L i N d $ @ y

Series 5 Episode 1
Sunday, September 21, 2014, 9:00-10:30 PM British Summer Time


Description
Returning to Downton in 1924, a new Labour government heralds changes that are being felt throughout the land, as well as above and below stairs.

Plans for a war memorial unexpectedly pit Carson against Robert and Mrs Hughes. While unwanted female attention spells trouble for Jimmy, Thomas gives Baxter an ultimatum. Branson’s burgeoning friendship causes Robert concern while Mary is ready to find love again. Cracks appear in Edith and Drewe’s special arrangement as she increasingly struggles to keep her emotions in check; this may have disastrous consequences for the whole household.
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Thank you and enjoy the episode!


Countdown to 5x01

 

Maité

Thanks for the thread!

2 days left! I'm excited

northboundtrain

Thank you for the thread!

Just one more day to go! I'm so excited!!

Maité

Happy premiere day!

kindness is free

I am loving it so far! Just got the last part to go then will write my thoughts

lassothemoon

Meh. Could have been better. I feel bad for Edith and Baxter but that's the extent of my emotional range.

Thomas being awesome was cool.

kindness is free

My heart will always lie with past loves for both Mary and Tom. But I am feeling happy seeing Mary move forward she is continuing to take an active part in running Downton with her Father and Tom. Loved seeing her with George as well I hope we see more of them as he gets older I don't know who I want Mary with yet Tony or Charles they would both be good for her bring different things into her life.

Tom and the school teacher I am not too sure I like her yet, yes she is oppiniated which is good but I feel she can be quite rude with it. Only time will tell if I grow to like her or not. I loved seeing Tom and Sybie they are always so cute

I did feel for Miss Baxter but at least the truth is out now. Poor Edith she never has a good time of it. I hope she does get to see more of her daughter without giving too much away.

Rose I really love she is so sweet and charming and reminds me of the same spirit Sybil had

Thomas coming to the rescue at the end was awesome

I hope they don't send James away I really like him and Thomas

We didn't get to see much of Anna and Bates this episode but hopefully other episodes we will

northboundtrain

Initial thoughts:

* Yeah, this episode didn't do anything to chip away at my suspicion that Tony only seems like he's in the lead now because he's not going to be her final choice in the end. I think what was most damning was Mary's reaction when he came into her room and told her that she was in love with him. The bedroom scene just didn't play as romantically as it could have, and I believe that was intentional.

* I also thought Tony's vibe with Bates was a little weird when the subject of Greene came up. Is it because he suspects Bates for some reason? Or is it because he either killed Green himself or knows who killed him?

* My theory on where Mary stands right now: I think she genuinely cares about Tony, but there's clearly something stopping her from making a commitment to him. Whether it's because she's subconsciously picking up on the fact that something's not quite right in his past, or whether it's because she just senses he wouldn't be able to make her happy in the long-run, I'm not sure. But I do think she knows there's something missing, which is why I think she's decided they should sleep together. She probably thinks that'll make the choice clearer. But in the end I think it won't.

* I knew about Edith starting the fire -- I still think it was careless, but it makes a little more sense that it was a book of Michael's, and not just some random novel she threw in a temper tantrum.

* I was also a lot more invested in Edith/Marigold than I thought I'd be. All of the scenes from that story were really touching, and I'm glad that Mr. Drewe seems kind/decent.

* So much Thomas/Jimmy interaction this episode, but I feel like I need to re-watch before I comment on it any further.

* That dinner was deliciously awkward all the way around. I've been lukewarm on Sarah, but I thought she was pretty rude. I think she should have been able to make her views known without insulting Robert. Though I'm also glad Isobel stood up for her so there was a little more balance than just Sarah/Tom versus everyone else.

* Tom and Rose have a nice vibe together.

* Lots of good lines from Violet, Robert, and Mary.

* I like that Daisy's sudden interest in arithmetic is rooted in her plan to one day run the farm.

