ONE
Housecleaning before the family returns from “the Season” in London. Hughes and Carson catch us up on William: He made it home in time to say goodbye to his mother. Gwen dashes in to tell them, “They’re here.”
July 1914. The murder of the Archduke is the main topic around the neighborhood. Okay, here comes the war.
TWO
As the family goes upstairs to change and “wash off the train” Hughes and Carson worry how they’ll tell them about Patmore, who’s worse. Also, is Bates leaving or not? His Lordship hasn’t decided yet because Bates won’t share any facts.
Now to Mary in London. She’s staying for a few weeks longer with Aunt Rosamund. They stroll the park (in fabulous clothes!) while Mary pretends the rumors about her are just stories. Will she marry Matthew? She’ll give her answer when she returns home.
O’Brien in the kitchen. She reads a note, and then asks Thomas to go out for a smoke with her.
THREE
Robert is surprised to see the doctor come from upstairs. Is Lady Grantham ill? Not exactly. (Cringe. I’ve dreaded this storyline.) Robert dashes upstairs. Cut to the bedroom as he says, “Pregnant!” The showrunners like to deliver momentous news with a jump cut, don’t they? He’s shocked but pleased.
FOUR
The smoking evildoers share the note. O’Brien spoke to a lady’s maid while in London with the family, and now she has incriminating information about Bates.
Robert discusses the pregnancy with the doctor over whiskeys. Cora’s about four months in.
Cut to the evildoers presenting the note to Carson. Should a man like that live and work at Downton? Thomas knows just the buttons to push on Carson, that’s for sure.
And now to London. Evelyn, Mary’s former suitor, visits with her. Rut-roh. He’s heard gossip. About Mr. Pamuk. “I am not the source of these stories.” Oh, he wants to clear his name. Good for him. Poor boring, decent man — the best catch in the whole show, probably — and no woman will marry him. It was Edith who wrote to the ambassador, he says.
Back to Hughes and Carson. They discuss the pregnancy (so everyone knows now, it seems) and the critical (to this family) point: if it’s a boy, Crawley’s out as heir.
Here’s Cora bringing the news personally to the Dowager. They discuss their lady’s maids. O’Brien is a treasure (ack, gag) and Violet is losing her woman. Cora offers to put an advertisement in for her to find a new maid.
The great expanse of the Downton grounds is the setting as Robert delivers the news to Matthew. There’s really nothing to be done. He knows better than anyone the law of the entail. Matthew asks, Has anyone heard from Mary? Robert asks, What is the name of your cook? (Lol.)
Cut to the kitchen, naturally, as Daisy tries to help an irritated Patmore. Oh, dear: Thomas is unsympathetic about William’s mother. Even Daisy looks horrified. It all comes to a screeching halt when Patmore burns herself.
Now Isabelle Crawley knows about the pregnancy. She seems . . . crisp, lol, as she talks to Matthew. The subtext is: Matthew is disappointed. He’d grown to love the idea of Downton. And Mary’s silence is eating at him. Oh, and here’s the cook.
Carson approaches Bates in private. He’s holding O’Brien’s note. Here we go: While in London O’Brien befriended a lady’s maid in a Colonel’s household, someone who served with Bates. Bates cannot deny the contents of the note. Now it all goes to Lord Grantham.
Mary discusses the pregnancy and Matthew’s proposal with Rosamund. Auntie is a calculating person, that’s for sure. Mary likes him, even without the title, but Rosamund scorns the notion of a country solicitor for her. A lot of plot turns on this moment, but it doesn’t really convey Mary’s unease. Is Mary so petty, so untrusting in her own judgment? And Rosamund is a new character to us; why should she hold so much sway? Ah, well.
Carson meets with Robert. First of all, they’re to have a telephone installed. The girls got used to it in London, and there’s this whole Archduke thing. And now for the Bates issue. Robert finds the actions described in the note out of character for Bates. Carson warns he wouldn’t put anything past Thomas or O’Brien. (Just curious: why keep them employed if they’re so untrustworthy?)
