Well. I am as fickle as fickle can be...
I was broken hearted when sweet, perfect Matthew died.
Nothing would ever be the same.
Downton. el stinko.
But here we are at the end of season four and I just adore Lord Gillingham. When I saw his picture a year ago as a potential suitor for Mary I did not like how he looked. But on film his kind eyes and sweet smile have blown that preconceived idea out of the water.
He is my choice for Mary.
The End.
Pros and Cons of Season Four (In my very humble but opinionated opinion)
Pros:
The general depiction of surviving a terrible loss especially Isobel, Mary and Tom.
Tom is a big pro for me.
Isobel and Edith too. I have come to really like these characters.
I think Edith is nicer than Mary now.
Mrs Hughes is a dear. I hope she and Carson become lovers. Haha...just kidding about the lovers....
I hope they become ....well...what would they become. Boyfriend and Girlfriend? Anyway... I hope they love one another.
Rose was so much less annoying that she could have been. I was glad.
The Dowager was tolerable, I suppose. No. Wait. She had some good solid scenes with Mary at the beginning. The verbal sparring with Isobel goes in my cons...sorry.
Mosely was a wonderful doofus this season. I liked him best this year.
Mrs Patmore was sweet to Daisy.
Daisy's father in law. LOVE him. He is kind and loving and I wish they had a show all their own.
Loved the colors of the dresses.
Loved the music.
Cons:
Cora. Snooze.
Lord Grantham and Isis.
Her awful mother and her hideous hair and makeup.
Her ill cast brother. Sorry Paul.
Bates. I loathe him. He is a psychopath. I shall call him Dexter from now on.
I didn't care one bit about the Alfred, Daisy, Ivy storyline.
I was not very interested in the whole Prince of Wales letter storyline.
Threatening Thomas storyline. But I guess without this we would not have seen Mosely's strength. ha.
Hate the drop waist dresses.
Wishes for next year.
Tom finding love...but not with the teacher. She is too mean. I'd like to see Tom with that pretty friend of Rose's.
Edith finding happiness.
Mary happy with Lord Gillingham. Gilligan's Island. That might be a funny skit.
Happy. Happy. Happy.
What did you think? What were your pros and cons of season four?
*****
Last night on The Voice
I will watch until this couple is voted off.
I'm like that.
They were delightful to listen to!
This is a Beatles song if you can't seem to place it.
I was thinking Monkees or Simon and Garfunkel...had to look it up!
Can't wait to read your comments!
Encourage one another,
Donna
Oh, you are just delightful!!! I truly loved this couple!!! You simply wrote too much for me to think about this morning.... the pups are making me crazy and I have to run some errands. I will reread and comment later. (I know this is important to you) xoxo
ReplyDeleteI just finished Season 3 last night, but left the room when Matthew had his encounter….I love spoilers, since they help me know things to avoid. My husband even enjoyed watching after he looked over my shoulder at the first couple of episodes, at first saying he was not interested. ;) Tom is my favorite I will freely admit. I so hope he does find someone to love again. Violet and her zingers are funny. Mary and her meanness to Edith is not attractive at all. I am looking forward to Season 4…thank you for the warnings.
ReplyDeleteThey talked about the duet you featured on The Today Show this morning. They must be a couple or at least like each other since they kissed after singing. Hope they do well.
love and prayers, jep
I try not to read anything in advance of the show as I don't want any spoilers, so I was truly shocked by the time jump before the final episode. I agree with many of your pros and cons, but I truly feel badly for Cora. The writers have not given her much at all this season. She did dispatch the mean, evil nanny, but that's about it. Lord Gillingham is The Huge. He would be very good for Mary. I adore Tom and always have. I do have a weakness for Irish accents. :) I am very intrigued by the awful relationship Mary and Edith have. It would be nice if they could have established a warm bond, especially after Sybil's death. They are no longer sabotaging one another's relationships (and they were both guilty of that in past seasons), but they really seem to dislike one another. It's sad. Okay, I know I'm rambling, so I'll wrap it up, but am glad Ivy is leaving for America so the Daisy/Ivy storyline will end. I agree with you about Mr. Bates, but Anna is one of my favorites so that's a pickle. Can't wait to see what next season will bring!!
