Downton Abbey 6.1

Rebecca T: We are both excited for the new season of Downton Abbey and sad that it will be the last. The first episode of season 6 was overall a good opener for the beginning of the end. What was your favorite part of the episode?

Jenn N: My favorite storyline of the night was Mrs Hughes having Mrs. Patmore inquire about Carson's wedding night and married life expectations.  It was hilariously awkward but then really sweet when Carson confessed he loved Mrs. Hughes completely as she was as I expected.

Rebecca T: Asking Mrs. Patmore to talk to Carson about Mrs. Hughes and Carson's physical relationship was the most ridiculous thing ever. Both of them are just so awkward and it was one of the most hilarious conversations on this show. I do agree that it was completely adorable when Carson was able to express, to both Mrs. Patmore and then to Elsie (using her first name just feels weird!), how he felt. Adorable. And speaking of adorable, even though it went horribly awry, I loved Daisy's passionate speech, especially remembering how little she originally wanted to do with Mr. Mason.

Jenn N: I was just as outraged as Daisy was that Mr. Mason may lose his farm.  Hopefully her outburst won't jeopardize things for him. I was also really annoyed that Denker tried to mess with Spratt.  Poor Spratt, he's already saddled with a goofy name.  He doesn't need the threat of unemployment on top of it.  However, you can never mess with the Dowager and I love how she put Denker in her place.

Rebecca T: Telling a maid not to talk is like telling a dog not to bark, at least when it comes to Denker. I just wanted to smack Denker upside the head. Love that Lady Grantham knows how to get back at Denker, but there's got to be something done about her disdain for orders. On another note, is it bad that I don't care at all about the whole hospital squabble thing? I do like the tete a tetes between Violet and Isobel, but them being at each other's throats again just feels a little tired.

Jenn N: It was great to see Dr. Clarkson again, though. Perhaps he'll stick around and try again at starting a romance with Isobel?

Rebecca T: Hm. I don't know if I see them being right for each other. I'm also curious if anyone is going to come out of the woodwork for Mary, or if they're setting her up to be happily single, at least for now. Though there is the creepy hotel maid skulking around.

Jenn N: I was surprised that security isn't tighter at the house. Mary's blackmailer seemed to enter way too easily. Her lie to get upstairs was rather flimsy.  As this problem was resolved by the episode's end, it seemed a little too neat.  I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Rebecca T: Yeah, that's definitely one thing I don't think we've seen the end of. Though we did finally see the end of the Mr. Green nonsense. Finally. But I am getting a little tired of the dumping on Anna and Bates. Can they please just have nothing horrible happen to them the rest of the season?

Jenn N: I really think the writers owe Anna & Bates something really wonderful to happen for them. They've been through so much misery! Hopefully this whole Mr. Green debacle is really and truly behind them now.  I'd like to see them have a family like they dream of.  Perhaps Anna's miscarriages were just due to the extreme stress of the Mr. Green mess?

Rebecca T: I was thinking the same thing. Anna has certainly been very stressed and I know that can have a big impact on fertility. Maybe now that things have settled there, the two of them will be able to start that family they want (and deserve!).

Jenn N: I'd also like to see Edith have some real happiness.  She's another character that the writers keep dumping on.  I think it'd do her a world of good to move to London and be really hands on with the newspaper.

Rebecca T: I put almost the exact same words down when I was watching the episode. I hope Edith can finally find some real happiness. It would be great for her to have a house away from her family and be able to do something that she is good at. One last thing that stood out to me was the way Thomas is the one that George and Marigold gravitate to. He's really very sweet with the children (though I have to wonder if he has some sort of ulterior motive because Thomas). But I am tired of him whining that nobody likes him when he's gone out of his way to hurt almost every single person in that household. I'll be curious to see where they go with his character, especially with the hints that his position isn't sustainable.

So overall a nice set up of the final season. It will be interesting to see what twists and turns arise over the course of the next few episodes.