Downton Abbey (TV Series) Episode #4.5 (2013) User Reviews

Never Give Up

[jpismyname · 8/10 · 3 January 2018]

Alfred chases his dream to become a cook and applies at the grand Ritz Hotel. The Dowager Countess, with the insistence of Isobel Crawley, hires a new assistant gardener and she suspects him of theft.

I think this is a pretty good episode. I really love the Dowager Countess and Isobel Crawley. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hughes finally tells Bates about Anna's secret, but not the whole truth. Mrs. Hughes is such an endearing character.

The truth hurts but is necessary.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 23 February 2021]

"I'm surprised that your halo doesn't get so heavy. It must be like wearing a tiara around the clock." So says Lady Grantham to the big hearted Isabel who, coming back to life after grieving for her son, it comes involved in the issues of the villagers who needs help, getting Lady Violet to hire a local lad to help with the gardening. Like Isabel, Tom too becomes involved as the eternal outsider, and he has become invaluable to Lady Mary and helping with the running of the estate. In fact, Tom truly grounds Mary even more than the late Matthew did, and they are only meant to be in-laws and friends. Over the remainder of the series, he will be like the brother that she never had, and it's a bond that no distance can end.

There's a new ladies made for Cora now that Edna is gone, simply known as "Baxter". Raquel Cassidy joins the cast and will remain through the end of the run and into the movies. Here, though she's a woman of mystery to the staff because she's a friend of Thomas's, and obviously he's using her for information. But as she gets settled in, hopefully she'll be able to stand up to him in a way that won't make them enemies but will make the point that she can't be used. You know though that every time someone new crops up at Downton, they have to have a secret. One thing that isn't secret is her use of that new contraption, a sewing machine, another device that scares Mrs. Pathmore.

It's nearing the end of the road for valet Alfred who wants to go onto an esteemed cooking school in London on a scholarship, so this means unopening that will give Mosley employment. There's also an issue with one of the tenants who hasn't been able to pay their rent, and Robert shows a generous side even though the estate is in financial trouble. Edith's romance with Mr. Gregson hasn't exactly been front burner when he's appeared on screen, but the lull in her story is about to end for her. There have been no feuds with Mary either, giving an indication that the tragedies in the family have softened them at least for now.

The most important element of this episode is Bates confronting Mrs. Hughes over Anna's situation and threatening to resign if he doesn't tell her. You can see the horror in Bates' eyes and later his tears as Anna's hurt becomes his own and you know this is going to have dire consequences small moments like this have more effectiveness than the outbursts of anger. Their storylines seem though to be pushed out to extreme lengths so you have to settle in to the fact that another one is about to begin. To lighten things up, there's Lady Rose and her vibrant personality, helping to prepare a big party, something that Downton never seemed to have a shortage of.

New Blood

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 20 August 2020]

This is a "new character introduction" episode, if you will. It also allows for some issues that will be dealt with in the near future. Edith barely appears but she finally makes it with Greggson. But there is a rather quickly passed over scene. Napier shows up. He's the guy who brought the Turkish fellow who dies in Mary's bed. We know these people. We also have the next installment in the Bates saga. A new person comes to work to replace Edna. She is a pleasant lady, but I suspect Thomas has something one her and is going to use her for his own purposes. We will find out more about her as time comes. There is a subplot where Mrs. Crawley talks Violet into hiring a young man as a gardener's assistant, though he has some baggage. We also have Robert assert himself in giving a second chance to the son of a deceased property owner who is behind in his rent. And there is a funny scene between Mr. Carson and Mr. Molesly, who can't seem to get a break.

As some stories become, temporarily, resolved, new ones pop up.

[Amari-Sali · 20 October 2013]

So much happens in each episode of Downton Abbey that you can hardly tell what maybe worth noting or what maybe just a comment to not take seriously. For example, Tom once more admits to feeling like an outsider, and again talks about leaving, but this time for America with his daughter. However, each time something convinced him to stay and be it Lady Mary, who still is in need of his counsel and his alliance, or perhaps ripping his daughter from half of her family, surely something will keep him around.

But, as Tom goes back and forth, including not siding with Mary on a issue when it comes to foreclosing on someone and taking their land, it seems Mary also is having issues with revisiting the past. This episode features a man named Mr. Napier visiting, a man who came before Matthew but didn't seal things with Mary. It leads one to wonder why are so many men coming out the woodwork for Mary? Though not as cold as she used to be, it does make you wonder if people are looking to get their hands onto Downton through her. I mean, though Matthew left his hefty piece of ownership to his son, Mary is still in control and it does make you wonder if maybe these men popping left and right want some say. Of course though they could maybe just want at her, who knows.

