When the episode starts off, Edith talks to Lady Grantham and weighs the engagement. She tells her she can’t begin her marriage with a big lie between them, referring to Marigold.
Bertie’s cousin, (who owns the home he works in), dies and Lady Mary seems convinced Lady Edith’s suitor has lost his job — but not so fast. Lady Edith tells the family that he actually inherited the vast estate…and no one is as surprised by the news as Lady Mary!
The family is happily pleased by the news of the title and the home, for Edith’s sake — everyone but Lady Mary. “Careful, people will think you’re jealous dear and we don’t want that,” her mother warns her.
Lady Edith is worried that now with the news he won’t want to marry her — after all, apparently he’s ‘the grandest man in England.’ Considering she was left at the altar and had a child out of wedlock, it is time for Lady Edith’s luck to turn around.
Tom tries to talk Lady Mary into giving Henry another chance because he sees how miserable she is. She tricks him into telling her about Marigold.
Bertie comes to the house and seems lovely, but the wheels are turning in Mary’s head. He’s still very interested in Lady Edith, but she can’t bring herself to tell him about Marigold. She should say something before Mary does, that’s all I know.
Henry pays an unexpected visit and Lady Mary is miserable about it as he says he won’t give up. Lady Mary is mad at everyone for allowing him to stay, despite the fact that she’s obviously very invested in him. He calls her out on being “a grubby little gold digger” and she storms off, (her words, not his). Even Anna thinks Henry is right for Lady Mary, because he appreciates both sides of her.
Lady Edith’s suitor begs for her hand in marriage, and she agrees before being able to spit out the truth about Marigold. Oh no.
Lady Mary comes down to breakfast in search of Henry, and when he wasn’t there she looks defeated — and then Bertie wants to share the news of the engagement. It’s a perfect storm — and Lady Mary can’t resist exposing the truth about Marigold. [jwplatform WJw3zG63]
Bertie storms off and says he can’t marry someone he doesn’t trust, or someone who doesn’t trust him. The saddest part is that he would’ve accepted the situation, had she just been honest.
Tom yells at Mary for what she did to Edith, calling her a bully and a coward. She goes up to Edith’s room as she’s crying and packing. “I know you, I know you to be a nasty jealous scheming bitch,” Edith yells. She continues: “You’re not content ruining your own life, you also want to ruin mine.” Edith also calls her out for being wrong, saying Henry’s perfect for her. “You’re just stupid and stuck-up to see it,” she adds. Well, FINALLY. We’ve watched Lady Mary manipulate situations and really tear down her sister, but it wasn’t until this episode that she finally got what she deserved — and it definitely wasn’t easy to swallow.
Now, time for an update downstairs. Mrs. Patmore was so excited about her bed and breakfast, but when her guests are actually a cheating couple and not husband and wife, her place is tarnished with a reputation as ‘a house of ill repute.’ Poor Mrs. Patmore. At the house, they can’t stop laughing about the news — Anna tells Lady Mary, and they can’t control their fit of laughter.
Rosamund says the family should pay Mrs. Patmore a visit for tea at her B&B to turn the reputation around. The family is happy to go, but Mr. Carson does not approve at all. She’s touched that the family is going to go.
Over at the school house, Mr. Moseley isn’t the best teacher — the children don’t obey him at all. Ms. Baxter offers to go with him for moral support, and mentions that Barrow seemed out. Ms. Baxter runs back to the house, only to find that Barrow slit his wrists in the bathtub.
Once the family hears the news of Barrow’s suicide attempt, Lady Mary pins it on her father for trying to fire him. She really is getting meaner by the moment. Ouch.
Once Mr. Moseley tells his students about his background in service, they seem to understand him more and listen to him.
Tom rings the Dowager Countess, and she talks to Mary, who breaks down about the fear of being a crash widow again. She tells her to make peace with her sister and herself. Lady Grantham says while Lord Gillingham had amazing credentials, he wasn’t clever or strong enough for her — Henry is.
Mary calls for Henry, but before he arrives she pays a visit to Matthew’s grave. “However much I love him, I will always love you,” she says. Cousin Isobel sees Lady Mary in the cemetery and tells her she’s delighted she is ready to marry again. This episode is all waterworks.
My tears turned to laughter when Lady Edith finally meets the advice columnist, and it’s Sprat! He’s the voice of a generation.
Even when Lady Mary finally gets what’s coming to her she still somehow winds up coming out on top and the episode ends with her wedding to Henry. Hopefully this should melt the miserable ice queen’s heart, for good.
Lady Mary tells Henry that she believes she met her match, and he wants to marry her immediately. Tom serves as the best man for the wedding, for the second time.
Lady Edith returns for Mary’s wedding day, saying that one day: “Our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike.” She’s being the better person and it feels like we’ve finally turned a page on the torture they, (well, mostly Mary), put each other through.
Were you happy to see Lady Mary finally get what’s been coming to her all along?