Downton Abbey Discussion continued...

[ErikNorseman]

Here!

I think Mary's just trying not to get Matthew's hopes up. Still, no pg after only a few months doesn't really warrant all this freaking out. And I thought Matthew's lack of any actual knowledge of basic biology was quite good - why would his sperm be affected by a spinal injury, ffs? But a 1920s man probably wouldn't know that.

Poor, poor Sybil. I read an interview with her in Glamour the day before yesterday - she was on the cover, and nowhere did she even remotely hint that she was going to be out of it! Hence it was a horrible surprise. At first I thought the baby was going to die, but then once she had arrived safely it was obvious it was going to be Sybil. I knew that eclampsia could come back even after the baby had been delivered, in v v rare cases.

I think O'Brien is trying to get Thomas kicked out for coming on to the new footman. Does Carson know Thomas is gay? It was a crime in those days, wasn't it? So if he was exposed he'd have to leave, and he might even be arrested. That would be an unusual storyline, man arrested for the crime of homosexuality. Is that feasible? I think it was illegal, but was it something that was winked at or not?

I think its known about Thomas by more people than just O'Brien. Mrs Patmore certainly alludes to it in series 2 I think, when Daisy is mooning over him. Saying he's not "a ladies man" wink wink. However I reckon Carson would be very happy for any reason to oust Thomas so this could be it.

Someone knows hes gay. I cant remember who, but someone hinted at it.

Yes! Mrs Patmore definately. Maybe someone else too.

Marys not getting pregnant - is infertile due to pamuk

Branson starts estate managing

Bates gets out, moves back to Downton

Thomas rapes good looking footman, who's too embarrassed to say anything, then kills him in a rage. Bates finds out, saves day.

Housekeeper dies of cancer.

Heir turns up, the last shot is of them all moving out - bates/Anna to run a bed and breakfast in Brighton, lord G doolally, Mary/Matthew to middle class village life - Mary dull, barren.

Fellowes loathes women IMO

Why would they move out if Lord G is only doolally? He would have to be dead for the heir to get it?

I realise thats pedantic btw :o

Declared doolally? So court case and removed from heirdom as incompetent?

Just caught up on thread, after watching on +1 and then having to wait eons for my eyes to clear As with others, as soon as ankles were mentioned, I knew. But still, what a shocker! Particularly so, as DA is usually all unicorns and rainbows. Some great acting tonight, hey?

Mollydoggerson "Mary ... may even lose a baby, as a result of syphilis or some such illness. Wasn't there one sexually transmitted illness that caused the death/miscarriage of babies but that eventually burned itself out of the system?" Yep, that's syphilis. There was a really interesting You Do You Think You Are (may have been Martin Freeman?), where they explained this. Horribly, it was often the explanation for a series of miscarriages, followed by a series of babies dying very young, but living for longer each time, as it burnt itself out.

But Matthew is co-master now. So that muddies the doolally waters surely?

And hes a lawyer! So he could sign Lord Gs power of attorney over at the first whiff of doolallyness :o

No, Matthew is as wet and lily livered as a long thin streak of piss.

Real disabled heir from earlier turns up, Matthew caves immediately and doesnt challenge as that's the 'right' thing to do.

I think this was Cora/Elizabeth McGovern's best episode yet.

Do you think that was the real heir? I have always thought he was an imposter but I dont know what the consensus on here is.

Yes, Cora was really brilliant tonight.

Possibly, and then Edith will marry him and get one over on Mary.

God, that would be well funny.

Much better than the reality of them having to open a tearoom and flog it to the National Trust after the next war.

I shall miss Sybil:(
Thought Cora was brilliant tonight..................her grief was very well portrayed, I too have lost a child............

in 981, when my daughter was born, a neighbour (ex midwife) told me to call a doctor because she recognised the symptoms. I was carted off to hospital and induced on Friday 13th. My husband only realised tonight why I was rushed off. He's always been cross that he was called out of work.

cried buckets over that one. Proper acting, at last! it seemed pretty clear from the debate on the landing that Sybil wasn't going to make it - though you can't help hoping. someone said something about what is Mary's face going to look like when/if the heir turns up - the same as usual. She's like that Larsson cartoon of a red setter: always the same face. I fear she has become a caricature, over-egging that earnest cocked eyebrow telling off face. Why have Cousin Matthew and Lady Mary become weirdly cardboard/wallpaper? Also Lord FBB turned into cardboard at the bedside: how can this be, she's only 24 - and that's all the grieving we saw. He cried when he lost his money, he cried when O'Brien's soap miscarried a prospective male heir.

Cora was magnificent, as was Dame Maggie. But gosh, that scene at the bed with Cora and Pickle pleading. totally sobbed at that.

So sad about Lady Sybil.A pity Julian Fellowes didn't take the route of
rushing her to hospital and saving her in the nick of time with a high-risk
c-section.I loved the relationship between Sybil and Branson and think it could have been explored further.Seems a waste of a much-loved character

Mrs P is visiting Ethel to teach her how to cook. summoned by Mrs C. or am I stating the obvious?

atosilis you gave bith in 981? Crikey

Well I dreamt about this last night and poor dd1 said it took her ages to get to sleep. Thanks a bunch Julian.

I am wondering whether when the actors refused to sign up for any more series Julian decided to pick them off one by one,savagely, in this series. Fatty bum bum may be only one left standing at this rate. Maybe Shirley mac will return for funeral. Couldn't even cry last night as had visitors...

There won't be time for Shirley to get over for the funeral. Took about6-7 days on the boat I think and flying the atlantic was in it's very infancy and not something for a 'lady' to partake in.

NorthernLurker- I feel for your DD. In the 70's as a young teen I saw the daughter in Boquet of Barbed Wire die just after giving birth in the same way as Sybil.(Very powerful stuff - perhaps JF saw it too) It terrified me for years and I had some nightmares about it when pregnant with my first child.

Perhaps the actress who plays Sybil wanted to leave - I think she has been in a few indie films, so maybe has something bigger on the horizon.

Keen to see how the Thomas story pans out

So I'm not the only one who had trouble sleeping then? Oh good (sort-of), I was feeling a bit

just marking my place, i wept buckets last night. i too kept thinking 'who is going to feed that baby - have they got the aptamil going?'

very very sad episode - i will miss Sybil's husky voice

but worried that pickle is going to take his child away (his absolute right of course but not good for viewing purposes)