Downton Abbey: Downton Abbey, Season 5, Episode 4
January 25, 2015 10:38 PM - Season 5, Episode 4 - Subscribe
Breakups! Breakups for everybody! And awkward declarations of love that aren't returned, awkwardly! Oh, you English!
Number of breakups in this episode:
* Shrimpie and Susan, mercifully, even if that's a career and social life ender for them both. (Delighted that Susan wasn't back, though I thought Shrimpie was their blood relative instead of Susan? Wasn't he acquiring that silly nickname in the nursery?)
* Mary and Tony: though he flat out refuses to be broken up with and looks like he's going to cry whore if she doesn't marry him. So that went well.
* Sarah Bunting and Lord Grantham: he finally hits his screaming limit with her at the dinner table and everyone wonders why the hell Tom keeps dating her.
Number of awkward declarations of love: 2: Bricker to Cora and Merton to Isobel. No word from the ladies as yet. Isobel is"considering."
Number of ladies having awkward feelings about other people: 3: Violet about the Russian she almost ran off with, and Edith for (a) not taking "no" for an answer regarding Marigold, and (b) those brown shirted toughs going on trial in Germany. And Mrs. Patmore is still upset about Archie.
Number of cops seen going after Mr. Green's murderer, YET AGAIN: 2: the same old cop who never leaves Donwton and the plainclothes one stalking Lord Gillingham's who notes Anna dropping off a note for him at Mary's request.
Number of awkward ex-run-ins: 2 for Mary, of a sort: she both hangs out with Charles Blake AGAIN and he is on a date with the infamous Miss Lane Fox. Who is so saucy to Mary that clearly Tony has A Type. Oh, if only they could be friends!
And Thomas is... uh, apparently shooting himself up with either heroin or some kind of drug to get rid of his sexual urges. Oh boy.
On to my discussion:
Oh, poor Thomas. If you're doing what I think you're doing, uh, good luck with that.
I don't get what's with this show and the letting dudes declare their love and then wait around for an answer for like, weeks. Fish or cut bait, Isobel. He's not a bad dude and I'm still not sure what your objection to him is.
Oh, Edith. Not taking no for an answer. Ugh. Girl's just breaking her own heart.
Oh, Mary. Are we going back to Blake again? Can't we find a third candidate? Though yeah, ouch, looks like Tony's gonna blackmail her into marriage now. Damn, he does not take a dumping well.
Are we done with Miss Bunting at dinner now, PLEASE?
Number of breakups in this episode:
* Shrimpie and Susan, mercifully, even if that's a career and social life ender for them both. (Delighted that Susan wasn't back, though I thought Shrimpie was their blood relative instead of Susan? Wasn't he acquiring that silly nickname in the nursery?)
* Mary and Tony: though he flat out refuses to be broken up with and looks like he's going to cry whore if she doesn't marry him. So that went well.
* Sarah Bunting and Lord Grantham: he finally hits his screaming limit with her at the dinner table and everyone wonders why the hell Tom keeps dating her.
Number of awkward declarations of love: 2: Bricker to Cora and Merton to Isobel. No word from the ladies as yet. Isobel is"considering."
Number of ladies having awkward feelings about other people: 3: Violet about the Russian she almost ran off with, and Edith for (a) not taking "no" for an answer regarding Marigold, and (b) those brown shirted toughs going on trial in Germany. And Mrs. Patmore is still upset about Archie.
Number of cops seen going after Mr. Green's murderer, YET AGAIN: 2: the same old cop who never leaves Donwton and the plainclothes one stalking Lord Gillingham's who notes Anna dropping off a note for him at Mary's request.
Number of awkward ex-run-ins: 2 for Mary, of a sort: she both hangs out with Charles Blake AGAIN and he is on a date with the infamous Miss Lane Fox. Who is so saucy to Mary that clearly Tony has A Type. Oh, if only they could be friends!
And Thomas is... uh, apparently shooting himself up with either heroin or some kind of drug to get rid of his sexual urges. Oh boy.
