Downton Abbey Recap Series 5 Episode 9: September Romances, Goodbye Tom And Matthew Goode

This will be the final recap of Downton Abbey for 2015 as series 5 ended last night (:(). As usual, this post contains spoilers about this weekend’s episode.

Upstairs

Isobel and Violet’s romantic adventures are over. Not wanting to be the cause of an emotional rift between Lord Merton and his sons, Isobel ends the engagement.  Through Shrimpy’s connections, Violet is able to locate Princess Kuragin and bring her to England to reunite with her husband. Their next destination is Paris. Violet tells Isobel that she and the Prince were running away together when the princess discovered their plan and sent Violet back to her husband.  I think this has been my favorite series in regards to Violet. She has always been one of the best characters on the show, but this revelation is just so cool.

To the outside world (and Mary), Marigold is Edith’s adopted daughter. Robert, realizing his folly, apologizes to Edith and has a tender father/daughter moment with her.  Tom figures out the truth about Marigold’s parentage.

Speaking of Tom, the decision has been made. He and Sybbie are leaving for Boston, Robert admits that he will miss Tom and not just because of his granddaughter. Tom, Mary and Edith have a tender moment in the nursery, speaking to Sybil as if she was still with them.  It was sad and sweet and broke my heart just a little.

Robert and Cora are back on track as a couple. Robert is having health problems, which at the end of the day, are nothing more than an ulcer.

One of the highlights of the upstairs characters for me is to see how the younger characters mature. Rose, who was introduced as a slightly flighty and rebellious young woman has matured into an intelligent and emotionally open adult. While the family visits Rose’s in laws for a shooting holiday, a woman joins the party. The presumption is that she is Lord Sinderby’s former mistress and the boy with her is his illegitimate son. To prevent a scandal and embarrassment, Rose loudly pretends that this woman is a friend that she has not seen in a long time. She wrangles Mary and Robert to join her in the charade. Lord Sinderby admits that he was wrong about Rose.

And finally, during the shooting party, Mary and Edith make new friends. Edith strikes up a conversation with the land agent while Mary flirts with an aristocrat played by Matthew Goode. Will wedding bells ring or in Mary’s case, ring again in the sixth series?

Downstairs

This episode was the culmination of Chelsie (Charles and Elsie) shippers long held desire to see Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes bound together in holy matrimony. While the proposal was not Matthew kneeling down to Mary in the snow, it was still romantic. I have a feeling that this marriage will be a long and happy one. If friendship and respect are the basis for any long term romantic relationship, Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes have it in spades.

Mrs. Hughes, in the moments before the proposal, reveals that she cannot go into business with Mr. Carson because she has no money. Her sister Becky, as she put it “is not quite right in the head”. Most of Mrs. Hughes’s money has been put to the care of her sister.

The merry war between Spratt and Miss Denker is not over. This time, it was over broth. Violet had fond memories of the broth that her mother’s maid used to make for her as a girl. At first, Miss Denker tried to pass Daisy’s broth as her own before Spratt caught her. But then she made her own and Violet thought it was delicious. Score one for the ladies maid.

Daisy is not yet quite ready to leave the nest or her mother figure, Mrs. Patmore.

While visiting Lord and Lady Sinderby, Thomas is demoted to footman by Lord Sinderby’s snooty butler, Stowell.  His level of snobbery even shocks Mary, when Stowell refuses to serve Tom. Using a bit of trickery, Thomas and Baxter work together to humiliate Stowell.  Perhaps tricks have been finally been put to good use.

Molesley is still Molesley and we love him for it.

Anna is released from jail, but not before she shares a long held secret.  Abused sexually by her stepfather, Anna pulled a knife on him to protect herself.  To protect his wife, Bates hides in Ireland, but sneaks back to Downton to surprise Anna just as the episode comes to a close.

Analysis

While this series did not have the ups and downs that previous series have had (I’m looking at you, series 3, loosing Matthew and Sybil, it still breaks my heart a little), it was enjoyable and entertaining.

Dowager Quote Of The Week

“I will never again receive an immoral proposal from a man. Was I so wrong to savor it?”

On a serious note, I want to thank everyone who took a few moments out of their day to read my recaps. It means a lot to me.  I look forward to recaps come next year.

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The Power Of Focus Book Review

For every goal we have, there are a million excuses. The problem with these excuses is that if they go unchecked, our goals may become permanently derailed.

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I recommend it.

Don’t ever forget

So simple, but so true.