Monday, February 03, 2014

Downton Abbey vs The Super Bowl





Congrats to my dear friends who live in Washington and cheer for the Seahawks!  Those friends who have waited a long time for their team to win their first Super Bowl.  My condolences to the Broncos.  Oy.  That was just so hard to watch.  How could a team get to the biggest game and play so horrible?  Not only did they make themselves look terrible...they made the whole AFC look BAD.  I was thrilled to be able to change the channel and watch a charming episode of Downton Abbey.  

But first.  Joe Namath. (He is a former NY Jet.  They called him Broadway Joe.)  





Apparently Joe Namath likes his fur coats.

This was the funnies tweet I read last night from WSJ writer Jason Gay:






And that, folks, is entertainment.

****

On to Downton Abbey, I know that many of you are playing catch up with the show and I am tempted to wait until tomorrow...but I'll post a few thoughts today and feel free to chime in whenever you have a chance to watch the show.

SPOILERS BELOW THIS PART!!!!



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Shall we say this all together.....Poor Edith.
I can not wait to see how her newest predicament is handled.


The nursery scene where Mary and Isobel and Tom shared their love stories was so tender and beautiful.  I loved it so well.







"Well, aren't we the lucky ones!"

Oh Isobel.  You stole my heart in this scene!

Finally Cora has a fun scene...the restaurant with the snooty host.  How she came to Bates and Anna's rescue and put that doofus in his place.  Loved it.

I had to look up the Dowager's butler (Spratt) because I have seen him before...and I remember him playing a dopey character.  I found it....Vanity Fair mini series...He played Jos.  His name is Jeremy Swift and I bet you recognized him from something too.  

Oh when the Dowager hired Pegg back and Isoble had to ear crow.  Oh boy!
What do you think Pegg is short for?  He doesn't have a Peg leg does he?  heh.

I wasn't at all interested in Napier's colleague nor in his conversations with Mary.  Maybe I will like them better upon a second viewing.

Oh my! Carson and his inappropriate comments to Jack Ross.  Interesting.  

Mrs. Hughes and Mosely.  Tag teaming Carson.

I liked a few of the cute quips from Lord Grantham and his lively niece, Rose.   

It was a good episode.  

What is to become of Edith and the baby?  I can't wait to find out.




****

Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments.  
I love hearing from you all.

Encourage one another,
Donna



P.S.  I want the wallpaper from the nursery.  Suzy had it in her bathroom and she like it a whole bunch.
Makes me want a little toile wallpaper.

















48 comments:

  1. I loved the early exchange between the Dowager and Isobel.... when Isobel asked her if she was ever wrong...and the comment about "never having experienced the sensation."
    My husband and I both burst out laughing and had to replay that scene again..
    What a great episode last night. I love the nursery conversation. Isobel seemed to be giving Mary "permission" to move on and be happy. Loved it!
    Poor Edith. That's all I have to say about that.

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  2. Hello! I saw on FB that the post was up ... yippee!!

    I really loved this episode. Love all the household stuff. LOVED Violet and Isobel and the back and forth. Poor Dr. Clarkson in the middle. The Nancy Drew antics of Isobel getting dizzy and hunting around the sitting room.

    "Eureka!" haha

    And Young Pegg in his stocking feet. (by the by, his last name is Pegg)

    and yes the scene in the nursery was pure gold. LOVE. it.

    When Bates handed his cane to the oily waiter - oh my lanta, I had to laugh.

    Bates & Anna talking at home in the lamp light and shadows ... talking about their moments being shadowed ... a lovely scene in a very sad way.

    I love how Spratt seems to speak without hardly moving his lips!

    and yes, poor Edith. I'm sure I mentioned before, my proposed drinking game. A shot every time I think or say out loud "poor Edith."

    thanks Donna for the post! youdda best :-)

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    1. Thank you Susan. (About Pegg.)

      I really must take up drinking.

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    2. cookies would work too ! :-)

      to say I've watched these episodes a few times would be an understatement! I like to rewatch while ironing !!

