Downton Abbey - Christmas Special 2014 - Recap: Joy to the World

Naturally, as with any Downton Christmas special, the amount of stories contained over the course of this two-hour runtime is positively daunting. But there were a number of takeaways, both big and small, that will likely carry us into Series 6 in 2015. For one, Branson (Allen Leech) is leaving, and it's not just talk anymore. He's resolved to move to Boston with Sybie, and the Downton Christmas party is his final night with the family. I don't believe for one second that Leech will leave the series, although I could easily see the show allowing us to skip all the years without Tom by having Series 6 start some time in the 1930s, allowing us to simply get to the vague point in the future that Branson promises to return. Perhaps he'll be a changed man by his experiences, or maybe he'll come to recognize how badly he needs his family, as the Crawleys have become a key support structure for him, more so than his blood relations.

Credit: ITV

But for now, Branson will be departing, and it's unknown if/when he'll return, which adds a bit of a somber note on the entire Christmas proceedings. But there's plenty to like about the storyline, such as he, Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Edith (Laura Carmichael) gathering in the nursery and holding hands for a prayer to the late Sybil. It's a beautiful moment that humanizes Mary after she spends the better part of the two-hour runtime being insufferable to Edith (although she does get to have some witty repartee with guest star Matthew Goode, whom I'd love to see return as a suitor in the future, now that the unpleasantness with Gillingham has passed). Just as sweet is Robert (Hugh Bonneville) trying one last time to convince Branson to let Sybie stay with them while he gets situated in America, to which Branson tearfully responds that he can't. However, he does commend his father-in-law, saying, "I love the way you love her." And it's met later by tenderness from Robert, who says he's truly grown fond of his son-in-law, and will miss him quite a bit. It's easy to forget, amid all the drama, that these people are a family. But times of crisis and possible separation have a great effect in bringing them all together. For example, Robert tells Edith that he knows about Marigold, and although she expects reprimand, she finds a surprising amount of warmth from her father, who seems accepting of the entire situation (even going as far as to note that Michael Gregson was an honorable man whom he believed would have done right by Edith). Meanwhile, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) is distressed to learn that Robert has been diagnosed with angina, and it creates a ripple of concern throughout the family, even though Robert is convinced it's no big deal. All these issues link the Crawleys and make them feel like a cohesive unit in ways they haven't always felt.

Credit: Nick Briggs/ITV

Speaking of family members getting on, some of my favorite bits of this special centered on the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) and Isobel (Penelope Wilton), whose relationship has blossomed into one of the most poignant elements of the series. Here, they essentially serve as support structures to one another as their respective love lives are in full collapse. Violet reunites Prince Kuragin (Rade Sherbedgia) with his long-lost wife (Jane Lapotaire), a spiteful woman who can hardly stand to be in the presence of Violet, much less her own husband. Yet even with the Kuragins reunited, the Prince still wishes to be with Violet -- a proposal she ultimately feels she cannot accept. However, as she explains to Isobel, it's with a certain sadness that Violet realizes she'll never again receive "an immodest proposal" from a man again, with these being her twilight years. Similarly, Isobel is plagued by what she can/cannot accept in the twilight of her life, as she comes to the decision that she simply cannot marry Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) unless his son Larry can make peace with the union. Because he's a massive jerk, Larry cannot (although he words his condemnation extremely well, putting it all in a letter to Isobel that essentially puts the matter to a close). The breakup between Merton and Isobel is fairly heartbreaking, as Isobel attempts to be diplomatic and kind about it, but ultimately can't do much to salve Merton's pain. Yet she just can't allow herself to be the subject of derision, living in the shadow of a son's spite in the late years of her life. If nothing else, this is a far more valid excuse for the breakup than the reason she gives to Merton, which is that she doesn't want to come between him and his sons, somehow unaware that by breaking up with him over his son's disapproval, coming between them is exactly what she's going to end up doing. Either way, seeing Violet and Isobel bond over each other's heartache is surprisingly moving.

