The fifth episode of Downton Abbey is both one of the most dramatic so far, and naturally therefore, one of the best. I usually try to avoid major spoilers for my reviews but be warned, there is one massive spoiler here that it would be impossible not to discuss.
The house begins preparing for the arrival of Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Tom's (Allen Leech) baby while Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Mary (Michelle Dockery) are still longing for the pitter-patter of tiny feet (Oncoming Tragedy Klaxon). Daisy (Sophie McShera) is taking being someone's superior a little too seriously and is yelling at the new kitchenmaid a lot while Anna (Joanne Froggatt) has discovered the evidence that could lead to a pardon for Mr Baaates (Brendan Coyle). The new footman, Jimmy (Ed Speelers) finds himself in a rather compromising situation with the amorous Thomas (Rob James-Collier) thanks to O'Brien's (Siobhan Finneran) plotting. Then as complications start with Sybil's pregnancy, Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern) are forced to make a decision that could jeopardise Sybil's health and the baby. How they managed to keep this one secret is anyone's guess, but the episode was so much better for not having a clue about what was just around the corner.
The sense of foreboding was slow to creep up in this episode, most of the focus was on how happy everything was going to be once the next generation of the Downton dynasty arrived. The construction of the episode was one of its strongest points with ebbs and flows that constantly made you question the outcome, particularly once the baby had been born. Then, there was that scene between Sybil and Cora in which the daughter pleaded with the mother for her help with carrying out her husband's wishes for the child. Suddenly, the third daughter's future looked pretty certain and not in a rosy, everything's going to be all right kind of way and in one of the bravest moves the show has ever made, we saw the departure of Sybil, who was possibly one of the most beloved characters.
It's a brave plot point for two reasons; firstly, as I mentioned last week, it shakes up the well-worn path that Downton has been treading this series. We all felt safe because we always knew that everything would always be all right, because it always had been. Well that's now completely out the window and you get the feeling that, for the remaining episodes at least, anything goes. Minor characters have always been dispensable (the footman William for example) but up until now it was always safe to assume that the main characters would survive; Matthew magically recovered his ability to walk and do, erm, other things while Cora survived Spanish flu. Secondly, it's going to make the family dynamic all the more interesting. After all, who is going to defend Branson now that Sybil isn't around? I strongly suspect that the usual family loyalties are going to start shifting. And when I said I was all for seeing more of Branson, killing off his wife was not exactly what I meant but it nevertheless promises an interesting plot-line for the former chauffeur.
The death scene itself was slow and heart-wrenching, from Branson and Cora's pleas for Sybil to stay with them to Lord Grantham's disbelief at the sudden turn of events, and the scenes that followed just added to the tragedy. I personally could no longer hold it together after the brief scene between the Dowager Countess and Carson in which the usually formidable Countess weeped openly, just for a second. Maggie Smith has always been the standout performer in Downton but this moment was so well-judged and so measured that it made an already galling episode even more so. With people group-grieving everywhere, it would have been easy for one actor to pantomime it and try and outdo the others, but each member of the cast gave a great performance in the final scenes of the episode, particularly James-Collier showing a rare moment of compassion in Thomas and Leech, as the grief-stricken husband.
It's the biggest upset we've yet had on the series and it has set up some very interesting narratives for the rest of the series. With Branson now the only link to Lord Grantham's grandchild, there's naturally going to be even more conflict. Elsewhere in the episode, there's other troubles on the horizon with Mary and Matthew most obviously with their baby struggles but also with the estate itself. Something tells me things are only going to get worse at Downton now. And let's face it, none of us would have it any other way.
- Becky
You can read Becky's review of Episode Four here.
Follow Becky on Twitter @beckygracelea
Or follow her blog beckygracelea.wordpress.com
With Downton Abbey now safely in the possession of Matthew Crawley and Lord Grantham, attention is turned to getting the house in order with the arrival of a new footman. Meanwhile, Branson lands himself in hot water both sides of the Irish Sea with a loyal Sybil following in his wake.
Continuing with its weekly well-dressed melodrama, Downton Abbey has slipped back into everyone's lives like a warm, sequinned comfort blanket of tears, romance with a patchwork of Maggie Smith's one-liners. It's never been challenging viewing but last night felt like the show had relaxed into itself and was simply treading the well-worn path of previous episodes of light comedy followed by Lord Grantham shouting at someone in a belligerent manner.
This someone was of course Tom Branson (Allen Leech) this time around, facing the Lord's fury after his political activities get him into trouble with the authorities, forcing him to abandon Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) in Ireland and run away to safety. It's the most interesting plotline of the episode and I'm a big advocate of any development that involves more Allen Leech. It also gave us one of the funniest scenes in the series so far as the Dowager Countess proceeded to side with Branson for the most hilarious reasons; namely that she didn't like the castle he was alleged to have helped burn down. But poor Branson, he just can't keep his mouth shut can he? But then again, he would be a much less interesting character if he did. And with that, we get to one of my gripes with this episode.
Downton has always been a fairly conservative show and maintaining or recovering the status quo has always been one of the key tropes across the series; Mary and Matthew should be together-Lavinia gets in the way-Lavinina dies of Spanish flu-Mary and Matthew get married is a classic example (and one I do keep coming back to because it's hilarious). Now we have Sybil and Branson's socially unacceptable marriage, they leave for Ireland and look set to make a life together outside of Downton. But that simply cannot be! It's just far too leftfield for the residents of Downton to cope with. So Mr Fellowes, master of convenience, gets Branson into trouble with the Anglo-Irish and Lord Grantham comes to the rescue by imprisoning his wayward daughter and the former chauffeur in the house. We're back to where we were in the last series, with everyone back at Downton.
But wouldn't it have been far more interesting to have Branson and Sybil remain in Dublin and have the Crawleys go and visit them? Just think about it - the Dowager Countess bulldozing her way into Anglo-Irish negotiations with all the subtlety of an elephant but all the wit of Oscar Wilde. This is the roaring 20s after all, everything is going a little topsy turvy but short of the fashion, you can't tell that Downton even made it through the First World War. Martha Levinson kept going on about how the Crawleys can't cope with change, but we don't see them getting a chance to; everything just goes back to normal. I want a big shake-up, the kind of upheaval that the loss of Downton hinted at (though was of course conveniently averted).
Thank God then for Edith (Laura Carmichael), new footman Jimmy (Ed Speelers - from the film Eragon. Remember that? No me neither) and the ever-schemeing Thomas (Rob James-Collier). The first meeting between Jimmy and Thomas prompted both me and my friend to predict a future dalliance between the pair or at least provide O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) with an opportunity for revenge so it'll be interesting to see where that goes. Meanwhile, Edith has soldiered on after the heartbreak of being left at the altar and gone all feminist on us. Hurrah! Maybe Edith will get a happy ending after all?
Elsewhere in the episode, Daisy (Sophie McShera) has her hopes of love with the new footman whose name I still haven't learnt because of a pretty new kitchenmaid (the same kitchenmaid she's begged for from Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol). Oh Daisy), The Anna (Joanne Froggat) and Mr Baaates (Brendan Coyle) storyline continues to be a bit of a snorefest as something goes awry with the pair's letters and they pine over each other for a little while before getting their letters back and pining over them instead. And Mrs Crawley (Penelope Wilton) helps Ethel (Amy Nuttall) give up her son to his grandparents which was actually quite sad.
Tune in next week for more corseted shenanigans!
- Becky
You can read Becky's previous Downton Abbey reviews here.
Follow Becky on Twitter @beckygracelea
Or follow her blog beckygracelea.wordpress.com