* I admittedly wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to Isobel and Dr. Clarkson and/or Merton in previous seasons, so I'm not quite clear on what's going on there. Do I have this right: Violet used to push Isobel/Merton, but now she's pushing Isobel/Clarkson because of what Cora said to Robert (that Violet doesn't want Isobel to make such a jump in social status). But which man does Isobel prefer? I thought she wasn't keen on either of them.

Anyway, it doesn't speak well of Merton if, as Lady Shackleton said, he was happy his first wife died.

* Robert had some nice scenes with both Mary and Tom.

* Baxter's secret is the only storyline I simply did not care one way or the other about. So glad that's over.

puffball7

Slow start but picked up a bit in second half.

Can Bunting be anymore of a piece of work? First of all when she was in the school hall with Rose, Tom and Edith, I thought she had improved a bit, but then she enters Downton and wham! It's like she can't help herself.

When she said "I've been on a course" I just kept thinking, I wished she'd stayed there.

Cora had the best response to her though, when she said to Robert, "What good would it do to fight rudeness with rudeness"? or words to that effect.

At least Tom acknowledges that she only really reminds him of what he used to be (minus the tactless rudeness however) but that she also shows him that he's moved on and changed. he may still hold similar opinions but he's matured in them, there is a time and a place for those sort of conversations and it is not at somebody else's wedding anniversary party!

I actually thought what Robert said to Tom was quite sweet, when he said he hoped she wouldn't turn him into hater, because that is what she is, a hater, she's implacable. If I were Tom I wouldn't even bother to try to educate her, she only listens to her own opinion,

Anyway, Mary doesn't like her, so that's that!

Moving on, Molesley and his hair! "Carson, please keep Molesley in the kitchen until his hair stops turning blue!" LOL

Baxter and Thomas's story was good I thought.

Unexpected thing: Tom being an excellent marksman with a shotgun.

Violet clearly doesn't want Isobel to become a "Lady" LOL.

And "Edith decided to set fire to her bedroom". - Mary

HarshBench

Glad Baxter is over too.

Violet doesn't want Isobel with Merton. When Robert mentioned Isobel maybe being a Lady etc. Violet looked panic-stricken. She doesn't want Isobel being a social equal. So she invited her friend and Clarkson to try to pry Merton and Isobel apart. Sabotage them. But I think it backfired because Isobel looked a little jealous. I think she might be keen on him now more than she was before, which is not what Violet wanted.

I think Sarah is just abrasive in general, and her comment about Robert not leading the war memorial committee was incredibly mean. But Robert was wrong to just shut down their opinions and tell them they were not even ALLOWED to disagree with him. You don't bark at a guest (and your son-in-law) like they're naughty children. He didn't handle it well at all.

So I understood why Tom apologized because what Sarah said was so nasty. But Tom said he was sorry for "arguing" with Robert which is ridiculous. He's an adult and a member of the family, for God's sake. He's entitled to disagree with His Lordship.

So I'd say both Robert and Sarah were in the wrong. Tom was not. Yet he was the only one who apologized.

Oh, but what Sarah said to Rose's friend about marrying a rich man? So funny because I expected her to say that exact thing to Rose at some point in S5, assuming they met. That was obnoxious as Hell too. Of course Rose's friend did seem like a ditz but still....inexcusable.

merveille

I honestly wonder how on earth Carson became a person of significance in the village?

Sarah's comment about Robert basically being irrelevant now really was a low blow. I still kind of enjoyed her dig So the only thing I can blame her for is going to the house in the first place and then being rude. But I guess it was nice if unconventional to go and see the servants.

Gillingham is so awkward and...desperate? And what about his weird behaviour when Bates quizzed him about Green.

I like Baxter and Molesley. Quite odd that if I were to ship anyone, it would probably be them.

northboundtrain

Ah, thanks. That makes sense.

I don't get a good vibe from Merton, so hopefully Isobel's interest in him this episode is more about needling Violet.

But she also doesn't seem to love Clarkson, so I can't root for them either.