The ladies are together, including Mary. Opinions about Matthew vary, and Mary clearly stops Edith from anything she might say. The Dowager lets Edith know that Sir Anthony at a party asked about her. Now the two older women are left to talk privately. Violet’s lady’s maid is quitting. Cora sympathizes. Robert always wants her to dump O’Brien but she can’t face it. So now we know the answer to my question: if left to Robert, O’Brien would indeed be gone, but it’s not his call. Violet, surprisingly, is in Matthew’s corner. If Mary wants to accept she should do so now, before the baby’s born. Take him when he’s poor.
The servants eat at their table, discussing the news. Should they get a christening gift for the baby? Is war coming? Carson steps in and asks Daisy to bring Patmore to the library. Anna is to come, too. Hmm. Oh, she’s there for moral support. Robert is sending Patmore (with Anna) to London for an eye specialist. She’s so gobsmacked she has to sit down.
Mary’s back, and now it’s time for the meeting with Matthew. We don’t even know what she said to him and he’s already arguing. She has no answer for him yet. She wants to be sure, and he accuses her of playing the odds on the baby’s sex.
Bates dresses Robert and they discuss his case. Robert would like the truth and Bates won’t answer. There’s some serious Austenian honor going on here. Eleanor Dashwood would be proud of Bates’ restraint. Pah.
Hughes is referee between Patmore and the visiting cook for control of the kitchen. Heh.
Matthew, hurt, argues with his mother about Mary. She wants to blame the Dowager and is ready to go confront her about it, lol.
SWITCH
Robert and Cora disagree about Bates. In Cora’s eyes he’s a silver thief (which was the Colonel’s accusation). Robert says Bates has Carson’s support, but O’Brien and Thomas work against him. Sarcastically, Cora says, “I should sack O’Brien?” just as — aaaaargh! — O’Brien walks in. Robert, not seeing her, says yes. Oh, wow. Cut to the smoking evildoers as O’Brien rants.
FIVE
In the kitchen Patmore tries to persuade Daisy to ruin the new cook’s food so that the family won’t like her. Poor Daisy. Always loyal, always manipulated for it.
Carson leads the telephone man through the house. He orders a second line, although it’s very unusual for a house to have two phones. In the middle of this negotiation Sir Anthony arrives for Edith. While she gets her coat everyone in the foyer, including Sybil, chat about the telephone business. The man says it’s hard to keep pace with demand, especially in finding a secretary. Boom, Sybil’s on the hunt.
At the eye hospital. Patmore will be in residence for a week. She didn’t realize surgery would be involved, and she’s very nervous. But Anna will visit every day! It is pretty intimidating. After leaving, Anna strolls in the park on her way to making inquiries about Bates’ service in the army.
Daisy at the soup pot might be trying to ruin dinner, but she doesn’t look cunning enough to do it, lol. What the heck did she just grate in? Soap? God, girl, don’t poison anyone.
Anna can get no information about Bates’ service, but she does get an address for his mother. Nothing listed, though, for Bates’ wife. Ew. Anna keeps her stiff upper lip.
As Edith, dressed for dinner, walks down the hall Mary grabs her and accuses her. Edith calls her a slut, which seems to shock Mary. What’s worse, that Edith knows or that Mary can no longer pretend to forget?
After dinner Violet asks Cora how the new maid advertisement is going. Of course, she means for herself, but Thomas overhears and assumes they’re speaking about O’Brien. Cora, the hostess, tells Carson to compliment the cook on dinner. (Haha, really?) Then she asks Edith how the drive with Anthony went. Edith is very demure and happy. Anthony said he’d have a question for her at the garden party. Mary rolls her eyes. Of course, the Crawleys are also here for dinner because the family is borrowing their cook for the week. Somehow everyone scatters and we’re left with Violet and Isabelle, who looks daggers at the Dowager.
And now Thomas is sneaking about in the cloak room. Molesley enters and catches him. Mr. Carson just dropped his wallet (cue a completely innocent face) and I’m replacing it.
Matthew updates Robert on the Mary indecision. Everyone wants them married but Mary. I’m actually not sure what’s holding her back. Well, I actually do know: it’s the Pamuk situation. She’s afraid to tell Matthew, but she won’t accept him until she’s done so. Honorable, yet she comes off looking mercenary or flighty.
