By the end of this episode, I was hoping Mrs. Hughes and Barrow would do away with Mr. Carson together and then provide one another with alibis–kind of Murder on the Orient Express-style.
Hard to see how everything is going to get wrapped up satisfactorily in the few episodes left. I hope we aren’t left with any dangling plots.
Hard to say who is more annoying - petulant Daisy or obnoxious Carson. Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore are saintly to not let them have it with both barrels, but that may not last. I want a little pushback from them.
On a different note, just exactly who does Mary think she is? Seriously. She’d consider it a “betrayal” if Tom kept information about Marigold from her? What about Tom’s obligation to Edith to respect her confidences? Marigold’s history is no more Mary’s business than Mary’s adventures in Liverpool are Edith’s. A mature person would understand this and not expect people to take sides like a middle school mean girl. And I’m glad Edith gave Tom the answer he did when he asked why she couldn’t just be happy for Mary, even though it shows that in some ways she’s almost as childish as Mary.
I loved Violet’s comment questioning why people would pay to see an "ordinary " house.
At this point I actually like Barrow more than I like Carson!
@FallGirl To her it’s as ordinary as it gets. To the rest of the family too. They weren’t aware of the history or details of the house because it had always just been there for them.
And Violet has no clue how the other half lives
I think my favorite line last night:
Mary: What else did he collect?
Violet: Horses and women
@morrismm It broke my heart too. It’s hard to see the chickens come home to roost, so to speak. But Thomas has come a long way and no one, not even Carson, can accuse him of not doing his job to the best of his ability.
Why don’t we ever see Bates with his Lordship anymore? Wouldn’t you think that Bates would be up in the bedroom attending to him?
Hope Mrs. Hughes will tell Carson that her meals are going to remain in the servant’s hall and if he wants to eat at home, he’s welcome to rustle up something on his own. He’s irritating me so much.
Because upstairs is shot on location and downstairs is shot in London. 
I’m sure you’re right.
So what, the actor who plays Bates has to stay in London??
What does Mr. Coyle want with Baxter?
Why can’t Daisy leave Mr. Mason and Mrs. Patmore alone?
Regarding Barrow: I’m afraid he’s going to do something violent – to himself, or to the house. He’s not a happy man, that’s for sure.
I really have no interest in Mary and her beaus.
Is Anna’s pregnancy really OK? Or is she hiding something from both Mary and Bates?
I’m afraid Barrow will take his life. I don’t think he sees any alternatives. I really hope I’m wrong.
I hope Anna’s baby is ok. I’d also like to see Ms. Patmore together with Mr. Mason. And I’m a bit worried that Mary will find out about Marigold, spill the beans in front of Edith’s new beau and ruin it for her.
I’m not so easily convinced by Fellowes’s constant up and down sine wave of turning sympathetic figures into villains (currently Carson and Daisy) and vice versa (currently Barrow). After 5 seasons of Barrow being drenched in black-hearted nastiness, it’s hard to see him now as some figure worthy of respect and sympathy, no matter how sorry for himself he feels
Same for Carson in reverse. He’s always been a positive character - upright and kindly, if perhaps rather behind on every trend due to his excessive reverence for the Old Ways. But now we are supposed to hate him due to cluelessness toward his new wife? No. He’s still a decent guy to the core. He just needs a little coaching to help him wake up to the realities, practicalities, and etiquette of his new situation.
Both Mary and Edith have ridden this good person/bad person rollercoaster up and down several times. Right now Edith is up and Mary is down. But hold on for an episode or two and it will be completely reversed.
I know that dramas need conflict to drive the plot, but this particular up/down device just seems a little too staged and too over-used on this show to be convincing.
I too am wondering how all the loose ends will be wrapped up by the end. I do hope it isn’t contrived.
I too get vibes that Thomas is going to kill himself. It will then come out that he was only teaching Andy to read, which will make some of the others feel guilty.
I actually can understand Daisy’s reaction to any whiff of romance between Mr. Mason and Mrs. Patmore. If I were writing the script…Andy will become good at pig farming and interested in Daisy; suddenly Daisy will think it’s fine if she and Andy take over the farm and Mr. Mason goes off with Mrs Pattmore to run the B&B.
Barrow’s hand was bandaged up at the end when he was crying. Did Carson hit him with his cane or did he sock Carson and hurt him? Or both? Either way that recommendation letter isn’t looking all that great.
So what in the world could Coyle’s letter say? Anybody here care?
So Predictions!
Daisy gets nervous because Mr. Mason shows up at the exam and bumbles it.She blames it on Mrs. Patmore. No surprise there.
Mr. Moseley doesn’t get the teaching job but becomes tour guide extraordinaire for DA.
Coyle’s letter turns out to be a treasure map showing where he hid all the jewels. It’s written in Sanskrit which Mr. Moseley just happens to have studied while shining shoes.
A huge portrait of Cora and the kids is admired during another tour but the family can’t identify the subjects.
AAA tickets are sold in town for the “Abbey” tour. Has a combo ticket option that includes downstairs.
Local hospital closes due to lack of funds and the “combining of resources” so all is moved to Yorkshire.
Cora asks Violet what she should do to save the hospital but Violet isn’t speaking to her. Still. Or forever.
“The staff made your bed now lie in it” seems to be the motto of the day according to Violet.
Isobel isn’t going to like whomever that young girl is no matter what. Isobel has her own mean streak apparently.
Tom opens up a match making business but it fails because Mary and Edith are his only clients.
That little kid who was in the master chambers during the tour is still in the house somewhere…
Mr. Barrow’s hand has been bandaged since he stuck it out of the trenches and got hit by enemy fire.
I do wish there was someone who could counsel Carson, but who? Lord Grantham certainly never had to deal with his wife not cooking dinner to his standard, he wouldn’t listen to Bates who he feels is below him, and he seems to believe that he’s being more than reasonable in making his requests. Maybe he and Mrs Hughes should hire Barrow to run the household? 