anyway, a great night's TV (that would have been better without the ad breaks, I will grant you).

I've always thought he did it. I'm sure he did.

Am i the only one who thought last night that Thomas all but confessed to killing Vera Bates?

He and OBrien were in the corridor, she was talking about her nephew wanting to be valet, Thomas did this and said 'do you not remember what i had to do to become valet' and OBrien said 'yes i saw it'

I could be wrong but i think that Thomas and OBrien killed Vera Bates in order to implicate Mr Bates in order for Thomas to step in as Valet...

Bagsy the glory if i am right

Oh I didn't see that scene, but I'll be annoyed if Thomas is the killer as we already know he's a baddie. I want Bates to be unveiled as a heartless wife poisoner so all of Downton and all Bate's fans will be aghast!

Oh, I thought he was just referring to all his general skull duggery and sucking up, partucularly working for nothing (well food and a bed) after the war. And shooting himself in the hand.

Ooh martha didn't think of that.

I can't believe any believes Vera to killed herself. Arsenic poisoning's really painful and messy.

I've seen The Name of the Rose.

Would you kill someone to become a valet?

I've just remembered, did he not kidnap the fat labrador and then 'rescue' it in order to gain Lord G's favour and hence a promotion? That must be what he meant.

That's an interesting thought, Martha...

Matthew is all right but oh lord CRINGE at his references to sexytimes last night. Blergh...

Wasn't Thomas away in the army when Mrs Bates was killed?

Although I do love a conspiracy!