The Spectre of Death will visit Downton Abbey once again. I’m sorry, did I say Spectre of Death? I meant a baby. Edith is pregnant! And not pleased about it! Which makes sense because she’s unmarried and pregnant by a married man who is now missing somewhere in Germany. And an infant means she has a 50% chance of living. If I was Edith, I might be a little more encouraged by Gregson’s disappearance since it gives her a fighting chance.
It’s Lord Grantham’s birthday. What do you get the man who has everything that is constantly on the brink of bankruptcy? Why, surprise him with a jazz band with an African American singer! Then make out with the singer downstairs in the servant’s area. Not sure if that second part was actually a part of Rose’s surprise for the party but it certainly surprised Mary to see Rose and Jack Ross intertwined. Mary handled it well. I guess she thought, “She without a dead Turk in her bed cast the first stone.” (I do love a Pamuk reference.)
Mary is also contending with Mr. Blake, Napier’s boss who is doing the study on estates. Mary doesn’t like that Blake doesn’t care about the estate owners and Blake thinks she’s entitled. Napier thinks those two kids are a lot alike. We shall see if Blake is the one that makes Mary get over Matthew. (Which reminds me of the lovely scene in the nursery with Isobel, Mary and Branson swapping stories about their Crawley true loves.)
Anna and Bates had a Date Night! They go to a fancy hotel restaurant where a snooty maitre d’ “loses” their reservation. Cora happens to be there and saves the day. The Bates’ have a nice dinner, trying to forget the attack but Anna is having a hard time. “Everything is shadowed,” she says at some point. At dinner, Bates tells her that he feels horrible that he wasn’t there to protect her. Cora overhears this and later tells Mary that she thinks Anna was hurt. Baxter overhears this convo but is told not to say anything. She reluctantly tells Thomas. Baxter is already feeling bad about “telling tales”.
Last week, I would have bet money that Spratt was the one stealing from the Dowager Countess. I am wrong. And so is Violet. She fires Pegg the gardener because she was convinced that he stole a letter opener and a netsuke. (What’s a netsuke? Let’s look it up: “a small and often intricately carved toggle [as of wood or ivory] used to fasten a small container to a kimono sash.” Thank you, Merriam-Webster app.) Isobel loses her shit over Pegg’s firing and confronts DC. While there, Spratt finds the netsuke but Violet still thinks Pegg could have stolen the knife. “How you hate to be wrong,” says Isobel. DC retorts, “I wouldn’t know. I’m not familiar with the sensation.” Later, Isobel feigns faintness to search DC’s sitting room. She finds the letter opener down in the cushion of a chair, “Eureka.” She gives it to Spratt to give to Violet. Isobel then drags the doctor with her to insist on rehiring Pegg. Too late! Violet already apologized to Pegg and rehired him. “I would say ‘Game. Set. Match’ to Lady Grantham,” says the doctor who probably shouldn’t try to propose to Isobel again anytime soon.
Jimmy gets a bit handsy with Ivy on their date. She pushes him off and Jimmy says something about “repayment for the movies” or something stupid like that. Methinks that’s done. To make it worse Ivy now starts saying how Alfred wouldn’t do that to her which makes Daisy see spots. You see, Alfred receives a new letter saying that someone dropped out of the chef apprenticeship and so he’s accepted. Alfred says goodbye to Daisy and says it never would have worked out for them. So yeah, Daisy tells off Ivy because she thinks if Ivy noticed how nice Alfred was from the beginning all this hurt wouldn’t have happened. Ivy doesn’t get it.
Maybe the new footman will provide some eye-candy for the kitchen ladies? Or maybe it will be Moseley so no. Yes, Carson finally relents and hires Moseley to be footman. “We’ll have to call him…what’s his name?” Carson asks Mrs. Hughes. “I don’t know…Joseph?” While serving upstairs, Moseley tells everyone to call him Joseph. “I don’t think I can manage that,” says Violet.
What else did I learn from Part Five? The Crawley’s are getting into the pig farming business. Cora’s brother is in hot financial water. Mrs. Patmore gets the shivers from Valentino (Carson: “That’s a very disturbing thought”). Lord Grantham uses the word “skedaddle”. And Bates says the truest thing ever to his wife: “Your husband’s a brooder.” No. Kidding.
