Ellen Terry has nothing on Mr. Fellowes when it comes to stringing
out this mishap with the Bates’ and Mr. Green’s investigation. It seems as
though this has been going on for an eternity though we’ve only endured it for
four episodes. We were first introduced to the inquisitive police officer in
episode 2 as he begins his quest with superficial questions that hardly warrant
the trip to the abbey to begin with. Each subsequent return involves
questioning Bates, then a return to question Carson, then a return to question
Anna and Lady Mary. Though this would logically be the course of action taken,
it seems we’re being subjected to a play by play of events each episode, save
some coverage of the detectives’ meals and bedtime rituals. Thankfully they had
the presence of mind to interview both Mary and Anna at the same time so we
could be one step closer to wherever this is leading us (which, thanks to the
foresight afforded to me by UK airing spoilers, I know what is coming, I’m just
not sure how or when and I’m tired of waiting).
Of course, waiting is a foreign concept to Edith, who has
pushed and pushed to force her way back into little Daffodil’s life, in spite
of numerous warnings from Mr. Drew on behalf of his miffed wife. Against common
sense, Edith took Rosamund down for a visit to the Drew farm and shoved Mrs.
Drew from thoroughly annoyed to positively pissed. Drew admits to his poorly
executed plan we criticized from episode 2 and emphasized (for a third time)
that Edith should keep her distance at the risk of the family moving away to
avoid her. While I can’t slight the woman for her desperation with this child,
I just want to kick her, for I can’t help but feel if she had given them a
little space to breathe, perhaps the issue could have been approached a
different way after the Mrs. calmed down to benefit everyone. But Edith has the
impulsivity of a 7 year old with ADHD annnnd she blew it. Poor, poor Edith. But
she’s hatching a plan that will undoubtedly result in uprooting (no pun
intended) the little flower child, and giving this kid a lifetime worth of
therapy for being ripped from two families before her 3rd birthday.
Speaking of therapy, let’s not forget Thomas’ ongoing
treatments which have left him looking slightly more ghoulish than before and
on the verge of collapse. Finally confirmation was given that he’s trying to,
ahem, straighten himself out (this review’s getting punnier by the minute) and
while many have noted his sickly appearance, only one has and continues to
reach out with support. Not that he deserves it after his manipulative scheme
fell flat on its face, but Baxter has been the epitome of forgive and forget as
she tries to break through Barrow’s defenses and knock some sense into him.
Sadly, in spite of his previous whimperings of having no friends, Thomas swats
Baxter away and continues to scheme against the Bates’, securing his place as
the most hated man in Downton.
Correction: The most hated man downstairs in Downton. The
title of the most hated man upstairs was bequeathed to Mr. Bricker, whom after
weeks of flirting, finally made his move in a most Turkish way by creeping into
Cora’s room while Lord Donk was believed to be gone for the evening. His
attempts to seduce Cora were slightly less successful than Mr. Pamuk with Mary,
and Lord Donk returned early to find the creeper in his chambers. After Bricker
essentially spoke the truth about Donk’s emotional negligence towards Cora,
Donk’s fist called an unscheduled meeting with Bricker’s teeth and the two
brawled. The noise prompted Edith to inquire after their well-being through a
closed door, and Cora to conjure an excuse that a parent may have sputtered out
when their child walked in on them making whoopee: “we were just playing a
silly game.” Of what, leap frog?? Either way Bricker is asked to leave and Donk
refuses to speak to Cora even though she maintained that Bricker came on his
own accord. Now granted, Cora had kind of played along in the game with
Bricker, and only haplessly put off his advancements, but the reality is at the
end of the night, she refused him. So I can only wonder if Lord Donk’s silence
was an expression of his anger towards her, or his silent reflection of the
time he actually did cheat on his wife and made out with the housemaid, Jane and
paid for the kid’s education. Remember her? Yeah, set down that first stone,
donkey boy.
Caught in their own ongoing love triangle, Blake devises a meeting
between Mary and the rejected Mabel Fox to try and pawn Tony back onto Mabel
and relieve Mary of his Ike Turner anger issues. Mabel didn’t take too kindly
to the plan and though they were only on screen for a moment, I relished the
exchange between the two ladies. Michelle spared no aristocratic attitude on
Tony’s former fiancée. It was back to the drawing table for Blake and Mary, but
really I don’t understand the waste in effort and energy; Tony slept with Mary.
Given her past record with lovers, the dude’s going to be dead within the next
month anyways.
Though Tony’s death could resolve a few issues, the death of
an aunt only brought about more for Mrs. Patmore when she received a tidy sum
of money as an inheritance. Unsure of how to invest, she first sought out Mr.
Out of Touch Carson, who reveled in the moment, though Mrs. Hughes tried her
best to put him off. In an effort to appear up with the times, Carson consulted
with Lord Donk on the down low and passed the advice to Mrs. Patmore. Taking
advice from the Lord who bankrupted himself and the abbey with poor investments
in the past seems to me a bad idea, and Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore agreed
side-stepping Carson’s suggestion was probably ideal, and worked their womanly
magic to appease the man through the let-down.
Another let-down was Tom’s refusal to fight for Sarah
Bunting when she left. Though my mother cheered on her departure, I had hoped
that the poor widower had finally found love, and was disappointed to see he
couldn’t muster the huevos to make her stay. But I must admit, there may have
been a hint of maturity in his decision that I simply refuse to see because I
really, really wanted this to happen. Damn you Branson. Damn you. But love may
still conquer all, or at least misguided unlucky in love youngsters as Rose may
have met her prince charming, Atticus. Not the southern lawyer dude, the former
part Russian kind of Jewish totally sexy dude. Well, I’m assuming he’s sexy, as
I don’t suspect I’m a good source of reference on sexy men.
Sidebar: There’s a nudist colony in Essex. Michelle is from
Essex. Can I expect a nude Michelle in the next episode or any following
episodes this season? Please? Julian?
No comments:
Post a Comment