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  3. Anonymous10:00 AM

    First off, let me say I LOVE Joe Namath's coat. If I have to live in Chicago for the winter, I want a coat just like that. But, since I am in Florida this winter, I will just have to lust for it. :)
    DA...I didn't get the confirmation that Poor Edith is pg? It's been skirted around, but not confirmed. Did I miss something? Love Isobel and Violet. What fun! Am a bit nervous about Bates and Anna.
    Kris Schwarz
    Kris Schwarz

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    Replies
    1. When we visited Aunt Dorothy on Lake Shore Dr. She would let us wear her furs when we shopped!! Nothing warmer!!

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    2. It was in the letter or post that she received and opened in the hallway. The only way that we saw what the letter said was to reverse and pause at the blip in time that the letter was shown on screen, literally a second or two.
      if we hadn't done that, would have missed it entirely.

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    3. Anonymous10:00 AM

      thank you Julie! I don't have the pause function on the tv here, so I must have missed it. Poor Edith!
      Kris Schwarz

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  4. Hello, Hello from snowy WV and Western PA! Whoa, Edith is pregnant???? When did that happen??? I must have blinked at some point. I don't leave my seat during entire show, I don't get a glass of water, go to the bathroom and neither does my dog Elsa!! How did I miss that???

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  5. Edith received a letter in the last mail that got overlooked. It needs a bit of a pause to take in the message from the London doctor that she shows signs consistent with first trimester of pregnancy.

    Poor Edith (as I take a shot ... er drink of my coffee)

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  6. I'm just so grumpy about the last few episodes. I could care less about Edith. I'm so sad for Anna. Rose does not humor me in the least, I think she's annoying. I don't like the business dealings between Mary and those men although I like how sassy she is. :) I'm mad that Mary is not with Lord Gilliam. I hate Thomas and his manipulative ways. And I'm pretty sure Bates is going to kill someone in the near future, just a hunch.

    Things I love: Mrs. Hughes, the nursery scene and the scenes with Isobel and DC.

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  7. Yup. It said so in the letter. I had to rewind and pause to read it too.

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  8. Oh my, is that what that letter said? I did miss that, thank you. Yes, poor Edith, now what will happen to her.

    This show keeps me on th edge of seat!

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  9. I started watching last night's episode online this morning. I thought there were large gaps in the storyline, and perhaps I had missed an episode. Turns out I did - they had posted episode 6 instead of 5! I figured it out about halfway through. So now, unfortunately, I have had some spoilers!

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  10. Anonymous12:02 PM

    I'm diggin' the fur coat. : )

    Sarah P. from it's sunny in Iowa....Thank you Lord.

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  11. Anonymous12:16 PM

    Joe Namath rushing the coin toss was very funny! He always looks so happy, doesn't he?

    The love stories in the nursery was so very beautiful. Tears were flowing after that.

    And the Violet/Isobel/Pegg scenes were absolutely brilliant. When Violet told Robert at dinner that Isobel runs on indignation -- with Isobel sitting only a few seats away -- I just had to laugh.

    Tears and laughter. I'd say that was a successful episode!

    Mary Z

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  12. I only got to read half this post, as I am still trying to finish season 3 of Downton. I did get a good jump on it (2 more episodes down) during the game yesterday. I couldn't watch anymore after the first quarter and went upstairs to cook some food instead! Poor Broncos...

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  13. I don't know who I adore more, Isobel or the Dowager. But Isobel had some great moments this week. I loved her sneaky poking around for the knife!

    And then Isobel in the nursery! The three of them all widowed but "the lucky ones" for the love they had. What a sweet moment.

    Daisy's final good bye to Alfred was sweet, too.

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  14. Anonymous12:56 PM

    I haven't seen last night's DA yet but it is saved on the DVR to savor when I can watch it this week. Edith is pregnant? I saw that one coming. And wasn't there something about the father having her sign a paper that would give her access to his finances or something? I am thinking he may die and leave her to raise the tyke alone. Just a hunch. And on another note....Yea, Seahawks!! Here in Washington state we are proud and so thrilled with the way the game turned out. I went to the bank this morning and all the tellers and managers were wearing Seahawks shirts in continued celebration. All the streets in Seattle were filled with cheering fans last night and where we live we heard all sorts of fireworks going off at game end. So much fun.

    Debbie Z.

