<p>Can the reason for the difference between U.S. and U.K. episodes be money? Naturally PBS has to pay for the broadcast rights. I’m wondering if PBS pays for a truncated series to save money.</p>
<p>Also, I gave thought to buying the U.K. DVDs from Amazon. But I see that the electronics manufacturers have not revised their region-specific codes for DVD capability. Buyer beware.</p>
<p>^Yes, that’s it. That’s why my friend had to buy a UK-specific DVD player to go with her UK Downton DVDs. And have the whole lot shipped from there. She thought it was completely worth it. :)</p>
<p>All the characters looked so beautiful in cricket garb!</p>
<p>I wonder what is with “her ladyship’s soap”?</p>
<p>I have to say the story line with the 18 year old niece seems quite forced.</p>
<p>It is hard to believe the season finale is next week…sigh.</p>
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<p>Did she have the TV shipped over as well?
I know friends from Asia buying the whole set up,TVs, DVD player, voltage converter so they could watch the DVDs bought in Asia.</p>
<p>chinablue, read posts 1401 - 1413, there are good explanations of “Her Ladyship’s soap.”</p>
<p>This is why I tell people they need to watch Seasons 1 & 2 before watching Season 3. There’s so much back story. For a British period piece, Downton moves fast.</p>
<p>I got some PAL format DVDs for Christmas. They didn’t work in our dvd player/tv, but did in my laptop.</p>
<p>Thanks Lafalum84 for going back in the thread and picking out 1401 to 1411.</p>
<p>Maybe some medical folks can weigh in but I thought Mary was referring to needing her hymen broken? Not that totally unusual…fits the situation…but I have no idea how that references the ability to get pg?
Overall, after, I think it was a bit boring.</p>
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<p>Ok, I have all 3 seasons on American dvd, bought on Amazon. I just checked, and they say “original UK edition” but they play on all of our equipment. I have watched season 1 and 2 several times, and I honestly don’t see a huge difference. I remember a couple very brief scenes where I thought, “I don’t remember seeing that before,” but it didn’t impact the story at all. (And could have been just my general mom-induced forgetfulness.) If you look on Amazon and read carefully, it will tell you which ones will work here. Now, I have considered the whole, UK dvd/player setup to get to season 4 earlier, but then I would still have to wait a year next time around <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>(Plus, there are lots of nice extras on the dvd’s…)</p>
<p>oregon101, the same thought occurred to me but I then decided that Mary and Matthew were too sophisticated not to have figured that out already. I imagine they had already crossed that bridge, so to speak.</p>
<p>I enjoyed Robert’s talking about investing with Ponzi - it shows how sheltered he really is. He’s never had to work a day in his life, everything has come easily to him and it doesn’t occur to him that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. He has no street smarts because he’s never needed them, and he doesn’t value Matthew’s and Tom’s street smarts because they’re “tradesmen.”</p>
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<p>Same here. I purchased through US Amazon, not UK Amazon.</p>
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<p>I doubt it. It’s seldom much of a problem, and in Mary’s case Mr. Pamuk would have taken care of that way back in season 1.</p>
<p>Mr. Pamuk promised Mary she could have a good time and stay a virgin to boot. Whether or not he kept that promise, Mary and Matthew didn’t seem to be running into any barriers in bed – just no pregnancy.</p>
<p>I enjoyed this discussion of gay-friendly Downton, and I agreed that the writers did a good job coming up with reasons for each character to decide to stick up for Thomas:
[Downton</a> Abbey Season 3 recap: Episode guide and review for Episode 6. - Slate Magazine](<a href=“http://slate.me/X2UQPH]Downton”>http://slate.me/X2UQPH)</p>
<p>I still can’t buy the idea that O’Brien would ever have told Thomas about the soap incident, though. She’s ashamed of very little, but she’s desperately ashamed of that. And we did hear her tell Thomas that it’s no one’s business why she’s become so protective of her ladyship.</p>
<p>A friend told me about this site - [Watch</a> Downton Abbey Online | Stream- TV](<a href=“http://stream-tv.me/watch-downton-abbey-online/]Watch”>http://stream-tv.me/watch-downton-abbey-online/) I’ve just watched most of the Season 3 Christmas Special here! No spoilers, but I’m really enjoying it!</p>
<p>Is the last episode of season 3 on PBS (airing Feb. 17) the same as the Christmas special that aired in the UK on Christmas Day? If not, when will the Christmas special air on PBS?</p>
<p>From what I can see, the episode I just watched, entitled, “Downton Abbey 2012 Christmas Special - A Journey to the Highlands” is the next one that will air here on this coming Sunday the 17th (episode 7). I didn’t realize that would be the end of the season! It takes place “A year from now”.</p>
<p>^^^ Thanks. Amazon just calls it “A Journey to the Highlands”, and it is episode 9 with them. The doubling up of the 2 sets of episodes also contributed to my confusion.</p>
<p>Is next Sunday a double episode as well?</p>
<p>[Downton</a> Abbey Facebook Recap Season 3 Episode 6 | Happy Place](<a href=“http://www.happyplace.com/21258/downton-abbey-facebook-recap-season-3-episode-6]Downton”>http://www.happyplace.com/21258/downton-abbey-facebook-recap-season-3-episode-6)</p>
<p>Here’s the latest Downton Abbey on Facebook installment. Best one yet :).</p>