DOWNTON ABBEY: Secrets and Flirtations {Recap}

Here we are at the finale of Downton Abbey for the year, with the extended Christmas episode. There’s so much to finalize after this season and let’s see how it goes for everyone.

Anna’s still in prison, just before the family is set to go to the Blankcasker Castle for the hunting party. Lady Mary goes to visit and thinks that the police will have a little lie to convict her of the crime. While Anna’s been in jail the police have found out that Anna’s stepfather was inappropriate with her and that she cut him when he was threatening her. They’ll want to say that she escalated to this crime from there. Murray thinks that the escalation might not help in the trial and they could try to get the old issue with her stepfather thrown out. With a date set for Anna’s trial, Bates runs away from Downton and leaves only a few notes where he confesses to killing Green to help get Anna out of jail. With the news about Bates leaving and confessing, Molesley and Baxter go trips when they can to see if any pub in York remembers him to prove his innocence. Anna is released with Bates gone to Ireland as a fugitive. But with both of them as they are, it might put one of the other back in jail if Anna is proved innocent while Bates has run away.

Violet isn’t going to the party, but while the family is gone, she’ll receive the Princess. Violet’s woes between Danke and Spratt continue, this time about a broth that she might be able to make to ease an illness. The Princess’ arrival is awkward and strained, as one could imagine. After the richness of the dinner for the Princess, Danka is tasked with making a broth later. Danka’s first attempt is awful but Daisy will try to help out and get one done for Violet. Daisy does stop by with a good one, but Spratt finds it and throws it away. Spratt makes a show of relishing in Danka’s potential usurping, but Violet is good suggesting that the soup is fine and tells Spratt that malice is illsuited on him. During the Christmas party, Violet tells Isobel what happened between she and the Prince – how the Princess had found them and stopped them from running away together.

Carson’s gone ahead with his ideas of he and Mrs Hughes buying property and they’ll have to go visit them. Only after Carson wants to put down the money does Mrs Hughes say that she has no retirement because she has an invalid sister who needs all her extra cash. She can’t even retire because she’ll need to work until she can’t any longer. During the Christmas festivities, Carson proposes to Mrs. Hughes after flirting or being close enogh to for years.

Daisy is still questioning what she’ll do with her studies, which can’t be good.

Lord Sinderbury’s butler’s a pill and doesn’t take kindly to Thomas or Tom, who also knows about Anna and her prediciment. Thomas has to serve as a footman, too, while they are all here. Mary doesn’t like it either and asks Baxter to ask Thomas to help right the problem. Thomas has a note written and that changes what Lord Sinderbury eats at dinner that night, but it backfires and Thomas is put down along with the butler. Thomas has bigger plans and goes into see Stowe to get secrets and eventually brings Lord Sinderbury’s mistress and child to the Castle. Rose recovers well for everyone from the story and Mary and Robert both help out so that Rachel never knows about the woman and her reasons for showing up. As punshiment for what Stowel did, Rose gets him to act better towards Thomas and Tom for the rest of the trip. But Rose’s good nature will get her parents to visit with Lord Sinderbury’s home.

Robert’s been moving slowly and he went to see a doctor in York who thinks Robert has angina. It’s not actually a heart problem but an ulcer, so he goes without drinking after the shooting party until Christmas.

After knowing for a few weeks, Robert tells Edith that he knows Marigold is hers and he has no problem with it. He doesn’t want to share the story of how Marigold was born to leave the family. Soon enough Tom figures out that Marigold is Edith’s and tells Edith how many other situations he saw like what is going on when he was a young boy.

Isobel won’t marry Lord Merton if his sons still don’t like her, and it’s sad that the boys don’t know how ill suited their parents were for each other. The eldest son is not moved by his father’s attempt to get married again and so Isobel won’t marry Lord Merton because of it. However at hearing the news, Violet does say that Dr Clarkson will be happy to not have to fight against Lord Merton.

On the second day of shooting, Mary is partnered with Mr Roger’s friend Mr Talbot and tells him that he’s keeping Atticus from shooting. Talbot makes a mess of things further by asking after Matthew and saying that the war made her a widow. Mary dances with Talbot after dinner and asks all the right questions about Miss Clark and is impressed that he has asked them in the first place. Mary does make one last overture to see Talbot again and he tells her how much he likes cars and admires his car before he and Mr Rogers leave.

Edith makes a nice time at the shoot with the Castles’s agent, who seems like a nice guy for her to spend time with after Mr Gregson.

With the de la Francesca selling well, Carson gets a second footman, Andy, the boy from Rose’s wedding.

In a flash, it’s Christmas and there is news on multiple fronts. Molesley and Baxter found the pub that he was at and the landowner of the pub will testify to seeing Bates there. What a wonderful Chistmas surprise as Bates comes home just as the family is celebrating in grand fashion.