<p>Please help me out here. I obviously missed an episode, probably near the end of season 1, but I can’t figure out which. Which was the episode where Matthew and Mary first kissed and got together? I was watching the Xmas season wrapup, and after it, they showed some filler material about how the show was filmed, historical info, and some shots of earlier shows. They showed footage from a show I have not seen. Any ideas which one I missed?</p>
<p>I doubt she will be exiled to the U.S. since the ‘granny’ she was supposed to go stay with, is Shirley McLaine, who I’m sure will be on location at Downton Abbey. I doubt they’d have an ongoing story line with Shirley McLaine and Mary as the sole cast members in the U.S.</p>
<p>I don’t remember them ever kissing, except in series 2, when Lavina caught them.</p>
<p>dragonmom, I’m assuming that Mary will still go to the US to wait out the scandal and that when she returns months later it will be with Grandmama (Shirley McLaine). It is very Downton-like to skip months and even years.</p>
<p>Mary and Matthew kissed in the first series in episode 6 (according to the UK). Forgetting this is no big deal since with this timeline it has been 6 or 7 years. Mary has kept this secret in her for so long. Loved the sceme between her and her father.</p>
<p>2VU0609 - It has been reported that Shirley McLaine is on Downton’s set now. I think she will come the wedding if Mary and Matthew don’t screw up anything.</p>
<p>Don’t think Mary will be exiled. Sir Richard seemed like his heart wasn’t in it to ruin her reputation after all, when he left in the morning.</p>
<p>Loved the final series 2 episode!!! </p>
<p>I agree that Mary won’t go to the US. Matthew asked her not to just before he asked his question. :)</p>
<p>My favorite line of the night was also “Do you promise?”, though there were many great ones!!</p>
<p>Just finished watching it. Yes!! :D</p>
<p>I predict that the season 3 story line will have to do with the return of the pretender, who may not be a pretender at all. (Remember Lord Grantham recognizing an odd gesture…) I predict that the odious middle sister will champion the pretender, and wind up with the whole kit and caboodle.</p>
<p>Loved the Christmas episode! How do we do heart emoticons? <3 <3 <3</p>
<p>I think Branson will die in some Irish revolutionary thing, and Sybil will come back to Downton with baby Branson. Bates will get off, but we’ll discover he actually did it. </p>
<p>And Lady Edith will get together with her self-pitying beau. Dude? You’re too old for her and you only have the use of one arm? Did you notice that the men her age have the use of no arms because they’re, well, dead?</p>
<p>Does anyone know why we have to wait until the entire season is shown in the UK before PBS is permitted to show it?..</p>
<p>and while I’m inquiring, why is it such a short season? it’s more like a mini-series I guess?</p>
<p>I’m already having withdrawal symptoms from some other shows being cancelled; would have liked this one on a little longer (or should I start watching Revenge…haha)</p>
<p>Loved the season finale last night!!..(and my H even watched with me, although while playing Angry Birds…)</p>
<p>I guess I’m alone in this, but I couldn’t cheer the last scene because I find Matthew to be an incredibly dull young man and want more for Mary than the empty life her mother leads. I can’t see her happy churning out heirs, managing staff, planning meals and changing clothes. My vision for Mary included marriage to Sir Richard, his early demise via heart attack, and her becoming that Katherine Graham of her time and land. Ah well.</p>
<p>Julian Fellowes’ absurdly rose-colored view of a life in service reached new heights with the ball scene–all the staff allowed to dress up, enter the fancy rooms, and mingle with the upper classes for one night a year, when we know the rest of their lives consists of drudgery, long hours, and terrible pay as they wait hand and foot on a bunch of useless aristocrats. It’s clear Fellowes longs for those “good old days”, when his own social status would have garnered him an estate and someone to tie his shoes for him.</p>
<p>Must disagree - the absolute best line of the night was “Crikey!”</p>
<p>LOVED the last episode. My H (who is also hooked) is in a deep depression today . . . he can’t wait a year fo the next episode. Luckily, he bought me the 40th anniversary box set of Upstairs Downstairs (I watched them all when they were orignally on but he’s never seen them.) That should keep us going for a while!</p>
<p>
He dyed his hair for DA because the producers asked him to do so . . . they thought there were too many darker haired men in the show. I like him as a blond and I think his coloring nicely contrasts with Michelle Dockery’s. (Although I agree his pallor at the graveside was a bit vampireish for my taste.)</p>
