ClaireK80

I think this episode was solid, no storyline was too over the top (à la Edna), everything made sense more or less, but it felt a bit disjointed at times.... IMO, one of the problems of this show is that very often JF has to insert random / pointless storylines just in order to give every character some screentime. The Violet / Isobel and Carson / Molesley subplots were a good example of this - even if the Dowager did have some very good lines this evening.

Anna - I like what they're doing with her storyline so far, and I'm very glad she's not pregnant. All the Anna / Bates / Mrs. Hughes scenes were very powerful and very well acted. I didn't particularly like the way Bates forced Mrs. H. into telling him what had happened, but I guess it was IC for him, and I did appreciate how supportive he was of his wife.
The final scene with him telling Mrs Hughes he still wanted his revenge was scary but not unexpected at all.

Mary / Tom / Robert - I'm always interested in the estate management storyline, and I appreciated that this time it was Robert + Tom vs. Mary (and not Mary + Tom vs Robert). Robert was silly as usual (giving money to your tenant so he can repay you, really??) but at least he did it for a good cause this time. I was looking forward to seeing Napier again but I was a bit disappointed, I don't know why. He seemed more interesting in S1.

Edith - she is pregnant, isn't she?

I also liked Mrs, Patmore being not at ease with new technology ("she's not a futurist", lol) and Alfred going to that sort of Masterchef: Ritz. Hope he gets another chance at becoming a cook. His father/son relationship with Carson is also nice to watch.

And I love Baxter! great character so far.

yeah, that's true.

But I think for Tom, it's good that his storyline wasn't nicely resolved in just one episode, as I expected. He's just mentioned for the first time that he maybe wants to leave, so it makes sense Robert and Mary wouldn't be too worried yet.

On the contrary I was puzzled with the lack of conclusion in the gardner's storyline. It doesn't seem so important as to continue for another episode, so I wonder if there's something more to it. Lol maybe in episode 8 Bates will murder Mr Green in the library with a paper knife?

Also, I guess this was like some sort of bridge episode to introduce the last part of the season, so nothing really happened but we got a glimpse of the next storylines (Bates's revenge, Edith's situation, Napier and his boss coming to Downton, etc.)

Countess.

I must say I quite enjoyed E5.

The main thing that has to be mentioned is that beautiful Anna/Bates moment in the servants' room. He told her that he loves her even more than a couple of weeks ago- and that's something! I'd have never thought it's possible for any man to love his mistress more than he loves Anna. (Even so, I must admit I'm still not a huge fan of them.) I'm glad Anna is not pregnant so we consider Anna's hardest situation to be resolved. I love the fact that Bates went to Mrs Hughes to ask her for help, but Mary helping Anna would've also been a wonderful scene to watch. Don't want Bates to do something stupid.

Eeeew, I don't want Tony Gillingham to be engaged! Poor Mary. Perhaps Napier will be next in line, they seem to be very fond of each other. His return made for a nice change, IMO. When that guy Robert had had a conversation with, re-appeared and the word "death" was mentioned .. I think Mary was reminded of the death of her husband again, wasn't she? She might have been. Anyway, I'd expect her to be.

OMG, that little Sybbie/Tom and George/Mary scene was sooooo incredibly cute! I don't want Tom to leave. In some point I understand his reasons but I just don't want him to! Sybbie saying "uh-oh" I'M DYYYIIIING! How cute is that girl?!!

Slightly bored with Moseley's storyline if one can call it a storyline after all ..

Andorra

BTW was there anyone else who found Napier's "the whole ghastly business" a very weird description? Was he talking about Kemal Pamuk's death or was he talking about Matthew?

It would be a bit tactless IMO if he was talking about Pamuk who died 10 years ago and then tell her he didn't expected her to look so "lovely", but it would also be a very weird thing to call the tragic death of her husband a "ghastly business"??

Maité

I think he was referring to Pamuk.

Humdinger

I think he was talking about Matthew, but yeah. I guess you can chalk it up to awkward British feelings

L i N d $ @ y

I'm glad Anna isn't pregnant because that would have been the craziest SL this season. But Edith pregnant would probably be the craziest of all. I hope to God she isn't.

Mrs. Patmore is indeed so scared of technology. If she were alive today, she would've been amazed that for her particular job, technology is very much needed.

I think with some SLs left hanging in this ep maybe they will be addressed for the rest of the season? The one with Pegg seems random to me.

I wonder how long Bates will keep everything secret from Anna, about finding out who raped her and his real feelings about it? Surely, Bates can't do this alone. If Robert knows, he can help him find out who raped her. Or maybe Bates will do a Anna 2.0 here and do his own investigation?

This was what I thought too.

Enora

I liked this episode.

FIrst it was nice to not see Daisy/Ivy/Alfred/Jimmy just in "I love you me either" discussion. I enjoyed Alfred training to cook and preparing his test. Too bad he isn't get the job so I hope the next time.
And I liked the Ritz chef! Not the character but his english.
It's the first time I perfectly understand someone speaking english in the serie. When you heard him talking maybe you thought that it's an horrid French accent but to me it was a sweet melody!
Baxter seems a nice character but I wonder what she's plotting with Thomas. And Mrs Patmore is amazing! I love how she's always scared by new technology.

