Downton Abbey

[Vintagejazz]

I believe it's back on Sunday. Hurray!

I really hope though that they focus more on Edith and less on Mary and her boring, all look the samey, suitors.

I don't understand why Thomas still has it in for Bates when it's thanks to Bates' intervention that he's still at Downton. Also what is hoping to achieve? He's been promoted to under-butler. Does he want to go back to being a valet?

I find the historical inaccuracy really grating. The servants being all chummy with the 'upstairs' lot just never happened to the extent that it is portrayed in Downton.

For example when the Earl of Grantham was having that row with the stroppy teacher - the butler, Carson, stepped in and practically joined the conversation. He simply wouldn't have done that, no way, it wasn't allowed.

I've decided that the only way I can enjoy it is if I pretend that it all happened in another dimension where different rules apply!

I thought that was a continuation of the "times have changed" theme Iconfuseus. He wouldn't have done that in previous series.

I can't remember, does Gillingham know something about Bates and the dead rapist valet? Didn't Mary find out about Bates's trip to London and say something to him?

My favourite random line was Lady Mary announcing to Lord 6 and Cora: 'Now I have to go upstairs and take off my hat.'

I guessed there'd be a fire when the farmer's wife told Edith apropos of nothing that her husband was now a part time fireman.

How remarkably trusting is the farmer's wife btw? He arrives with a baby that he says is some woman's that she doesn't know and she just raises the child with no other questions. It's not like he's come home from the pub with a puppy.

And then a woman, with the same hair colour as the child, which the farmer's wife actually mentions, comes round regularly for no particular reason and plays with the girl while ignoring the other children.

Then the wife says to her husband that she thinks the other woman fancies him and doesn't think: 'Hang on, a minute. Is that her kid? And more importantly, is it his?'

I know Marigold isn't his, but you'd think it, wouldn't you?

And as Daisy is being groomed as a cook, she would have been taught how to budget already. They wouldn't think she was getting above herself, it would be essential.

There have been storylines where it's clear Mrs Patmore is in control of her budget - when Thomas got conned buying the black market food and when Mrs Patmore and Mrs Hughes were sneaking food to the underprivileged - it was Molesley, wasn't it? Or Slutmaid?

I need to know what it was that Gregson got Edith to sign before he left.

Yes, Mary knew about Bates' trip to London I think. Also didn't Mrs Hughes find a train ticket in a coat he was giving away to charity, in the Christmas episode? I just hope they don't build this up into another whodunit, court case story. I think we've seen enough of Bates languishing in prison and Anna being the distraught but brave wife. The rape plot was a really jarring storyline in my opinion and added nothing to the last series.

YY I agree about Carson chipping in Iconfuseus. If Lord 6 was annoyed about the teacher and Ramsay MacDonald he'd be furious at getting Carson's two penn'orth. Especially since Carson was riding to his rescue, how humiliating would that be?

Carson is so proper all the time he wouldn't butt in anyway. I also think the staff would wonder who the hell the teacher thought she was, coming down and patronising them.

limitedperiodonly I was frustrated by the farmers wife as well, totally ridiculous that she wouldn't say anything about the baby in the first place and then some random women from the posh house turning up every few days to see her!

A bit of paper.

Stop it Kez, this is important

Power of attorney ?

I need to know what it was that Gregson got Edith to sign before he left.

Maybe it'll turn out to be the piece of paper Neville Chamberlain comes back with from Mr Hitler.

I think Uncle Julian has sowed the seeds of a slow-burning plotline where it turns out that Hitler is a puppet, and Lady Edith is pulling his strings and is in fact the real megalomaniac intent on world domination and genocide.

And it all turns out to be because Lady Mary has always been beastly to her.

I like downton abbey, but it looks like we are in for yet another series of Mary and her suitors, Edith being miserable, sybil/rose being controversial, daisy self doubting, mr bates the murderer, mrs Hughes being wise but kind and Thomas being an a hole.

Surely Julian fellowes is capable of more?

It's a good job Dan Stevens left otherwise JF would have been stuck for storylines!

I don't know how far ahead the series has been planned to go. If ITV decided to axe it at the end of this series we might never find out about Edith's manfriend. When did he vanish? Was it after the war?

It was after the war. He went to Germany to get a divorce from his mad wife and mysteriously disappeared.

I just looked for it on catch up-it's not there!

I saw it on ITVplayer - is that the same thing?

I will watch it on ITVPlayer tonight

Edith signed a power of attorney that made her acting editor while he was away, I think - she mentioned it in the last series as she had to go to London to the newspaper offices as she 'had to start making some decisions'.

Not entirely sure she was qualified for the job - I rather wonder what the rest of the staff thought!

Bloody hate the schoolteacher and her whiny voice

Bloody thrilled Downton is back though

So, if she's Editor of a big London Newspaper, why has she got nothing to do?!

Can someone please explain the "Lord 6" thing to me? I have worked out you mean Lord Grantham but can't work out why!

limitedperiodonly, yes, that's what you'd think in the adoptive mother of marigold's shoes, that your 'uzbund 'ud 'ad un affair with the lady.