I agree. I chalk it up to Robert already being on edge because he disliked her. So the minute she gave him an excuse to take it out on her, he did.


I felt bad for her. Instead of being snobbish, she was eager/excited to meet Sarah and be friendly to her, so she made a self-deprecating comment that was also a compliment to Sarah.

And wasn't Rose's other friend, the young man, being kind to Sarah, too? I'll have to go back and re-watch but I thought he said something in her defense when they were all chatting during dinner.


I assumed it was because he's the butler at Downton, and that that position comes with a certain amount of respect? But that was just a guess on my part.

HarshBench

Yes, Rose's friend was easy-going about the whole thing. He didn't get his knickers in a twist like Robert did.

I felt like Sarah was just WAITING to make that comment to Rose's friend, I swear. I actually predicted that if Sarah met Rose in S5 she would say something like that to her. But now suddenly Rose seems more mature and serious so they needed a different target LOL.

JeRoMe

Wait, can someone explain the end part when Edith was talking to the fireman/adopted dad I think..?

Did she intentionally start the fire?

*confused*

Andorra

I liked the episode very much. It had a good mixture between fun and excitement.

I thought Edith and Marigold was a bit heartbreaking and it is clear things will get very difficult there. I like Mr. Drewe but I fear the worst for him! Because if something is going to happen to him, his wife won't be so keen on having Edith around their daughter all the time. And now Mr. Drewe is a fireman?! I see DRAMA!!

I LOVED Tom and Rose. I've given up on "Trosy" pretty much at the end of series 4, since it was said that Lily will leave, but seeing them, I think it is a PITY! They had such a nice spark. The way they smiled at each other now and then and the way she wants him to be happy. I love that girl. She's thoughtless a lot of times, but she's so genuinely friendly!

That takes me to Tom. I loved his "I don't hate anyone". That is so genuinely Tom. He is a good man, a nice man. He is the one apologizing for causing awkwardness. He is not apologizing for his views, but he knows it was the anniversary dinner for Robert and Cora and he felt sorry that he made the dinner uncomfortable. Even though it wasn't HIS fault at all! It were Bunting and Robert the two buttheads, who misbehave and NOT Tom. And yet he is the one apologizing.

I'm sorry, I know Bunting is forward thinking and modern and I agree with her on many things, but I have to go with Robert and say: Must she be such a cow about it?

The war was only 6 years ago. She's sitting at a table with people who lost their sons to it or who fought there themselves and she just calls their sacrifice meaningless and a "waste"? Even though she is historically right, this is an incredibly tactless and rude thing to say IMO. And unnecessary. What business is it of hers if they want to build a memorial for the soldiers who died?

Robert on the other hand isn't much better. OK, he's already pissed that she is there in the first place, because he thinks Tom slept with her in the house while they were in London. Maybe he is even feeling mad in behalf of Sybil. But still he can't just jump into a guest's face like that. It wasn't just her causing awkwardness, it was him, too.

But then her comment about Robert was really nasty. That wasn't just a political disagreement, that was personal and I felt bad for Robert. As was her comment to Rose's friend. She only wanted to be friendly and Sarah was incredibly rude.

Then she demanded to see the servants, which I thought hilarious. Come on! If you're in a hotel, you go down to the cook and thank him personally for dinner, too? A bit too demonstrative "Oh I'm so progressive and I'm the only one who thinks of the poor creatures who work downstairs". Also when she WAS downstairs, it seemed to be a bit awkward, too.

What I absolutely loved in the episode was the friendship between Thomas and Jimmy. Thomas was so evil and mean to Baxter and so lovely to Jimmy. I can't wait how his character will evolve this series, I think it will be one of the most interesting storylines.

Daisy and her wish to learn Mathematics: Well, it's pretty much clear who will come to her rescue. So no big suspense there. Bates and Anna are talking about children, snore. The same goes for Gillingham and Mary. I'm just not interested in Mary's love life, sorry. I like Gillingham well enough, but there's no spark for me. I thought Mary's interactions with the family or Anna were more interesting than the supposed "love story".