<p>Actually, when I heard the rumors that someone was going to die this season, I just assumed it would be Bates.</p>
<p>And although I am sad that it was Sybil that died, I don’t think it was a “bad” plot twist. Women died in childbirth all the time, and it wasn’t just the poor women - just because you’re rich (or beloved, or pretty) doesn’t make you immune from eclampsia or infection. Or heartbreak…</p>
<p>Now Robert - THAT’S who I’m mad at. Really?</p>
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<p>Interesting that we all remember that episode. I guess it’s partly because we were all in our childbearing years. What made it so harrowing for me is that it was Dr. Greene who made bad decision after bad decision…it wasn’t some guest actor they brought in to play an uncaring quack…it was Dr. Greene. That made us realize that things could turn out badly, even with our own beloved OBs.</p>
<p>My sister had her kids with midwives. The last was in a state where midwifery is illegal. She had preeclampsia…her baby was stillborn and she almost died. The only thing that saved her life is that the midwife couldn’t be reached when the time came so she was rushed to the ER.</p>
<p>As for dramatic plot twists…isn’t that the MO for “soap opera” type of shows. Back to ER, remember what all happened to poor Dr. Greene?</p>
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<p>Does anyone know any traditional “patriarchs” IRL? My FIL is one…certainly not wealthy, no title, but he’s the traditional man of the family who expects to never be challenged in any respect. If you live your life like that, I can see that you might make some really bad decisions.</p>
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<p>Haha! I suppose “the chauffer” will name her!</p>
<p>I’m seeing a dramatic shift from The Old Ways – Robert decides about which doctor is right; Robert and Mary are fine with the way Downton is being run – to The New Ways – Cora is furious with Robert about which doctor to use; Matthew is going to take on Robert and Mary about managing Downton. I anticipate some dramatic struggles and The New Ways winning out.</p>
<p>I immediately wondered if Mary & Matthew might raise the baby, but am now thinking that Tom will have her baptized in the Catholic Church & take her back to Ireland?! I suppose he will second guess all the decisions made on behalf of the baby… More tension with the in- laws!</p>
<p>I predict that Robert will never make it back to the bedroom. Cora is not going to forgive this decision the way she forgave him for squandering away her money! Also, do not like the way Mary is choosing sides over the house. It really makes her look extremely shallow. </p>
<p>I can’t stand waiting all week for the next installment :(</p>
<p>Agreed, VH – Old Ways vs. New Ways, absolutely. I wonder with others whether the New Way of boiling up formula will go well, or whether they’ll regret sending away the wet nurse.</p>
<p>I figure that since they didn’t name the baby right away, she’ll be named Sybil. DH says “they wouldn’t do that,” but I have no idea what he means. Mos’ def agree with Snorkelmom that Tom’ll be baptizing the baby Catholic and will want to take her back to Ireland, but doesn’t he have to decide first that he’ll be a mechanic in Liverpool? Because Cora’s been charged with insisting that he “move forward” instead, right?</p>
<p>I also agree with you, Snorkel, on Robert’s chances of making it back to the bedroom. He’ll probably get there eventually, but it’s going to be awhile, and he’ll have to Change.</p>
<p>Was anyone else mad at the writers for pulling a second Lavinia? It was obvious that bringing in the expert outsider was going to go badly, but once Sybil delivered safely I figured that the writers couldn’t go back to the very same trick they pulled with Spanish flu (we’ve come through the danger – no wait! death in the house!) but it turned out they aren’t so persnickety. Do you think they’re going to limit themselves to once a season, or can we expect this every other episode?</p>
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<p>Agreed!! And does anyone know why the season is so short? I think season 1 had only 7 episodes. American shows like ER or House that run an hour have at least twice that many. Is this typical for British TV, or is it too costly or something? I want more!!</p>
<p>Probably because I had worked on some preeclampsia research in my job a few years ago, an alarm bell went off in my head as soon as Sybil first mentioned that her ankles were swollen. I thought “Test her urinary protein level - immediately!”</p>
<p>It seems that every episode of Downton Abbey has at least one scene that strikes me as ridiculously improbable. This time it was the sight of two doctors standing by and doing nothing as their Very Important Patient was suffering fatal seizures. The family members were battling to save her, but the docs were paralyzed. In real life, no matter how hopeless and inevitable the outcome, both doctors would have been all over Sybil trying to save her, fighting the symptoms at least if not the underlying cause. The family would likely have been kicked out of the room as the situation worsened. </p>
