DOWNTON ABBEY: Fallouts Everywhere

As has been the case for most of this season, this recap contains references to a sexual assault. If this is trigger for you, please do not continue. This recap also includes a discussion of an abortion. Please proceed with caution.

With only two more episodes after this, the lives of everyone in Downton Abbey are chaotic and filled with far too much drama.

Firstly, Robert must go to America to deal with Harold and his money problems, which also means that Bates might have to leave – to the ire of many people below stairs. Mrs. Hughes wants to get Bates out of the duty and has to get Mary to help. Thomas will go in Bates’ place, and now Mary knows some of Anna’s story. Too bad Thomas’ curiosity at his going has his attention, and by default, Baxter’s too. Mary does want to push Anna to find out more about her rapist, but as usual, Anna has to lie about what happened to protect everyone involved. Later in the episode, Anna has no warning of Mr. Gillingham’s return. Mrs. Hughes confronts Mr. Gillingham about what he did the last time he was at the house. Just as the episode ends, at the servants’ dinner, Bates and Baxter both get some idea of what happened to Anna, and that won’t spell anything good.

Mary’s life is also equally complicated, as Blake is still leaving her cold. The pigs arrive and Mary wasn’t there to see their arrival, but when she goes to see them later, with Mr. Blake, the two of them end up with a disaster on their hands. Between when the pigs were dropped off and that evening, their water was overturned. Mary and Blake, dressed for dinner, spend the night making sure that the pigs survive and end up covered in mud. But as they work together, Blake’s icy demeanor melts away and that leaves Mary with yet another suitor. By the end of the episode, there are three in the house – Blake, Gillingham and Napier.

Edith’s life is more and more complicated as there is still no word about Michael from Germany. Adding to that is her distress over her pregnancy. She goes back to London to get a very illegal abortion, but stops after looking in on another woman just after her’s. At least Rosamund is there and adds a somewhat comforting figure for Edith in this confusing time.

On the other side, Rose goes to London with Edith, but instead of seeing her friends that Cora will approve of, she’s spending time with Jack Ross again. Given what we all know now, dating a black man in the 1920s is not going to do you well, Lady Rose, but she’s in love and doesn’t care.

After their series of tete-a-tetes all season, Isobel and Violet have yet another one: only this time it’s much more personal. Violet falls ill just as Robert leaves and Isobel serves as an ever-vigilant nurse as Violet recovers from bronchitis.

Isobel wonders about Tom’s politics and suggests that he go see their MP in Rippen. Alone at the speech, Tom meets a nice woman who offers him a seat. Tom shares some of his history with the woman after the speech is over. There’s a feeling that something else might come from their meeting, but who knows. If nothing else, maybe Tom will feel more at ease in and around Downton.

Alfred comes to visit his sick father and stirs up all of the lingering issues between Daisy and Ivy over his affection. Even attempts to keep him away fail and once again, the kitchen staff is rather at odds with each other.