ReplyDeleteBeatles music is my favorite and that couple was very talented and cute. Hope they can hang on as long or longer than the Swon brothers!
Mary Z
Well, whoever the guy is in the picture above....he.is.handsome. Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteSarah P. from Iowa
How are the puppies?
DeleteJust as cute as can be. It is so fun to watch them interact with Rose. Rose is gentle with Ava, but more playful with Angus. The other night we let them outside and Rose kept herding the puppies back into the shop. It was the sweetest thing! They have brought so much joy to us and for our Rosie girl. : )
DeleteI would say this has been my least favorite season. I hate what they did to Anna - even if it did tend to happen in those situations. Yet I must say I am glad if Bates "took care of him", although I don't want Bates to be a murderer. I am super sick of Edith getting unfortunate situation after unfortunate situation. Love Tom, love Violet, love Daisy and her father in law. Don't like Rose at all. Even with this being my least favorite season I still feel so addicted, as if these folks are my family.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your blog. God Bless.
Heather (far away in Washington State)
I am such a sap for this show. Even the things that are not my favorite, I still like, basically.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, I'm happy to overlook the stuff that doesn't jive with me and what I think, because I just love the characters, the house, the clothes, the parties, and most of the writing.
They wrote terribly for Bates this year. He had some sweet moments with Anna, early on and then later in that boot room when he told her he knew (I am sick and tired of the boot room) ... but mostly he was being sinister. I did like how he saved the day with the letter. The whole thing about him leaving the ticket in his pocket is crazy, imho.
I will always love Mrs. Hughes and Carson, Isobel, Tom, Mr. Mason, Molesly, Mrs. Patmore & Daisy, and Violet. I like the sparring, because she is so good at it.
To me it's good that so many plot lines are left dangling ... makes you really want to see what happens next. At least I do!
I'm not sure how I feel about Edith taking back her baby - makes me feel bad for the "adoptive' parents .. but I guess they didn't have any legally binding contract.
I hope Edith is happy one day. And that the brown shirt gang of early Nazi hoodlums haven't done away with him, but maybe locked him up? poor Gregson.
The last scene, with Mrs. Hughes and Carson wading out into the water, made me all kinds of happy ! And maybe points to new things to come??
thanks Donna!!! youdda best. OH, and I like Tony best too ;-)
Love your recaps Donna. I don't know how to get closed caption on Downton but I NEED it, as I miss too much of what they are saying! I'm not as enamored with Tom as the rest of you, he's a nice guy...I did like when he didn't allow Thomas in the back seat with him. Unlike Susan, lol, I get a little stuck on the implausible parts. Like Rose' young friend falling for Cora's brother, ummm, don't think so, though he was a bit amusing and had money so maybe. Edith continues to exhaust me and her story is very sad. Mary is a meanie, and the way she has these discussions with her suitors then ends by just upping and walking away, I don't get their attraction to her other than she is pretty. Playing two guys at a ball with no shame was hard to watch.. And their devotion to her is puzzling. I do prefer Tony (and like that he is not Anthony.) Daisy gets some attention, yay, and her telling Mrs. Patmore that the excitement will carry her till next summer was sweet. I like Bates, never know when you need a forger! Looks like Anna is settling down some, that is good. The older folks romances are clever. Cora and her mother are night and day, hard to see how Cora came out of that family? And I forgot who Rose's mother is or why she has been semi adopted by Cora's family? Still don't understand what the letter was about that they had to get back, but it was an interesting twist. Overall, a satisfying season that kept me entertained and interested in most of the characters. When's it back next?
ReplyDeleteI dvr'd The Voice last season but couldn't get into it, maybe need to try it again. Love American Idol. Have a wonderful week.