In the kitchen Thomas lets O’Brien know she’s going to be replaced. As they all sit to eat, Carson conveys Her Ladyship’s compliments on the meal. Daisy gives a “gar”. She’s confused. Then we see each person’s face as they taste the soup. Cook spits! Oh, it was soap! Daisy breaks down crying as Hughes yells at her. Carson, ever reasonable, tells her the family wouldn’t take such trouble to heal Patmore only to fire her after. Ah, Daisy breaks my heart. She’s just a spineless girl who wants to be liked. I know her too well. Oh, it’s Cook who comforts her. That’s a nice touch.
Telephone man’s back at the house and Sybil confronts him about the secretary situation. Oh, this is funny. He won’t interview the young lady (our Gwen) because her application shows no sign of hard work. The maid who can’t use her experience to get a job can’t get a job because she might be too soft. Well done. Oh, how charming. When Sybil sends for and introduces Gwen he has no problem whatsoever. His mother was a house maid!
Anna has tea with Bates’ mother. She wants the truth. Who was the thief? Mama says: His wife.
Staff looks at the new telephone in the butler’s pantry. Carson shoos them along, telling them of course he knows how to use it. He doesn’t, but why would he?
Thomas, while seeing the doctor out, mentions that war seems to be coming and he’d like to be of use. Like you, doctor, helping bring people back to health. (Ack.) Health services is indeed recruiting right now, and the doctor will make inquiries for Thomas.
While serving a drink to Robert, Carson tells him of Molesley’s discovery of Thomas in the cloak room, stealing. We can wait until after the garden party, but then he must be fired.
Patmore’s back, wearing dark glasses for a week. It’s time to discuss the menu for the garden party, and Hughes has checked the store cupboard and ordered accordingly. Haha, Cook and Patmore actually become allies as they argue that the store cupboard should fall under kitchen’s purview. They were just sniping each other a second ago!
Carson at his desk practices with the telephone. Well, at least he’s not speaking into the ear piece anymore.
Cora and Violet talk in her bedroom. When O’Brien enters to draw the bath, Violet asks if there’s any news about “the position”. Again, we know the disconnect. O’Brien doesn’t, and she’s pissed. Push-in on her face, very emotional, as the women talk in voiceover of the different prospects.
In the library, Anna asks to talk to Robert. She will tell him what she’s discovered about Bates.
Crosscut with Cora in the bath. As she washes, she loses the soap onto the floor. When O’Brien picks it up, we see that the bar is broken, with one half still near the tub. O’Brien pauses. She toes it into position. As she returns to the bedroom for the robe, we follow her. She talks to herself in the mirror: “This is not who you are.” She turns with a “Milady, just wait” but the sound of slipping and injury is already upon us.
Establishing shot of the house.
SIX
Bates tells Robert in his room that the doctor is gone for now. Oh, no. Robert turns from the window, crying, and says, “It was a boy.” This is so awful. I hate this episode!
SEVEN
To change the subject, Robert tells Bates he won’t be fired after what Anna told him. Bates doesn’t know Anna’s done this.
A view on O’Brien and staff sitting around, sad about Cora and the baby. In comes Thomas with his callous remarks. He keeps pushing, and William rises up and socks him. Branson and Carson break the two men apart.
EIGHT
Oh, I hear chamber music over an establishing shot of the house. It must be garden party day! Staff work from tents set up on the lawn. The doctor signals Thomas as he serves, giving him papers for his recruitment. As William rushes through the tent Daisy grabs him to apologize. She was under an evil spell, she says. Friends? Always. In the kitchen the two cooks are so polite it hurts. Suddenly the phone rings “like the cry of the banshee”. No one is willing to answer, so Branson does it.
Next we see him in his uniform coat rushing out to the party. He’s got news, he says to Sybil. Gwen’s got the job. Hughes interrupts the hugging and sends people on their way, but she particularly stops Branson. “Be careful, my lad, or you’ll end up with no job and a broken heart.”
Mary walks with Sir Anthony as he looks for Edith. Oh, noooo. She’s so cruel as she lightheartedly tells Anthony that Edith is dodging some old boor who was going to propose today. Oh, that’s so sad. Another decent man treated poorly.