On to my discussion:
Oh, poor Thomas. If you're doing what I think you're doing, uh, good luck with that.
I don't get what's with this show and the letting dudes declare their love and then wait around for an answer for like, weeks. Fish or cut bait, Isobel. He's not a bad dude and I'm still not sure what your objection to him is.
Oh, Edith. Not taking no for an answer. Ugh. Girl's just breaking her own heart.
Oh, Mary. Are we going back to Blake again? Can't we find a third candidate? Though yeah, ouch, looks like Tony's gonna blackmail her into marriage now. Damn, he does not take a dumping well.
Are we done with Miss Bunting at dinner now, PLEASE?
I wonder if they could do a remake of Upstairs Downstairs with new actors and a Downton-sized budget.
They did, actually. Maybe not so much a remake as a sequel - it was a new family in the same house, years later.
posted by dnash at 4:54 AM on January 26, 2015
They did, actually. Maybe not so much a remake as a sequel - it was a new family in the same house, years later.
posted by dnash at 4:54 AM on January 26, 2015
I really want to like the Sarah Bunting character, but, good lord. I don't care what your politics are...If you're invited to dinner, you don't start the evening off by shitting on your host's soup plate. Even anarchists can have some concept of table manners.
It just seems that the writers are setting-up Tom to have to make some sort of her-or-them choice in the most obvious, lazy, hammer-to-your-head fashion. Of course, they could always throw a curveball at us and have Sarah and Robert fall into bed together. Opposites attract, and all that. Afterall, he is feeling a bit threatened by Bricker. Nah...
Was "golly" the new, hip, clever word back then? Mary says it constantly to express surprise, and I've heard Cora use it before, as well.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:07 AM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
It just seems that the writers are setting-up Tom to have to make some sort of her-or-them choice in the most obvious, lazy, hammer-to-your-head fashion. Of course, they could always throw a curveball at us and have Sarah and Robert fall into bed together. Opposites attract, and all that. Afterall, he is feeling a bit threatened by Bricker. Nah...
Was "golly" the new, hip, clever word back then? Mary says it constantly to express surprise, and I've heard Cora use it before, as well.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:07 AM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
I am profoundly desperate to know what's going on with Thomas; it's the closest I've come to looking up spoilers.
Also, I have started saying "golly" because 1) it is awesome 2) I am nothing if not deeply affected.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:50 AM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Also, I have started saying "golly" because 1) it is awesome 2) I am nothing if not deeply affected.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 5:50 AM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm fed up with so many things about this show, not the least of which is the inability or unwillingness of Julian Fellowes to write the poors as three dimensional characters. The actor playing Mosely is knocking it out of the park with the meager scraps he's given, to the point where it's backfiring and making everyone look like a total ass for piling all of that work onto him because he had the gall to have ambition.
Writing Sarah Bunting as such a jerk makes everyone look like a doofus for even considering inviting such a rude person above stairs.
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:53 AM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Writing Sarah Bunting as such a jerk makes everyone look like a doofus for even considering inviting such a rude person above stairs.
posted by Dr. Zira at 5:53 AM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
The ridiculous dinner table rudeness of Sarah Bunting the Socialist is such egregious right wing propaganda from the pen of Uncle Julian that I really don't understand why more people can't see Downton Abbey for the Tory agitprop that it is.
I mean, I've watched every stupid episode and will continue to do so... but REALLY.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:21 AM on January 26, 2015 [12 favorites]
I mean, I've watched every stupid episode and will continue to do so... but REALLY.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:21 AM on January 26, 2015 [12 favorites]
And Thomas is... uh, apparently shooting himself up with either heroin or some kind of drug to get rid of his sexual urges. Oh boy.
Is that what he's doing? I just assumed Thomas somehow became a junkie while we weren't looking. Does the ad in the that magazine explain it? It was such a quick glimpse of the ad (and I'm watching on a crappy SD feed) that I couldn't make out what the it said.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:42 AM on January 26, 2015
Is that what he's doing? I just assumed Thomas somehow became a junkie while we weren't looking. Does the ad in the that magazine explain it? It was such a quick glimpse of the ad (and I'm watching on a crappy SD feed) that I couldn't make out what the it said.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:42 AM on January 26, 2015
Okay, okay, everybody stop what you're doing. None of this can be discussed until we have an answer to one basic question.
