Downton Abbey season 5, episode 2 just finished airing on ITV, and change is still definitely the flavor of the moment on our favorite period drama.
From the ashes…
Cleanup begins in Lady Edith’s room following the fire, and the staff makes quick work of salvaging what is left of her belongings. One of them being the photograph of newborn Marigold that Edith tucked under her pillow, before throwing Gregson’s German primer in a fit of pique. Anna passes it to Mrs Hughes, and the look on their faces is one of dawning comprehension.
Meanwhile, Carson and Lord Grantham head down into the village to scope out a potential location for the war memorial. The first suggestion? The local cricket pitch. Robert is resistant, to no one’s surprise, but what is surprising is that Carson doesn’t agree with him. Both he, and one of the female committee members believe that the memorial should be a garden, where people can quietly contemplate and remember the dead. There’s certainly going to be some convincing needed on either side to come to an amicable agreement.
Back at the house, Jimmy and Barrow have a tearful goodbye. Jimmy may not have felt as strongly for Barrow as Barrow did for him, but they were good friends, and they wish each other happiness in their respective lives. We’ll admit that we got a little choked up. The warm-and-fuzzy feelings didn’t last long, however, as Barrow was soon up to his old tricks. Not content with his attempts at ruining Baxter’s livelihood, he’s now moving in on her budding relationship with the only footman left at Downton.
Elsewhere on the estate, Lady Edith returns to the Drewe’s farmhouse to see her daughter, and what follows is the most awkward attempt at giving Edith an ‘excuse’ to be around Marigold. Mr. Drewe suggests that Edith might like to be godmother to the young girl, though she technically already has one, and Mrs. Drewe isn’t buying their shoe-horned plans for one second. She definitely doesn’t trust Edith’s intentions. It’s only a matter of time before it all blows up in their faces.
Bump in the road
Mrs. Hughes and Carson have their relationship ups and downs this week. Whilst lamenting that Lord Grantham wants a stone memorial in the center of the village, he notices that Mrs. Hughes isn’t advocating for his idea, and it comes to light that she agrees with His Lordship. Trouble in paradise? Carson makes a point of saying that he doesn’t like when they’re not on the same side, and our hearts skipped a beat.
The Dowager Countess’ plans to derail Lord Merton from pursing Isobel also took a sharp turn this week, when he invited both ladies to tea. It is becoming increasingly clear that this is a case of ‘the lady doth protest too much,’ as it appears Isobel Crawley isn’t quite as unaffected by Lord Merton’s advances as she’d like people to believe. Much to Violet’s dismay. There was some epic eyebrow-raising over their teacups.
After stirring up scandal at the dinner table last week, Miss Bunting returns to the house, but not for more chit-chat over tea. She’s there to teach Daisy mathematics, at Mrs. Patmore’s request. Daisy is definitely a lot cheerier about her studies this week than last, but when an invitation to dinner is extended to Miss Bunting, she respectfully declines, not wanting to antagonise Lord Grantham any further. Which is more than can be said for the Lord himself, who is a little more grim in his assertions about her. Time to put those claws away, Robert.
Barrow’s earlier words manage to cast a niggling doubt in Molesley’s mind about Baxter, and it drives a wedge in their relationship. He doesn’t want to believe anything ill of her, even after she confirms that Barrow’s story is true, and seems determined to get to the ‘why’ of Baxter’s thievery. There’s certainly more to the tale than she’s letting on, and we want to know the whole truth just as badly — if only so Barrow doesn’t win, for once.
That’s my… dog?
Hotel Downton played host to a familiar face this week in the form of Mary’s other potential suitor, Charles Blake. We were glad to see his return, though he informs Mary quite quickly that he’s not there to persuade her away from Lord Gillingham. He wants nothing more than her happiness, and has a very frank discussion with her about wanting Mary to be absolutely sure about taking Gillingham as her husband. And yes, he was talking about sex. Damn, Mr. Blake.
Charles brought another friend along with him on this visit in the form of Art Historian Simon Bricker, who certainly has an eye for beauty. And just which Downton beauty could he barely tear his gaze away from? Well, it wasn’t the painting he was there for, and definitely not Isis, as the unobservant Lord Grantham assumed. Simon Bricker took a particular shine to Lady Cora, and made no secret of his intentions toward her. Do we sense trouble on the horizon for Cora and Robert’s marriage?
‘Ello, ‘ello
Down in the village, Carson and Robert look over a spot of grass opposite the church, which is where Lord Grantham believes the war memorial is more suited. They run into a villager, who passes by the spot often on her way to the store, allowing her son a moment to stop at his father’s grave to speak with him — a man who lost his life during the war. She doesn’t want him to ever forget his father, and what he died for. This, finally, wins Carson over to the idea, and puts him and Mrs. Hughes back on the same page.
Lady Rose’s newest passion project comes to fruition in the dying moments of the episode, after tempting Lord Grantham with a broadcasted speech by the King, and the entire household listens to the newly installed (though temporarily rented) wireless. Though one noticeable absence was Lady Mary, who went away to Liverpool to meet with Lord Gillingham for her week of sin and debauchery. Armed with the contraceptives that she sent Anna for, and booked into a fancy hotel, they finally lock lips between their connected rooms. Gillingham has some very ambitious intentions for their time together, which involves very little sleep.
The episode closes out with a police officer wanting to talk to Carson about Lord Gillingham’s former valet, Mr. Green. It turns out that there was a witness to the accident that took his life, which may not be quite so accidental after all…