Carol, Rose's mom is the lady who was so very mean and crabby...their estate was the one everyone was at in Scottland(?) when Mary went into labor. I think this is where Cora's evil ladies maid went....can you believe I can't remember her name right now.
DeleteI do not think the show will be back until mext January. But Call the Midwife returns March 31.
O'Brien. She of the unusual bangs and nasty tongue.
DeleteMary Z
And Susan (Lady Flintshire) the mean mom. (she is a disgrace to the name ;-)
DeleteAlso, Lady Flintshire was part of the spreading of rumors about Kamuk and Mary.
I did not know that Susan!! That's true insider stuff!!
DeleteWow great memories! And Susan, I admire your pure enjoyment of the show and wish I wasn't so cynical sometimes.
DeleteIn the set for Season Three from the library, they had bonus features and showed the cast at the Scottish castle where the actress who plays Mary said they had "great fun, except for the midges and other bugs" during the outside scene of the luncheon for the ladies on the loch. jep
DeleteCall the Midwife March 31!! Yesssss!
Deletejep, I saw that special bit of "extras" and I love reading about midges, etc!
DeleteI agree with almost everything you shared about Downton except for a few little things. Such as, I love the dropped waist dresses! The one Mary wore for the ball was beautiful. Pink is her colour. I liked that Edith has finally taken charge of the situation and has brought back the baby. I like the friendship that seems to be growing between her and the farmer. I am partial to farmers as I grew up on a farm and married one! i thought Paul was mis- casted as Cora's brother too. I didn't buy that the young woman would become smitten with him. And I certainly agree with everyone else - Tom is one of my favourites. As is Daisy - I have always rooted for her. I was glad that she had an admirer in this final episode. You could see her become more happy as it went along. Good for her ego.
ReplyDeleteFunny story - I read the comment above from "Anonymous" about her puppies but didn't read Donna's question first for some reason. I couldn't figure out who Ava and Angus was and why Rose was herding in the puppies. I thought "How did I miss that scene?" lol. I need to read more carefully.
And I fell in love with the couple on the Voice as well. I have always loved that song! Made my daughter sing it for one of her voice concerts.
I do not know that song as well as I should...I just loved it and them!!
DeleteBTW.... funny about the doggies :o)
DeleteTHANK you Donna Boo. I had to work last evening and missed it!! would never have really watched the whole show on HULU to find this couple. ILOVE them Reminds me of the CIvil wars but much more upbeat!
ReplyDeleteI watched The Voice on Hulu this morning and loved them.
ReplyDeleteThe Pros and Cons? I think you're right on the money. I love Lord Gillingham for Mary. I wish she would go ahead and pick him already. Mrs. Hughes and Carson <3
Cora gets on my nerves now. I don't like the school teacher at all.
Free Bates shirts will probably be publicly burned now.
Such fun comments about DA! Cora is so boring! Is the actress horrible or is she trying to act like that? Why are Lord Grantham and Isis on your con list? Did you know the dog really loves Tom (the actor) and they have a hard time making her stay by Lord Grantham?
ReplyDeleteI still cannot stand Thomas and don't understand his story line.
I don't think Bates killed his wife but I think jail REALLY changed him...
I LOVED the dresses this year! Especially at the Bazaar. Didn't you like Rose's red drop waist dress? It was so pretty! (I'd wear drop waist if I didn't have hips either)
The pig story line is sooooo boring, fancy dresses and parties please.
Oh Mary, the tables have turned and now she gets to choose who she wants without all the worry of the Estate/money...she's loving every minute of it.
Oh, and the Presentation Scenes! That was impressive!! All those uniforms!!
DeleteThe actress who plays Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) seems pretty interesting in real life. She even sings in a band called Sadie and the Hotheads! I'm guessing she's not too thrilled about how they write for her.
DeleteShe had some good moments this year -- like with the Nanny. And the Bazaar. And I loved her and Rose together in Court, when Rose "came out". fun.
