Critical Notes are at the end, after the Enneagram Story and Breakdown.
ONE
A bicycle messenger arrives at Downton. April, 1917. In Robert’s room his new valet arranges his uniform. The message is for William. Carson is still overworking and Hughes is still taking him to task over it.
Robert’s man seems timid, speaking softly, and Robert snaps at him. Ah, he’s named Lang. Robert apologizes. Lang was invalided out of the military. Trench warfare. Oh, Lang feels people look at him and wonder why he’s not serving. Must be an unobvious injury.
TWO
Patmore reads something that upsets her, but we pass on. William’s excited: he’s been called up. He asks Daisy for a picture to take with him. Lol, Daisy doesn’t seem to know what to make of that.
Cora asks O’Brien about Thomas. Oh, haha! These two are fabulous. Cora will talk to the doctor about bringing Thomas home. O’Brien is so humbly grateful, the conniver. I know it’s terrible to see Cora so manipulated by someone she trusts, but, really, their relationship is wonderful.
THREE
The trenches and Matthew. It’s always the same overhead shot, the same set, but it’s evocative. Matthew, walking the line with another, drops the exposition that he’s being transferred back to England to help the war effort.
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