Author Topic: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs  (Read 103324 times)

BooksAdmin

  • TopicManager
  • Posts: 215
PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« on: December 30, 2014, 11:45:55 PM »
 
See the 2015-2016 MASTERPIECE schedule

Let's talk about PBS programs that we enjoy.

COMING IN JANUARY

Sherlock - The Abominable Bride
January 1; repeated on January 10, 2016

Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the acclaimed modern retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories. But now, our heroes find themselves in 1890s London.


Downton Abbey Season 6
January 3- March 6, 2016

Rejoin this Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winning drama for a sixth and final season.

ALREADY DISCUSSED


Indian Summers
September 27- November 22, 2015

Set in a subtropical paradise during the twilight era of the British Empire, Indian Summers explores the collision of the ruling class English with their Indian subjects, and the intricate game of power, politics, and passion that ensues. Julie Walters (Harry Potter, Oscar® nominee for Billy Elliot and Educating Rita) stars as Cynthia Coffin, the glamorous doyenne of an English social club, and is joined by Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Jemima West, Nikesh Patel, Roshan Seth, and Lillete Dubey.


Home Fires
October 4 - November 8, 2015

At the heart of a rural English village on the verge of the Second World War, a diverse group of women with personal struggles, conflicting views and a shared mission forge a community that will inspire their finest hour. Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey) and Francesca Annis (Reckless, Cranford) head an ensemble cast in the moving wartime drama, Home Fires, based on Jambusters, Julie Summers’ history of Britain’s Women’s Institute.


Sherlock, Seasons 2 and 3
August 16 - September 20, 2015

While we wait for Season 4 of Sherlock (said to be broadcast in 2017), we can watch encore presentations of the exploits of the world's only consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, and his long-suffering faithful friend, Dr. John Watson in Seasons 2 and 3. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness; The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit trilogy).


Arthur & George
September 6- 20, 2015

Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) stars as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in a three-part MASTERPIECE adaptation of a novel by Julian Barnes based on real events. Outraged by injustice to an Anglo-Indian solicitor, the famed author uses the methods of his own fictional detective to get at the truth. Co-starring are Arsher Ali (The Missing) as George Edalji; and Charles Edwards (Downton Abbey) as Alfred Wood, Sir Arthur’s real-life “Dr. Watson.”


Poldark, Season 1

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Thanks to our Masterpiece friends at the WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, SeniorLearn is in possession of two DVD sets of Season 1 of the current Poldark to give away. Winners of these DVDs will be selected at random from people who post in the PBS Masterpiece discussion from June 21 through August 7. You may post as many messages as you like but only one post will count as your entry. Winners will be notified by email (to the email address associated with your username on SeniorLearn) during the second week of August when we'll request their postal address in order to send the DVD. To be eligible to receive the DVD you must live in the contiguous United States (for postage considerations).


June 21 - August 2, 2015
Set in the picturesque, seaside county of Cornwall, Poldark follows a rough-and-ready hero with nothing to lose as he tries to restore his community, fortune, and family name. It’s 1783, and Britain is in a crisis of falling wages, rising goods prices, and civil unrest. Dashing, adventurous scoundrel Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) returns from fighting overseas to find his world dramatically changed: his family estate is in ruins, his father has died, and his sweetheart is engaged to another. Poldark is based on the first two novels in Winston Graham’s sweeping 18th-century saga. The first television adaptation of the series aired on MASTERPIECE in the 1970s, and now a new generation can delight in the exploits of a romantic hero like no other.


Mr. Selfridge, Season 3
March 29 - May 17, 2015
All sales are final as Harry Selfridge gambles his store, his fortune, and his personal happiness on an audacious retail strategy in Mr. Selfridge, Season 3.


Wolf Hall

Wolf Hall, a six-hour miniseries adapted from Hilary Mantel’s best-selling Booker Prize-winning novels: Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, airs on Sundays, April 5 to May 10, 2015 at 10pm. Wolf Hall stars Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Damian Lewis (Homeland) and Tony Award-winner Mark Rylance (Twelfth Night) and shines a spotlight on Thomas Cromwell's involvement in King Henry VIII's marriage to and divorce from Anne Boleyn. See http://www.pbs.org/wolfhall and http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/wolf-hall/


Discussion Leaders:  JoanP and marcie


marcie

  • Administrator
  • Posts: 7802
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2014, 12:16:31 AM »
Season V of Downton Abbey starts this Sunday. We're going to have lots to talk about!

salan

  • Posts: 1093
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2014, 04:33:18 AM »
I am really looking forward to Downton Abbey.  I watched Call the Midwife Christmas special & found it delightful as usual.  The new season of Midwife starts in March.
Sally

nlhome

  • Posts: 984
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2014, 02:13:10 PM »
I see that the Call the Midwife Christmas special is on one of our local PBS stations tonight so will watch that instead of the New Year's shows.