Did I miss something? Did they just breeze over Edith having the baby, going from almost no one knowing to having the baby to having it and giving it away??? Or did I miss several shows? That's just weird? And the findings of her "man"? Is he dead? Did she inherit? The baby? What in the world is going on, went on. Can someone clear this up?? I also missed something about "the letter". Please fill in these blanks!
ReplyDeleteThere is a gap in time between Episode 7 and the Episode 8 (the finale). She went to Switzerland with her aunt, had the baby, put it in a family, and is back home when Sunday's show starts. There is no word on Gregson, except that "brown shirt" gang (Nazi's) with whom he quarreled.
DeleteThe incriminating letter is from the Prince of Wales (who later became King and abdicated for Mrs. Wallis Simpson) to his paramour (the time frame is before the Simpson era) who is married, Mrs. Dudley Ward. Sampson (the gambler from a previous episode) stole the letter and presumably planned to sell it to the press, creating a s-c-a-n-d-a-l. So the Granthams must avert this fiasco.
I hope that helps.
Carol, thanks; now I remember the whole going to Switzerland thing...guess I just expected a little more detail about how all that went down than we got...just that the baby is somewhere and she is back in her dresses! I'm suspect the baby will come up in the future. I have to admit, this was my least favorite season too, and it seemed over so quickly!!
DeleteI too like Edith much more this season...OH, that reminds me...did Mary grieve...did I miss that?
ReplyDeleteThe first episode is all about grieving and shadows and gloom. At the end of it, Mary turns a corner. The beginning of Season Four is 6 months after Matthew's passing. So we are to understand that Mary has been in this state for a chunk of time.
DeleteI was waiting for a tragedy to end the episode...and it was all so cozy and hopeful.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest attitude change was towards Molesley: I couldn't STAND his sniveling, poor-me, pity-party pathetic person. I honestly wanted to slap him—hard! flat hand!—right across the face. Snap out of it, man! But his kindness and liberating encouragement to Baxter has me in the gallery cheering him on.
I'm glad Ivy is going to the States. The bickering tension between Ivy and Daisy was time lost. I root for Daisy and dearly love her father-in-law. That's a thread the writers could develop.
It surprised me that no mention was made of Sybil in the last episode. With Rose's presentation, it seems Cora or Robert would have said, "We never got to do this with Sybil." She really seems forgotten. Even more so than Matthew.
My husband boycotted the show for a few weeks after the awful Anna incident. But then he returned, clearly sympathetic with Bates. {The writing on Bates is so uneven. Remember how noble he was at first? Living with the pain of his foot, careful with LG, good. And how tender he was with Anna in the first episode of Season 4?} Anyways...last night when he (my husband) got home from work, I asked him, "Did you think about Downton Abbey today?" Not at all! That's how men and women are different, I suppose. Ha!
Some day, Susan aka Swiss Miss, in the summer when it's warmer, we're gonna have margaritas, watch a rerun, and play the "poor Edith" drinking game! Brilliant!
Hi Carol!
DeleteEdith said at the beginning of the episode "Poor Matthew, I miss him" and it struck me then that nobody seems to speak of him much anymore except for Isobel. (and the sweet scene in the nursery with Tom, Isobel and Mary). At least after the beginning episode of Season 4.
I have a vague memory of Cora mentioning to Sybil in an earlier season/episode (Season One or beginning of Season Two?) about how well her coming out season went. Must investigate.
AMEN to the margaritas, Carol!
me again, it was at the beginning of the Season One episode when Cora tells Robert she is expecting. Cora tells Sybil she was a great success in that season in London (meaning "coming out") and Edith snarks about how they never tell her she is a great success - and Cora says something nice to her. It reminded me of just how far Edith has come, she really has softened for the best.
DeleteYou are the Downton index, girl!
DeleteIt just makes sense to me that if they were going through a Huge life event like coming out, it would trigger memories.
yes, you are exactly right. It doesn't make sense for Cora, at least, to not mention Sybil. I think it would be a sweet moment.