What. The. Fuck. was that bizarre gadget Carson was using when Molesley* came in to complain about all the shit getting dumped on him, and what was its purpose? We have a wine bottle in some kind of metal cage and a crank that tilts the thing ever so slowly to pour out minute amounts of liquid, which was apparently passing through some kind of cloth filter into another bottle. What the hell was going on there? Was this what they did before the invention of the funnel during World War II? What in god's name was it about? I was surprised Molesley himself wasn't completely put off his original purpose, like, "I'm sorry, Mr. Carson, I came in to speak to you about my workload. But... what in the world are you doing?"
Re: everyone wonders why the hell Tom keeps dating [Ms. Bunting]
I don't think he is! Ever since that business in the upstairs gallery, I don't think Tom's done a single deliberate thing with regard to her. All this season, various Downton women keep thrusting her at him and insisting that he invite her to dinner, while he just stands around looking awkward and wishing they'd leave him alone.
* You've had your moment of dignity Mr. Molesley, and it's back to comic relief with you!
posted by Naberius at 6:45 AM on January 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
What. The. Fuck. was that bizarre gadget Carson was using when Molesley* came in to complain about all the shit getting dumped on him, and what was its purpose? We have a wine bottle in some kind of metal cage and a crank that tilts the thing ever so slowly to pour out minute amounts of liquid, which was apparently passing through some kind of cloth filter into another bottle. What the hell was going on there? Was this what they did before the invention of the funnel during World War II? What in god's name was it about? I was surprised Molesley himself wasn't completely put off his original purpose, like, "I'm sorry, Mr. Carson, I came in to speak to you about my workload. But... what in the world are you doing?"
Re: everyone wonders why the hell Tom keeps dating [Ms. Bunting]
I don't think he is! Ever since that business in the upstairs gallery, I don't think Tom's done a single deliberate thing with regard to her. All this season, various Downton women keep thrusting her at him and insisting that he invite her to dinner, while he just stands around looking awkward and wishing they'd leave him alone.
* You've had your moment of dignity Mr. Molesley, and it's back to comic relief with you!
posted by Naberius at 6:45 AM on January 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
Yeah, at some point you're all, SHE'S COMING TO DINNER FOR THE THIRD EPISODE IN A ROW?! WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS?! I guess they're trying to encourage Tom to not flee to America with Sybbie, but at some point, come ON. I hope after that giant shit fit they stop asking.
I haven't found confirmation on what the drug is yet.* I'm going on speculation along these lines. If anyone finds a better explanation for the heroin or Carson's bottle activities, post 'em here, please?
* Also, have been watching The Americans season 2 and just finished the heroin episode on the same night. Everyone is shooting up all over time and space!
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:53 AM on January 26, 2015
I haven't found confirmation on what the drug is yet.* I'm going on speculation along these lines. If anyone finds a better explanation for the heroin or Carson's bottle activities, post 'em here, please?
* Also, have been watching The Americans season 2 and just finished the heroin episode on the same night. Everyone is shooting up all over time and space!
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:53 AM on January 26, 2015
I assumed he was decanting the wine and it had to happen slowly so they could filter and trap the sediment in the cloth instead of it all just running through as would happen if you poured all the wine/port/whatever onto the cloth at once?
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:53 AM on January 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:53 AM on January 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
Oh my God! Oh my steampunk God!
Yes, "decant" was the keyword to use. But good lord that's one of the most absurd things I've ever seen.
And here's why you do it. Learning all the time...
Okay, back to interpersonal relations.
posted by Naberius at 6:58 AM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yes, "decant" was the keyword to use. But good lord that's one of the most absurd things I've ever seen.
And here's why you do it. Learning all the time...
