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Sunday 1 November 2015

Downton Abbey Series 6 Episode 7 Review

The Dowager (Maggie Smith) has a received a wedding invitation from Amelia Cruikshank (Phoebe Sparrow) and she asks Isobel (Penelope Wilton) if this will make her change her mind about Lord Merton, or Dickie as Isobel calls him.  She doesn't believe so and the Dowager decides she will have it out with Amelia.  As well as deciding she's going to the South of France and get out of the family's hair for a while.  This will force her to want to return home to the family after she's spent some time with the French.  She's not telling the family and will leave when they're in London at the races at Brooklyn.  Even if the family will be annoyed, Robert (Hugh Bonneville) will be far more displeased after he hears what she really thinks.

Paying a visit to Amelia, she finds out she wants Isobel to marry Dickie so that she'll get him out of her hair and won't have to look after him in his old age.  She just wants Isobel as a carer for him and wants to live in the house as mistress.  The Dowager says she'd feel sorry for his son Larry, if she didn't dislike him.  She tells Isobel this later on and it doesn't make her change her mind.  But the Dowager gives her something to think about!

Robert decides he wants to go to Brooklyn too and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) says it's not up to her. It's not like he'll be racing.  Edith (Laura Carmichael) changes her mind when Branson (Allen leech) tells her Bertie (Harry Hadden-Paton) will be there.  Mary's (Michelle Dockery) still indifferent about it all.  Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol) packs food for them and the servants will have three days off to do what they like whilst the family's away.  Which Thomas(Rob James-Collier) says he'll spend looking for a job.  He reassures Carson (Jim Carter) he is looking for a job and asks when he'll be sacked. Carson saying it'll be when he does find a job.  Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) overhears him but doesn't so anything to Carson about it, just telling Thomas he doesn't mean to be harsh.  She says he'll fit in anywhere and find friends there too.  (Sounded like she was implying he'll meet that special friend.)  He replies this was the first place where he feels he belonged.

Daisy's (Sophie McShera) exams are on the 20th and Molesley (Kevin Doyle) will sit his too on the same day.  Mrs Patmore offers to bring them lunch.  As Andy (Matthew Fox) helps Mason (Paul Copley) on the farm, he doesn't need physical help, but more help with the books, which leaves Andy in a quandary.  On exam day Thomas joins them at the picnic and Daisy shows them her exam paper which she enjoyed writing, but wasn't sure about question 2.  She gives it to Andy to read and Thomas says he'll read it for him, but he tries and then Thomas takes the paper and reads it. Everyone working out Andy can't read and Thomas has been helping him.  Andy says he's stupid and can't learn.  Daisy with her usual line of "don't say that."  The headmaster says he should come by three days a week after school and he'll help him.  Telling Thomas not to hep cos he'll be confused with the different teaching methods.  He was short and abrupt.  I mean it's like he's the one who found out Andy couldn't read.

Molesley passes with flying colours and is offered a place to teach at the school.  Which leaves the way open for Thomas to stay on.   Not that anyone wants him around.  They all share a drink but Thomas just watches.  Mrs Patmore's house is done and she'll cook breakfast for the guests so she can get a reputation for that, but they'll have to get their own dinner.  As she leaves someone follows her, a press rat it appears, paparazzo alert!!  Let's hope this has nothing to do with her nephew and the war again.  Mrs Patmore also tells Daisy that Mason is like a father to her and she shouldn't think that he won't love her any less.  She's also got Mrs Patmore, so much for Daisy being concerned she was going to be thrown aside!  Why would he do that, she did marry her son after all.

Carson wants to have dinner at the cottage again and Mrs Patmore comes up with an idea where Mrs Hughes puts a bandage on her wrist and says she tripped and can't lift heavy things.  She says he must cook (hey I said that in one of my reviews!) He makes burnt potatoes, forgets to put the crumble in the oven and has to fetch and carry for her, then falls asleep at the table.  She wakes him up with tapping her spoon on the plate and tells him he can wash up in the morning.  Next day she tells Mrs Patmore he survived the ordeal and they laugh.  Mrs Hughes adding life is all about laughing.

In London Edith drops in on her editor, Laura Edmunds (Antonia Bernath) who wants to start an agony column.  She invites her to the races and to meet her family if she's strong enough.  Branson checks Henry's (Matthew Goode) car and says he'd like to do that sort of work.  Edith introduces Laura and Robert is pleased she's so forward thinking (for a woman) he's changed his views a lot. Branson tells her he used to be the chauffeur.  Henry is surprised at the spread and says usually it's just an oily sandwich, though he does drink champagne.  Yeah drink and drive, all the rage back then.  Mary is still in two minds at being here and as the race begins and they near the end, she can't bare to watch and rightly so, as there's a crash.  As everyone rushes over, she finds it's not Henry but Charlie (Sebastian Dunn).  Henry is distraught and Mary thinks he's lucky to be alive and has to go on and not wallow cos Charlie would be saying the same if he was here.

Rosamund (Samantha Bond) wants the family for dinner and to be together and he has to inform Charlie's family.  We knew it was coming anyway, difference being it wasn't Henry who got killed. At dinner they talk of the events and Robert calls it a "bloody waste of life."  Rosamund criticizing him on his use of the English language and he tells her to "shut up."  And she leaves the table.  Henry calls Mary and says he needs to hear her voice.  She's distraught but doesn't want to see him anymore breaking up with him over the phone.  Just like Mary to do that.  She tells Branson in a way she wished it had been Henry and doesn't think they're right for each other.  Branson tells her they will get hurt and they get over it, but only to get hurt again.  That scene looked like they were going to kiss, or did I just imagine it? Ha. Yeah fine, my mind went there!!

Bertie proposes to Edith and she's surprised and pleased.  Men don't think of her in that way.  She asks if she could have Marigold with her too, but doesn't tell him she's her daughter.  He wants children of their own as does Edith but now would've been a good time to come clean.  Mary wasn't being nosy about Marigold this week having other things on her mind.

Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) decides she has to see Coyle to make sure he doesn't have a hold on her anymore and congratulates Anna (Joanne Froggatt) on the baby news.  Who's still being cautious. What was funny was Mary telling Anna she will have to take the train down to London cos there won't be any room in the car!  Yeah pregnant servant woman will have to use public transport! Isobel brings over the Dowager's note for them when they return from London and it just says she's away and has a surprise which Spratt (Jeremy Swift) brings round.  It's another puppy for Robert (huh trying to buy his love with a dog which clearly worked!)  He calls her Tiye who was Amenhotep's second wife, doesn't she know anything he asks Edith.  Cora thinks the Dowager left cos of her.

At least that wretched hospital business is over.  Funny they had Thomas looking for a job being strung out the entire series! Which also leaves Mary having to find out about Marigold and let's see if the show ends on a bang.

1 comment:

mlaiuppa said...

I think Thomas will either be kept on demoted to Footman and he'll be happy to take it.

Or perhaps Mr. Carson will decide to retire and Thomas will take over as Butler, Robert figuring better the devil you know.

I am so please with the new puppy and Tiye is perfect. I would have been fine with Hathor or Ramses (even if it was a girl she could play a boy.)

I'm hoping Mrs. Patmore's spy is a detective after her lodgers and not after her for any reason. But a reporter doing a story would also be great publicity for her. She invents the "Bed and Breakfast" concept! I just hope it isn't legal troubles after she's poured her life's savings into that business. There are only three hours left to tie up all of the loose ends and provide us with the closure we all want.

PUPPYPUPPYPUPPY!

The next three hours better have plenty of puppy Tiye.