BarbStAubrey

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 11233
  • Keep beauty alive...
    • Piled on Tables and Floors and Bureau Drawers
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2014, 02:31:53 PM »
Just in - need groceries - Gershwin from Lincoln Square or whatever the official name is on tonight and tomorrow is the Vienna New Year Concert - tra la -
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

FlaJean

  • Posts: 849
  • FlaJean 2011
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2014, 04:09:24 PM »
Really forward to this new season of Downton Abbey.

CallieOK

  • Posts: 1122
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2014, 04:35:29 PM »
I, too, look forward to the new season of Downton Abbey.

mabel1015j

  • Posts: 3656
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2014, 05:43:28 PM »
Marking!

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2015, 08:29:23 AM »
No Call the Midwife here.. darn it all. but I am sure that Sunday we will have Downton and can hardly wait.
Stephanie and assorted corgi

bellamarie

  • Posts: 4076
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2015, 12:02:10 PM »
I am so excited for Season V to begin.  I rented Seasons 1 - 1V a couple of weeks ago and got caught up and just fell in love with this show.  I wish I could magically make Matthew return.  Oh how perfect he and Mary were, and to give birth to the new heir of Downton. 

Here is a link to tickle our interest a bit before tomorrow night..... Enjoy!

http://www.thirteen.org/downton-abbey/web-exclusive-video/downton-abbey-season-5-holiday-preview/

I have never seen Call the Midwife, but a friend suggested I get the dvds and watch it.  I did set my dvr to tape the Christmas special, so I will see how I like it.
“What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?...Was ever anything so civil?”
__Anthony Trollope, The Warden

mabel1015j

  • Posts: 3656
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2015, 01:55:44 PM »
I enjoyed the retrospective that our two PBS stations did over the last month. There were bits and pieces of episodes that i had missed and i started looking at the backgrounds of scenes rather than focusing on the characters and dialogues only. Holy smokes those are some huge rooms!!! And other then the episode where Thomas hid the dog, i hadn't paid much attention to the dog. While watching recently i noticed that he frequently ambles into room, or sits by the fireplace when the scenes are at Downton Abbey. A friend said she thinks that is the dog of the owner if DA.

I very much enjoy looking at the change of fashion and hairstyles thru the series. Of course, the dowager hasn't kept up with the changes very much. >:(

Jean

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2015, 09:36:35 AM »
I love the show and love Elizabeth McGovern, who is prettier than any of her daughters.
Stephanie and assorted corgi

marcie

  • Administrator
  • Posts: 7802
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2015, 12:17:08 PM »
 The wait is over! Get a double dose of Downton Abbey today, Jan. 4, 2015, starting at 9pm ET with the Season 5 premiere. Then, stay tuned for an all-new documentary, The Manners of Downton Abbey, featuring series historical advisor Alastair Bruce. The one-hour documentary features revealing interviews with leading cast members, including Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, Sophie McShera and others. Discover the secrets of how the aristocratic set dined and dressed, how they married and made money, how they interacted with the servants, and above all why they behaved as they did. Illustrated with memorable moments from Downton Abbey, the program is a treat for fans and anyone fascinated with the customs of early 1900s Britain.

See a preview of "Manners" at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/programs/episode/manners-downton-abbey/

BarbStAubrey

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 11233
  • Keep beauty alive...
    • Piled on Tables and Floors and Bureau Drawers
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #13 on: January 04, 2015, 02:27:37 PM »
I wonder if one of the reasons we are in awe and glued to Downton because so many of us are tired of what happened to us with big box stores and the global economy - found this and it hit me there is nothing disposable as a matter of course during the Downton years...
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

bellamarie

  • Posts: 4076
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #14 on: January 04, 2015, 02:49:32 PM »
Barb, We have seemed to turn into a throw away society.  I look at this present generation and I fear tradition, religion, family and even passed down heirlooms, mean so little to them.  I see so many divorces, split homes, shared custody, that the children today live in a whirlwind of whose house do I go to after school, on the weekend, for the holiday, etc., along with the activities they are involved in.  Everything seems so disposable, they can eliminate a family member or friend by the click of a button on their cell phone or Facebook. 

