After last week’s somewhat middling episode (I guess not every episode can have a wedding, can it?), I’m very hopeful tonight’s Downton Abbey can be true to form. And it delivers the biggest emotional gut punch as I’ve had since the Season 2 Christmas Special. The main storyline comes around Sybil’s impending birth. Because Lord Grantham has lost some faith in Dr. Clarkson (his missed diagnosis of Matthew, etc.), he brings in a well-known obstetrician. The two doctors immediately begin butting heads over Lady Sybil’s treatment, and whether or not she is suffering from eclampsia, which ends up becoming a proxy argument between Lord and Lady Grantham. This then has huge implications for the resolution post-emotional gut punch.
I am really speechless. I can’t go into more without major spoilers, but this episode begs to be discussed for so many reasons. Even though the A storyline is the main event, here are some other things we can look forward to:
Possible proof of Bates’ innocence and further plotting against him arises.
Edith is offered an opportunity to write a weekly newspaper column.
Ethel is invited to come to work for the Mrs. Crawley, creating quite a controversy.
The love triangle continues to develop between Daisy, Alfred, and Ivy, the new kitchen maid… oh, and Jimmy the new footman. Oh, and Thomas, who also seems into Jimmy. So, not so much a love triangle as a pentagon.
Those issues seem all a little inconsequential compared to the main storyline, but they do seem that some of them will come to bigger things next week. Bates, ever the honorable gentleman, needs to be freed. Mostly just that I miss him in the mix in the household, and that it is simply unjust to keep an innocent, honorable man in prison while undeserving, conniving scum like Thomas inhabit his job as valet.
So, make sure to keep a box of tissues close by for tonight’s episode, and we’ll see you next week.