But, while Mary seems to have men flying at her, Edith is having trouble trying to get even the littlest peep out of hers. Mr. Gregson has lately not sent a letter and seemingly when Edith goes to London to see him, all she finds is a Dr.'s office, strangely. Still, worry and drama over lovers doesn't just exist amongst those with title, but amongst the staff as well. Jimmy seems to have become a bit envious of Alfred as he tries to better himself, and is off to London's Ritz hotel, and Ivy takes notice. Daisy even shows signs of thinking something of Alfred, and it makes the whole house, upstairs and downstairs root for him to work at the Ritz. Unfortunately though, be it Jimmy did something or the news was real, he seemingly didn't get in. Maybe though this will become the kick in the pants Jimmy needs to do something with his life perhaps?

That bit of drama aside, the big draw of the episode is Bates finding out about Anna's rape. You see, Bates confronts Ms. Hughes, threatens to resign and with that gets all the information he wants. Then he talks to Anna about it, reassures her and you think all is done, but when he speaks to Ms. Hughes near the end of the episode, ominous music plays and seemingly Bates has revenge on mind. However, he isn't 100% sure, due to Anna and Ms. Hughes' lies, who was the rapist.

Outside of that, we also get some insight on why Thomas was so keen on helping Ms. Baxter, Countess Grantham's new Lady's maid. Well, as he explains it, with him being out of favor with most and having no allies, he has lost his ability to get information. This is where Ms. Baxter comes in, you see he lost favor with Ms. O'Brien and that cut him off from everything happening amongst the Earl and Countess when it comes to decisions, but because he thinks something is brewing in the future he wants her to let him in. Which seemingly she will. Not because she is a like Edna or O'Brien and has a love for trouble, but perhaps just out of thanks for the job. Still though, between her getting information from upstairs and her rising profile with the staff, who knows what little wicked things Thomas may get to do with the information he'll get.

Last thing to mention is the relationship between the Dowager and Mrs. Crawley. Since Mrs. Crawley was introduced these two women have had a frenemy type relationship. Ms. Crawley pushes too far and the Dowager mumbles something under her breath, or behind Ms. Crawley's back, and then smiles in the woman's face next time she sees her. But, something Mrs. Crawley mentions in this episode makes you see that in many ways her relationship with the Dowager is similar to Matthew's relationship to Mary. In many ways, Mrs. Crawley is the one who softens the Dowager a bit. For while the Dowager isn't completely a cold hearted woman, she doesn't go out of her way to get involved in matters outside of family. With Mrs. Crawley around however, she makes her more involved with village activities and reminds us that, like Tom, she is sort of a middle man who can act between the estate and the villagers providing them assistance.

Overall, I am in quite a bit of love with the show and am surprised after 5 episodes I'm not hemming and hawing about watching it. Not to say it may not happen in the future, but at this moment I can't foresee why I would. It makes it sort of sad really others shows can't be this consistent.

Never Give up, Never

[moviesfilmsreviewsinc · 10/10 · 14 May 2022]

Edith - displaying a great deal more mystery than a bucket - told her family she was off to Michael's London office, but in fact went to see a doctor. After last week's monkeyshines, her visit can only mean one thing: another unwed pregnancy scandal is about to be stuffed into the Crawley family closet along with that dead diplomat, Ethel the prozzie, and the housemaid Robert got off with in series two. Poor Edith, one night of pre-marital fun and it looks like it's curtains for her reputation. Perhaps that camel-maiming straw of misfortune will be enough to muster up some amity between the Crawley sisters (though seeing as a dead sibling, an altar-jilting, and a dead husband weren't enough to stem the tide of Lady Mary's snark, it's unlikely). Least riveting of all is the continuation of Tom, Mary and Robert's adventures in foreclosures, leases and arrears. This week we met Mr Drewe, whose family had been tenants of the Crawleys since the reign of George the Third. His story pulled a Downton Tory double-whammy, by not only serving to remind us what gentle patricians aristocrats are, but how important it is to maintain the status quo. Though ambition in Downton Abbey's lower classes is permissible only when accompanied by a donkey's work ethic and the proper humility of their station (unlike the 'baddies' below stairs, our Alfred's a striver, not a skiver), the drama happily legitimises the status of those who do nothing to earn their positions save emerge wriggling from the right, privileged orifice. Its upper classes are - the odd boorish drunk aside - munificent patriarchs and matriarchs, marshalling their means to ensure the livelihoods of the hard-working people who depend on them. Lord Grantham's dealings with Mr Drewe - whose family has been farming Crawley land since the the days of Chaucer, remember - illustrate just this world view. "If we don't respect our past, we'll find it harder to build our future", the Earl declared, as well might a man who's just seen his Russian counterparts set on fire by Bolsheviks. Speaking of bouncing back, series one's Evelyn Napier has returned to the Abbey to have another crack of Mary's whip after "the whole ghastly business" with that "splendid pal" she married. Mary's fan club really is shameless; another week, another potential beau. Just make us all happy Mary, be a dear and take Branson to bed before he emigrates. This ship can't afford to lose any more of its rats.