Are you? Or am I just crazy? (You can actually answer. I already know I am.)
But let’s get to our life lessons:
1. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how repressed a society you live in. most guys still want to go to bed with you.
For those of you out there who didn’t spend their formative years reading historical fiction and Jane Austen novels, this whole situation between Mrs. Hughes, Mr. Carson, and Mrs. Patmore was very realistic for the times. With the exception that Mrs. Hughes probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable discussing anything with Mrs. Patmore, because she wasn’t a married/widowed woman and therefore was supposed to be ignorant of what goes on behind closed doors!
That said, isn’t Carson possibly the cutest, sweetest guy ever? If I lived in the Downton world, I think he’d be my second choice after Matthew. I don’t care how old he is (that’s the first time I’ve ever said THAT in my life!). He’s a catch.
2. Julian Fellows will never stop torturing Anna and Bates.
Sure, Anna is finally acquitted of murdering what’s-his-name (seriously, I don’t even remember it at this point, that’s how long this storyline has dragged on), but she doesn’t even get an episode to celebrate her freedom. Because she’s had a miscarriage. Again.
While I am sick of the torture-the-Bates story arcs, this one is probably going to bring me to tears a lot this season. Because I’ve lived through infertility. And unlike me with access to 21st Century medicine, Anna doesn’t have the option of hiring IVF doctors and a surrogate. Anyone else going to grab their tissues?
3. Your sins will catch up with you.
Can you imagine living in a world where a single woman can be blackmailed—to the tune of what would be £50,000 in modern day (yes, I’m a nerd and found an online inflation calculator)—for having sex with a single man? We’re so far away from that it’s hard to even picture it.
I loved that Mary’s caustic disdain stretches even to her blackmailer “The working classes may be coming up, but I’d be very surprised if you are!”
Unlike last time, when a much-abused Edith outed her to the Turkish ambassador, Mary escapes scandal.
Side note: Did any of you think for a second that Mary’s fantastic line to her father: “I’d rather be alone than with the wrong man” means that she’ll end the show single? (Yeah, me neither. But I loved that she seemed content when she said it.)
4. Sometimes, it’s good to rule by fear…and with fantastic one liners.
Television is going to be a sadder place without Lady Violet and her brilliant witticisms. Because you can’t improve on this:
5. All it took was the show ending for Julian Fellows to give Edith a life.
You can’t run a London publishing company from York when your male underlings don’t want a female boss who gives orders over the telephone. (Never mind that it had only been legal for women to own a business for about 10[?] years at that point and when they did, they were likely to hire male lawyers to carry out their wishes in said businesses.)
Realistic history aside, it appears that Edith is NOT going to “hang around Downton being sniped at by Mary forever”…just for a few more episodes.
So what did you think of the premiere? Are you already grieving? Thrilled to be back in the overly large Downton Abbey halls?
