Top Five Lines from Downton Abbey – S6; E2
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You all know why I love writing these Downton post, don’t
you? It’s because I get to go back and watch the episode a second (and
sometimes third) time. And when I watch the episode by myself, I catch so many
more great lines than just the ones that my family and I laughed at (or swooned
at) the night before.
Which is also why some of my favorite lines might be a
little obscure to you.
A couple of you mentioned that you fully expected to see the
“wigs on the green” line here this
week. While funny, I suppose, Isobel was just being her self-righteous self and
that doesn’t always appeal to me. So that won’t be showing up. (Although I
guess it just did.)
And since cooking is one of my favorite things, Mrs.
Patmore’s line, ““I know it’s cheating,
but I might have to buy a jar of
horseradish,” totally cracked me up and should have made my list this week.
But, alas, I didn’t have room for it. (Except I did. *wink wink*)
And then there was the line I loved this week that wasn’t so
much a line as a look. Remember when Mr. Finch, the livestock man, wanted to
talk to someone in charge about the Fat Stock Show in Molton? Mary told him
that she was replacing Mr. Branson as
the estate agent, and poor Mr. Finch looked like he had swallowed . . . well .
. . a finch.
So many great moments in Episode 2.
But I must get on to my top five lines.
1. This episode opens with Mary and Edith sniping at each
other . . . again. Over breakfast. Poor Robert can’t even eat his eggs in
silence.
They read their letters, and Mary speculates that Rose must
be pregnant. Edith asks Mary why she thinks that, and Mary says it’s because
Rose says she might not be able to travel in the summer.
Huh?
Edith gets the last word, however, when she says,
“As usual you add two and two to make 53.”
I’ll be using that one.
2. Anna confides in Mary (way too much, if you ask me) about
her problem maintaining a pregnancy, and immediately Mary insists on helping
her. She decides to take Anna to her doctor in London.
Anna rebuffs Mary’s offer of help—it will cost too much.
She’s probably worried that Mary will get her into this mess and then neglect
to actually pay for it. But Mary is
adamant.
“Don’t be silly! You’ve earned it fair and square keeping my secrets.
Hiding that fearful Dutch thingamajig and carrying poor Mr. Pamuk down the
gallery at the dead of night.”
The two giggle like schoolgirls just thinking about the Pamuk
episode.
And so do we.
Later, Anna tells Bates that she and Mary will be headed to
London for a quick overnight trip.
Bates doesn’t even question the trip because those poor
servants had no say in the matter. When the mistress of the house wants to go
to London, you drop everything and go.
(What if Anna had her bunco group coming over that night?
She’d totally have to cancel her plans.)
Anyway, Bates sees this as an opportunity for Anna to get
some rest after her most recent miscarriage.
“Well, be sure to put your feet up.”
Anna replies,
“Yes, I’ll be . . . putting my feet up.”
Anyone else catch that bit of irony?
3. I guess I can’t avoid talking about the hospital
takeover, although I wish I could. That storyline is already boring me to
tears.
(BUT SERIOUSLY, HOW ABOUT CORA’S HAT IN THE HOSPITAL
SCENE?!—the one with the pheasant feathers. Oh my gorgeousness. I am loving all
of the clothes so far this season.)
So Cora goes to the hospital for a tour (as if she’s never
been there before, right?) with Violet and Dr. Clarkson (Team Vi). While they
are there, who shows up but Isobel, whom Cora thinks is right about the whole
takeover thing (Team I).
Eventually Cora decides to leave, but not before Isobel can
get in one last lick:
“I’ll come with you. We must give them time to gnash their teeth
alone.”
Which is exactly what Dr. Clarkson and Violet do.
“I can’t deny it,” Clarkson admits, “Lady Downton would have
made a powerful ally.”
Violet, shooting daggers at him says,
“ I hope you’re not implying that she would
be more powerful than I.”
Oh never, Violet. Never!
4. Could we have a moment of silence for the tenant farmers?
(Wait.)
(Wait.)
(Wait.)
Who knew that they lived under such fear of losing their
homes and their livelihoods pretty much every single day? I sure didn’t. But
it’s starting to make sense to me, especially after Daisy’s rant in Episode 1.
And Poor Mr. Drewe. (Cue Cora’s pseudo-sympathetic tone.)
The man has his hands full, you’ve gotta admit. What with
the pigs and Mary as his new boss and his four kids and his crazy-a** wife to
deal with.
His family had been at Yew Tree Farm for over a hundred
years for goodness sake!!
Didn’t matter.
I really almost lost it during the scene between Mr. Drewe
and Robert at the end. There was no loud discussion. No pleading. Nobody
claiming injustice.
Everyone just knew that Mrs. Drewe had screwed up royally
and something needed to be done. Someone would have to pay and it sure wasn’t
going to be the Granthams.
But Mr. Drewe took it like a man and said he’d start looking
for a new tenancy in the morning. Adding this killer:
“We made a plan, lady Edith and I. But we forgot about emotion. And
emotion’s what will trip you up every time.”
Sure is, Mr. Drewe. Sure is.
And then Robert has to go and show his human side!
“God bless you, Drewe. God bless you and your family.”
Pass the tissues.
And hand the key to Mr. Mason on your way out.
5. I think I’ve saved the best for last. Carson and Hughes.
(Sounds like a comedy team from the ‘40s.)
I think they had their first fight in this episode. Last
time they were just discussing The Unmentionable, but this time it was all out
war over their wedding venue.
The Great Hall of Downton Abbey is unsuitable for the
wedding, according to Mrs. Hughes, but Carson can’t seem to tell the family
“Thanks but no thanks.”
Now, could we just stop and think about that for a moment?
The Great Hall. Of Downton Abbey. Unsuitable?
Just who does Mrs. Hughes think she is??
I’d give anything to have a wedding in a place like that.
And these days you’d pay a pretty penny to have a wedding in the Great Hall of
Downton Abbey, if, indeed, such a place existed.
So seriously, who is Mrs. Hughes to thumb her nose at such a
generous offer?
She might need a little time out to think about her actions.
But Mrs. Hughes has a point to make (as does Julian
Fellowes), and make it she does.
“I want my own wedding to be done in my own way, is that so
outlandish?”
You gotta give it to Carson. He tries. He really does.
“It’s my wedding too.”
(I think I’ve heard that one before, too.)
But Mrs. Hughes holds her ground and delivers my favorite
line from this episode.
“I am the bride. We’ll be doing it your way for the next 30 years, I
know that well enough, but the wedding day is mine.”
Enough said.
*****
