ScarletCourt

I think we got to see more of Madeleine and Harold in the C/S than Jimmy, Alfred or Ivy combined in all of S4. Something I thought truly odd was that the family never visited America ever! Cora only saw her mother when Martha visited, but she hadn't seen Harold since she got married thirty years ago. I do wonder whether Cora even recognized her brother after 30 years.

I could do without the blanket of suitors and I have no idea what JF is doing with Sarah Bunting at all.

Yes, it is a classic soap technique but soaps are on 5x a week. DA is only on 9 episodes a year. Using soap techniques is just wasting everyone's time.

I agree that JF has no idea where to take the characters, which is why they have a lot of activity but never develop their characters further. It's like because he has no idea, he just puts them through the motions to keep them moving. I think the only SL that really moved along was Edith's pregnancy out of wedlock.

L i N d $ @ y

I'm not gonna be surprised if Jimmy 'decides' to move out of Downton by the end of S5.

Same. If none of them came back next season, I won't miss them.

Which is alarming because we've got these good crop of actors with nothing really to go on.

mrs. g

Hello, new poster here from the Chicago area and a History teacher. I'm glad I found this place after I tried some board called Downton revisited and some dictator on there said I didn't go to the right intro board, which I didn't see, till I received an email and dared to post on the episode threat first, lol. It's a message board not Congress. forget that place/ The moderator there must have been too big headed. I've watched downton from Season one. This season the upstairs has gotten dull. Only liked Lady Mary when her husband was alive. Bates and Anna make the whole story for me and glad they reconciled. Hope they raise a family soon and can't wait till Bates gets even, without getting in trouble hopefull.

See season 4 spoilers on Wikipedia if wish.

L i N d $ @ y

Welcome to and I hope to see you on the other threads as well.

Yeah, S4 was so-so for Mary and her men. S5 will probably be all about "who does she choose?" which I couldn't really care for. Hopefully S5 is FAR better (if not the best) season for Anna/Bates.

Lauren60

I just became aware of "If Downton Abbey took place entirely on Facebook...". There are recaps for each of the episodes that have aired in the US so far. I found it to be very, very funny.

Here's the link: Funny Downton Abbey S4 Recap Pictures, Videos, News and Tweets on Happy Place

mrs. g

Maybe it's me but I find the script for Tom making him dull and whiny. He should be glad to have the creature comforts. They've been fine with him after a while and he can get used to things. He's too obsessed with fitting in. I like how he and Mary are working partners now. That should keep him happy.

L i N d $ @ y

They did this for S3 as well. They're hilarious.

Fans were complaining that Tom has lost touch of who he was before when he became part of the family and I think the show has addressed that by making him still adjust to living the 'aristocratic' life. Tbh, I don't view him like he was in S1 anymore. There's a certain aura about him now that he's part of the aristocrat way of life but that once you get to talk to him, his old ways are still there.

Andorra

I don't think he's "whiny". I think he had to suffer a horrible tragedy and he is still recovering. I love it actually, that the show gives him time to adjust to his life without Sybil. Much more than I like it that they gave Mary 3 suitors when Matthew was not even cold in his grave!

We saw how Tom has Sybil still very much in his thoughts and heart. There was almost no episode where he didn't mention her! I so like that.

I also think it is good for him to find a new identity. His views, his politics, his origins, it all has to be questioned when he works and lives with the Crawleys. He must find out who he is and what he wants in life.

So I liked his storyline in season 4, aside from these stupid women who stalked him. They were unnecessary and JF could have spared us those IMO.

mrs. g

(deleted by mrs. g)

Rockhog

ITA with this.
I like that show has given Tom time to heal from his loss.
It's much better than what they have done with Mary.
She was upset over Matthew for only like half an episode before she started to have feelings for TG. It's like the last 9 years of her life with Matthew never mattered.

lassothemoon

Exactly.

Matthew and even Carlisle were characters on their own without being just 'the love interest'. I'd argue that Evelyn Napier is as well--he interacts with the family, the family obviously are fond of him, and he's gone off and done things ( "oh he's in France, "oh he was wounded and is in a hospital", "oh he's engaged" ) other than chase Mary around.

I think that might be purposeful, but who knows..

Rockhog

Hi everyone!
S4 is still going on in the US so I'm going to go with what has happened so far.

Like-Edith's Storyline
Mary being there for Anna after her rape
Mary's comment about Thomas being on a ship to America. So funny!
Mary picking up where Matthew left off in the estate business with Tom
The babies even though their scenes with M&T still break my heart.
O'Brian is gone!
I like that Daisy is getting a taste of her own medicine when it comes Alfred because
she was the same way with William.
The scene with Isobel/Tom/Mary talking about their lost loved ones.
I always love the beautiful clothes.

Dislike-Mary moving on so fast after Matthew's death!
Tony G-He's either boring or annoying.His comment about Matthew being dead
himself alive was sick! I can't believe Mary would like him after that!
The love square going on downstairs. Ivy/Daisy/Alfred are all boring.
Mary being mean to Edith. Edith actually didn't deserve in it S4.

It really bugs me that JF is so insistent that Mary just has to be with a man.
Ever since the show started Mary has been pushed from one guy to another.
It's ok for her to be single,especially after her husband died!
Evelyn is sweet but a bit dull,
I can't stand Tony
As for Charles Blake I could live without him but I do like him the best out of the three guys. However I think I only like him because his relationship kind of reminds me of Mary's relationship with Matthew and how they didn't like each other at first but then it changed later as they spent more time together.

L i N d $ @ y

Unfortunately, it all boils down to the entail and since Robert doesn't have a son (with Patrick dying), they need to keep the estate and Cora's money intact and so that will mean Mary (the eldest) has to marry Matthew, the one who is to inherit after Patrick's death. Of course Mary can choose to not be with him but she fell for him in the end. I agree with Mary being single after Matthew's death, I am SO fine with that. But eventually she has to find someone of course. I'm glad that she's still looking for the one in S4 although it was really too soon to be kissing Tony in the grounds of Downton Abbey after only a few eps into S4. That was very hard for me to watch as I love M/M very much.

Rockhog

I can understand the whole issue of the entail and I'm glad that Patrick died so M/M could meet. They are my favorite couple. It just bugs me that JF has Mary moving on so fast after Matthew died. Yes I know that she would move on sometime but it wouldn't kill her to let her be single for at least one season.

Andorra

At least her suitors are decent men. Tom Branson fans only get manipulative shrews running after him. There's no nice lady for him on the horizon. Not a single little glimpse of happiness. That's not better, I tell you!