The Crawley family had always had mixed feelings over Branson. He will always be the lowly chauffeur that married Lady Sybil, unworthy of being treated as part of the family. And he would have none of it, either; his radical Irish politics defied the English aristocracy and everything that it stood for. But since last episode, when Matthew finally got his way with the running of Downton, Branson took on the role of Estate Manager, and even helped to win the cricket match for Robert (and let's face it, that's what really sealed the deal). Another huge factor for him staying at Downton was Baby Sybil; she would get to stay close to her family and not live over some garage with Branson's repugnant brother, Kiernan . In this very special episode of Downton Abbey, Branson is struggling with his newfound station. Though he's been living at house for a year now, he still doesn't feel like he quite fits in. While the rest of the family is away in the Highlands, Isobel invites him to dinner and tells him that he has a real role at Downton now, and that he can talk to whomever he wants. We can tell that he's still pretty uncomfortable with the idea, as seen by when Mrs. Hughes asks him for permission to have the maids clean during the day. He tells her that she doesn't need his permission, but Mrs. Hughes insists that she does. It appears that the only person who may not know that Branson is the Estate Manager is Branson! And now for the shocker. It begins with Mary deciding to return to Downton early with Anna so that she can rest. But after they get off the train, Mary tells Anna that they must go to the hospital at once because she thinks the baby is coming. Long story short, Mary goes to the hospital and has their little boy, and Matthew arrives shortly afterwards. As Matthew holds his son, he says crazy cute things like, "I feel like I swallowed a box of fireworks." Leave it to Mary to make it seem like a business transaction, stating, "We've done our duty. Downton is safe." Hope that maternal instinct kicks in sometime soon. Matthew shamelessly dotes upon his newborn son, and showers Mary with the most loving declarations, almost in a way that made me sense that something terrible was going to happen.