Okay, back to interpersonal relations.
posted by Naberius at 6:58 AM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
If anyone finds a screenshot of the magazine, please post. I got a glimpse of a couple of ladies' heads and some headline along the lines of "Choose Your Own Path" which led me to believe that the advertisement was related to some sort of hormone therapy.
In his room he was acting like he had withdrawal symptoms though.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:59 AM on January 26, 2015
In his room he was acting like he had withdrawal symptoms though.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:59 AM on January 26, 2015
I loved that decanting mechanism Carson was using. When you think about it, though, it makes sense given the amount of sediment the sort of really old wines the Granthams probably had in the cellar. One could never effectively decant a really sediment-laden bottle slowly enough by hand. You'd end up with a cramp in your hand.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:21 AM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 8:21 AM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Number of cops seen going after Mr. Green's murderer, YET AGAIN: 2: the same old cop who never leaves Donwton and the plainclothes one stalking Lord Gillingham's who notes Anna dropping off a note for him at Mary's request.
Thank you! Why on earth would they assign someone to hang around Piccadilly? And how does he recognize Anna?
posted by donajo at 9:32 AM on January 26, 2015
Thank you! Why on earth would they assign someone to hang around Piccadilly? And how does he recognize Anna?
posted by donajo at 9:32 AM on January 26, 2015
As recently noted on the Blue, the NYPD just opened a murder investigation on a man who died at age 97 because the coroner said the cause of death was related to him having been stabbed in an unsolved incident in 1957. So now it's a murder case and NYPD is doing what they do in murder cases, regardless of whether there's any evidence, a surviving witness, or even a realistic chance that the attacker/murderer is still alive.
I can only assume Edwardian British cops were equally thorough in following the bureaucratic rules of their system.
As for who really did in Green, gosh, I guess the floodgates are opening aren't they? I'll have to dig up the preceding seasons on DVD and figure out who was absolutely accounted for that day.
Unrealistic as it is, I always wanted Carson to kill him. There was a quick shot in one of the season previews PBS did that showed Carson with a look on his face that suggested cold, murderous rage. (I don't recall what he was actually upset about, probably someone using the wrong fork.) So I had this sweet fantasy of Carson finding out and going full-on Rambo: stalking the terrified Green through the downstairs corridors in the dead of night, using his superior knowledge of the layout and taunting Green from the shadows before suddenly appearing out of the darkness to gut him close up with a kitchen knife and snarling "not in my house" before he lets Green slump to the floor.
... but that's probably a different show...
My second choice for the killer would be Mary.
posted by Naberius at 9:47 AM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
I can only assume Edwardian British cops were equally thorough in following the bureaucratic rules of their system.
As for who really did in Green, gosh, I guess the floodgates are opening aren't they? I'll have to dig up the preceding seasons on DVD and figure out who was absolutely accounted for that day.
Unrealistic as it is, I always wanted Carson to kill him. There was a quick shot in one of the season previews PBS did that showed Carson with a look on his face that suggested cold, murderous rage. (I don't recall what he was actually upset about, probably someone using the wrong fork.) So I had this sweet fantasy of Carson finding out and going full-on Rambo: stalking the terrified Green through the downstairs corridors in the dead of night, using his superior knowledge of the layout and taunting Green from the shadows before suddenly appearing out of the darkness to gut him close up with a kitchen knife and snarling "not in my house" before he lets Green slump to the floor.
... but that's probably a different show...
My second choice for the killer would be Mary.
posted by Naberius at 9:47 AM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
I don't have any proof, but the person I watch with immediately said that heroin used to prescribed to homosexuals as a cure for their homosexuality and that Thomas's "trip" to "London" was probably to see some doctor. Can someone with better medical research skills than I corroborate?
posted by Liesl at 9:54 AM on January 26, 2015
posted by Liesl at 9:54 AM on January 26, 2015
OK, everybody (or 50% of everybody). It's Molesley, not Mosely. Two 'L' Molesley.
posted by amtho at 10:48 AM on January 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by amtho at 10:48 AM on January 26, 2015 [6 favorites]
Why on earth would they assign someone to hang around Piccadilly? And how does he recognize Anna?