<p>I had envisioned Lady Mary marrying Sir Richard, and he perishing in accident. Then, Mary would inherit his money because there would be no entail of “new” money.</p>
<p>LOVED the finale. Mary and Matthew stopped messing around and FINALLY got together. Took long enough! Sir Richard was a pill - it will be interesting to see if he spills her story.</p>
<p>I felt bad for adorable Lavinia… that was pretty grim. And is it just me, or is Dr. Clarkson the most incompetent doctor ever? ; -)</p>
<p>You know Mr. Bates will eventually get off because he is such a fan favorite. I love Anna and Bates together… can they just be happy for once? LOL. ETA - isn’t it pretty obvious that his wife killed herself but set it up beforehand to make it look like he poisoned her?</p>
<p>Loved Daisy bonding with William’s dad (I was afraid he was going to try to marry her or something creepy like that, ha ha).</p>
<p>I like Sybil, but I don’t think she really has any chemistry with Branson. I predict she will be having a hard time in Season 3 with her new life and the baby, etc.</p>
<p>What was the point of the Ethel+baby storyline? I wonder if she’ll come back to work at Downton eventually…</p>
<p>I also think the pretender/burned Titanic guy will reappear, although I thought he was a bit of a weirdo. Leave it to Edith (who is super cute in real life) to make off like a bandit!</p>
<p>Thomas needs some kind of intervention… will he ever learn?</p>
<p>ETA - thought the Lord Grantham/Jane storyline was cringe-worthy and out of character for him.</p>
<p>Per usual, the Dowager Countess was a total boss. LOVE her.</p>
<p>I can’t wait for Season 3!!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You’re in for a treat. We’ve been watching them (after seeing them originally 40 years ago) for the past few weeks. In comparison to DA they’re very slow, but in a good way. Each episode generally contains only one plot line instead of many. The episode in the second series where King Edward visits Eaton Place and the one after it where both Hudson and Lord Bellamy’s brothers come to visit, are superb. The writing in those is head and shoulders above most of DA.</p>
<p>MommaJ,</p>
<p>I think Matthew will be the one who gets Bates off in season 3, proving he is indeed a man of substance for Mary. He will be a national praised barrister, or whatever they are called. Perhaps he will legally go after Richard as well.</p>
<p>We are big fans in Seattle.
[Seattle</a> fans push PBS hit ‘Downton Abbey’ to high ratings | KING5.com Seattle](<a href=“http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-fans-push-Downton-Abbey-139658703.html]Seattle”>http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-fans-push-Downton-Abbey-139658703.html)</p>
<p>
[A</a> visit from the “Downton Abbey” cast – Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/popcornprejudiceamovieblog/2015801418_a_visit_from_the_downton_abbey.html]A”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/popcornprejudiceamovieblog/2015801418_a_visit_from_the_downton_abbey.html)</p>
<p>[Travel</a> | Seeing England’s real-life Downton Abbey | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2017513214_trdowntonabbey19.html]Travel”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2017513214_trdowntonabbey19.html)</p>
<p>Random thoughts: have really enjoyed this thread. Thank you for the links the Vulture recaps were hilarious. Re question on why so short - TV series on t his side of the Atlantic tend to be 6 episodes. Homeland has just started here D and I watched first episode last night, totally hooked but also dismayed that were now committed to what is it, 12 weeks of watching? Seems an eternity. Upstairs Downstairs have you had the new series in the US? I think theyve just started Series 2 here I havent seen any. . Downton trounced their ratings big news because Upstairs Down is on BBC and Downton is on the commercial Channel 4… Lastly the new big Sunday evening series (which beat Downtons ratings) was on BBC and just ended: Call the Midwife. Im wondering if it will cross the Atlantic set in East London just after the war. Apparently there were fears nobody would watch graphic birth scenes just after dinner (it screened 8, 8:30) and that men in particular would stay away in droves. (lots of nuns as well as blood smeared babies men apparently cant cope with either). But it was HUGE. Writer is the same writer for new Upstairs Downstairs. Penultimate episode had an incest plot where the incestuous pair were the enormously likeable heroes. Somehow I dont see that crossing the Atlantic…</p>
<p>I absolutely think next season will involve the “pretender” heir (Patrick??) returning and the conflict will be about whether he or Matthew are the rightful heir. Also Bates being cleared, though I don’t know how that will happen…</p>
<p>Love this show! And I cannot WAIT to see Shirley McClain as “Granny”. hehe</p>