Downton Abbey (TV Series) Episode #1.4 (2010) User Reviews

An Old Flame

[jpismyname · 8/10 · 17 December 2017]

Mrs. Hughes is visited by an old flame, who is asking for her hand in marriage. The Dowager Countess hires Matthew to try to disinherit himself from the family fortune.

We finally see more of the sweet-natured Lady Sybil, the most endearing character of the series she tries to help the housemaid achieve her dreams. Rob James-Collier is a really good actor as well, he makes me really despise his character.

Introducing Tom Branson, changing one of the sister's lives.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 23 September 2019]

In the new movie of "Downton Abbey", the best written character was Tom Branson, a romantic, idealistic young man hired here to be the new chauffer. He's handsome but politically rebellious, even though he seems to hit it off with family patriarch Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville). Over the next 5 1/2 seasons, he will go through much suffering even though after the death of his wife had hardly any romantic story. That changes in the movie, and Tom becomes one of the most touching characters of the series as his romantic tendencies are revealed. Here, an instant attraction is felt with Sybil but wisely underplayed to let the situation develop subtly. Mrs. Hughes finds an old flame (showing that even the most sensible of characters can have a "past") which she deals with in a very touching way, offering her gratitude towards her rather gruff but lovable suitor. Thomas continues to flirt with Daisy which causes friction with the love-starved William, and Daisy gets dragged into Thomas's insincere intentions. Mary gets to show a bit more vulnerability with Matthew, but her snarkiness with Edith continues. Sybil helps Gwen with a potential job, and Lady Violet continues to go head to head over situations at the hospital.

The local fair setting sets up some nice little plots in showing how the servants manage to work closely together even though thanks to Thomas and O'Brien they are often at odds. Mary reveals her own inner feelings about herself when she tells Matthew, "You should learn to forget what I say. I know I do." Too bad she doesn't admit this to show some vulnerability or kindness to her sister, Edith, whom she obviously resents for having simply been the second born, even though she adores youngest sibling Sybil. A telling scene between Daisy and Mrs. Pathmore shows the older woman's hidden feelings for her kitchen assistant whom she often berates cruelly out of her inability to share how she feels. This is the first real episode where Sybil has anything substantial to do, especially when she reveals what she really thinks about O'Brien. Jim Carter is also very touching as he reveals to Mary why she is his favorite out of all the girls, although that would never be my feeling towards Mary who can be as equally as odious as O'Brien is. All in all a nice episode where more details about each of the core characters are revealed.

Tom and Matthew Come Forward

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 29 July 2020]

There are several subplots in this fourth offering. We have Mrs. Hughs meeting an old flame and having to make a possible life-changing decision. Thomas continues to be a cad and enjoys tormenting William. Daisy is as ditzy as ever. Mary is beside herself and feeling persecuted. Tom Branson shows up with his revolutionary ideas. Matthew begins to get the hang of turning Downton into something special. Embracing his new position. Nice transitional episode.

Im addicted to this show

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 14 May 2022]

The summer of 1914 is such a pivotal point in European history. From this moment on, the life as the Crawley's have known it at Downton Abbey will never be the same. The plot made big leaps in time too. When the Crawley family returned to Downton from London in the summer of 1914, we are only told in passing that Lady Sybil had a coming out party! What? We missed a ball. No way. Big oversight. Everyone knows that all the best stuff happens at balls! Jane Austen knew that and used it to her advantage. Julian Fellowes must have forgotten, or the budget did not allow. Anyway, even if I felt slighted for not being invited to her big party, we did get all sorts of other eye popping personal events. Sisterly feuds, bickering, scheming, murder, fights and more fights. I had a friend tell me he felt that Downton was really the new Dynasty of prime time TV. Remember the wildly popular 1980's American drama with glitzy clothes, big stars and melodramatic plots? It was an American drama mind you, but I can see the similarities. Big house, family money, family squabbles over power and money. If anyone recalls Dynasty's most famous scene, will we have a cat fight in the Downton pond with Violet, the Dowager Countes and Mrs. Crawley to look forward too? There were many great performances, but I will focus on my two favorites: Lady Sybil and the kitchen maid Daisy. Two young ladies on opposite floors of Downton Abbey who could easily be in each others shoes, but for their side of the blanket. Lady Sybil is developing into a little firebrand! Her political activism is a total puzzlement to her family who think her charitable causes are extreme and her politics even more so. She is a Liberal. Her father is a Tory. He believes that the radical Irish chauffeur Branson (Allen Leech), who claims to be a socialist, has fueled her notions. After she attends a political rally against her father's wishes, the family dinner conversation becomes very heated in front of the servants no less. Oh, of course the Dowager Countess must have her share of the conversation and rhetorically questions her granddaughter's being there at all.

The building that build lives

[MoviePaiyan · 9/10 · 24 October 2020]

I am attracted to the period by how they express themselves

Some of quotes that interested me alone the episode .

Gwen : Anna is like my sister , she wont betray me anyway lady sybil : Then she is not like my sisters

Matthew crawley: It is generous in given circumstances lady mary : It's easy to be generous when you have nothing to lose

Mr.Bates : Nothing is harder than living with false hopes

Mr. Bates: you are lady to me , never knew finer one

New driver with idealist ideas

[CursedChico · 8/10 · 15 February 2021]

New driver with idealist ideas. It was interesting to see such a person in this series.

Local fair showed the relations between the workers of the home. They seem quite good friends. Without any love or sex, because it seems it is forbidden to them :)

Why cant sybil say "gwen will help me today , for example shopping."? So strict rules that servants cant go with up classes? But she could use her to help to carry or something, like assistant. I found it non-sense. His father also could support her.

Sybil and the driver are so cute

[vivianla · 18 January 2023]

There is a fair coming up that the staff are excited about. Mary goes to the fair and plays with her cousin at a throwing game station. Thomas is being mean and intercepting the new driver's attempts to woo Daisy. Daisy finds Thomas attractive with good teeth. The cook tells Daisy that Thomas is not a ladies man. Daisy doesn't get it and replies that must be good then. Thomas is gay - perhaps the cook knows? Daisy thinks she is below Thomas - Thomas has done a lot and seen a lot compared to her. The cook disagrees. Lady Mary tells her cousin that she is expected to just wait until marriage. She has nothing going on for her right now. Sybil talks to the driver about women's rights and he tells her of the proposal for women being allowed to vote. Sybil and the other women talk about school. Her grandmother wonders why a woman needs anything more than a governess. Sybil says all you learn is French and how to curtsy. A banker is a noble profession. Bates knocks on the door in between the two genders' spaces. Anna trusts him enough to open the door and he gives her a tray of food with a flower.