Deletep.s. this afternoon the question was niggling me, so I stopped what I was doing to watch the first 5 minutes of the episode (I had a hunch it was there) and confirmed it to myself. funny how that sort of thing prevents me from doing the ironing!
DeleteI don't like the drop waist dresses either, Donna. They make all women look so shapeless and frumpy. Well, at least the Every Day at the Abbey dresses. The dress-up ones with a little glitz are better and Rose looks the best in them. Mary needs to be nicer to her sister and she also needs to go ahead and pick the swoon-worthy Lord Gillingham. The kindness coming out of those eyes and that wavy dark hair, oh my. I agree with you on all points, Donna, except for The Dowager. I get a kick out of her acerbic lines and I am sure Mr. Fellowes and his associates have a great time thinking them up. Thank you for your great recap. It is always so much fun to see what you have to say.
ReplyDeleteDebbie Z.
Doesn't anyone else think Edith is selfish and self-centered and that she makes everything about herself? I really don't like the Edith character. She's also sneaky. And she makes the same selfish choices every time.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for Bates.
The Dowager and Isobel are perfect together. They balance each other well. A sad day when Maggie Smith leaves the show......
Shirley is great as Cora's mother and Paul is fun to see as her brother.
If we didn't have the Daisy, Ivy, Alfred thing we'd never have seen her sweet, wise father-in-law or see Daisy mature and grow a bit.
I don't care for Rose or the drop- waist lines.
I actually like Mary and think she has been very forthright with her suitors.
Tom should not settle for the school teacher. She is mean.
I am looking forward to the next season and it's good to know Call the Midwife will be on again.
Regards-Jamie
Love reading your opinons! Whatever will they do next year.
DeleteI do love the Dowager.
Your point about Edith is will taken.
Can't understand Team Bates. ha.
Agree that Mary handled the men correctly. honestly.
I think Edith's character is showing that she has learned to think of herself first, because other people don't very often seem to.
DeleteBUT I do believe that her character has matured this season, and she's gained some gumption ... although it meant she put her values and morals aside and then had a pregnancy without marriage to show for it. But she made the right decision for life, even in the midst of all that. Her emotions seem very real to me, especially considering that she doesn't get much attention in the family.
At least until mid way through this Season, where Robert & Cora are truly sympathetic about the situation with Gregson.
(By the way, while in Munich I saw no sign of him. Sigh. I did spot him in London in the film Philomena ;-)
Such fun to read it all - almost as fun as watching it all!!! Brief thoughts ---
ReplyDeleteMolesley is tolerable now. That's a nice change. I hope Baxter continues to take chances in breaking away from barrow.
I have loved the pro-life thread in all of this. And Edith seems whiny and sniveling, yes, but she's also the one in the show who gets zero attention from her family - except for blessed aunt Rosamund, who has been Edith's salvation - so I don't really blame her in some ways.
I loved the presentation stuff. Oh, that was so fun!
I deeply love how Fellowes uses historical facts with fictional lines - Teapot Dome, Prince of Wales, even way back to Titanic and the war. It gives a very special credibility to it all.
I adore mary, probably now more than ever, because now she has LIVED, and now she has chosen to keep living, and to carry on. There's something much more real about her now. And she'd darn we'll better choose Tony. I adore him too!!
Have you noticed since Violet's illness, how Maggie is playing her with much less energy and much more wheezing? I wonder if she's guaranteed next season to be her last....
The London Grantham House was a bit strange to me - I know they've referenced it in the past, choosing not to open it and to stay with rosemund instead, but it was sure in its glory quickly this time, kind of out of nowhere? No wonder these people are broke. Good grief! Two,opulent residences! Two staffs! (Staves? :))
Wow, Stephanie, I didn't even pick up on that about the London Grantham House and choosing not to open it most of the time. Interesting. And I hadn't thought about Violet wheezing more either. Oh dear. I hope they aren't leading up to her dying. I would miss her so much and the show wouldn't be the same. Maggie Smith amazes me with all the acting she does at her age. Loved your comments, as always.
DeleteDebbie Z.