I have come to enjoy Downton Abbey because it brings back the generational family, the traditions, the struggles to keep these things important and in tact.  Plus, I just love the era, clothes, regalness and the interaction with the working staff.  Watching Downton Abbey for me is like reading a Jane Austen novel!  Oh how I loved Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Mary and Matthew so reminded me of them.  Still sad Matthew is no longer in the show.

Thank you Marcie, for the heads up to follow after the show tonight.  I will set my dvr so I won't miss it!
“What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?...Was ever anything so civil?”
__Anthony Trollope, The Warden

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #15 on: January 05, 2015, 08:53:30 AM »
Locally we had a feast. Two hours of the last show of season 4, then season 5, then the show on how and whys.. Whew.. Edith is beginning to puzzle me. Her generation had nannies.. She seems to be reacting as a villager would act about her daughter. I would guess the child is a substitute for the man she loved, but why she is so very different from her two sisters interests me.. I also got sort of a feeling about her Aunt and her reactions to Ediths statement, that she had no idea what it was like, because she never had a child.. Hmm.
Stephanie and assorted corgi

marcie

  • Administrator
  • Posts: 7802
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #16 on: January 05, 2015, 11:22:34 AM »
Steph, that's an interesting insight about Edith. I thought last night's episode had a lot of intrigues.

BarbStAubrey

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 11233
  • Keep beauty alive...
    • Piled on Tables and Floors and Bureau Drawers
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #17 on: January 05, 2015, 12:03:38 PM »
I thought the second show about the manners of this time in history said volumns about how little intimacy and compassion could possibly get past the lifetime of streight and narrow with even the clothing supporting that straight and narrow self contained viewpoint of life - today we hear of folks trying to make up of family trauma and shame by being perfect - mostly it is a reaction by girls and women - it appears this whole society was bent on perfection - was the trauma of the French Revolution that great or did it come on the heals of the revolution in America therefore it was a double whammy that unsettled the aristocrats - perfection was certainly allready in place by the time the Brits experienced the wealth drain so that those like Robert Crawley married American heiresses.

The elite from other nations wore clothing that was as restrictive however, and where manners were restrictive not nearly as the Brits. that would be an interesting bit of research wouldn't it to why the Brits became as they did as compared to the French, Russians, Austrians and the Americans of wealth. Wasn't the royalty of Russia, France, Austria all related to the royals of England or was that later after Victoria died in the last half of the nineteenth century - I did not get the impression this was a new viewpoint on life just during the Edwardian era which is after Victoria.

And yes, Steph it does seem strange that Edith is emotionally attached to her little girls especially when you see the two little ones being brought in for the daily visit before dinner in the big house - but then maybe this visit with her little girl is no different only taking a few minutes since she is still wearing her coat at the table. My gut tells me somehow he was either caught up in or captured for some secret part he played with either the White Russians trying to escape or they never said but he could be Jewish and as a Jew in Germany during the early days before WWII something could have happened or he may be wanting to keep hidden to do his work helping. Britain did not see the danger yet, but as a newspaper man he could see waht was happening.
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

FlaJean

  • Posts: 849
  • FlaJean 2011
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #18 on: January 05, 2015, 01:16:43 PM »
I made a comment about Lady Mary and Edith but then thought it might be telling too much about the last night's plot so deleted it.   I wonder how many people saw Downton Abbey last night and how many dvr'd it to watch later.  Sometimes I'm not sure how to comment for fear it will spoil it for someone.

mabel1015j

  • Posts: 3656
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #19 on: January 05, 2015, 03:10:14 PM »
Is Edith the middle child? Do you remember in the 70s someone wrote a book about the issues of "middle children?" Maybe Fellowes was of an age to remember that.

I found it interesting when they talked about the rigid behaviors of the aristocracy that Lady Crawley, being raised in America by Shirley McClain (smile) would not have been more of a rebel. She's such a mouse, especially in the earlier seasons and Fellowes had her falling right into all mores of the British aristocracy, didn't he? It might have been more fun to have her be more gutsy and progressive.

Jean

MaryPage

  • Posts: 3725
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #20 on: January 05, 2015, 03:44:42 PM »
FlaJean, I thought we were all free to discuss an episode once it has been shown on American television, which it in fact WAS last night.  So please speak up with your opinion.
Mabel/Jean, yes, Edith was the middle daughter of three, Sybil, the youngest,  now being dead.  There are only 2 daughters left:  Mary and Edith.  Rose is a NIECE, and is living with them so she could come out in the debut season, which she did last season, and find a husband in England, her parents having moved to Australia in Foreign Service or some such.

