Downton Abbey - Series 2

[Mats]

Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes to host The View please

[TurnerPrize]

Robotboy are you still in the same exercise class as Mrs Hughes?

It's my favourite moopy celeb connection EVER. I'd love her to do a fitness dvd, ala Angela Lansbury.

[TurnerPrize]

DP

[Agnetha]

I'd love her to do a fitness dvd, ala Angela Lansbury.

OMG it's true.

[TurnerPrize]

Never mind that -

Spoiler: omg it's MRS HUGHES NAKED 

[Agnetha]

That is SUPER EROTIC.

[RobotBoy]

Robotboy are you still in the same exercise class as Mrs Hughes?

It's my favourite moopy celeb connection EVER. I'd love her to do a fitness dvd, ala Angela Lansbury.

I'm still doing it but she hasn't been in a while. I'm sure she'll be back soon though. She's looking slimmer and fitter than when I first met her too!

[Johnkm]

An ANGELA LANSBURY fitness tape? Good Lord

[PercyPig]

Bit of a slow episode this week I thought. The only real revelation being right at the end.

BUT OMG next weeks LOOKS SHIT THE BED AMAZING.

VERA back to CUNT EVERYTHING UP!

[Johnkm]

It did breeze along fairly merrily for the most part this week without anything particularly exciting.

I was CRYING TEARS at Violet and Cora's exchange at the beginning, Violet's ever increasing state of SHOCK followed by it cutting to Cora's EXPRESSIONLESS FACE, coupled with Elizabeth's complete and utter RUBBISHNESS, truly a moment to savour (and rewatch on iPlayer 100 times during the week)

[Crash]

I must admit to having a WEE TEAR when Matthew turned up mid-song

Must be my time of the month

[TurnerPrize]

I was a bit choked too, though that went right out the window when he joined in the singing at the front like it was a Bing Crosby Christmas Special or something.

Overall i was VERY DISAPPOINTED with this last night. I actually whizzed back at the end to see if it had been written by a lesser guest writer, but no it was still the DOWAGER COUNTESS himself Julian Fellowes. I thought it felt like a first draft script though, with hardly anything hitting the mark fully. I did like Violet's 'Chimney sweep from Solihull' line though, and her bewilderment at the singalong.

Hooray that Mrs Bates is back next week. Here's hoping she gets more to do. Also do we think William's not actually going to die after all? GUTTED

[Johnkm]

Mrs Bates (aka. Catherine of Aragon) needs to FULLY UTILISED in the coming weeks.

[Agnetha]

Not the most AMAZING episode. It was FINE, but that seems to be the way this program GOES.

Next weeks looks like I'm gonna need a valium for it.

[Tetris-Rock]

I must admit to having a WEE TEAR when Matthew turned up mid-song

I don't normally SQUEE like a stupid fangirl but BY GOD I couldn't help it when that happened. Flapping my hands all over the place, so I was.

Also do we think William's not actually going to die after all? GUTTED

I'm thinking it might be a DOUBLE BLUFF now. They made it seem almost so ridiculously inevitable that now it's not going to happen. It's DAISY who I feel for in all of this, to be honest.

As for the other characters, I must say that i'm finding it exceptionally hard to give much of a shit about Ethel being pregnant. She'd barely been there before she got fired and the brief time she has been on screen has painted her as a straight-up, albeit a bit more slutty, replacement for Gwen.

Without giving too much away, the spoilers for next week sound FUCKING MENTAL. The one point, that I found funny and isn't too big of deal with regards to the plot is:

Spoiler: the fact that... 

STAUNCH socialist and Irish Republican Branson apparently finds out about the shooting of the Tsar's family in Russia and is HORRIFIED enough by the event (in a "Look what those AWFUL COMMIES have done!" kind of way) to decide to put his political interests on the back burner in favour of SETTLING DOWN (preferably with Lady Sybil, of course.) I mean, I am aware that Julian Fellowes is a MASSIVE FUCKING TORY but

[Mats]

I always thought Mrs Crawley would be the last person I'd feel sorry for but THERE YOU GO

11 Mrs Hughes

[Mats]

I don't normally SQUEE like a stupid fangirl but BY GOD I couldn't help it when that happened. Flapping my hands all over the place, so I was.

