tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post4299986714642814120..comments2024-03-29T05:43:36.177-04:00Comments on Doux Reviews: Downton Abbey: Season Three, Episode TwoBillie Douxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-55734097859391790142013-01-15T19:52:11.119-05:002013-01-15T19:52:11.119-05:00Matthew's "honor" is really annoying...Matthew's "honor" is really annoying. He was with Lavinia's father when he died and was pretty much the only one at his funeral. That's love. Take the money, Matthew! If he really feels the need to donate the money, he could "donate" it to the estate for the benefit of all the employees of the home. <br /><br />On the other hand, I hope the writers come up with a more interesting solution, since Matthew's inheritance occurring simultaneously with the bankruptcy is a little obvious. We didn't even have time to worry about where Daisy would go! Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-22826908788188135672013-01-15T18:17:33.815-05:002013-01-15T18:17:33.815-05:00I thought Cora's reaction to the potential los...I thought Cora's reaction to the potential loss of Downton was very unrealistic. After all, there was an implicit but very definite contract in those (by no means unusual) marriages of a rich American woman and a titled man. She brought the money, and in return got the prestige of the title and the grand house to go with it. I suspect that in real life Cora would have been as upset as Robert if not more.<br /><br />Can't comment on the Bates thing as I fast forwarded every time I saw the prison:). That seemed to drag on forever.<br /><br />Gavrielle Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-15079771631005027852013-01-15T14:34:57.449-05:002013-01-15T14:34:57.449-05:00Edith and Sir Anthony... first time she truly stan...Edith and Sir Anthony... first time she truly stands up to her family, bravo! Won't be the last. She's finally getting a bit of a backbone!<br /><br />I understand Matthew, but he's still exaggerating a bit! I remember when watching this that they were trying to drive a permanent wedge between him and Mary... CrazyCrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17512240982215608638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-82689040460879110832013-01-12T18:59:52.718-05:002013-01-12T18:59:52.718-05:00Matthew is driving me crazy with his stupid honor....Matthew is driving me crazy with his stupid honor. Just take the money. Lavinia and her father were both lovely people who truly loved and were truly loved by Matthew. Stop being so freaking noble!<br /><br />Edith and Anthony's romance is actually the first time I've liked her. I like that she stands up to her father and to Sir Anthony and goes after what she wants. I don't think it's desperate, not if she truly loves him. If she were just doing it to get married to anyone I would agree.<br /><br />Martha really reminds me of Kathy Bates' Molly Brown in Titanic. :)sunbunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08553429350476841139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-72627880373227309922013-01-10T06:55:09.102-05:002013-01-10T06:55:09.102-05:00Great review, as always, Chris. I enjoyed this epi...Great review, as always, Chris. I enjoyed this episode more than you did, though. I liked seeing Mary and Lady Violet paired together and in their finest scheming mode. I also liked the parallel of Edith and Martha together in the scene with Robert since it seemed that Martha was in Edith's corner in a way no one else had ever seemed to be. As for Mary and Matthew, I appreciated that they were still loving to each other even with a major disagreement between them since it reminded me of Robert and Cora's relationship. It is a type of marriage that I find to be realistic unlike so many others on TV, with the exception of Coach Taylor and Tammi Taylor on Friday Night Lights.<br /><br />As for Edith looking desperate, I agree that in some ways it looks like that; however, they truly seem to love one another, which makes me admire her determination. I have been rooting for them for awhile, so I hope it works out in the end.<br /><br />Even though the war was very dramatic, I have to say that my daughter and I are really enjoying seeing the story focus on the drama within the house again. Martha really adds an interesting twist, too, and I can't wait to see if her presence uncovers some depth in Cora's character.<br /><br />Lastly, I don't know what to think about Bates. There is certainly something there we aren't seeing yet.Suzannenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-74561438191860129612013-01-10T00:16:21.381-05:002013-01-10T00:16:21.381-05:00Maggie Smith's face as Shirley Maclaine was si...Maggie Smith's face as Shirley Maclaine was singing to her was absolutely priceless. The other thing I found delightful, and it may have been more in the previous episode (but I saw them together and am getting them confused) is Matthew and Tom as friends and bonding as brothers in law. They were good for each other, and I just thought it was touching.<br /><br />Chris, you're so right that Matthew's inheritance just doesn't work well as a plot point. It was like, so Robert lost all that money and he's going to lose the estate and five minutes later, no wait! More money! All the same, Matthew catching the "too noble for words" bug from Bates was annoying. Geez, take the freaking money! Lavinia's father won't know or care.<br /><br />Did Bates kill Vera? The first thing I thought when she was killed was that he had done it, but then I thought, no, Bates is way too noble for that. But wouldn't it be interesting if he did? <br />Billie Douxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17141769005175631213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-88786694752086078792013-01-09T18:43:25.432-05:002013-01-09T18:43:25.432-05:00Thanks for the review; I really enjoy it. Regardin...Thanks for the review; I really enjoy it. Regarding your comment on Robert and Mary take Downton and money issue too seriously, just wanted to point out that for people from the background they did, it is very logical and indeed a very big deal. I come from a family in many ways similar and I can tell you that it's as big a deal to lose your family home. On a personal level it is as serious as a world war.Yong Yonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14629004497145163658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-46032755210879048072013-01-09T17:41:01.239-05:002013-01-09T17:41:01.239-05:00I've been suspicious of Bates since Vera first...I've been suspicious of Bates since Vera first died. I didn't want to believe it, but it just seemed so curious to me that the writers didn't show us the scene of Vera's death or the last scene when they were together. If they wanted the audience to be really upset about his wrongful conviction then they should have shown her plotting the whole thing. I'm really intrigued about where this storyline is going to go...but I don't want it to drag on for the whole season:)<br /><br />I also was really mad that Robert got involved with Edith's love life, especially because for a while he and Cora lamented that she would never marry AND they are about to be kicked out of Downton. With Sir Anthony, she is actually in a safer situation than any of them. When so many young men died in the war, let her go off and be happy!<br /><br />Great review, ChrisB!a.m.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-33952823533558643272013-01-09T15:19:46.945-05:002013-01-09T15:19:46.945-05:00Anonymous -- thank you! I have a real issue with ...Anonymous -- thank you! I have a real issue with those two names and keep getting them mixed up. All fixed, but you're right. Edith in that situation certainly would spice things up! :-)ChrisBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10843864158239536750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-35381083369763974612013-01-09T12:38:58.998-05:002013-01-09T12:38:58.998-05:00"Through this lens, we see that Edith has had..."Through this lens, we see that <b>Edith</b> has had to become a member of the world’s oldest profession"<br /><br />Either that's Ethel, or this episode was much more interesting than I remember having watched ;)<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13727952.post-64266502296134211912013-01-09T11:47:57.959-05:002013-01-09T11:47:57.959-05:00I didn't think Ethel' story felt forced - ...I didn't think Ethel' story felt forced - sure, Mrs Hughes had been helping her out a bit, but she can't have paying for the upkeep of a woman and a baby.<br /><br />I still totally think Bates did it though :)Juliettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00203399623895589924noreply@blogger.com