Downton Abbey anyone

[CMP69]

Or am I just an old gimmer with a period drama fetish

[VeeAndTea]

I was shrieking "tell him" at the telly, last time I did that was in the sopranos.

[ZZZenagain]

I thought that was a good episode too but heck Anna. Wasn't expecting that.

I hope the new ladies maid will be a replacement for Edna but it looks like she'll be a replacement for Anna. If Anna can no longer both live with and work with Bates, how is this going to work? She lives with him but does not work there anymore (he will surely notice a change in marital relations). She keeps her job but moves out of their house and stays in DA itself (this would be very strange for those days). Possibly she leaves altogether and goes to work for someone else (Rose maybe if she moves on).

[valiumredhead]

Just caught up-blimey that was really good and so shocking

[phantomnamechanger]

I know Martha, her having to put on a polite voice and not panic or waver. him bastard smirking to himself knowing she could not say anything.

much as I found it disturbing, I feel compelled to watch on and see how this pans out, I hope evil valet somehow gets his just desserts and anna and bates can live happily ever after.

[VeeAndTea]

Martha, me too

I think that scenes like that should be shocking and leave the viewer reeling.

[MarthasHarbour]

I also found it shocking viewing but expertly produced and acted. The bit i actually found poignant was when she said goodbye to Gillingham. I could just feel her pain saying it and having to be civil

[VeeAndTea]

I'm new to DA and was at last nights episode, I agree that JF is a brilliant actress, I've always bee an big fan.

Mary's a bit wooden, though I don't know if that's the character or the actress.

[thelittlemothersucker]

Bates and Thomas can do evil valet in, and Molesley can have his job.

Poor Anna

[BlueChampagne]

Hope Anna confides in Mary, who still owes her big time after Pamuk. Maybe another cause for Mrs Crawley?

[boogiewoogie]

Didn't expect that to happen to Anna at all. In my opinion, she won't tell Bates because she's ashamed of what happened and she was warned against him prior to that, she will probably feel guilt for being friendly with the valet and therefore thinks she's to blame, she wants to protect her husband. In the preview for next week, she talks to Bates about working and living together being too much so I think she may leave.

Joanne Froggat has had several projects going and her profile is rising so I wouldn't be surprised if she left DA through this story line.

Anna will become pregnant, I think she may make excuses to leave Bates and go somewhere to bear the child or she may even kill herself. The series 4 trailer shows Bates in tears in the corridor, likely due to Anna's departure.

I don't think that Tom and Edna had a one night stand. She spiked his drink no doubt. She may have just slept undressed next to him until the morning to trick him into thinking that they did it. Either way, she's a manipulative bitch! Is it just me or does she remind anybody else of a skinless sphinx cat?

[MamaMary]

Agree that Anna is one of the best actors. I also think Edith is consistently good and miles better than Mary.

I can't help thinking about a young girl I know through work who was raped last week. She was off work all week. I imagine her watching this to try to take her mind off things, and then... :(

I'm not sure how I feel about it because of that. It's certainly upset me a lot.

[BeCool]

It was a traumatic twist but I feel like DA is now back to being a 'proper' drama.

What DA does best (apart from looking splendid) is really show what a woman's lot was in these times - whether she was aristocrat, a kitchen maid, a married woman, a widow, a fallen woman etc.

I don't think she didn't tell Bates because she was 'flirting' with him. I think she didn't tell because woman didn't tell (and indeed many today still don't). Because she would no doubt be blamed, and looked upon as damaged. People will view her and treat differently, gossip and snigger about it. Plus she would be afraid of losing her H if he did go after her attacker.

[BoffinMum]

Actually if it explores the horrific reality of rape in the 1920s before women had the support they get now, it would be interesting and useful viewing. Obviously she is going to have to see that valet regularly whenever Gillingham calls, with all sorts of consequences. In storyline terms it's like Nigel's fall off the roof in the Archers.

[Chubfuddler]

The actress who plays Anna has been one of the consistently best actors in the whole thing since day 1. Some of the bigger stars occasionally lapse into "star turn I am now going through the motions". She never slips for a second.

[MadBusLady]

I did feel like I was watching a proper drama again after a really slow and clunky start. Think they could probably have merged the first two episodes into one really.

[KatyTheCleaningLady]

I thought it was the best episode of Downton Abbey, yet. It had a more relaxed pace, with only a couple of real story lines instead of a dozen and there were no real "clunks." I didn't mind the rape being in the story, although it certainly shocked me. I was surprised that they actually went through with it rather than have someone rescue her. I thought her acting was excellent, with her scene in Mrs Hughes' office very powerful.

[LineRunner]

I'm not sure I'll be watching again.

Fellowes doing rape as entertainment made me feel tainted and pissed off.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

It must be a fashionable editing technique at the moment. There was a good example in the last series of Call the Midwife, cutting the girls getting ready for a dance with a backstreet abortion.

[tribpot]

I watched it on catch-up and didn't hear the warning. A very unpleasant, violent scene not at all in the style of Downton.

[BoffinMum]

Still shocked at Downton episode last night. So dark. So Clockwork Orange, opera and rape at the same time.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

What was Moseley doing back ?

[GeorginaWorsley]

Can't see Anna having back street abortion
She would have to have baby and have constant reminder...
But baby could be Bates'

[cory]

The whole juxtaposition beautiful lighthearted singing whilst vicious rape is going on by the side was very operatic, straight out of Verdi rather than Puccini.

Not sure we should let Fellowes go to the opera, it's plotlines are hardly suited to the 21st century.

Next thing we know Anna is going to be chopped into bits and left in a sack by the murderer (Moseley? he needs a new job) employed by the adoring Bates who mistakes her for Mr Nasty Valet. La maledizio-o-one!

[Northernlurker]

I think they've been married quite a while. Bates was arrested at the end of the second series wasn't he? And they got married right before that so that at leats they were married if they got hung for a crime he knew he hadn't committed but hey - looking on the bright side there.....then Anna was going to go to America with Lady M to get over him being hung but then Lady M got enaged to Matthew in the Christmas special (the good one, with snow and no car accidents) and didn't go which was ok because Bates didn't get hung either. So what's that - 2-3 years?