I was the same

GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW

[Johnkm]

That spoiler sounds RICICULOUS, Julian Fellowes really is a truly ludicrous man

[Madison]

Who was that future Earl of Grantham at the end?

[Agnetha]

Sorry but THAT was an episode!

[Tetris-Rock]

EXHAUSTING. In the best possible way.

[PercyPig]

Who was that future Earl of Grantham at the end?

What's between a son and a nephew?

[Tetris-Rock]

A brother?

Edit: I don't think Matthew is a nephew though, he's a second cousin or something.

[PercyPig]

But yes fantastic episode. I can't believe Bates is the cause of Lady Mary marrying someone she doesn't love and now he can blackmail her I can see Mary choosing not marry him, Murdoch siding with Vera and the whole thing to come out on the Christmas Day episode just like in Eastenders I loved her storming into his office. We need more of her!

[PercyPig]

And my God the Dowager Countess was FABULOUS tonight. I loved her using the phone, blackmailing the Vicar (money is power) and then coming out with "I have a cold" when she was crying at the wedding

[Agnetha]

Best episode YET

[Johnkm]

The Dowager Countess once again STOLE THE SHOW with her amazing stick holding whilst sitting down blackmail scene

Overall, like everyone else I thought it was a fab episode. The Matthew storyline is really rather good and a much better way to get rid of boring old Lavinia than I expected. He'll marry Mary and find out his cock works again hopefully.

[TurnerPrize]

The telephone scene was magnificent. If only she'd been sat on a swivel chair to make the call.

I thought this week's was MUCH BETTER. It was also probably the only thing i've ever seen with someone dying tragically from a world war that didn't make me WEEP, but then it was fucking William. I am pleased he's finally gone* - he had his moments when i cared for him (like last year with his poorly mum) but overall he felt like a Last Of The Summer Wine character to me. DAISY NEXT PLS.

I also like how they brought back bonafide QoL Mrs Bates, AND seemed to be winding down Lavinia and Amy Nuttall (two new additions who haven't really worked for me). As well as Mrs Bates (and Thomas, and O'Brien in her nightcap and BONNET) it really was ALL about Poor Matthew for me though this week. Poor poor Matthew


*assuming he HAS. In HD and close to the screen i couldn't help notice that he was moving a bit for a seemingly dead person

[TurnerPrize]

[Ozymandias]

Lavinia was very crusty and pure filler. Glad to see the back of her.

Finally warmed to Mary. Her DEDICATION to our Matthew

[Johnkm]

Oh Matthew looks much better there, possibly because his chin(s) aren't on show.

[Agnetha]

Matthew is the QUEEN OF THE TRENCHES.

The Dowager Countess had a HEART this EPISODE. It was QOL.

[Agnetha]

Shocked to say the death of William made me LEEK.

[Johnkm]

I was UNMOVED I'm afraid.

[Agnetha]

Well it has been PROVED of LATE you an ODD ONE

[PercyPig]

Oh Matthew looks much better there, possibly because his chin(s) aren't on show.

That's William

[PercyPig]

My brother once again came in and saw me laughing at Downton and told me that "It's not a comedy you know". It might not be but it certainly has its moments.

[PercyPig]

Shocked to say the death of William made me LEEK.

It went straight to "Next Week" a little too fast for me.

[Madison]

William's death didn't make me sad in the slightest, save for any close-ups on his father.

[RobotBoy]

It was a really fantastic episode. Mary's character is just becoming better and better. Her dedication to Matthew is just beautiful and I love that she's grown up enough to behave with such compassion towards Lavinia (even if Lavinia does sound like she's living in the 2010s). I'm looking forward to seeing Matthew and his mother together a bit more. Penelope Wilton almost had me in floods of tears when she returned to his bedside without saying anything.

I found it all very emotional, including William's death but it was the wedding that really got me. So sad for so many reasons.

The Dowager Countess provided MUCH welcome relief. The telephone scene was just perfect. I was in stitches. Again, it's been lovely to see her character become more three dimensional. Mrs Hughes too. War has changed them all. Poor old Lord Grantham though - he really is such a spare part at the moment!