Downton Abbey Season 2, Episode 4

With Tensions still high at the house, Cora and Isobel but heads for the final time as schedules are changed without notice and without discussion. After a heated argument. Isobel leaves, destined for France where she’ll be needed.

With Isobel gone, Mosley makes a play for the now vacant Valet position at Downton Abbey, and Mrs. Bird starts a soup kitchen for unemployed veterans. Soon, Mrs. Patmore and Daisy offer to help and though she tries to put a stop to it, Mrs. O’Brien ends up being roped into helping as Cora finds the idea a wonderful one.

When Matthew and William go missing, the whole house is on edge, but with no definitive word, they’re forced to push on as though life is normal – or as normal as it can be when you live in a convalescence home. After an episode of worrying, they turn up in the middle of a concert to boost the patient’s spirits.

Ethel is discovered in bed with one of the convalescing officers and Mrs. Hughes dismisses her immediately. But she returns and reveals that she’s pregnant, giving Mrs. Hughes pause about turning her away again.

My Thoughts:

Matthew’s disappearance is somewhat of a false conflict. The characters don’t know he’s coming back, but as an audience, I think it’s safe to say we do. So, you have to make me care not about whether or not he’s going to make it back, but how the people affected by his disappearance will act while he’s gone. I did want Mary to break with her normal propriety for once and just run straight at him… but that’s mostly because I don’t feel like she’s truly admitted how much of a cow she was about the whole situation in the first season’s finale.

I believe when Ethel came back on screen I immediately texted a friend “What do you expect when you’ve been a wonton hussy?” And I appreciate anything that allows me to text the word hussy. I’m still not sure how I feel about Ethel’s character – especially since I keep calling her Edith and that just gets confusing – so it should be interesting to see what develops from this situation.

I feel a little bad for Mosley, getting jerked around so much, but as Anna is my favorite, I can’t help but enjoy her having a modicum of happiness again.