Carson and Hughes stand to one side, admiring the success of the party. Up comes Thomas to hand in his notice. Well, now no one must fire him. They’re relieved.
And here’s Edith chasing after Anthony as he prepares to leave. He’s utterly polite, but he’s gone. Heartbroken, Edith finally sees Mary toast her glass at her from across the lawn.
O’Brien brings a throw to Cora who sits in the shade on a chaise. Cora grabs her hand and calls her sweet, which almost kills O’Brien. And then, to deliver the final blow, Violet dashes over and asks O’Brien to help her find out how her maid search is going. She doesn’t want to bother Cora, and they should’ve asked O’Brien earlier for her expert opinion. Dead, totally dead. Well, the writers worked hard to land that moment and it does.
Anna bustles past Bates. She sort of apologizes for interfering, although he doesn’t seem upset. I needed to know the truth, she says. You only know my mother’s truth, he answers. They’re friendly enough, but distant. After she leaves, Molesley approaches, wondering if anyone is keen on that nice Anna. Bates says, basically, yes, there’s someone keen, indeed. (Grr, stick your long-suffering face in a bag and get on with it.)
Mary and Matthew have a showdown. He’s leaving after all that’s happened with the baby and Mary’s uncertainty, and she objects. “I’ve ruined everything,” she cries. She completely breaks down after he walks away. Cut to Violet and Rosamund as Matthew continues away behind them. The Dowager blames her daughter for mucking up Mary’s prospects. Oh, how tender. It’s Carson who approaches Mary on the lawn. Oh, he hugs her while she cries!
NINE
And Violet and Isabelle, discussing the lovers, agree for once. Both kids are making a mistake.
Robert sits with Cora when Carson brings a message on a tray. Push-in as he reads, and then he waves his hat for attention and calls out to the partygoers. “We are at war with Germany.” We get shots of all the shocked and distressed faces. Thus ends Season One.
Well, it’s a lovely but painful Three/Six. Baby In, Baby Out. I find much of this storyline overly contrived to play on our heartstrings, but I can’t deny that this is a well-crafted mirror beat.
The Eight, as it should with a season-ender, wraps up more stories than are contained in this episode. For instance, Gwen lands her secretarial job. The state of Anna’s and Bates’ relationship hits level ground: they like each other but he’s married. And Branson cares more for Sybil than he or we realized. Hughes, as a master housekeeper, is the only one to spot it early.
Where I have trouble (ah, of course I do) is with the Mary/Matthew romance. I’ve mentioned before that some of the choices are flimsy. We all know that at the end of Season One they should be apart. That’s classic romance writing. What have been the stages of their courtship, though? That’s also de rigueur for romance. Mary can’t decide whether or not she should accept him. Why? If it’s due to Mr. Pamuk, which is a great plot and character choice, then run with it. I’m only guessing at this motivation, though, because the show doesn’t give me enough reiteration. If it’s because, as the daughter of an earl, she feels an obligation to marry within a certain social structure, let’s hear it. Rosamund forwards this opinion, but does Mary agree? No idea. If we’re to see Mary as a modern woman who wants to feel sure of her heart before committing . . . I’m not even convinced of her affection for Matthew. We’ve only seen camaraderie at the dinner table from them. What does she want from a partner? She’s not young enough (we’re told this was her third London Season) to believably waffle. She knows her mind in every other regard. It’s ridiculous to make her so inconsistent.
Matthew is clearer. He loves Mary, he has grown to love the estate, and their marriage would satisfy all social concerns within the family. I don’t blame him for stepping away when he can’t get a straight answer, although the advent of war with Matthew at loose ends is a little too convenient. And this is why, ultimately, I think Mary was written so poorly. They wanted to end the season with Matthew in this state, and her consistency and character were sacrificed for plot convenience. Downton carries a whole branching tree of storylines. This isn’t just the Mary show, so maybe they didn’t have time. Nope, sorry. I can’t excuse a major character being treated like this, regardless. It’s disappointing.
I don’t intend to look at the Enneagram arc for the entire Season One. It’s too much work, lol! I am curious, though, what the Mary angle would look like. How would it break down and where would it fail (if it does)? What beats are missing or underdeveloped? We’ll see if it eats at me, haha!