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  15. I like how Lord Grantham said he had to "skedaddle". And Cora was wonderful at the restaurant. Poor Edith for sure!! The preview at the end when she was being put on the spot by Rosamund makes me really look forward to next week...looks like it's going to be another good one! I'm still trying to figure out Cora's new ladies maid. What horrible store does Thomas have on her that makes her so willing to do what he says?! I really want to like her, but the way she's in cahoots with Thomas makes me leery. And the scene in the nursery? Priceless. I love Mary dearly, and the way she reacted when she found Rose downstairs was wonderful. Her character has really grown and matured into a wonderful woman from the evil girl she had been in the first season.

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    1. pushing the {{{LIKE}}} button. :-)

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  16. Loved that Joe Namath wore that coat! I told my 17 yo daughter (who had no idea who he was) that only Joe Namath could get away with wearing that coat, and she said, Mom -- I wouldn't say he got away with it!

    Really enjoyed the DA episode when I watched it this morning. Yes, Debbie Z, that's right -- Edith did sign something before whats-his-name left town! What *was* that, anyway? I agree with not being that interested in Rose and her story line, but I did love Mary's handling of seeing her at the bottom of the stairs. I worry about Anna and Bates also, but wonder if perhaps Thomas will find out what happened and take matters into his own hands (doesn't he like Anna?). I could just see him murdering the rapist, and letting Bates take the blame for it.

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  17. Okay, Ladies please answer a question for me. Just what does Thomas have on everyone that they spill to him and why does he want to know, period? Did I miss something? Who is he…really? Violet has the best lines and makes me laugh right out loud!! Poor, poor Anna and Bates. I just want them to be happy. Edith, now what is she going to do? Not terribly fond of her after all she really should have thought about it. I did not like Rose in the beginning but she is growing on me. Loved the music and dancing, so fun! Did you watch next weeks previews at the end? Violet in bed sick??
    Broadway Joe was very famous for wearing the fur coat and it was SO funny when he rushed the coin toss. I am very disappointed in the Broncos!! Congrats Seahawks, great defense!!

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    1. Hi,

      Thomas is simply the token nasty person in the show, in my humble opinion. Personally I liked it when he was teamed with O'Brien, or when they were working against each other - but then it got really nasty towards the end of Season 3. I thought I would miss O'Brien more, but not so much.

      Thomas obviously didn't have a good upbringing, and the vulnerable side of him only showed up when he was about to be kicked out of the Abbey without a reference. Now that he is under-butler he is back to "normal". If I were a shrink I'd say he spies on everybody to have power and is making up for all his insecurity.

      Perhaps I over-think the show, hmmm? hehe

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  18. {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252
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  19. Thomas helped get her the job so she us obliged to spy for him. Here are 2 questions: how come lady Edith does not have a ladies maid? When Patrick came back on a. Previous episode, why didn't Mary talk to him if he supposedly was her fiancé???

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    1. Jackie, Edith does have a lady's maid...she's referenced a few times, but has never been on screen. (One time in S3, Mary asks Edith how her new maid is working out and Edith replies "not well" or such. Another time, Mary asks Anna if she can help Rose while they're in London so Edith/Rose's maid can stay in Downton with Edith.) As for Patrick, 1. Mary never seems to like him saying she only would have married him if nothing better came a long & she felt bad not caring enough to truly mourn him. 2. It wasn't Patrick that came to Downton, but a fake and Mary never believed it was him...so why would she talk to him? Edith, wanted to believe it was him, she did love him, so she talked to him a great deal and never saw through the hoax. I hope this helps. --Missy

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    2. Seems her name is Madge? Perhaps she does nails too! Hehe

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    3. Great summing up of fake Patrick scenario, spot on.

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    4. Susan, a few weeks ago someone on my Twitter feed also said her name was Madge. So sounds good. ;-) --Missy

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    5. sipping my first cup of coffee of the day ... I just remember Mary saying to Anna "We can't take Madge off of Edith" ... or something like that. Who knows, maybe she will appear in Season 5 :-)

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  20. Good going Missy! Well done.