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Of course, none of this is as affecting as the episode's two biggest moments. In the first, Anna (Joanne Froggatt) is essentially exonerated of the murder of Green due to lack of evidence, while Bates (Brendan Coyle) is cleared thanks to the diligent work of Molesley (Kevin Doyle) and Baxter (Raquel Cassidy), of all people. In short, they travel to every pub in York to try and find someone who can corroborate Bates's assertion that he was having lunch in a pub at the time of Green's death, painstakingly traveling to some 60-odd pubs before finding the right one. Robert can't express his gratitude enough, and Bates and Anna finally seem to find some measure of true happiness, relieved of all this Green unpleasantness. It wouldn't really surprise me if Julian Fellowes came back to the Green storyline at some point, since legal exoneration isn't the same as being declared innocent, but it wouldn't surprise me if we simply never find out what happened to Green -- whether it was an accident or whether it truly was murder. I'm still suspecting it was just an accident that got blown out of proportion. At the very least, that's what I'm hoping, since I'm desperate to have this storyline over with.

Credit: ITV

But one story I'm absolutely thrilled to see started, far more so than I ever expected I would be, considering how much I've loved the friendship aspect of the relationship between these two characters, is the engagement of Carson (Jim Carter) and Hughes (Phyllis Logan). Yes, Carson FINALLY popped the question, although part of it seemed every bit as pragmatic as romantic. When Hughes reveals that she's pretty much broke due to a lifetime spent providing for a mentally ill sister, Carson is disappointed that she'll no longer be able to go in on the proposed real estate business venture with him. But it speaks to the great affection he has for Hughes that he's so eager to link their fortunes, regardless of their standing as individuals. It's an absolutely beautiful scene, as Carson speaks in circles before just coming out and saying he's asking Hughes to marry him. Hughes is completely and utterly stunned, halfway between joy, shock, and tears. "You could knock me over with a feather," she says, before making a toast in honor of her ability to still receive marriage proposals at her age. Naturally, all this does is confuse Carson, who isn't sure if she's accepting his proposal or not. Then Hughes finally responds, "Of course I'll marry you, you old booby." It's a moment of rare, pure joy from this show, and I didn't know I could be as happy for two characters as I was for Carson and Hughes. This was a scene and a pairing I didn't even know I wanted until I got it. Really, it was something five years in the making, and I'm glad it all came together as it did. It would have been enough to make the entire episode an enormous victory, even if the rest hadn't been as good as it was.

With that said, not every storyline landed. It looks like Rose (Lily James) is off to America with Atticus (Matt Barber), probably so Lily James can pursue the movie career she's probably going to have after Cinderella hits theaters in March. And if that is the end, she got a solid farewell, winning the admiration and respect of her future father-in-law by rescuing him from potential embarrassment when his former mistress arrives with his illegitimate son. I love any storyline that puts Rose's magnanimity to good use. In fact, it's a shame that none of the other minor subplots proved as amusing. I just don't enjoy Spratt (Jeremy Swift) at all, so his attempts to get Denker (Sue Johnston) sacked fell flat, to me. And poor Daisy (Sophie McShera) and Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) are just treading water, as are other characters the show doesn't seem to know what to do with at the moment, such as Thomas (Rob James-Collier), who is implicated in the attempt to blackmail Lord Sinderby (James Faulkner). It all sounds a lot more interesting than it ends up being, ultimately, although I suppose it was cathartic to see Sinderby's crooked servant Stowell get his comeuppance. Even if these weren't riveting stories, they didn't detract at all from the episode, so I didn't have a problem with any of them, really.

All in all, this was one of the better Christmas episodes Downton Abbey has put out, and it gives me optimism for the direction of Series 6. If nothing else, this special left me in a particularly warm, fuzzy, festive mood. And, really, that's all I ask of a holiday special, even ones meant to serve as finales to a respective series. Until next autumn, thanks for reading!