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #21 on: January 06, 2015, 09:15:11 AM »
I think that Cora fell in love and when she married him, she wanted to fit in and has worked very hard to do so. But do remember how upset she got when Sybel  died and she blamed Robert.. So she does fight back. I think she is the type of woman, who gets her way by gentleness. He actually does a lot of what she wants if you pay attention.
Stephanie and assorted corgi

jeriron

  • Posts: 379
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #22 on: January 06, 2015, 10:10:31 AM »
Notice during the fire he made sure they got the dog out safely. Every time I see the dog it makes me smile. He sure has had a long life.

FlaJean

  • Posts: 849
  • FlaJean 2011
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #23 on: January 06, 2015, 11:44:23 AM »
The character of Lady Mary has evolved over these series.  She has gone from being snobbish when first meeting Matthew to showing wisdom in handling Rose's attachment to the black singer and in helping Anna.  She has handled Lord Grantham wisely in the affairs of land management.  But is she making a good decision regarding a tryst with Lord Gillingham.  She has a lot at stake in this matter.  What if she decides he isn't the right one.  Will Lord Gillingham use it against her.  I didn't care for Lady Mary at first, but as she matures she is becoming much more likable IMO.

I agree with Steph that Cora handles Robert with gentleness and more times than not gets her way.

BarbStAubrey

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 11233
  • Keep beauty alive...
    • Piled on Tables and Floors and Bureau Drawers
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #24 on: January 06, 2015, 12:29:21 PM »
Yes, gentleness - I think she knows how much he loves her making him so vulnerable and she would not hurt him unless very necessary as with the choice of birth for her youngest daughter that resulted in her death. That was a blow that is hard to live with - to trust what you know and then have death on your hands - oh dear - they were both in pain. He is so caught - to continue putting faith in the old traditions keeps the Abby and Estate's value and yet, the old ways is making him as well as his ideas irrelevant in this new world of estate profitability to pay the taxes.

Just dawned on me - most of us live a suburban lifestyle where we were never responsible for the house and land we live on to pay its way. Home owners maintain a building and land as a place of protection and pride but not as a source of income to pay the taxes on the property. Hmm I wonder what that would look like with that kind of thinking.   

Something strange about Lord Gillingham - there appears to me to be more than not having a valet after the sudden death of - forgot his name - Mary never told him why she wanted him to fire the valet but there seems to be something I picked up last night - is he down in his finances and wants to use Mary's wealth to shore himself up - there is just something wrong - do not see Mary 'in love' and she did say that she wanted that - we shall see and maybe even learn what ever happened to Edith's Michael.
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

bellamarie

  • Posts: 4076
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #25 on: January 07, 2015, 09:17:31 AM »
I agree, I feel there is something very off about Lord Gillingham as well.  He does seem to be insistent on his pursuit of Mary, although he was all set to marry another.  I like how they are showing how Mary is maturing and accepting not only responsibility with her knowledge of turning profits for the estate, but also in speaking up to her father with just the right assertion, without disregarding his feelings.  She knows he is having a difficult time with changes, he wants so badly for his life at Abby to remain as it always has.  Lady Grantham is soft speaking to him, but she appreciates the fact he represents all of the decades of tradition.

I think Thomas is really struggling with wanting to remain loyal to the family, and yet the school teacher is arousing the rebel in him.  How horribly thoughtless and rude of her to sit at their dinner table, a celebration of their anniversary and insult them the way she did.  I really do not like her.  I get a sense they may be preparing us for Thomas to leave to go to America.

It seems the house is becoming a place of ex cons, thieves, and manipulators.  How does one live among such untrustworthy people who must serve them, be in the closest quarters of their bedrooms, and living areas?  I truly loved how Mr. Carson insisted the board give Lord Grantham the patron spot, or he refused to be on the board.  He is such a loyal and caring servant to the family.
“What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?...Was ever anything so civil?”
__Anthony Trollope, The Warden

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #26 on: January 07, 2015, 09:29:03 AM »
Yes Carson is one of the wisest people in the place.. I don't like this suiter of Mary's... No idea why, just don't.
Stephanie and assorted corgi

ginny

  • Administrator
  • Posts: 90372
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #27 on: January 07, 2015, 10:53:03 AM »
I also sort of got caught up with the replays of the Downton series tho I have missed I think an entire year's worth (I missed the rape) and only saw a few but it was enough to catch me up, except I don't know what's going on with Edith. Where is her...boyfriend? I see the child and her visiting but where is the  clandestine boyfriend?