And to quote the Dowager: "Oh my goodness, are you really that tall."
posted by double bubble at 5:59 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
And to quote the Dowager: "Oh my goodness, are you really that tall."
posted by double bubble at 5:59 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Unrealistic as it is, I always wanted Carson to kill him.
Unrealistic? The man was on the stage, you know. Isn't that the same thing as a murderer in Edwardian England?
posted by double bubble at 6:06 PM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
Unrealistic? The man was on the stage, you know. Isn't that the same thing as a murderer in Edwardian England?
posted by double bubble at 6:06 PM on January 26, 2015 [4 favorites]
It occurs to me that now I'm feel sorry for Lord Gillingham and now I'm made at the show for that. Poor guy (literally) dumped heiress Mabel Lane-Fox for heiress Mary Crawley and now he's bored her into calling it off. Dude is screwed financially.
posted by double bubble at 6:14 PM on January 26, 2015
posted by double bubble at 6:14 PM on January 26, 2015
I thought Lord Merton's proposal to Isobel was lovely; I got kind of verklempt and hand-flappy in the kitchen. Gives me hope as a future older lady.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:58 PM on January 26, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:58 PM on January 26, 2015 [8 favorites]
I love Lord Merton and want them to get married, but marrying Shaun's mum never turns out well for anyone.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:07 PM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:07 PM on January 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Excellent episode sum-up, jenfullmoon.
Worried about Gillingham. Because now it's about his manhood. Of course he'll think it's because he wasn't good enough in the sack.
The leitmotif of relationship disappointments really wasn't so light in this one. Fissures appear in every relationship.
I really don't understand why more people can't see Downton Abbey for the Tory agitprop that it is.
Well, sure it is, I mean people do see it, but who cares. It's TV drama. It's been clear for a long time we really didn't have democratic sympathies here. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Daisy plot, though, because of all this.
posted by Miko at 8:30 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Worried about Gillingham. Because now it's about his manhood. Of course he'll think it's because he wasn't good enough in the sack.
The leitmotif of relationship disappointments really wasn't so light in this one. Fissures appear in every relationship.
I really don't understand why more people can't see Downton Abbey for the Tory agitprop that it is.
Well, sure it is, I mean people do see it, but who cares. It's TV drama. It's been clear for a long time we really didn't have democratic sympathies here. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Daisy plot, though, because of all this.
posted by Miko at 8:30 PM on January 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
The number one thing that bothered me about this episode was why was Daisy wearing all that airbrush makeup? It seems like all the actors have slimmed down and had their makeup upgraded now that Hollywood is paying attention.
Also Sarah Bunting looks exactly like this doll I had in the 80s and that's all I can think about when she's on screen.
posted by bleep at 6:44 AM on January 27, 2015
Also Sarah Bunting looks exactly like this doll I had in the 80s and that's all I can think about when she's on screen.
posted by bleep at 6:44 AM on January 27, 2015
Also, it seemed kind of anachronistic to have all these tearful heart-to-hearts with fathers and daughters and employers. If you want to write a show about modern people with feelings and sharing and makeup and lots on their plates, that's fine. We'll watch that. I want to watch a show about stuffy rich people and their lower-class servants in the past and what that whole deal was like. This is not that.
posted by bleep at 10:34 AM on January 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by bleep at 10:34 AM on January 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
Has Edith ever offered an explanation to her parents about why Gregson went to Germany?
posted by double bubble at 6:52 PM on January 27, 2015
posted by double bubble at 6:52 PM on January 27, 2015
I seem to remember a throw-away line between her and Cora that he was touring famous castles.
posted by bleep at 7:38 PM on January 27, 2015
posted by bleep at 7:38 PM on January 27, 2015
Does anyone know why they say "going up to London" if York is north of London?
posted by bleep at 9:06 PM on February 18, 2015
posted by bleep at 9:06 PM on February 18, 2015
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posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:55 AM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]