DOWNTON ABBEY: Modernity, Here We Are {Recap}

Today feels like a day to start small and get much bigger.

Downstairs, or more accurately with the staff, there are changes afoot.

Violet’s new maid is not getting along well with Spratt, and the two of them are having a prolonged game of cat and mouse.

Anna and Bates are having issues as a couple. Bates discovered the prophylactic that Anna bought for Mary and thinks that she doesn’t want to be with him because he’s older and injured and also that she had them so that she’d not carry the child of Mr. Green’s murderer. That isn’t true, thankfully, but that ticket Bates never used to from York to London is long gone to prove it.

Related to Green’s death, the officer is coming to talk to Baxter about something and it’s throwing off the whole house. Someone has told the officers about Baxter having information about the case, most likely Thomas, and the officers won’t even say who told them of her knowledge. She won’t share what she might know, even when the talk of her going back to jail is mentioned.

After all these weeks of looking ill, Thomas finally allows Baxter to help him with his problem – an ugly sore on his back. Baxter’s going to help him even as he tried to turn her in. Turns out that the pills, and injections were for curing his homosexuality after shock therapy, but he won’t say so outright.

Mrs Patmore decides to use the money from her aunt to buy an old house that she’ll rent out until she can retire. Carson wants to do the same and offers Mrs. Hughes a share of some house that they can find.

With Miss Bunting gone, Molesley wants to help Daisy with her work, offering more books if he can to help her. Daisy isn’t sure, but she takes the book politely even as she questions all the work she’s done to improve herself.

Now for the real mess of the episode.

Edith has heard the worst – the Mr. Gregson is dead. She doesn’t handle a luncheon well when everyone else is talking about racing and getting on with their lives while she is miserable. Hitler was responsible for Gregson’s dead, and we all know he won’t spend most of the time in jail for what he did. Edith tries to see Marigold after the news and Mrs Drewe tries to push her away. While everyone is at the Sinderby’s (save Tom) for the horse race, Edith runs away and takes Marigold with her. She tells Tom how much he meant to her and took the train to London where she and Marigold can finally be together.

While Edith is mourning her lost fully, Mary’s talking of nothing but a horse race, and later her new bob. Because there’s never a time when Edith and Mary can actually get alone.

Isobel has agreed to marry Lord Merton and wants to tell the family after the horse event, for which Violet is pleased for them both.

Cora and Robert still haven’t settled things after Mr. Bricker, and as if to make it worse, Isis the dog looks like she’s ill.

At the horse show – hosted by Atticus’ family – Mabel Lane Fox is there and she’s then asked back to Downton, where Lord Gillingham and Mr Blake are also staying. The quadrilateral is never going to end, it seems.

The Sinderbys and Granthams agree to a dinner later, so things with Rose and Atticus must be going well.