HarshBench

Me too! Well, maybe keep one of the others.

The other thing BP did is yestersay (late night England time I think) he tweeted about the Lego Movie, like he had just seen it or something.

I thought that was odd. The Lego Movie? Why would have been watching that at night? He doesn't have kids.

Bored in a hotel room flipping channels? LOL.

puffball7

Thanks, I needed reassurance!

I don't think it can be Rose and if it's not Madeleine? Then it's a mystery.

Downton Abbey series 5: Tom Branson's home is at the Abbey

Andorra

It really is! I still think Madeline is the best option. But we still don't know for sure that she's going to be back.

If she is, I'm convinced it will be her. If shes's not, I think there must be another new character coming in. I can't see any other option, because I think both, Edith and Mary are out of the question.

But maybe there IS a new girl we don't know of? An upper middle-class daughter like Lavinia?

But then I think everything points in the direction that it will be another posh girl again. His conversation with Isobel at the dinner table in series 4? The working class option Edna - wrong. The middle-class option Sarah - wrong.

Allen says Tom's future is in Downton now. And if it is he has to find "acceptance" for the woman he loves. IMO that just means he needs to find someone who will fit into the family, because he loves them and he wants to stay with them now.

Madeline would fit the description perfectly. I'm really, really curious if JF sees it as we do.

HarshBench

Lily James is probably going to be in that six-part BBC adaptation of "War and Peace" which would be airing around Christmas 2015. Six hours is a lot to film. I think between that, her Cinderella promo stuff, and all the rumors of her leaving? She's gone in S6.

So it won't be Rose.

northboundtrain

ITV dropped a new promo with a few DA clips: Edith sitting in bed crying and throwing something, Thomas looking at something in horror, Violet and Rose with the new Russian guy, and Mary and Tony kissing:



It's so frustrating not to know what Thomas is looking at. He looks so upset, and I don't think he'd look that way if he just saw, say, two people kissing or something. He looks a little like he's witnessing violence.

While I wish we could have gotten to see a little bit of Mary/Charles, the fact that they included a Mary/Tony kiss furthers my belief that she may choose him initially, but that won't be the end of it. I just hope that doesn't turn out to be wishful thinking on my part.

Andorra

I must say the show is a little bit too ready to promote the Tony/Mary romance, so although I'm sad for you, Lauren, I agree with those who say it looks like it won't be Tony in the end.

I don't think it will be Charles Blake either. He was on ITV this weekend this morning, promoting his new play and said he has finished Downton. We know he definitely won't be in the CS and it would be weird if the "Endgame Love interest" won't be in the big final of the series. He might be back in series 6, but somehow I doubt it.

See the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=fkFAEOXGw_4

I must say, although I hate Charles Blake, I really like Julian Ovenden. He is nice and I'm sorry "A night with Reg" will already be over when I'll go to London this fall. I would have liked to see it.

I know through twitter, that Tom Cullen was filming yesterday, btw, but I don't know (yet) what or where. I do know though, that he was in London the whole week and went to an event on Thursday evening with his girlfriend. So I think it is highly unlikely he went to Alnwick yesterday AND filmed there!

So is it possible that BOTH suitors are out of the picture at the end of the series? And are the Evelyn/Mary shippers right after all and he will be the lucky chap in the end??

Or will it be completely different? Will it be "Brary" even though Michelle, Allen and Julian Fellows have always denied it? Or will Mary not marry at all? Will they bring in someone completely new??

It's a mystery and personally, I'm looking forward to find out!

Andorra

So the man himself answered me: Tom Cullen is shooting a film in London. with Gemma Arerton and Idris Elba.

So both suitors have left??!!!

Famu

A few of us are still hoping there's a chance for Evelyn even though we havent heard any news that he'll be back. Evelyn is my first choice, but if I had to choose between Tony and Charles. I'll definitely pick Tony.

northboundtrain

Actually, I'm not willing to count Charles out just yet. I just watched his interview once, so I could be wrong on this, but isn't it the interviewer who said he was finished filming? I don't remember JO saying or hinting that he was finished, and I doubt the interviewer is privy to or would share with the audience as big a spoiler as Charles being off the show for good. Especially given how notoriously tight-lipped JF wants everything to be.

Now, does it look good for Charles being in the CS? Not really. But does that mean he's out for good? Not necessarily. It could be that the CS's main storyline is going to be something that doesn't leave a lot of room for Mary's love life. Maybe whatever happens in the CS leaves Mary unable to be with Charles but still inclined to pursue him in S6. (Imagine this scenario: Mary is with Tony for much of the season, then they break up, then something during the CS makes Mary realize that she wants Charles back, leading to a cliffhanger.)