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  21. Glad I could help. Did everyone see this past Sunday's Foxtrot cartoon? Take a look at www.foxtrot.com. ;-) --Missy

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    1. HA! thanks for the share :-)

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    2. We had our very first Souper Bowl party (really a super food party) because my son and his wife wanted to watch the SB and if I threw a party they would come here instead of going somewhere else (we had loads of family fun) but I teased them that if the game wasn't over by the time DA came on, they could record the end of the game while my daughter and I watched DA. Since we're on the west coast there was no conflict of times.

      I'd like to know how Joe Namath's nose got so big! It wasn't that big when he was younger!

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    3. Noses and ears keep growing. Bummer.

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  22. I couldn't believe how briefly they showed that letter for Edith. You really had to be paying attention to see it. I feel like she's on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Sheesh.

    I loved this episode - Scott said that it wasn't a barn burner, and I agree, but somehow these quieter filler-episodes seem to charm me just as much. Just a few late-to-the-conversation observations:

    -Rose is growing on me. Maybe it's because she's out from under the heel of that ridiculous mother that she's grown up and calmed down [at least relationally/tantrum-wise] - if that makes any sense.

    -I'm really cheering for Mary. I really, really like her - maybe more now than ever. Something about her needing to be an overcomer and carrying on as a single mom has made her become a bit more heroic and sympathetic for me.

    -the nursery scene was one for the ages. Oh. My. 'Aren't we the lucky ones'. Indeed. The blessing of perspective from the most 'mature' widow -- wow. wow. wow. [And my youngest's middle name is Reginald, after my Scott's beloved New Testament professor (who was English, I think, and who translated Bonhoeffer "Life Together" from the original German in the 1930's!) , so we liked the shout out of an unusual name. :)]

    -I. Love. Old. Lady. Grantham. SO MUCH.

    -Scott and I did some research on this Senator Fall who was alluded to regarding Cora's brother - Teapot Dome Scandal - Financial nightmare of the 20's. Will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

    For Donna: One source of blue colouring throughout history has been indigo, and woad (Isatis tinctoria) was its source in Europe. It was a plant. So 'Painted with Woad' was like war stripes. And the howling was part of the attack. Or celebration. ;)

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  23. Love reading your comments Steph. Thanks for the woad explanation.

    I thought it was funny when Mrs. Patmore mentioned the Norman conquest as a reference to dating. Something like...'not since the Norman Conquest." Not something we reference here in the states...nothing that far back :o)

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    1. YES! That was hilarious. I'm ready to drop kick Thomas through the goalpost of life. I also can't for the life of me figure out what an under-butler DOES.

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    2. Lurks around and plots. period.

      love your post too Steph!

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  24. Do you think Edith's man is dead? What has happened to him? Very mysterious. I think the new maid will find a way to turn on Thomas, she seems to have a better soul than he does. She must have done something bad to lose her last job so that she is indebted to Thomas for this new job. I have a feeling he must be keeping a secret of hers. I don't want Tom to leave. And I'm worried about Violet. Because they are real people. In real life.

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    1. Yes, Rachel. And when can't see them, they are thinking thoughts and doing things. Sheesh. ;)

      I wonder if Edith's guy (michael gregson, is that right??) ...I wonder if he's gotten sucked into some nazi precursor.. He is the head of a large newspaper, right? And he's trying to establish residency in Germany, right, which is about to go through a massive political change... I just wonder.

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    2. No comment about Gregson (no spoilers from your Swiss Miss) - but I tots agree about them being real people and thinking and doing stuff. Totally!

      Ah, poor Edith.

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    3. Yup. I agree about the Nazi ideas. I'm reading Jodi Picolt's book, The Storyteller, right now. It includes several plot lines from the Nazi era. I can see the writers on DA jumping all over that plot line. How could they resist?

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  25. Sweet Daisy, she deserves something good. Better than Albert. Not sure about the other kitchen tryst, but I do enjoy the kitchen drama. Edith tires me, so dramatic, everything is a hassle. I don't see how they can possibly bring in one more single parent child into the story line, so I'm not sure she will make it out of the first trimester. So glad that envelope opener was found. Clever twist Don't understand how Cora would end up with such a flat/risky maid, you'd think Anna would have been promoted...what draws Cora to such stern, serious maids? You are all a clever bunch, I enjoy reading your comments and cleverness.

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  26. I don't understand the Joe Namath and pink limo comment. I will google it to try to comprehend.

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