HarshBench

That would be an interesting twist. A storyline about the relationship between two women and how it sours and then is repaired. Unlike the one between Edith and Mary which will never be repaired.

Mary has been good to Tom and to some degree to Robert. But I don't think those will be the relationships that need repairing. Like you said, maybe the one with Anna. And IDK, maybe after the exceptionally horrible way she treated Edith this time she will actually make some attempt to repair that relationship as well. It won't accomplish much but maybe she'll at least take a stab at it. Encouraged by Tom? He's the only one who seems to like and care about both of them. If you watch the scene where Mary said that to Edith in the drawing room Tom gives her a "look". I am pretty sure it is directed solely at her, not at both of them. Because he is facing her and Edith has her back to him, and he seems to be looking at Mary.

L i N d $ @ y

Interesting twist as I was wondering why Mabel & Tony are always together.

First off, welcome to and to the board! I too will be disappointed if Mabel takes Tony back. She's better off on her own (for now). I would like for Mary to realize all the horrible things she has done to Edith and that it bites her back soon... I don't mind her not re-marrying for now since I'm not jumping for joy with her prospects right now but Edith needs to "win" and right now she's off to find her happiness. I just hope it's not like "Oh bugger, what I did was wrong and I'm gonna pay for it."

Nice. I would like this twist. It would also be a good way for Mary to realize that she's neglected Anna ever since this circus with Tony & Charles happened. At least I'm grateful to Mary for how she respected Anna's wishes with regards to Green. The irony though if this implicates Anna in the end...

lassothemoon

Dramatic irony courtesy of Julian Fellowes

carrie.suze

I for one wouldn't like to see Anna go to jail just so Mary can realize what she's lost, what a horrible idea, Just because she asked Anna to get a contraceptive device for her, doesn't mean Mary hasn't supported her when it really counts.

lassothemoon

That's not the reason why she'd go to jail. The reason why she's going to jail is because the police have built a pretty circumstantial case that she's killed Green. I doubt she's actually going to be convicted or anything but horrible as it is, that's the way it looks.

carrie.suze

Well obviously that's not the reason, I just didn't like the premise of it. I'd have thought JF has put that poor girl through enough as it is, so I'm reallly hoping it doesn't happen.

lassothemoon

She has been through enough. The only good thing I can say will come out of it his A) Justice and B) A stronger friendship provided she's able to get Anna out.

Andorra

Count me in in the group of people who think Anna will go to jail. I'm really, really sure of that and it will probably happen in 5.8 so we will have to wait for the CS to find out if she comes free again.
I think she WILL come free then, but I still have no idea who killed Green.

I also hope that Mary will take a fall at the end of the series. Her behaviour was so restless and selfish all season, I think she needs to get her feet back to the ground. I think it is gradually getting worse and worse with her this series and there're no sweet moments, where she shows us her compassionate and caring side to balance things out. She's just getting more ice cold and selfish from episode to episode.

I also agree that Blake highlights that part of her. He's doing just the opposite of what Matthew used to do.

ClaireK80

I'm also starting to think Anna will go to jail in episode 8. But I'm almost sure it wasn't her to kill Green - if she did, she wouldn't have been so worried that the murderer could have been Bates. So - who is the killer? Gillingham? Mary? Someone character we don't know? Or maybe it was an accident after all?

Yes, I agree about this. I think in a way S5 Mary is similar to S1 Mary, both in terms of her personality (very self confident, arrogant, cold etc.) and in terms of storylines (she's looking for a husband, she sleeps with the wrong person etc.). But in S1, she sometimes showed a different side, mainly because things didn't always go her way (with Pamuk and with Matthew, for example). Now it's just Mary at the fashion show, Mary at the horse race, Mary and her new haircut, Mary and her suitors. The only problem she's had this season was when she realised she wasn't in love with Gillingham after sleeping with him, but even this didn't affect her very much.
I liked her interactions with Tom this season - she's generally nicer with him; and I'm not sure Charles brings out her worst side, I thought in a couple of scenes with him she seemed more open and honest than she usually is.

L i N d $ @ y

Yeah I agree with Mary's character this season, where is her "nice" side? I think in S1 her inner beast was tamed by Matthew and that's because (she doesn't realize this because she's too proud) but she has fallen for him. This season her life is revolving around two men and it's a freaking love triangle about who she will end up with now, which we all did predict this season was going to be. To top that off, she was very mean to Edith in the recent ep. I love Mary and she will always be my favorite character but I also see her flaws and frown upon them. I don't condone them especially if it's toward a family member but there could be so much more to her SL this season other than the whole Tony vs. Charles drama. I agree that being with Tom, she's much nicer around him. And what about being a mother? I know that we can't have the kids on a scene for a long period of time but I would like to at least see her spend some time with her son, take her from the nanny and play with him a bit. George looks like a tiny version of Matthew and I miss Matthew everytime I see him (like whenever I see Sybbie and when she smiles/laughs, I remember Sybil too).

As for Anna going to jail, I don't read spoilers but something makes me think that the reason that's brought up is that it's possibility. In my point of view, I don't know how Anna is implicated but the fact that she is also hiding the truth does implicate her. For sure Bates will detest everything that has happened and wished he was the one inside than her. But, I don't want that to happen of course. Both of them in jail for crimes they didn't commit? Surely not this one again.

HarshBench

I think Mary is nice with her father too. She had a nice moment with him when he was complaining about feeling useless (usual) and she told him SHE wanted him around and thought they made a good team (with Tom) at running the estate.

And she is nice with George when he arrives for the one line she usually speaks, calling him "darling" and such. There's just not nearly enough of it.

She tried to be nice with Tony when she broke it off but he made it rather difficult by being so aggressive about it.

But overall she's being shallow and selfish and cold.

carrie.suze

I thought so too Claire, she certainly seemed to let go a little more when they were messing about with the pigs, I'd like to see more of that side of Mary, and less of the bitching, it's about time I think
she and Edith made up, they're grown women now.

And I agree Lindsay, I wish she'd show her motherly side more often, I know it wasn't the done thing then with the upper classes, but I'd love to have more scenes of her cuddling little George, he really resembles his fictional daddy.

And I'm really hoping they don't regurgitate that same old plot with Anna going to jail for a crime she didn't commit, that really would be a lazy piece of writing from JF.

lassothemoon

I think the only reason she was open with Blake was because, at least at that point, he didn't seem to have much of a stake in it anymore--she was under the impression that she had let him go and he was over her.

Of course if he's being manipulative and executing a 'master plan', then that might not be the case.

That's not the sort of man I'd want raising my son--and it's safe to say the same about Mary.

HarshBench

I am not so sure he's over her. I mean yes, he walked away and didn't look back because he has some pride. Who has time for that? But he still enjoys her company, likes her, wants to lend a hand.

Right now they are in a friendship but it could grow from there. She might not have opened up to him if she thought he was still interested, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like him. I think she does.

lassothemoon

I don't buy that. Everything with him has an ulterior motive, so I doubt he wants to help out of the goodness of his heart ( which sounds like a joke, since when was he such a philanthropist? ).

Of course she likes his company--doesn't mean they're a good match.