ScarletCourt

No, Tom didn't leave the note in Sybil's laundry. I just watched it again. Anna goes into Sybil's room with an underskirt (I think) and she fiddles with it on the bed. On her way out she notices a note that had fallen on the floor. (I presume that Tom didn't leave it on the floor like that and that the wind or something had blown it onto the floor.) So Tom was in Sybil's room.

Dr. Clarkson practices so much quackery that I half expect him to waddle like a duck!

I believe it was done in the desire to give Robert some sort of storyline that didn't just involve him having fits about stuff like white feathers. Wait until episode 8 and he now "wants her with every fibre of his being"

MrsMarkSloan

Am I the only one, who got the impression that Lavinia pretty much didn't fight to live?

HarshBench

Is it possible that Tom just gave her the note and told her to read it later?

Oh, God, never mind. It was just lazy writing.

phillips32

Sorry, my bad, I thought it fell out of whatever Anna was carrying in.
So true, we have put much more thought into the whys and wherefores than JF ever did and that's perfectly typical of the lazy writing that marred series 2.

Because if Tom did leave it on Sybil's bed, we're back to the question of how the heck he knew which of the 100 rooms was hers, how he got in and out without being seen, and why he would leave it in the open on her bed where a servant was just as likely to find it as she was. Which is exactly what happened.

Don't get me started on why Carson and Ms Hughes had zero reaction to the note in terms of suspecting a little somethin' somethin' going on between the Lady and the Chauf. Hell, Hughes had long suspected; this should have been total confirmation for her.

Truth to tell, the note was just a throw away plot device to get Tom caught before he slopped the general and got carted off to jail. JF should give us more credit for knowing our own minds.

phillips32

Oh definitely. Lavina died of a broken heart which was a plot twist almost as cliche and embarassingly soapish as Matthew's miracle recovery. Plus it laid a guilt trip on Matthew that let JF stall a couple of eps until the CS for the M/M proposal scene.

Lord, remembering all this is depressing. I sure hope JF rights the ship back to S1 form in the upcoming series.

ScarletCourt

What was it that Lavinia said once, "I'll die if I can't be with him." Well, she meant it.

The note was definitely a plot device to stop Tom from slopping the general and going to jail. Unfortunately the consequences were never really well thought out (because when you do, it doesn't make sense at all).

It is sad that S2 was filled with these issues. Good thing S1 wasn't like that or else there might not have be an S2.

From your mouth to God's ears, but I don't have high hopes. He's been working on Romeo and Juliet at the same time.

MrsMarkSloan

Why not just have the girl see things for what they were, end things and leave DA with her dignity in tact. That would've worked for me.

The proposal doesn't guarantee that M/M will be end game anyway.

Don't think we've seen the last of Mary's jilted fiancee, at least I hope not.

Since I love Iain Glen and he does DOUCHEdom quite well.

Lavinia proved that she truly loved Matthew, willing to marry him no matter what.


Ummmmmmmmmm Mary, not so much!

And what happened to Sybil's crush on Matthew, wanted that to be explored more.

HarshBench

[QUOTE=MrsMarkSloan;62954667]Why not just have the girl see things for what they were, end things and leave DA with her dignity in tact. That would've worked for me.



That would have been just fine, and fair to the character. But of course they couldn't do it.


Do we know that Mrs. Hughes didn't know exactly why Tom gave Sybil the note? From the way she talked i got the impression that she was aware he was still in love with Sybil but still doubtful that anything would come of it.

ScarletCourt

I think that JF needed some one significant to die from the Spanish flu. How much more convenient was it that Lavinia who had just become superfluous to his plans for Mary and Matthew to die from it? He even had her say three eps prior that she'd die if she can't be with him, just to prepare us. She probably would have walked off into the sunset if he didn't need a flu victim.

We don't know what Mrs. Hughes knew or didn't know about why Tom gave Sybil the note. She seemed vague about it when she and Carson spoke.

baileycat

I just presumed another maid other than Anna, slipped the note into her room at the request of Branson. That's my only explanation. I just can't see him having the time or knowledge of where her room was to do it himself.

ScarletCourt

Was just wondering, if you were JF working on S2, what are three things you would have done to make S2 better? (I know that there are way more than three things that needed fixing, but let's keep it down to three each.)

Here are my three (not necessarily in that order):

1. Lost Ethel after she got pregnant.
2. Gave S/T more than just garage scenes for episodes on end!
3. Gave us some Matthew/Lavinia 1-1 time to understand why they were engaged.

HarshBench

They couldn't make it seem like M/L had a compelling connection. Then people might root for them.

I wish they had made Ethel a little more sympathetic. I don't mind sassy, but she was just obnoxious sometimes.

I wish they had shown some "randy officers" talking Edwardian Dirty about Sybil so Tom could overhear them. That might have explained some stuff.

ScarletCourt

I would rather have people root for M/L than the horridness we got.

I didn't dislike Ethel. I just didn't care enough for her to take up precious screen time.

I like the idea of some "randy officers" talking dirty about Sybil so that Tom could hear and yes it would have made the drinks comment that much more relevant.

MrsMarkSloan

Lavinia was a kind person, why not show DA viewers what made Matthew love her to begin with?

Yes I think he did love the girl, but wasn't IN LOVE with her.

HarshBench

ITA with the first part, but the show apparently had other priorities.