Downton Abbey SPOILER THREAD

Amy wrote:

It's been too long for me since I've seen it, but I could have sworn there was a reference.  I remember my UK friend saying it was a Christmas episode and how the UK people thought it was odd that they were airing a Christmas episode in summertime.  

Suddenly I'm feeling a DA re-watch coming on!

It is referred to as the Christmas Episode because it was aired in the UK on Christmas evening. There was no mention of Christmas in the show. I have watched and rewatched these shows, I can't get enough of them. I'm going on holidays on Friday and am taking them with me, hoping that someone will watch them with me.

New Mini Cast Members

Click the link to see pics of the twins who will play Baby George and the cutie who will play Sybbie on Seris 4.

How cute!

Can't wait to see these little cuties playing the roles of the next generation in the Crawley household.  Baby George is played by twins Logan and Cole Weston and Baby Sybbie is played by 2 yr old Ava Mann.

AAAAHHHHH!!! Is anyone else getting excited or am I the only one whose crazy? (Don't answer that)

I can't wait, especially with all the little hints of what is to come are leaking out.

LIWnut wrote:

It is referred to as the Christmas Episode because it was aired in the UK on Christmas evening.  There was no mention of Christmas in the show.  I have watched and rewatched these shows, I can't get enough of them.  I'm going on holidays on Friday and am taking them with me, hoping that someone will watch them with me.

Aaaaah, I'll bet that where I got mixed up. My friend probably said it was strange they were airing a summer episode at Christmas time. Duh!  

LIWnut wrote:

AAAAHHHHH!!!  Is anyone else getting excited or am I the only one whose crazy?  (Don't answer that)

Nope, I'm definitely getting ants in my pants too, Marilyn! Sure does feel like we have quite the long wait ahead still.  And those babies are too cute!

bethandmanly wrote:

I can't wait, especially with all the little hints of what is to come are leaking out.

Yikes! I haven't heard anything! I am hoping I don't find anything out, either! 

Amy wrote:

bethandmanly wrote:

I can't wait, especially with all the little hints of what is to come are leaking out.

Yikes!  I haven't heard anything!  I am hoping I don't find anything out, either! 

That is so hard with it airing across the pond first.

I have to stop looking at my UK Facebook pages!! Aaaaawwww!

Yeah, I actually have my D.A. facebook page hidden from view and won't be visiting the DA forum. I'll try to do everything in my power to escape spoilers! 

Is anyone watching season 4 online and want to chat?

I watched both episodes already. Sorry to see the direction they are taking Thomas again.

I haven't watched the second episode yet, not sure if I want to. Might wait for everyone else in Jan. I've read up about everything that is about to happen and I'm not sure that I want to see it yet. I know, sounds weird but...it's more fun to be able to chat with everyone about it.

I'll keep watching online if it stays free. I'm not willing to pay for it. I still can't stand Rose. She makes a poor Sybil substitute.

Wow, episode 3, wow!

Um, wow, that was disturbing indeed.  I can see why they had a warning for this in the UK.  I've seen worse on TV, but imagine if you're

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and you're watching your favorite show, and suddenly one of your favorite characters

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. It was a good call, considering this is not something you would 'expect' to see ordinarily on DA.

But they did kind of lead up to it.  As soon as

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left the room I knew this was going to happen, because of how this guy was eyeing her and

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being so worried about him too.  It made sense.  As soon as she left the room I was thinking, "Nooo, don't go!!!"


Not sure if it's necessary to use spoilers in a spoiler thread...probably not.  But anyway...

Cheryl, I don't like Rose either but I have to say at least her acting has improved a little!  I'm surprised by that!  She was just terrible before, like she was trying too hard or something.  So at least I find her tolerable now, as an actress anyway.  

Wow, as usual Mrs. Crowley makes me cry in practically every scene she is in.  The way she talks about her son, and how she is struggling with 'moving on'.  It's very powerful.  She is just an amazing actress.  And of course I always love her scenes with Lady Grantham.

