Episode #5.1
- Episode aired Jan 4, 2015
- TV-PG
- 1h 7m
Tim Drewe guesses the parentage of Marigold, Mary receives another proposal from Tony, Violet plays matchmaker, Thomas continues to press Baxter for information with blackmail, and a flash f... Read allTim Drewe guesses the parentage of Marigold, Mary receives another proposal from Tony, Violet plays matchmaker, Thomas continues to press Baxter for information with blackmail, and a flash fire threatens the mansion.Tim Drewe guesses the parentage of Marigold, Mary receives another proposal from Tony, Violet plays matchmaker, Thomas continues to press Baxter for information with blackmail, and a flash fire threatens the mansion.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMuch ado is made over Ramsay MacDonald, who became the first ever Labour Prime Minister in 1924. He was also the first PM to come from a working-class background, and one of the very few without a university education. His background, coupled with his leftist political leanings, led many in the aristocracy to believe he was, in Robert's words, "committed to the destruction of people like us, and everything we stand for."
- GoofsThe brunch scene in which the Dowager's butler, Spratt, snubs Dr. Clarkson was added for comedy, but would have been grossly out of character for any servant. Dr. Clarkson was a highly respected member of the village and held in higher esteem than Pratt, who could not have expected that he would only wait on nobles. In addition, Dr. Clarkson was an invited guest of the Dowager, who would not have been amused in the slightest if any of her servants had been rude to any of her guests.
- Quotes
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham: [after a heated exchange between Lord Grantham and Sarah Bunting at a dinner party celebrating his and Cora's 34th wedding anniversary] If you can all put your swords away, perhaps we can finish our dinner in a civilized manner.
Isobel Crawley: But I admire it when young people stand up for their principles.
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham: Principles are like prayers; noble, of course, but awkward at a party.
The good news is that the writing quality has returned. Make no mistake: it's still largely a high-concept soap opera, with melodrama abounding -- and you'd better not ask how it is that a book belonging to Edith's employer is found in the house ... unless you're the sort of person who would bring a book on German grammar to a party, when your main reason for being there is to see the Lord's daughter. Also, the whole Baxter-Barrows drama feels a bit forced, and the Bates business is being dragged out to no real advantage, in typical Downton Abbey fashion.
But never mind all that: Robert James-Collier is fine (once again!) as both villain and hero, Maggie Smith gets some lines she can really deliver with incomparable relish (as does Penelope Wilton, to a lesser extent), and there are two very good party scenes, where relationships are changed and interesting things are said. If the episode concludes with an event clearly designed to allow certain interactions to happen -- well, they had to happen somehow, and it mostly works if we don't question what happens with Gregson's book too closely.
In sum, a good solid episode: neither a favorite nor an embarrassment, with some delightfully piquant dialog -- a distinct improvement over the here's-our-plot scripting that dogged much of London Season. Speaking of dogs: Isis gets three scenes in this episode, and is specifically mentioned twice (though off-camera). And if I didn't mention how fabulous all the clothing and hair is -- Elizabeth McGovern never looked better than the early scene of her coming down the stairs. Beautifully shot and she looks born to dress that way. Equally, Allen Leech is the very picture of a dashing young man in his dinner outfit. That's just the two actors who stood out to me in this episode.
- skinnybert
- Sep 15, 2023
Details
- Runtime1 hour 7 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 16 : 9