Lauren60

That's a great point about the parallel with Tom/Sybil and Tony/Mary. The hasty proposal and then the long wait. I'm not sure how these men stayed so patient. I guess it's because they know these Crawley women are definitely worth waiting for!

I hope your gut feeling is right! I try not to get overly optimistic but I do think S5 is going to be a great one for Mary and Tony!

L i N d $ @ y

I just wish Tony was the only guy in the picture. I would've felt differently for him if there was no competition around, I think. Granted I wasn't fully on-board with the competition either. It was looking like a love triangle and I didn't like those.

Lauren60

Continuing with the house party episode when Mary and Tony got reacquainted…

The guests are gathered in the drawing room. Tony is seated near Mary and they are engaged in conversation. She’s telling him that it’s no trouble, they have plenty of horses and Papa will be delighted. She asks Tony if he has anything to ride in and he says they packed it all just in case. Mary says that settles it, she’ll send a message to the stables tonight. Tony asks “Will you come out with me?” Mary thinks on it for a second and says “Actually, I might. I haven’t been in the saddle for ages. I’ll be stiff as a board the next day.” They both smile. Mary asks if anyone else would like to go riding but there are no takers. Tony says “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

Mary and Tony both like horseback riding! It’s nice that Mary is going back to something she enjoyed years ago. We haven’t seen her on a horse since season one. She didn’t need to be persuaded as she readily agrees to go with him. She realizes, however, that so far it will just be the two of them. She just got properly reintroduced to Tony a few hours before so propriety probably dictates that they don’t venture out alone. No one else is in the least bit interested though. Mary even asks Edith if she’d like to go but Michael would rather not so Edith also refuses. It’s just going to be the two of them. Mary acts a bit shy when she smiles and looks down after Tony says he’s afraid she’s stuck with him. It was sweet to see her that way.

The dialogue in this scene was a bit clumsy with the “I haven’t been in the saddle for ages. I’ll be stiff as a board the next day.” I’m sure it was meant solely in the context of horseback riding. Come on! Get your mind out of the gutter! Come to think of it though, it would be really cute if she repeated those lines on their wedding night. I’m just saying…



The way these two smile at each other...

L i N d $ @ y

True, we haven't seen Mary in a saddle since S1 so it was really nice to see her back riding in S4 again. I think that was also Tony's way of getting to know her better and that's why he invited her along. I can imagine why Mary is surprised but I think she was genuinely pleased with Tony inviting her.

Lauren60

I wonder if Tony knew Mary likes horseback riding or if he just asked her on the off chance she did? They were very young the last time they were together so I doubt they went horseback riding back then. Perhaps women in Mary's position usually learned how to ride a horse so it was likely she'd know how? I think I'm over analyzing a bit here. When it comes down to it, he asked and she accepted.

It worked out nicely that no one else wanted to go riding. With no one else around, they were able to talk freely about whatever they wanted to. They definitely wouldn't have bonded like they did if there were others along for the ride. It must have been fate, written in the stars or, I know, written in the script! Nicely done Mr. Fellowes, nicely done!

L i N d $ @ y

I think Tony might have known since she's the type of lady who knows how to ride the horse.

It's great that Mary accepted. Remember the time that Mary declined riding with Strallan? She could have easily said no but she didn't.

Lauren60

Last time on “Mary and Tony Get Reacquainted During the House Party”…Tony asked Mary if she’d go horseback riding with him and she accepted. No one else was interested in going so…dun, dun, dun…it’s only going to be the two of them. Oh my, quite the cliffhanger!

The scene is quite beautiful as Mary and Tony are riding horses slowly through the woods. The topic of conversation is Mabel Lane Fox. Mary comments that Tony has caught the greatest heiress of the season. Tony says that she’s quite nice in fact. Both families want the marriage but the two of them do get on. Mary assures him a match that is wanted by everyone can turn out to be extremely happy. Tony asks if she speaks from experience. Mary says absolutely, she and Matthew were wonderfully happy. Tony tells her how lucky she is to which Mary responds “Am I?” Tony says “You’ve known a great love. Doesn’t that enrich any life?” Mary isn’t sure. Matthew changed her. She loved him but he changed her. If she were as tough as she was before she met him, she bets she’d be happier now. Tony says that may be but “we can’t go back can we?” Mary responds “Apparently not.”

It’s surprising that Mary and Tony are this relaxed with one another already. Tony is very open with Mary about his situation with Mabel. We learn that it wouldn’t be a marriage for love but one that is agreed upon by the two families. The extent of it is Tony and Mabel make a good match. Mary shares what happened with her and Matthew and lets Tony know that he could be very happy with Mabel. Tony definitely comes across as a romantic when he tells Mary how lucky she is to have had a great love. You get the feeling that he’s been looking for and waiting for a great love to come into his life. I was surprised that Mary had regrets about being changed by Matthew. For her to put a “but” after the “I loved him” really stood out to me. I understand what she meant though. A tougher Mary perhaps wouldn’t have mourned Matthew for as long. It was surprising that she shared all of this with Tony. Mary isn’t one to warm to or confide in someone quickly. There wasn’t much flirting going on during this outing, no silly games. They were just childhood friends catching up, sharing consequential matters in their lives. They were supportive and understanding. From the start, Mary and Tony were at ease with one another. There was a kind of warmth between them, a closeness. They connected, they clicked. Their relationship already had the beginnings of a solid foundation…

L i N d $ @ y

Tbh, I have forgotten about this conversation they had when they were out riding especially the Matthew part. I think Tony (in a way) wanted what Mary had with Matthew and for that to happen to him with her. Going into a marriage of convenience with Mabel is certainly not the most thrilling thing and here was someone who he realizes he can imagine the rest of his life with. It's an overwhelming feeling for Tony and I guess that made him propose to her in the first place.