I found it interesting, what Mary said to Anna that she wasn't sure if she was grieving for Matthew as much as she was grieving the person she was when she was with him.  I can imagine how changed you have to be after the death of a spouse.  That was something I'm sure a lot of people who have experienced that loss could relate with, I'm sure.  I think they've played it well; her grief, her reluctance to come out of it.  So far I'm impressed with this season.  I do think

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, since they were becoming a bit stagnant, but I didn't want to see it happen this way.

Looking forward to see how the characters of the show deal with this new twist. I trust that it will all work out well in the end but there might be a few bumps and bruises along the way. Many have complained that the writers have gone too far but Downton is known for its surprises and a lot of them haven't always been good but we and they have survived.
It is, after all, a story.

LIWnut wrote:

Looking forward to see how the characters of the show deal with this new twist.  I trust that it will all work out well in the end but there might be a few bumps and bruises along the way.  Many have complained that the writers have gone too far but Downton is known for its surprises and a lot of them haven't always been good but we and they have survived.  
It is, after all, a story.

Yes....personally I think the show would get a little stale if they didn't include some angst.  Granted, this is HUGE angst, but hopefully in the end it will prove the depths of Bates and Anna's love for each other.  And really, this is just a british soap opera of sorts, and look at the soaps out there that have brought rape into the storyline.  I think what makes it seem more unthinkable and risky, in the case of Downton, is just how loveable our characters are, especially this one.  But rape happens to nice, loveable people....bad things happen to good people.  Look at Matthew.  So I think if people look at it from that perspective, that the writers are trying to create an arc of intensity and drama here, then it does feel logical.  It IS bringing out the old shock factor, but it's worked for me---I certainly can't wait for the next episode to see what happens with Bates & Anna, and gosh, it's been a long time since I've even cared! 

Click Here to hear what Jullian Fellows said about this week's episode.

Lisa wrote:

I was surprised to find that I don't dislike Rose as much this season. She isn't as. . . .cartoonish. Her acting HAS improved, for sure. And her character seems a little more believable. Still slightly annoying - but my thing is that I'm comparing annoyance levels with Edna - and I CAN'T STAND HER. Something about her just REALLY sets me off and I cringe every time she's in a scene. So by comparison, Rose is no big deal for me.

That's exactly how I feel.  I definitely don't want Rose to get much screen time, but gosh, Edna.  She is just awful.  Guess she's a really good actress because she's succeeding in making me despise her! 

Lisa wrote:

The storyline with Anna horrified me. Seriously. I've always liked her character VERY much, and relate to her in some ways. . . so it was incredibly difficult for me to watch that unfold. Especially because, like Amy, I guessed what was going to happen. And the thing is - we've seen death in Downton, and war - but:

Spoiler:

I do understand...it was horrifying.  But I think Joanna's and Julian's interviews/POV's on this are spot on.  It was actually tastefully/respectfully done...if there is such a thing when depicting a rape scene   .....nothing gratuitous and I appreciated that.  Did it leave my gut wrenching anyway, and me feeling like I want to crawl through the screen to save her?  Yes.  But I never felt like it went too far, I honestly didn't.  

I'm thinking of some Dr. Quinn episodes.  There was one where Myra is beat up by a 'customer'.  And then there's an episode that actually revolved around child rape.  This is Dr. QUINN we're talking about.  To me, the only true "Family friendly" show was Little House, and heck, they even touched on these sensitive topics in the later seasons.  But to me Downton Abbey is a brilliant British 'soap opera' and Dr. Quinn is a pioneer soap opera of sorts. These shows, even Little House, took it upon themselves to use their series as a political platform to take on taboo subjects and address things that people don't like to see, think about or talk about.  So yes, it's 'uncomfortable.  Gut wrenching.  But I do think that Julian Fellows was just in 'going there'. It sounds like it's very controversial especially in the UK, and it's interesting to me because they are fine with showing more nudity over there and are much more 'free' in a lot of ways than we are, and yet to them, this went too far. I think honestly, it's because it was ANNA.  (Sorry, I'm not going to write in spoilers anymore, since we're in the spoiler thread I'm going to assume everyone who's reading it is caught up or else wants to know).  But yeah, I think that because Anna IS so relatable (like you were saying, Lisa), and that she MEANS so much to all of us, it made it all the more unbearable for all of us.  And she and Bates as a whole, and how we just knew, knowing what was happening to her, was going to bring them more turmoil, after everything they've been through already.  Had this happened to Rose, or Edna, or any of the other characters, we would have felt compassion of course....we are women, and I think women go into protective mode for each other when it comes to this type of thing....but the fact that it happened to Anna was just on a whole other level.  It may not seem 'right', that I 'care' more than she is raped over someone else, but when it comes to a beloved TV character, I think it's perfectly logical! And I think that most of us feel the way the guy who interviewed Anna feels.....he said something about how the light hearted Anna will be gone and now we'll never be able to look at her again and not think of this.  I thought that was very poignant of him to say that, and he's absolutely right. Just seeing her we're all going to go back to 'that scene', and that's a very unsettling thought.  But, Downton Abbey is all about depicting LIFE, the good and bad aspects of it, and how bad things happen to good people, but how they do end up coming out the other side. 