That actress is very pretty in real life, it's amazing what  a crimped (what is that called, it has a name) hairstyle will do for you.

I find Lady Mary a cold fish and the least sympathetic of all the characters. I am sure this is only good acting.  Compare her to the Brideshead folks, full of passion. Of course I don't know any of the rich and titled but I do remember Upstairs Downstairs and I don't really recall a character like hers.  ...she's just STIFF....I can't relate to her at all.   Maggie Smith is not stiff and she's the Dowager, so they aren't all stiff mannequins.

Hugh Bonneville is good as Lord Grantham, a bit young for the part, tho he carries it off,  he's just turned 42. And the thing has been on for...what....5 years? But he's good.  I feel sorry for him, he's "not wanted," I'm not sure why?   He means well. He can't be that ineffectual,  surely.

Oh yes Carson's got all the sense and dignity. Just like Hudson. Two splendid actors. I think Hudson did the  worship of the upper class better, but they  are both good.

Lots of passion downstairs.  Are these Edwardians?  This stiff laced era was not at all stiff laced, it's a myth we like to perpetuate, in reality  it was something else.

 Dan Stevens, (formerly Matthew) is an absolute HOOT as Lancelot in the new Night at the Museum 3.

CallieOK

  • Posts: 1122
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #28 on: January 07, 2015, 11:31:10 AM »
Tom has never been 100% comfortable with his elevation to the "gentleman" class because of his marriage to Sybil; the teacher offers him an opportunity to return to his "rebel roots".  Is he being tempted to do so?  
 Lord Gillingham has apparently lost his fortune and perhaps stands to lose his classification as a "gentleman".  How will this affect the social standing to which he is accustomed and his economic future - particularly as a "suitable" husband?  
Interesting contrast for future story line?

Bless Carson.  He's so caught between Tradition and the New Order.   I love the way Mrs. Hughes gently guides him into changing his mind about The Way Things Are Done.

Loved the way Lady Violet set up the luncheon for Isobel and the eligible single men.  She's the most fun character of all!

BarbStAubrey

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 11233
  • Keep beauty alive...
    • Piled on Tables and Floors and Bureau Drawers
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #29 on: January 07, 2015, 02:09:01 PM »
Oh I did not know - this episode makes me think Mary does not know either that Lord Gillingham has apparently lost his fortune and perhaps stands to lose his classification as a "gentleman". She will not marry to put a drain on her first love the estate - wow - this is what I think some of us were suspecting with his saying he did not replace his valet after his sudden death - The valet was the guy who raped Anna Bates and who the Housekeeper, who shared her concern with Mary, suspect it was Mr. Bates who pushed him under the bus since it turns out he was in York the day of the accidental ?? death.

I am trying to remember but I think Michael and Edith had a secret marriage but if not official he did leave his worldly goods to her and she would visit him in his home in London - forgot the problem why they could not tell the family of their love for each other - and then he had to go to Europe and no one has heard from him since. Edith had sent private investigators and had gone herself after the Baby was born - the only one who knows is Lady Rosamund and I think they way they acted the Dowager Countess of Grantham figured it out although, I do not think she knows the child is on the estate as a long lost friend's daughter to the Tenant Farmer Tim Drewe.

From this past episode it appears we may be loosing Jimmy Kent - I do not think his ego will allow him to blame his unlikely partner.

As to Bates - we have known all along he was a "man of many talents" blamed for the death of his first wife that Anna was finally able to extract the truth from those who lied to support the set up for the death of his first wife - he was a quiet but capable prisoner who could threaten the worst of them and when Anna turned to help from the army she learned he was not discharged with honor - He has shown nothing but a loyal and caring man as a member of this household and only got the job because he was an orderly to Lord Grantham when they both served during WWI - he received a horrible leg wound in the war protecting the life of Lord Grantham that Thomas and even Carson thought he should not have the job because of the leg - there was an episode of him wearing some sort of brace that caused so much damage and it was the housekeeper who insisted she learn what was going on and had him remove the brace.

And so a mixed bag with Bates which is a great way of making his good and evil side so out there that we can more easily see that we are all a mix of good and bad - Even sweet Anna has her side where she is scared thinking her husband actually did cause the death of the valet. Carson we learned in an episode was earlier in life a rather unsavory Song and Dance man with a partner who was anything but respectable. The only one we do not have a dark side is the Housekeeper and the Cook. Daisy carries the guilt of marrying not loving the young man. His Dad is helping her see the good and value of her marriage to his son. They all have something.

