<p>How about this. It’s all an accident! Bates, taking his long furtive trip to London, packs up a few of Mrs. Patmore’s cakes sitting out to cool. Unknown to him, those cakes were made with tainted ingredients (see–Thomas did have a hand in this death!), but Bates was so distraught, he couldn’t eat a crumb. Vera, ever the one to look out for herself, finds those cakes in Bates’s bag and steals them. Why not? More cake for her! After Bates leaves her, she gloats to herself and has some nice cake to celebrate really ticking him off once again.</p>
<p>The spouse and I just laughed ourselves silly at the BBC parodies. Then we wondered “has anyone done a Hitler rant on Downton Abbey?” And yes indeedy, they have. </p>
<p>“Booklady, I was beginning to think I was the only one who actually believes the poison-suicide storyline.”</p>
<p>I believe it too. To me, the tricky part will be to come up with proof that it was a suicide. Where is the evidence for that? The only reason Bates was convicted was not because of direct evidence, but only that he looked guilty because he didn’t inform the police of the poison purchase.</p>
<p>Or it could be an accident. I just got my wife into the show, and watched the first episode again with her. In that episode, if you recall, there’s a bowl with rat poison, and Patmore says to put it away, but later when she realizes the chopped up eggs weren’t sprinkled on the chicken she asks Daisy to take it up to the footmen to do it. Daisy mistakenly hands off the rat poison, but then realizes her mistake just in time. After seeing this, I wonder if there will be some tenuous connection to Vera’s death.</p>
<p>As Checkhov famously said, “One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.”</p>
<p>Cardinal Fang----our prediction is that they will take the young hot vampire route. Some of the cast members have been looking a little too pale, if you catch my drift.</p>
<p>Slithey, I loved that YouTube parody! So funny.</p>
<p>But after seeing it, I am reminded of my complaint about the amount of attention given to the Anna / Bates conundrum. I’m kinda disappointed by how much attention Fellows gave to this segment. Do you really think so many “Upstairs” cast members would go to support a valet on trial back in 1920? Wasn’t there anything more interesting, like some misunderstood slight, going on?</p>
<p>I’ve read, actually, that the new season will be Roaring 20s. So get set for short skirts, more feminism, and free love. Expect Sybil to be worked back in along with her hubby. Maybe a bit about lost generation Paris stuff.</p>
<p>Speaking of Sybil’s husband, Tom Branson, I was rather surprised that his possible Catholicism, or lack thereof, was not part of the story. He’s Irish, supports independence, and mentions that a cousin was slain in the Easter Rising in 1916. Most Irish Nationalists were Catholics, although there were some significant Protestant players. He might be one of those, since I’m sure Catholicism would have been an additional objection to the marriage–although his working class status was enough of a problem so that his religion may never have needed to enter the picture.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Fellowes, a Catholic, and VP of the Catholic Association of the Performing Arts says there will be Catholic themes and story lines in the next season.</p>
<p>And did you know who will be playing Cora’s mother? Shirley MacLaine. So, instead of vampires and zombies, maybe we will have crystals, reincarnation, and UFOs.</p>
<p>It would be fun to see her butting heads with the Dowager Countess.</p>
<p>Finally, for you paper doll fans–I know you are out there. Here’s a link to free, downloadable paper dolls of the Downton characters.</p>
<p>Good news - there will be at least 5 seasons.
Not so good news - not everyone has signed up for the duration, at least not yet.
Surely, I’m not the only one who can’t imagine a fully satisfactory DA without Maggie Smith!</p>
<p>I just finished going through both seasons for the second time Monday night. I have a friend I got hooked on the show, so she’d come over here and we’d do some marathon nights. We had a lot of fun speculating how Shirley MacLaine’s character is going to fit in!</p>
<p>2VU0609 - There won’t be 5 seasons. They just wanted to secure actors for the future. Downton Abbey should probably go on for another season or two but for 5 is a little bit ridiculous. But its wide popularity throughout the world garners lots of $$$ in the production team’s eyes. But that announcement was just to secure people in case they would want to pick up other projects.</p>
<p>I took the quizz which downton Abbey character are you? I am Anna would love to be the dowager, love her! H is Robert the earl yup stick in the mud!</p>