The Honourable Thread of Downton Abbey - The Third

[Moln]

Who filled up the last thread? Hmm?

All I wanted to say was Jonathan Rhys Meyers?

No!! I don't like him and he's a pants actor.

[bananaistheanswer]

I found Lord G's comments about the babygiant being a 'left footer' odd - more used to hearing that phrase from a gruff glaswegian bigot. Sounds just weird saying that in a posh accent.

[RiaOverTheRainbow]

I'm worried about Thomas, I know he's been a bastard more often than not but I really don't want him to be punished for being gay :(

[MrsjREwing]

I think like the prostitution storyline, we will learn what it was like back then for homosexuals.

I wasn't keen on Mary or Edith, they grown on me this series. All excellent actors.

[Mollydoggerson]

Does anyone think Daisy's dead husband's father might actually fancy Daisy?

I don't think Jimmy fancies Daisy, I think he is just trying to protect her from falling for Albert when Albert will not reciprocate.

Maybe there might bee a servant's ball/dance coming up, there seems to be a lot of chat about dancing.

[ZZZenAgain]

didn't sound right to me either banana. He has a lot of lines which seem really out of sync with his place and time.

Mrs Padmore knew already that Thomas was not one for the ladies, remember she said as much to Daisy in the first episode, so I presumed Carson would also know. Maybe with Bates coming back, they have to chop Thomas out or there would be too many footmen, since Bates will go back to being valet, what will Thomas do? Seems there is some weird thing going on between Daisy, Irish and the two footmen which has to run its course so neither of those footmen will leave.

He would go to prison for homosexuality and would have a bad time of it there. If he faced that, I suppose he might consider suicide but he is been good so far at getting back on his feet, seems more of a fighter. I think he would be more likely to do a bunk if he knew what was coming.

[ZZZenAgain]

I did think that Molly, I thought exactly the same when he asked her to come and live with him and learn to run the farm.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

He took the cowardly way out of the trenches though, did Thomas. They do need to resolve the servants love lives, it is all a bit messy. Daisy may become a bit more attractive once it's known that she stand to take over the farm.

They do need to get rid of a male servant but I don't want it to be Thomas, neither of the footmen has much personality, I'd be happy to see one of them go. However I don't see how they can develop Thomas' story. I doubt if Jimmy would give him away even if he did try it on properly as he would also be tainted by it. I also think that in terms of storyline persecution of a homosexual would seem like a repetition of the Ethel storyline and a backwards step when they are making so much of being progressive at the moment.

I like the way that Isobel is more one of the family now, all that rivalry with Cora back in WWI seemed a bit contrived. I also love the way the Dowager Countesss is turning out to be far more sensitive and progressive than her son.

[Northernlurkerisbehindyouboo]

I agree Elizabeth Mcgovern has been fantastic.

Totally fed up with Bates though. I truly do not care whether he rots in jail or not as long as we don't have to see anymore of him.

Maybe he will return and horrify Anna by confessing after all.....

[Chubfuddler]

Maybe he'll kill Anna. Or Thomas. Perhaps it could segue dusk till dawn style from period drama to slasher horror.

[MamaMary]

Oh, I hope Daisy takes over the farm and becomes really wealthy. Will make all the mere servants jealous.

I've always liked Isabelle and I'm liking Edith a lot more this series. Agree that Cora's acting has improved.

Fed up with Bates, Mary and Matthew. Though Matthew's attempts to re-organise the estate might be interesting.

[HoratiaWinwood]

Much better episode, with more cracking acting.

Fatty is being a spoilt brat about the estate management. THIS PARTNERSHIP THING WAS YOUR IDEA, DICKWEED.

Dowager was funny about lying with Clarkson. We have had far too few scenes with just her and Fatty - her as a mother, rather than a MIL and matriarch IYSWIM. More please, she is far more interesting like this.

The Ethel lunch and Isabel being surprised by how good it was was funny too. I thought Fatty was going to assert himself more - it would have been interesting if he had involved Matthew, which logistically he should have tsk tsk. Would Matthew have agreed with Fatty and tried to give Mary orders, or would he have condoned his mother's ideas? He is a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, for all his modern farming ideas, and of course achingly middle-class, so I think realistically he would have been just as catsbum as Fatty. Opportunity missed.

