DOWNTON ABBEY Season 3 Discussion Thread - SPOILERS WITHIN — Page 5

He is insufferable, playing the victim since episode one. I love Anna, so want to see her happy...but I love myself more - I was devastated when his death sentence was commuted.

Edit - I realize that he is supposed to be stoicism personified, but that just annoys me more.

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Updated On: 10/19/12 at 09:29 PM

"I guess I agree with you, Eric, about writers killing off characters...my post was an emotional one, typed through tears. :) But why Sybil??? I'm sure Tom is next for the high jump, perhaps the Irish Civil War of 1922 will work its way in. I agree with whomever said that Matthew and Mary will raise the new baby...the seeds have been sown. "

Ha, well that's understandable.

I think it's the Little Women, "Beth" rule--kill the sweetest, most understanding both because it will be the most emotional for readers, and it gives drama to the other characters who ALL cared about her. Also, I think it's hard to write such a *nice* character in a serial (I'm judging this by daytime soap operas where those almost Dickensian heroines, after a year or two with a romantic story or something, frustrate the writers so much that they either kill them off or make them evil).

Phyllis, that's what my mom said. In those days, particularly, it would be almost unusual to not have someone in the family die before their time--and really the whole family has been having the best luck lately--for the most part (like I said, saved at the last minute from giving up their estate, etc, etc--of course Edith hasn't had great luck. Poor Edith).

Romantico, Julian says whatever he wants to. Way back he said he had the show structured to be three seasons and nothing more. Last year, I swear he said something like *6* seasons which I admit worried me. I could see--even with the prequel, getting at least two more.

I saw photos of the cast at a UK awards thing, and had the same reaction (I didn't even recognize Daisy).

***SPOILER***






Good episode tonight. It ends well for Robert and Cora and it looks like Bates gets released next week. Two more episodes left plus the Christmas episode on Christmas day.

I am surprised the men are so harsh on Ethel.I guess back then they were more concerned with gossip and scandal.I love Carson but he was kind of a dick tonight.

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I thought both Robert and Carson were MAJOR douche canoes tonight. Frankly, I think Robert has been nothing but a douche all season, ESPECIALLY to Edith. He didn't want her to marry Strallan, and then is unhappy when she wants to make another life for herself? Does he want her to just stay at Downton like Quasimodo or something? And then when he didn't even acknowledge what Dr. Clarkson said about how arrogant the other doctor had been? Just the worst.

That being said, the ladies all kept it real this week. And I really of want Carson, Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore to have a Three's Company type sitcom spinoff.


And on the topic of the actors looking different out of costume, Siobhan Finneran was the most surprising one for me.

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Oh, yes, I definitely agree with that, Phyllis. It's just so frustrating to watch all of these smart women fight for that and realize that and have them pushed back by Robert or Carson. I thought the scene with Daisy and Mr. Mason was so wonderful because of that: he clearly sees the way the future is playing out, and knows that a young woman like Daisy is poised to do something great.

Also a friend shared a hilarious comment she read somewhere that Robert has four children: Downton, Matthew, Isis and Mary. In that order.

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Updated On: 10/21/12 at 11:36 PM

"I thought Elizabeth McGovern was marvelous in this tonight. I feel like she's been waiting three years for the kind of scenes she's had in this episode."

Definitely.

It was a stunning episode in many ways.

What I do have reservations about is that we are being told by the characters that times are changing but we're not seeing how and why times are changing. Matthew modernising the management of the estate was a product of a plot contrivance that lacked credibility rather than because of the side-effects of WWI. Similarly we are told that big estates won't be able to run themselves in 40 years time but we are not told why. And yet we are not seeing any of the societal changes that resulted in the decline of the aristocracy, possibly because they didn't really start to happen until the mid 1920s. The biggest societal change at Downton seems to be that staff are prepared to dance when they should be working.

Really? I hope they can some how persuade him to commit to another season. Not sure if it is true, but Maggie was the one last year who said season 3 would be her last. However, I thought I had heard she had decided to sign on for another season after the third.IMO, everyone should come back for another season.

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I agree. Season 4 with 8 episodes and then the series finale a 90 minute Christmas episode.

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Unless they were to put the funeral off, I don't see how she'd be able to get back in time. In theory, she could still be on her way back to New York, I think.

There could always be more to the cell-mate, etc, later on. This show does have a way of dropping little seeds that don't sprout right away (for all the stuff that DOES fly by)!

I know I'm in the minority, but I want this show to run forever.

Or just have them not age and appear in different Eras! Imagine the Dowager in the 60s!

I still get the hunch that next season will be about the end of Downton (the estate, not the show), but I'm wrong all the time about this stuff.

Bates will be the new wet nurse. :)

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