Downton Abbey - Series 3 Episode 2 - Recap and Review

Downton Abbey is rather exhausting, after a fashion, and I'm not just saying that out of a willful desire to speak in a more English manner (which every episode of Downton Abbey makes me want to do. With lines like "I love you so terribly much," how couldn't you?). I spoke extensively last week about the show's problem with proportion from week-to-week, and though this week was better than last, the problem with proportion is likely still going to be an issue with the show as we move forward. That said, I've reconciled myself with this fact, and came to enjoy this episode quite a bit, even while it attempted to spread the proverbial stick of butter over an inch of bread, to use a tortured analogy.

The episode opens with a gorgeous shot of Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Mary (Michelle Dockery) inside their new car, driving up towards Downton in the far distance. The cinematography of this show is rarely as lauded as it should be, and sequences like this are precisely why it should receive a helping of acclaim, adding to the richness of the narrative as it does.

Here, we come to learn that not much has changed now that Matthew and Mary have returned from their honeymoon in the south of France. Matthew is still exhausting in his white knight role, refusing to accept the late Reggie Swire's money to save Downton, in the episode's most irritating arc (really, Lavinia is the one who insisted that Matthew get with Mary towards the end, so I imagine it'd be pretty easy to rationalize accepting the money as embracing Lavinia's wishes. Matthew is a lawyer, after all, so finding a way to justify the acceptance of a ton of free money shouldn't be nearly as difficult as he's making it). Mary, not wanting the Crawleys to lose Downton, develops a plot with the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) to subtly solicit her other grandmother, Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine), for the money by throwing a grand party in order to "show why Downton matters."

The party ends up being a total disaster (the stove is busted, Robert's shirts are stolen) before Martha swoops in for the save, organizing an indoor picnic where the guests essentially make their own meal from a selection of finger foods, and eat wherever they want while touring the house. The guests even gather in the parlour for a sing-along at the piano, where Martha sings "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" to the Dowager Countess in a moment that nearly justifies the entire existence of this "Downton in destitution" arc. The Dowager Countess and Lady Levinson are neck-and-neck for episode MVP, but I'll always be in Violet's corner simply for the one-two punch of lines like "Nothing succeeds like excess" and "Never mistake a wish for a certainty." The party is such a great sequence overall, a unique affair when contrasted with the tradition of Downton's more rigid galas. But it's all for naught, apparently, as Martha reveals that she can't save Downton since her late husband tied down the capital, a fortune in funds that she now can't touch. Looks like it's back to the drawing board, with Mary having fewer supporters than she'd probably like, now that her mother, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) doesn't seem to believe that downgrading to a slightly smaller house would be the tragedy Mary seems to think it would be. As the series rolls on, Downton increasingly appears to be the standard of a house divided against itself.

The episode's other big development sees Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) discovering a lump on her breast. After getting the cyst checked out by Dr. Clarkson, the tests come back inconclusive. Mrs. Hughes finds a confidant in Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), who is fairly comical with her terrible bedside manner. Less consoling, however, is Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), who assumes that Hughes is enduring a sudden bout of malaise and growls at her to snap out of it. Mrs. Hughes has never been the most compelling character on the show, but her genuine fear over the uncertainty of her medical condition resonates strongly, and her speech to Mrs. Patmore at the end speaks to the overall theme of the episode. As the two friends walk the long downstairs corridor at day's end, Hughes explains that everyone under the roof of Downton will die one day, and, where her illness is concerned, she's come to realize that she "must put these things in proportion." She's realized that the world will (and, indeed, must) keep on turning. The world won't end when Mrs. Hughes dies, nor will it end if Downton is sold off, or if Edith and Sir Anthony aren't meant to be. All hardship must be met in proportion to the larger picture of life, and of all hardship in the world itself. Much like Bogart said in Casablanca, "it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." Mrs. Hughes is in this unique position to understand that better than most at Downton right now.

Credit: ITV

As for the other developments in the episode, it seems Robert (Hugh Bonneville) has taken a sudden, befuddling dislike towards Sir Anthony Strallan (Robert Bathurst), with regards to his courtship of Edith (Laura Carmichael), citing his age as his primary concern. Sir Anthony, for his part, has been trying to dissuade Edith from her pursuit, citing his injured, disfigured arm and echoing Robert's concerns about his age. It's clear that Sir Anthony is simply following Robert's directives, and that he likely wants nothing more than to scoop Edith into his arms and make for the nearest chapel, which is why this entire arc is so disconcerting. Why is Robert suddenly voicing his disapproval now? It seems so contrived, so sudden, especially when the entire issue is resolved by episode's end. Sir Anthony writes to Edith and explains why he's breaking things off, and Edith confronts Robert, citing that it's unfair for him to be so reconciled to the idea of Sybil marrying a chauffeur, while abhorring the notion of her being with a proper gentleman. Robert relents, Sir Anthony is invited to the big dinner, the couple reconciles, and a wedding is suddenly on the table. So why all the fuss in the first place?

Lastly, there's the matter of Anna (Joanne Froggatt) searching for a Mrs. Bartlett, an old friend of Vera's who might be able to shed light on Vera's state of mind. Meanwhile, Bates (Brendan Coyle) must fend off the sinister overtures of his cellmate. Neither subplot gets much development in the episode, and the entire Bates business continues to drag to a nearly unbearable degree. There's also the continuation of the Thomas/Alfred feud, as Thomas (Rob James-Collier) sabotages Alfred's attempts to fit in as Matthew's valet, getting him into a heap of trouble with Carson, causing O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) to step up in his defense. If he isn't revealed to be O'Brien's son, and not her nephew, I'll eat my hat. He's an awfully dull addition to the cast otherwise, even while he's being romanced by Martha's lady maid, Miss Reed. It's almost as empty a storyline as the brief business of cousin Isobel's (Penelope Wilton) brief encounter with former maid Ethel (Amy Nuttall), a subplot that passes by before it even starts - however, these are only minor detriments to the episode, as the hour largely is successful at developing the larger arcs of the season while remaining worthwhile in an isolated context. This is looking to grow into a strong season for Downton Abbey, and the uniformly strong work of the cast means that it'll take a colossal misfire for this season to falter.

Credit: ITV