Relationships are strained and tension runs high at Downton as we reach the halfway point of the fifth season.
The family continues to rub salt in poor Lady Edith’s wounds; that is until a touching scene with Lord Grantham. She’s had word from Michael Gregson’s office that the German thugs he was seen fighting with are coming to trial. She may finally learn his fate and tearfully tells Lord Grantham that she’s not ready to give up hope that her amore may still be alive. He responds – finally – with tender fatherly affection. In the name of all that is holy, Mr. Fellowes, let there be a happy conclusion to this!
Mr. Barrow returns from his visit to his supposedly ailing father with a sombre attitude and a suitcase full of injectables designed to ‘cure’ him of being gay. Miss Baxter discovers his secret and is witness to his anguish, much to his distress.
Mrs. Patmore delivers an eloquent speech on the injustice of the fate that befell her nephew, Archie, and gives Mr. Carson a piece of her mind. Meanwhile, Cora and Lord Grantham continue their spat over the harmless infatuation of Mr. Bricker for both Downton’s art collection and its mistress.
On a lighter note, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes team up for some mild “hazing” of Mr. Mosley in his much-coveted position as First Footman, and he decides that the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence after all.
In a lovely scene, Lord Merton proposes to Isobel. He assures her, “My proposal is a romantic one. I state freely and proudly, Isobel, that I’ve fallen in love with you. And I want to spend what remains of my life in your company.” Instead of turning him down on the spot – as she is about to do – she agrees to his plea to consider it. Dr. Clarkson had better get on the stick or it may be too late!
While Lord Merton is making a proposal, Lady Mary is trying to reject one. Up in London to attend a fashion show, she runs into Charles Blake and Miss Lane Fox (the woman jilted by Lord Gillingham for Lady Mary – awkward!). She has dinner with Blake – perhaps opening that door again – before she meets with Lord Gillingham to give him the boot.
She’s chosen the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens as the perfect locale for such an encounter. Surely he won’t make a scene in public? Think again, Lady M, for Lord Gillingham won’t take no for an answer, declaring that, “we will get through this together.” Really? How?
The plot thickens for the ill-fated Mr. and Mrs. Bates as a plain clothes policeman stationed outside of Lord Gillingham’s flat follows Anna after she delivers Lady Mary’s note to his flat and wanders into a not entirely convincing CGI Piccadilly Circus, to the exact spot where Mr. Green stepped off the curb. The police now want to know where Anna was on the day of Green’s death. Even for DA, the idea that the police would be watching Lord Gillingham’s flat months after Mr. Green’s death – waiting for someone to show up and look suspicious? – is preposterous.
The high point of the episode revolves around that most unwelcome of dinner guests, Miss Bunting. Tom even reminds her, before they go in, that he “loves them.” Lord Grantham finally has enough of Miss Bunting’s ill-mannered baiting and calls her out at a fancy dinner in the dining room: shouting, throwing his napkin on the table, and storming out of the room. She had it coming, that’s all we can say!
Aired at 9.15pm on Sunday 12 October 2014 on ITV.
> Order Season 5 on DVD on Amazon.
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