Some things right off the bat:
- Poor Edith! If it’s any consolation, I liked your dress better than Mary’s.
- Are all of the Swire clan incredibly selfless and forgiving? Because at this rate, Lavinia’s second cousin will appear with a knitted sweater for Matthew.
- Tonight’s episode should have been subtitled, “Who told you that?”
Yep, Thomas told Moseley that O’Brien was leaving so Moseley asked Cora if he can recommend someone for the job. Needless to say it gets back to O’Brien leaving Moseley sputtering his apologies (Side note: I really want all the staff to sigh, “Oh Moseley!” in unison at some point.) O’Brien then gives a lovely little “Watch your back. Don’t know when, don’t know how. But it will happen.” warning to Thomas. Methinks he’s a little scared. Love it. Not sure who to root for yet though…
Meanwhile, Carson tricks Mrs. Patmore into revealing Mrs. Hughes’ cancer scare. He even tells Cora that Mrs. Hughes is ill. (Wow, Lady Grantham is hearing all the things she shouldn’t be, isn’t she?) Cora responds with a lovely offering of support for Mrs. Hughes. Thankfully, Mrs. Hughes will be OK. (Side note: I’m assuming this storyline is now resolved. So Season 3 is continuing the Season 2 tradition of “Let’s keep it moving!” Because where was Shirely MacLaine? Was last week it for her? “Thanks, Shirl. Move along!”)
Lavinia! Take a drink.
Matthew gets a letter from Lavinia’s deceased father. He can’t bring himself to open it because he just knows that the father didn’t know about the breakup with his daughter and it’s all wrong because the Law of Nobility states that one must be miserable. Well, Mary wasn’t having it and she opened the letter. Of course the father knew all about it but since Matthew is so swell, he listed him as an heir anyway. Damned if Matthew didn’t insinuate that Mary wrote the letter herself! He did a gentlemanly back-pedal but still thinks it’s a forgery because how could Lavinia send a letter while coughing up Spanish flu blood? Turns out she did and Daisy posted it. Matthew offers the inheritance to Lord Grantham to save Downton Abbey but LG insists that it is an investment and that he and Matthew are co-Masters of DA. I’m sure that’s going to turn out great!
Edith. I cried. I really did when Strallen called off the wedding AT THE ALTER! I mean, it wasn’t going to be the most passionate marriage (I believe the “Good Afternoon” when Edith met Anthony at the alter was a big indication) but she was OK with that. It was so sad when he called it off. Crying on her bed and saying things like, “You two [Mary and Sybil] with your husbands!” And then when she was dragging herself out of bed saying, “Spinsters get up for breakfast”? Ugh! Downton Abbey, get Edith some lovin’. Preferably with someone her own age and not married and not recently an amnesiac/possible con artist.
What else did I learn from Part 2? Anna met with EVIL Mrs. Bates’ friend who corroborates the whole “I’m scared of Bates” story. Bates’ cellmate is trying to get him in trouble. Little does he know that he’s dealing with Bates! And finally, the Dowager Countess had these things to say:
“Because I want the pleasure of saying I told you so.”
“At my age, one must ration one’s excitement.”
And in regards to the food from the wedding: “If the poor don’t want it, bring it over to me.”