Lauren60

I think Tony has been putting off marriage for as long as possible because he wants to marry for love. That's not surprising given he's such a romantic. He wears his heart on his sleeve and isn't afraid to tell a woman he loves her. He wants very badly to be in love with the woman he marries. He had given up on that dream before he met Mary. He had resigned himself to marry Mabel out of a sense of duty. He thought he could come to love Mabel and perhaps he concluded that was as good as it was going to get for him. Meeting Mary and connecting with her as he did changed everything. Mary is Tony's "great love" and he felt compelled to propose when he did. If he hadn't proposed he would have regretted it. On top of that, he realized that if he didn't wait for Mary he would regret that as well. Tony is giving "and they lived happily ever after" every opportunity to happen. If it doesn't work out with Mary, he knows he did all he could. If it does work out, his dream of marrying for love will come true. He had let go of his dream but all of a sudden and out of the blue it was resurrected. It was in sight, within reach. He had to give it his all to try to make it a reality.

Lauren60

L i N d $ @ y

Happy Birthday to Tom Cullen! Wow, my youngest sister is older than him.

So very true all that you said about Tom. Sometimes I wonder if he didn't meet Mary if his relationship would Mabel still work or not? But I reckon probably not. He really didn't love her the way he did with Mary. So in a way, I'm glad that he did meet Mary before he married Mabel out of convenience. It would have ended so badly for him.

Lauren60

Tom Cullen is quite the youngster isn't he? He's not even out of his twenties yet. Michelle Dockery is three and half years older than him. She turned 32 last December. On Downton I think Mary and Tony are supposed to be just about the same age. If anything Tony is supposed to be a bit older than her. That's my impression anyway. When Robert asked Mary if she remembers Tony she said she remembers a very superior young man who found three little girls extremely tiresome to deal with. So she refers to Tony as a "young man" and herself as a "little girl" when talking about their earlier times together. I can just picture "young man" Tony rolling his eyes at the prospect of dealing with the three Crawley girls.

Anyway, the age difference of only a few years between Tom and Michelle doesn't show at all in their characters on screen. They look perfectly suited for one another. It would be shocking if I thought anything different wouldn't it?

L i N d $ @ y

I always thought Tom was older than Michelle (or the same age) and I keep forgetting he's younger. On the show though, I also think Tony & Mary are the same age.

Lauren60

The horseback riding jaunt continues…

Mary and Tony are briskly riding their horses on the Downton grounds. They stop to admire the view of Downton Abbey standing in the distance. Tony says how wonderful it is to see an estate that’s still all in one piece. Mary replies he shouldn’t speak too soon as they have a big tax bill to pay. Her father wants to sell land but she’d like to see if they could avoid it. The trouble is she can’t get her father to listen. Tony asks if she’d like him to tell her what he’d do and Mary says yes please. He tells her she should get her father to agree for her to meet the tax people so she can bring back the best deal they can offer. That way she’ll have a real case to argue. He shares that they had a similar choice when his father died. In the end, they let the house but kept the land. Mary thanks him and says it’s nice to know she’s not alone, that others are facing the same trials. Tony says no, she’s not alone. They then continue on their ride with the horses in full gallop.

This scene is gorgeous. The view is breathtaking when they stop to look at Downton Abbey in the distance. Tony voices his admiration of the estate prompting Mary to share the dilemma her family is facing. Sell land to pay the taxes or find another way? I like how Tony asked Mary if she’d like his advice. He doesn’t assume that she wants or needs it which shows he respects her. We find out he faced a similar situation when his father died and they ended up keeping the land but letting the house. I didn’t catch the meaning of “let the house” right away but I came to find out it essentially means “renting”. So even though Tony doesn’t live in the main house, he still owns it. I presume the rent they collect from the girls’ school helps to keep the rest of the estate running. Mary says it’s nice to know she’s not alone, that others are facing the same trials. That sounds a lot like “misery loves company” but it provided an opening for Tony to say she’s not alone. Mary has a new ally in Tony. He’s someone who can relate to what she’s up against and he can provide suggestions based on his own experiences. This was such a visually stunning scene and the two of them looked great on their horses. They were riding at a fast clip which was quite impressive. I’m sure Tom and Michelle had to practice to pull it off so well. I enjoy the change of pace this scene provided. It was outside the Abbey and the characters were actually doing something other than just sitting and talking. Of course for me, pretty much any scene with Mary and Tony in it is a good one! I do go on about these two don’t I? (She asked rhetorically )




X

L i N d $ @ y

Love your recap, Lauren. It really showed a very heart-warming scene between Tony & Mary and that Tony is someone who also shares the same obstacles in Mary (of course not similar in the sense but he can relate to her troubles). It's a very beautiful scenery of Downton and them riding off was very visually stunning.