DOWNTON ABBEY: “Season Six, Episode Seven” {Recap}

The whole Crawley family has been invited to Brooklines for the race.

There’s also a date for Daisy’s exam, much to her dismay and horror. Molesley is equally worried about his own test. Molesley did well enough to become a teacher at the village school. Should that be the end of Molesley’s life in service?

Isobel has an invitation to Lord Merton’s son’s wedding, which she seems hesitant to attend. But not before the Dowager pays the new fiancee a visit to find out what is going on. Lord Merton’s son and future daughter-in-law want Isobel to be a free nurse to Lord Merton in his old age.

Trying to still find a job, Barrow is getting more hints to leave. It is wearing thin on him after the situation with Andrew. Mrs. Hughes tries to help Barrow feel positive about the change, but he can’t find much since he has found some friends at Downton. At least more people know that Andrew can’t read when he is at lunch during Daisy’s exam. It puts Barrow’s actions in a new light, but is it too little too late for him?

Because the Dowager is going away, it leaves Spratt alone in the house while Danker gets to visit the south of France.

Mary looks to Anna for advice on Henry Talbot, but it might not be the answer Mary wants. Henry does drop in unannounced to Lady Rosamund’s in an obvious demonstration of what he wants from her.

Mrs. Patmore’s bed and breakfast has its first guests and she’s planning that, while also coming up with a way to get Mr. Carson to see how difficult it is to cook a meal. Too bad Mr. Carson doesn’t know that he’ll be cooking the mea until he has to do all the work. It’s a play for Mrs. Hughes to have injured her hand during the day and the look on his face is shocked as it should be. He even falls asleep during dinner. Too bad there’s a man paying very close attention to the Patmore bed and breakfast.

Edith has a new column potentially – an advice column – and also introducing her new editor, Ms. Edmunds, to the family at the race. Bertie’s staying at her side after everything also spurs him into proposing. She’s close to accepting, especially since Marigold can come, but waits a few days all the same.

However, the race doesn’t go as well as it should and Charlie, Henry’s friend and teammate, dies in a crash. It rocks everyone, Henry and Mary especially because it could have been Henry. The death does finally get Mary and Henry to realize that they should be together or not. Mary says no in the moment because she won’t let him give up racing for her.

The Dowager’s departure is the last thing they all see – a new puppy for Lord Grantham – to soften the blow of her not being there.

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Downton Abbey airs Sunday nights at 9 Eastern, 8 Central on PBS.