<p>And I’m only half-kidding when I say don’t count Sybil out. We’ve had so many far-fetched reversals already that it Sybil may suddenly give a big gasp and cough at the funeral and wake up feeling more or less fine, the doctors having misdiagnosed the death. Either that or it was all bad dream by a fitfully sleeping Tom or Lord Grantham.</p>
<p>^^^^^I’m not a L & D nurse, but I had thought that once a baby is born and the placenta is removed that the eclampsia pretty much resolves. Wrong?</p>
<p>EDIT: I googled, and came up with this little blurb:</p>
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<p>^^Logic would suggest that is true. And mostly it is. Indeed, birth of the baby is the only effective treatment for preeclampia to this day. But unfortunately, post-partum occurrences of the condition are not unknown. Pretty rare to sure, but they still happen. I presume it is due to the mother’s circulatory system having passed some sort of “tipping-point” while the baby and placenta were still on board.</p>
<p>I knew something was going to go wrong as soon as the so-called expert doctor arrived. Didn’t know if it would be Sybil or the baby but it was clear that one of them wasn’t going to survive. When they were happily announcing the birth to everyone, I said to myself “just wait”. And sure enough. With all the comments about her swollen ankles and confused state, it was obvious. </p>
<p>I, too, thought that the death scene was ridiculous with the doctors standing around doing nothing. Even if nothing helpful could have been done at that point, it made no sense for them to be just standing there like lumps. </p>
<p>I’m finding many of the ‘upstairs’ characters annoying this season, other than Edith. It’s like a transformation for her character who was pretty nasty in Season 1. Isabel has had a similar transformation and I think it’s interesting that she has hired Ethel. She is far more likeable than she was previously.</p>
<p>I liked the scene with Carson and GrandMama.</p>
<p>To further the theme of Old Ways versus New Ways: </p>
<p>The old, respected doctor versus the new, upstart doctor – who, it turns out, was right.</p>
<p>Edith invited to write a weekly newspaper column, while Robert sneers at the idea and the younger folk encourage it.</p>
<p>Seems to me The New Ways will win out. Ya’ can’t stop progress!!</p>
<p>The doctor dispute didn’t strike me as Old vs. New. They both seem equally Old. It was more a case of prestigious out-of-town expert specialist vs. local good-guy GP who had known the patient since she was a baby (and thus knew how thick/thin her ankles normally were).</p>
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<p>Is it just Ethel’s reputation that everyone is so afraid will rub off on them? It’s not as if she’s going to actively recruit Mrs. Bird into a life of prostitution. (The scene where Mrs. Bird resigned was great.) Other than not getting pregnant in the first place, what was Ethel to have done? Starve honorably?</p>
<p>I do wonder how the Branson story line will play out. He’ll definitely fight to baptize the child as a Catholic. I think he can’t go back to Ireland without being arrested. I think he’ll still want to do it, and so it will come down to a choice between his child being raised at Downton or by his brother in Liverpool–at least if that brother is married. I think he may opt for his brother–which will, of course, appall everyone. But at that point Cora may intervene and talk him out of it.</p>
<p>I could see Edith raising the child.</p>
<p>Lots of options :)!</p>
<p>The coming attractions convinced me Mrs. Patmore is sneaking off to
give Ehel cooking lessons, so she can keep the job.</p>
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<p>Very typical. For example *The Hour<a href=“on%20BBC%20America”>/i</a> was only 6 episodes in each of its first two seasons (or series, as they’re known in the UK). And Luther had only 4 episodes in its second series, which is a real shame, as we always need more Idris Elba!</p>
<p>So what is the deal with Mary and motherhood? She is sending such mixed messages. Do you think there is something wrong with Matthew’s fertility and Mary knows it?</p>
<p>“The coming attractions convinced me Mrs. Patmore is sneaking off to
give Ehel cooking lessons, so she can keep the job.”</p>
<p>I like it!</p>
<p>I wonder if last week’s story of Ethel giving up her child to give it a better life was a sort of foreshadowing . . . Branson will do the same thing.</p>
<p>This is the third show I follow from England that has had an eclampsia story-line–first, THE ARCHERS on radio, then CALL THE MIDWIFE, and now this. Maybe the National Health Service put out a call for some public education! I certainly knew what was coming as soon as Sybil mentioned swollen ankles and a terrible headache.</p>