I do not think Bates pushed the valet under the bus - who did the pushing observed by those on the street that day will be interesting to learn. I am glad to learn that Lord Gillingham lost his fortune because I do think Mary will be smart enough to find out. From the 'get go' I did not like him, running after Mary after being officially engaged to another. And yes, I too think Tom will leave for American - he is a fish out of water in the social structure that he finds himself in - will Thomas ever get his comeuppance I wonder - he does just enough hero stuff to save himself over and over but wow, he is a piece of cake isn't he. And if Michael never comes back than there is his estate - isn't it 7 years when someone is declared dead - if he does come back how in the world does Edith explain herself to her daughter or will the little girl grow up thinking her home is always with the Tenant Farmer and his wife?  
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

salan

  • Posts: 1093
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #30 on: January 07, 2015, 06:28:50 PM »
Edith couldn't marry her lover because he had a wife that was institutionalized (mental??) and could not divorce.  Am I correct in this?
Sally

BarbStAubrey

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 11233
  • Keep beauty alive...
    • Piled on Tables and Floors and Bureau Drawers
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #31 on: January 07, 2015, 06:56:23 PM »
ah yes, now I remember - thanks Sally.
“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.” ~ Goethe

mabel1015j

  • Posts: 3656
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #32 on: January 07, 2015, 07:12:43 PM »
He went ti Germany where he could get a divorce.

CallieOK

  • Posts: 1122
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #33 on: January 07, 2015, 08:43:48 PM »
...or so he said!

MaryPage

  • Posts: 3725
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #34 on: January 07, 2015, 09:51:32 PM »
I think Edith's lover was totally sincere, and that he really loves her.  SOMEthing has gone wrong, and I do not know what the writers will come up with.  But I am sure as all get out that he loves her sincerely.

Yes, Lady Violet, the Countess, guessed Edith's secret in the last season.  I suspect it was she who arranged the farming out of the child.  However disapproving she is of Edith's misadventure, she would look upon that child as HER great granddaughter, and would arrange well for her AND for Edith.  Remember, she found out about Mary and the Turk who died in her bed back when she was, supposedly, a virgin.

I cannot believe the young lord who is courting Lady Mary and who has proposed an affair to prove their compatibility could have lost all of his money and Lady Mary would not know that.  I mean, you cannot, according to all the books and magazines and newspapers, etc., keep a secret like that in those aristocratic circles of England.  If the writer attempts to imply otherwise, I feel he is missing the boat on that one.  Julian Fellowes?  Is that his name?

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #35 on: January 08, 2015, 08:40:41 AM »
I just like Mary's other suiter much much more.. I don't quite understand Mary's decision about bed.. So unlike her normal self, but she does talk of how compatible she and Matthew were and how much she loved him. I suspect she is trying to get that sort of relationship again and is going about it the wrong way.
Stephanie and assorted corgi

JoanK

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 8685
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #36 on: January 09, 2015, 02:57:53 PM »
Marking

Steph

  • Posts: 7952
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #37 on: January 10, 2015, 08:58:41 AM »
mark
Stephanie and assorted corgi

pedln

  • BooksDL
  • Posts: 6694
  • SE Missouri
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #38 on: January 11, 2015, 07:16:10 PM »
I'm missing a few things here.  ROSE -- what is her relationship to Lord Grantham, Cora, Mary, etc?  She calls him Cousin Robert.  And Lady Rosamond, in London is her aunt?  Are Rosamond and Robert siblings?

Somehow, I had it in my head that Pigman Drew's wife had died.  I guess not because they have quite a family there.  How did I get that idea?  (Maybe I should blame it on the captions)

MaryPage

  • Posts: 3725
Re: PBS Masterpiece 2015 ~ Downton Abbey and Other PBS Programs
« Reply #39 on: January 11, 2015, 10:47:32 PM »
Rose is NOT A CRAWLEY.  She is from Violet's side of the family.  Rose is Violet's great niece.  She calls Violet Aunt and, naturally, Robert Cousin.

Yes, Rosamund is Violet's daughter and Robert's sister.

Julian Fellowes had always planned on THREE daughters, but then when Jessica Brown Findlay had to quit due to a prior commitment (she had not considered that Downton might go on and on), he had to kill her off and then invent a way to come up with a third and younger daughter figure.