Bates finally knows and I'm happy he is. Anna couldn't stay like she was too long so it's a good thing. This SL has been well managed and all the scenes are great. I love the one with Bates and Mrs Hughes because even if he forced her to talk I think she was relieved to do it. Now I wonder how Bates will find out who is: he thought to Green and I'm sure he still thinks that it's him.

Violet and Isobel are amazing together, so great to see them quarreling again like in S1. I'm waiting to know if it's the young Pegg or not who stole the paper knife because this will bring another good scenes with those two.

Edith maybe pregnant and without Gregson news is sad but I expected this. I hope she's not pregnant and Gregson come back soon but I don't believe it. It's like if she couldn't be happy and all the bad things always happened to her sadly.

Mary was lovely with Evelyn, nice to see her smiling. But the tears was for Gillingham when she wrote a letter? That sounds a bit weird to me and not what I expected from her in this storyline. Fortunately there were her scenes with Tom who are so great. I loved the one in the nursery and their look to each other in the living room.

I loved all the Tom scenes like always. A bit disappointed that they don't talked much about his desire to leave Downton but I guess they'll do more in the next episodes because he just started to think to that. I loved the development of his relationship with Mary, now they really worry one of the other and this little smile when she said she didn't want he leaves Downton is cute. But what is really cute it's this scene in the nursery, they were reunited like a little family. I enjoyed this scenes who was totally unexpected and seeing Tom who plays with this cute little girl is priceless.
Sybbie is so sweet and the "uh-oh"....oh I want a baby Sybbie too! (I said it to my mother...she's not okay! )

albina2

Is anyone here watching The Paradise? Series 2 began last Sunday, and I really enjoyed it. If you like costume drama, romance, beautiful people, settings and clothes, then you will enjoy The Paradise. BBC One. Sundays 8 PM.

kindness is free

I am so glad Anna isn't pregnant after her attack that would have been so horrible for her

Edith being pregnant would cause a scandal we will have to wait and see what she saw the Doctor about.

L i N d $ @ y

Enora, did that French chef do good with that accent?

I really hope that Edith is not abandoned and pregnant. Don't make me hate you Gregson. I'm cautious but don't make me hate you.

And I hope they catch Green sooner rather than later. And I want to see a Bates-Green confrontation.

I feel very lukewarm about all this. I want Mary to be happy but obviously she's moved on (and I haven't). I find Napier coming a breath of fresh S1 air but all these random guys coming who all happen to be passing by...really? And now Napier's taking his boss along and he said yes without even asking his boss first. I guess we'll know if this SL will come to fruition in the next ep.

I'm due to watch this soon and I like Matthew McNulty.

albina2

-great! then, we can discuss it on The Paradise thread. there is one from series 1.
-also, I agree with u about mary moving on so soon. it's only, what, some 8 months after the death of the love of her life, u know, the one for whom she spent all the war years (+ some) yearning, and she's already shedding tears(!) because that sop, gillingham, whom she's seen for some 5 days, since their childhood, is engaged! as tho' she didn't know it was going to happen! i hope we r not going to see a repeat of mary-matt-lavinia in mary-anthony-mable in s5. jf, sigh, has this tiresome tendency to repeat himself. it was gd. to see napier tho'. always gd. to see a gd-looker.
-edith: what were those papers she signed w/out a thought? that'll be at the heart of it, don't u think?

Enora

The accent sounded really French.
You hear that he pronounced almost all the letters or syllables and this is what the majority of Frenchs did in English.


I started watching it and I enjoyed the show.
"The Paradise" is great and adapted of a book I love "Au bonheur des dames" by Emile Zola.

L i N d $ @ y

I wonder if we'll ever get anything from this Alfred SL. If he's leaving Downton by the end of this season, it's definitely a recycle of Gwen's storyline in S1.

It was wonderful to see Evelyn again though very random. I'll have to wait for what he brings to the table this Sunday.

WildRose

Hi there, DA fans!
May I join your discussion?
I'm totally in love with this show

I think ep 5 had just the right amount of drama and conflict but it's still so understated just as it should be.

I LOVE how Violet and Isobel where back to being their own S3 selfs again

I feel bad for Edith. I suspect something is going on there.

I feel bad for Marry as well. I can understand why she declined Gillingham's proposal but it's clear to see she was having second thoughts after she read he got engaged.

The Anna SL is so intense. I can totally understand why she refused to tell Mr. Bates what happen.

When he told Mrs. Hughes that nothing is over and done with it got really scary. The guy who attacked Anna was a terrible person for doing so but if Bates would try something too drastic he'll be back in prison, or worst.

And... I hope Tom won't do as he said and move to America with the baby I love him on the show. I don't want him to leave.

And btw- I love the Paradise. It's a beautiful series. I love DA more, though
I hope you all would welcome me here

Andorra

BTW I noticed that in this lunch scene Violet and Isobel are wearing a hat.


Was it really comon to wear a hat at a table?? Looks very bad behaviour to me these days.