I thought Daisy might become her own mother-in-law, yes. Good for her. Nice little tea shop for visiting DA staff. The thing about would DA be the same in forty years (1960s, ha!) was interesting too.

Now, forgive me if I am well off but didn't Fatty have some clandestine snogs with a maid in series one? The married/widowed one who left and was replaced by Ethel. I think he may actually be pissed off that he didn't get an opportunity to exercise his droit de seigneur and maybe she even tried to charge him because the look he gave her and the look she gave him ... Du lieber Gott!

[HoratiaWinwood]

Oh and obviously Tom is being set up to run the farm so baby Syb can be brought up under the grandparents' eye.

And thank fuck we have come to the end of the prison scenes. I'd like to point out that his conviction is unsafe and we don't have double jeopardy so he can't be retried until we find the incontrovertible evidence that Bates definitely dunnit.

[Moln]

Mrs Padmore certainly knows that Thomas is homosexual. Don't think Carson does though - he'd be horrified. A homosexual valet never!!!! He's far too stuck in his ways to accept it. I wouldn't be surprised it the storyline will be bumped along by Carson's mighty disapproval of Thomas if he makes a move on Jimmy

Mrs Padmore is all knowing though - with her comment about everyone being in love with the wrong people.

Don't think Daisy will become her own mother in low. I do think that Daisy's Dead Husband's Father genuinely likes her as a daughter.

[Animation]

Don't know if I'm reading it wrong but the dead husband's father seems a bit creepy to me - like he might try to kiss her.

[LittleWhiteWolf]

I thought he was just lonely, Mr Mason that is. I love the idea that Daisy could move to the farm and become super farmer extrodanaire with own tea shop.

The tiny scene with M&M holding Sybil II bugged me. Was no point to it, aside a great big foreshadowing moment to say that they will have her and raise her

Feel a bit like Cora was cheated and I've loved her this series, the way she welcomed Tom for Sybil's sake and of course last episode.

[ppeatfruit]

I had the idea that Daisy will actually fall for her FIL While they run the farm together.

[ScorpionQueen]

I thought the scene with M&M holding the baby was to show how much they wanted to have one of their own.

Is it really nearly the end of the series? My Sunday nights will not be the same.

[Chubfuddler]

I won't have suggestions mr mason has designs on daisy. He is an innocent plot device kindly sort who feels immense affection for a girl who made his son happy in his dying moments.

[Merrin]

I think they are setting Daisy up to not get the farm and Wulliam's Dad said she would be 'sure' to get the tenancy. Then a bit later we find that Pickle has a farming background. Bit of wrangling over farms in the next series methinks.

[SlanketySlank]

I agree with scorpion about the baby holding scene, Mary looked a bit emotional to me as she held the baby. I think it was supposed to show how much they wanted a baby of their own.
I can't really imagine Daisy with the farm...think Merrin may be right.
Lord G was annoying in this episode, really arrogant. I'm glad Bates is getting out of jail although I was rather hoping his cellmate would do him in as I'm a bit sick of him!
Thomas is going to leave I think, O'Brian is setting it all up. Lord G will find out he's gay and sack him or Jimmy'll go to the police or something.

[StillIRise]

Poor poor Cora.

I think Pickle will get the run down farm and have sheep.

Bates will confess to anna once he is out.

M&M won't be able to have their own and are going to offer hard cash for giant baby sybil.

[ppeatfruit]

Giant baby sybil

[IAmSheWhoMustBeObeyed]

giant baby Sybil.
Maybe Thomas is one of the actors who has got a film lined up? I would miss him though as agree the other two are not as strong.
Would like to see Daisy running her farm. Ivy can take her place in the kitchen. Feeling depressed by the return of Bates.

[MoetEtPantsOn]

Yes I also came on to say that the M&M baby scene is the precursor to the inevitable M&M can't have kids storyline. as well as the inevitable turning up of the presumed dead other heir in India

I might change my user name to GiantBabySybil

[ppeatfruit]

Other interesting thing is where is the wet nurse who has done such a grand job with GBS ? Hiding in a cupboard obviously!!