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.

"Cherie Blair and her 'contraceptive device" - not something I ever hoped to read or think about!!

I assumed it was a chemist rather than the village shop? And also that it was not just in the village or Anna would have been recognised.

Yes very odd that Lord G asked the staff their opinion on the wireless broadcast.

I think I muttered "WTF?!" several times during this last episode. Bit disappointing really.

JF missed a trick.

He could have had anna being recognised & Bates going into a fury about who she must be seeing

Yes, or Bates going into a fury that she is trying to avoid having DCs with him, then push her under the wheels of the teacher's motor vehicle. Gosford Park was on last night so had a little look, obviously the dry run for DA. But, as I've said before, it's a film of two halves and the second half is ludicrous with Stephen Fry as the comedy cop

I always thought that Mrs Blair's contraceptive 'apparatus' was a Persona machine. She is Catholic, no? So would not be able to use a diaphragm. I was using a Persona at the time and thought it seemed to fit the bill as a non barrier apparatus, as it is basically the rhythm method and therefore friendly to strict Catholics.

On the other hand I thought it was a condom that Anna bought for Mary?

Whatever it is, Mary has the manual so hopefully won't need the instruction leaflet.

If I was Cora I'd be slipping some tranquillisers into Lord 6's cocoa and sneaking into Richard E Grant's room like a shot.

Hello < late to the thread>

I just watched, God it was dire, wasn't it? It's almost panto these days

I presumed it was a diaphragm or a sponge she bought from the chemist.

Odd, isn't it? It must be the attraction of soap-like job security without the burdens of an actual soap. Perhaps they get paid really well. Maybe some of them are on a profit-sharing deal - DA does brilliantly abroad and there are tons of spin-offs like books and DA knick-knacks and jewellery to buy.

The show certainly attracts big name guest stars but I can see why Siobhan Finneran and Dan Stevens jumped. He's got his budding Hollywood career and she's at a different stage but she's never going to be hard up for work. She's a miles better actor than him btw.

I can't understand why Hugh Bonneville puts up with his character. He's a big star and a good actor. You'd think he'd have input. Maybe he doesn't care. I'd find it humiliating to play that character. His stupidity isn't funny and he's not interestingly nasty. If they made more of the fact that he's a man out of time it would be interesting and tragic, but they don't. He's just dull.

I think Lord 6 needs a friend. It seems odd that a man of his class doesn't have an old chum from school or the House of Lords to gamble for swathes of land with and go on roistering boys' trips to the races. No wonder it's going all Ted and Ralph between him and Carson.

I do like Brendan Coyle though. I've met him and he's a lot of fun.

I really like him in Starlings. He's got a gift for comedy-drama and the show's well-written. I find his character completely uncreepy and almost attractive in a pudgy Everyman kind of way. I said almost .

Whenever I see Bates I get the impression that he's sending it up.

I also really liked Lesley Nichol and Sophie McShera. Rob Collier is fine and so was Dan Stevens. Allen Leech seems to be turning into the ambassador for the show in press conferences, he's really on the ball and sharp without being spiteful.

Jim Carter is a luvvie. Luckily he's teamed with Phyllis Logan on junkets, who's not.

Hugh Bonneville is terribly grand.

My Greek side of the family know more about DA than I do, they are addicted

I do wonder if the actors have any input.

i still think that the Gregson/edith thing wouldn't have happened.

He seemed too respectful tbh, and he's married with no guarantee of a divorce!

limited I am very impressed by your knowledge! I don't know the actor's names though apart from a few of the obvious ones...

I want the Gregson mystery to have a very pro-Edith outcome, a really good reason for his disappearance etc.

Green died after being run over by a bus. I don't understand what new information a new witness could provide that the bus driver couldn't? If he was pushed then the person who pushed him would have been seen.

Just caught up.

I reckon the policeman next week might be a red herring. I think Mrs H thinks he's there to ask about the bus-pushing incident, but he's actually there to suss out Green's history as a rapist.

(Although admittedly I can't think why - if Green's dead they presumably can't do anything for his victims.)

I wonder where/how Mary got her Marie Stopes book?

Probably from Lady Whoever' daughter, who was making Mary blush last week

Well I must admit i haven't seen this ep yet & it sounds such utter drivel that I won't waste my time!

Did upper class girls in the 1920s call their grandmother Granny? It's always jarred with me. Surely she'd have been Grandmother or Grandmama? I know their mother is American but Violet is very very British.

IIRC they call Cora's mother grandmama.

Prince William etc call the Queen Granny. If it's good enough for her I imagine it's ok for Maggie Smith

Lady Rose still needs a trip to the orthodontist. Daisy is paid to cook not learn maths "at the busiest time of the day", surely that would never have been allowed.

Well I enjoyed that episode - although am relatively new to watching downton.

Violet recovered well there defending Mary to Spratt

Well done violet! What was spratt doing in Liverpool then?

What will happen to Mary?!