And I could tell when watching the interviews (thank you for sharing that link Marilyn!) that both Julian and Joanna seemed to hint that people will 'understand' as the series goes on...that eventually we may all see the reasons for it.  I trust Julian as a whole....he only killed Sybil and Matthew off because of their desire to leave the show.  He does things out of necessity, writes to truly progress a storyline, and honestly in this case, with the added touch of Bates's past with the law, and Anna's need to protect him, I honestly think the storyline is brilliant.  It won't be 'fun' to watch the fallout, but I needed a new reason to be interested in Bates and Anna, to tell you the truth.  

Sorry that got so long!  I'm passionate, can you tell?! LOL!  But I do agree with you Lisa...as much as I appreciate 'heavy angst' in a show and a need to include it, I would not want to see something like that every episode, that's for sure! 


My friend was wondering if she's going to end up pregnant now!  I don't know why but that didn't even occur to me!!  Oh my gosh, I hope not.  

Lisa wrote:

Let's see. . . Oh - I was rather surprised that O'Brien's departure was so. . . abrupt. I'm wondering if there will be any further mention later in the season.

She'll be back for one episode!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/16/downton-abbey-obrien_n_3934310.html

I'm amazed that she left just because she was determined to only do 3 seasons to begin with.  With most actors, money would talk!  She said, "When I stop loving something, I stop doing it."  Gosh. She sure was GOOD at it though!  I'll miss her actually...she was fun to watch and I always liked her double sided personality.

I agree with Amy, the reason that everyone is so upset is because this dreadful thing happened to our wonderful Anna. Had it been Ethel for example, we would not have felt the same because we are not as connected to her as we are Anna. If this happens to our best friend as opposed to an acquaintance, we have different thought and feelings toward the same act.
I am looking forward to the next episode. I truly love Bates and Anna and know from the preview that she is going to keep her distance from him a bit. I'm wondering how long it will take for him to find things out and what he will do about the situation. I know that I am going to be watching the parts about Rose and Jack Carr and screaming in my brain for the show to get back to more of Anna and Bates. And then there's Edna....
I have a feeling that she is going to be replaced as a lady's maid. There is a new lady's maid coming called Baxter and I'm hoping that Edna gets sacked!

LOL, yes, sack Edna! Please!!! 

And yes, my friend was saying actually how unrealistic it was that Bates didn't question Anna's injuries more. The fact that they were clearly not due to a fall against the sink, or whatever it was she said! Plus the fact that he knows her like the back of her hand and she wasn't 'playing it' well...she was clearly emotional. He did go after her and yell after her, but in reality he would have questioned those cuts and bruises immediately. We shall see...maybe he will this next episode.

And wow, Anna will most likely be seeing the 'valet' again. I am sure we have not seen the last of him. The part where she had to say goodbye to him was just dreadful.

I wonder if Lady Mary will be someone who finds out this secret eventually? Anna is her ladies maid and they are very close. Perhaps she will be sharing this secret with Mrs. Hughes and helping Anna to cope along the way.

Amy wrote:

LOL, yes, sack Edna! Please!!! .

Too funny!