‘Downton Abbey’ Recap’ — Gregson Is Dead, Lady Edith Leaves:
In spite of Lady Edith’s colossal sadness, Lady Mary debates getting a new look to show her suitors what they’ve been missing. She makes a major fuss of debuting it before dinner, telling everyone she has a “surprise” — and while she parades around the room like a show pony, asking for everyone’s opinion, Lady Edith totally cracks. She’s like the turn-of-the-century Jan Brady.
I’m a major Lady Mary fan and I thought that everything she went through in her life made her more understanding — but in this episode she proves that it’ll probably never be the case when it comes to dealing with her sister, Lady Edith. Hey, sometimes sister-sister relationships can be complex. Lady Mary basically calls Edith out on being miserable as if she’s sulking over a broken nail and not over the fact that the first man who actually loved her disappeared and turned up dead. Lady Mary makes sure to bring the situation back to her any chance she gets — and that’s just what she did when she debuted her new haircut. Her sister calls her insensitive and storms off. Doesn’t Edith know this is the Lady Mary show?
Barrow confides in Miss Baxter and shows her a nasty infection he developed. When she takes him to the doctor, we find out what Barrow has been up to. It is so sad to hear that he endured electroshock therapy and shots all in the hopes of being “normal” and more like other men. Perhaps this will mend the relationship between Barrow and Baxter?
The ‘Downton’ Romance Report:
It wouldn’t be an episode of Downton without a little romance — or some love lost.
Robert is still sulking in his dressing room and sleeping in a teeny tiny bed, while Cora is carrying on as if having a suitor sneak into your bedroom is NBD. Cora puts the situation into perspective with an ultimatum and also calls Robert on his own flirty moments, (hey, remember the maid he used to make out with?), which prompts him to move back into the bedroom.
Things between Rose and her suitor as certainly heating up. Not only does she invite him to dinner at Downton, but at the race Robert and Cora invite his parents to the house. At this rate it looks like even Rose will settle down before Lady Edith.
Isobel finally makes up her mind and decides to marry Lord Merton. While the Dowager certainly has a mixed reaction to the news, her own love life is heating up. When she visits the Russian to bring him news about his wife, he tells her he loved Violent more than anyone else. After taking one look around at the decrepit room he’s staying in, it is clear that the Dowager is obviously into him — I don’t know who else she would endure such conditions for.
Downstairs we, (along with Anna), find out that Bates didn’t kill Mr. Green — we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Oh, and Carson asks Mrs. Hughes to retire with him — I can’t get enough of their teenage courtship.
Lady Mary’s Haircut:
At the picnic and race Lady Mary comes face-to-face, yet again, with Charles Blake, Lord Gillingham and Mabel Lane. Tony’s scorned, discarded ex calls Mary out on being the ultimate tease when she says she wants to see Mabel and Tony ride off into the sunset together. “Why turn up looking like a cross between a Vogue fashion plate and a case of dynamite?”
Obviously Lady Mary can’t make it easy for her. The race was the perfect place for Mary to show off her short hair and her riding skills.
Edith Leaves:
Upon returning from the picnic, Tom tells everyone Edith left the estate. While the family is off she went down to the farm and took her daughter before fleeing to London — I guess the building suspense over what new look Lady Mary would debut next was enough to send her away.
Lady Edith is clearly excited and anxious over her decision, so she decides to deal with it the best way she can — with some ice cream and champagne. (Something tells me she ordered more than one glass, though).
Katrina Mitzeliotis