<p>I have seen the tease for this upcoming episode many times, and I can’t figure out who the couple caught in bed is. Can anyone help me out? It’s such a quick flash on the screen. I’ve even walked up to the TV and still can’t tell.</p>
<p>I think that is the new maid Ethel with the wounded officer she was flirting with last week.</p>
<p>Cardinal Fang: Season 3 hasn’t actually started filming yet. Julian Fellows has said in interviews post-Golden Globes that he is still writing at this point. Season 3 was only announced in late November. My guess is that my March they would start filming which is usually done in blocks of two episodes at at a time. I think right now Michelle Dockery is filming Anna Karenina.</p>
<p>For some reason I was thinking it was Bates and Anna. No idea why, really it could be anyone but that was what popped into my mind when I saw the preview.</p>
<p>Hmm. ML, you could be right, so could bookiemom. I did think I saw a mustache, though, but then again, it was so quick. I guess we’ll have to wait for Sunday. The only male I don’t think it would be is Thomas.</p>
<p>It is the new maid and the wounded soldier. I recorded the episode and rewound it and played it slowly to see who it was.</p>
<p>I love, love, love the Dowager Countess, Violet. I want to be Maggie Smith when I grow up.</p>
<p>Getting frustrated, there doesn’t seem to be much progress…</p>
<p>So who’s pregnant? Ethyl? Who’s the father?</p>
<p>The father is the Major with whom she was caught in flagrante delicto by Mrs. Hughes.</p>
<p>Okay, so up until tonight, I watched Season 1 and Season 2 episode 1 & 2 on my iPad which was sitting on my lap. Had zero problems understanding the accents. Tonight watched it on TV for the first time and really struggled at times to understand some of them. See what you guys mean. I agree with Snowdog. I didn’t think anything terribly exciting happened tonight.</p>
<p>I can’t say nothing happened when my favorite Bates is back at Downton. And Isobel is gone, regretted by no one. And O’Brien is back to her old snitching, scheming ways.</p>
<p>And I’m picturing Vera Bates running off to Sir Richard Carlisle to sing like a birdie.</p>
<p>I must say that, when Matthew walked into the ‘concert’ I did think that Mary would have a change of heart and declare her feelings to him. I agree, though, that not much happened this evening–while I enjoyed the episode, it was disappointing.</p>
<p>@cardinal- sir Richard doesn’t seem like the type to fear scandal, quite the opposite. I can’t imagine he would cast off Mary whatever mrs bates would have to say. Unfortunately.</p>
<p>didn’t get to see it. hopefully the repaly I will get to see.</p>
<p>I took Katlia’s suggestion and watched The Way We Live Now. It was great satire and well done. I am watching North and South now. It is fun to find Downton characters in former roles in these productions. I think they both expire from Netflix on January 31 for some reason, but they are worth the watch if you have time this week.</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up on the expiration. It’s raining here and my DH is leaving town tomorrow for the week so I guess I know what I’ll be doing :)</p>
<p>I went to see My Week With Marilyn this past weekend - loved it! The actor who plays Carson is in the movie and my friends and I all did a little whisper squeal when we saw him as we’d just been talking DA. Until I watched the credits I hadn’t connected that Elizabeth McGovern’s husband is the director. I guess they are having a big year at their house! I loved Cora last night, btw!</p>
<p>^ didn’t know that Elizabeth McGovern’s husband directed My Week with Marilyn! Michele Williams is stunning in that movie. Perhaps that might explain her in the role of Cora in DA, very well connected in British entertainment industry. </p>
<p>Did many of you see “Secrets of the Manor House” ? Brilliant tie in to the show. I learned so much last night. It was almost as good as the episode last night.
<a href=“http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128239303[/url]”>Stephen King: The 'Craft' Of Writing Horror Stories : NPR;
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<p>Maybe I missed some back story or details back in Season 1, but what is O’Brien’s motivation for being so awful? What soured her so? Other than simply being disagreeable what is she hoping to accomplish with her scheming?</p>
<p>I understand that Thomas had reason to be jealous when Bates was brought in to be the new valet instead of him. But like O’Brien he seems, for no apparent reason, to be further driven to be generally mean and underhanded at every turn.</p>
<p>Also, other than simply being fellow villains, what is the relationship between O’Brien and Thomas? Why are they so often scheming together and helping each other? I like how, to emphasize their villainy to modern audiences, they are often shown smoking together - smoking being scorned by society today but not back in the day.</p>