The Televangelist: ‘Downton Abbey’ Season 2, Ep. 3

Change swept over the manor with enough force to actually propel Isobel to France!

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  • PBS
  • “I’m a woman, Mary. I can be as contrary as I like.” - Lady Violet



Last night, change swept over the manor with enough force to actually propel Isobel to France! The aristocratic barriers continued to fall, though Lady Violet, for one, hopes they will be repaired after the war. One mustn’t get too caught up in “inappropriate friendships,” she cautions Sybil at the dinner table. Of course, only her Mary knows the truth: that Sybil, the “wild one” who has been known to wear pantaloons and dresses up as a nurse, has feelings for the chauffeur, Branson. Does she? Or is it just that she realized all the men she ever danced with are dead, and here is a fine young Irish chap in a well-fitted jumpsuit who is besotted with her and practically bullies her into running away with him. Well, why not?

The Sybil and Branson struggle was just one manifestation of a myriad of power struggles occurring within Downton, most openly between Cora and Isobel over who should be managing the house (the part of the house not managed by Thomas - and by the way, what exactly does Thomas manage? Besides his great hair, of course). Though both women were given the responsibility to share by Dr. Clarkson, they are mysteriously unable to work together, despite the perfect marriage of Isobel’s working-class knowledge and medical training, and Cora’s understanding of Downton’s specifics. But Cora prevails in the end, running Isobel off to France, where she will presumably be closer in proximity to Matthew. At the same time, Matthew has the uncanny ability to be able to return straight to Downton every other weekend, dropping by here and again to see Lavinia in London (one guesses) so when and how will he see his mother now?

Upstairs, the struggles continued internally as the Crawleys worked through their feelings about Matthew’s sudden disappearance and presumed death. From Robert acknowledging that he loved him like a son, to Edith feeling compelled to tell Mary not as an act of malice but one of kindness, and even Lady Violet managing nearly, but not quite, to be anxious over the subject, mentioning that “who knows who the next heir might be, a chimney-sweep from Surrey?” there was a tenseness to every proceeding with the weight of Matthew’s disappearance (and William’s, lest we forget) shadowing the house. Of course, Matthew and William were fine, and even appeared in time for a literally show-stopping performance where Matthew was able to pick up the male harmonization to a popular ditty of the era with Mary. Though the two feign a brotherly-sisterly relationship, there is obviously still passion smoldering under that uniform and that corset. But for now, the two are still to be married off to others. The real question seems not if they will get together again but when, though “Downton” has thrown us some curveballs in the past that might make their reunification, if it still happens, more difficult or further down the line than the typically expected, and I for one appeal for that result.