Or maybe Charles will appear in the CS briefly and JO filmed that scene or those scenes separately/earlier.

Or maybe the interviewer meant only that JO was finished with the regular season of weekly episodes and not necessarily the CS.

Now, with the news that TC is busy filming something else, what if JF shocks us and Charles and Tony are both out? If that's the case, I still don't think it'll be Evelyn in a come-from-behind victory. In the few scenes that Mary and Evelyn have had, I've seen zero indication that she feels anything for him other than friendship. When Charles and Tony flirted with her, Mary flirted back. When they insinuated or outright stated that they wanted more, she appeared intrigued and welcoming of their advances. When Evelyn did that, she actually appeared a bit annoyed.

Frankly, as hard a time JF would have selling Tony to me as Mary's next husband, he'd have an even harder time selling Evelyn.

So if Charles and Tony are both out, I would expect a new suitor to be introduced either this season (briefly, perhaps) or in S6.

puffball7

They've generally hidden what is going to happen with the romances really well this series, none of us have any real clue what they intend, the shroud of secrecy is virtually impenetrable!

Although saying that, I have also been suspicious of how much they have been promoting Mary and Tony, it usually works that the stuff they let us in on is usually the stuff that ultimately doesn't mean or go anywhere much.

As for Charles Blake, (bearing in mind I'm only a casual viewer when it comes to Mary, so I'm not as invested in her as Tom for example), dare I say I do quite like his character? I know a lot of people can't stand him and I do understand why, but personally I think he's quite fun, although I admit my view may be a little biased because I like JO! But Mary fans have my sympathies, if I were a Mary fan in the same way I'm a Tom fan I think I would be tearing my hair out by now!

So, I wouldn't want to count Charles out of the equation yet either. If I had to bet I would say Charles rather than Tony at this stage. Or are they both a big elaborate bluff and it's someone else entirely? Afterall they've managed to keep Rose's "new beau" under wraps, have they managed to keep others secret as well?

But, as long as Bunting departs the scene asap I shall be deeply relieved.

HarshBench

That's the most important thing to me. And given how well-hidden things have been this year, I feel grateful that someone caught that good-bye scene on tape and I got to see it before it was taken off Youtube. There are still a few videos but the truly revealing one has been removed.

But the press keeps assuming Sarah is for Tom, kind of like they assume Tony and Mary seem like a go. Although given that we haven't seen Tom show any real interest in Sarah, I don't get why they aren't more skeptical.

I like Blake myself, actually. Not excessively or anything, but he doesn't rub me the wrong way like he does to some. And he does have his advocates among the Mary fans. It doesn't seem like either guy has gotten the majority in his corner at this point.

As for me, I couldn't care less whom she chooses. Although if they turn out to be a boring couple, I'll probably wish she had chosen someone else or no one.

puffball7

Streets of Alnwick transformed for filming of Downton Abbey - Chronicle Live

So it seems that some of the downstairs cast have gone to Alnwick as well, a bit like when they went to Duneagle. But I understand about Valets and Ladysmaids going but in what capacity is Thomas Barrow going? Unless he does as Tom's valet! LOL. Now that would be amusing!

HarshBench

They filmed a scene where Mary drives up to a stone structure with the words "HMP York" over the door, gets out of the car and walks into the entrance.

HMP stands for His Majesty's Prison in the UK. And the building (it might just be part of the castle) looks like a prison too.

Lesley Nichol is up there too, which is odd. The cook?

puffball7

If they are visiting someone else's stately home, which presumably Alnwick Castle is standing in as, in the same way Highclere is Downton, why are all the downstairs staff going? It doesn't make much sense, there's a photo showing an extra as a footman but he's got the livery on of another family, he's wearing red/burgundy waistcoat rather than the green of the Grantham's, so they must have their own servants.

And who's in prison? Is it Anna? And that's why Mary is going, or has Tony got himself into a spot of bother?

HarshBench

I don't get why the servants are there either. They stayed behind when the family went to Scotland. Except the valets and ladies' maids, but that's different.

Guesses are it's Anna or one of the suitors. Mary probably wouldn't visit any other servant in prison. It seems doubtful that it would be Robert or Tom. And at any rate I think Hugh and Allen might have been spotted filming in the gardens of the castle or something.

Wild guess: Tony killed Greene!