I won't begin to try to deal with everything. First, we have an answer of sorts to the triangle that is Lavinia-Matthew-Mary. Ethel meets the awful parents of her paramour and things don't go well. Thomas has a new coat of slime which he engages when Carson goes down with the flu. There is a big time confrontation between Sibyl and her father over her impending marriage to Branson. Then we have illness all over the place (quite stunning watching this during the corona virus). But the harshest thing here involves the love affair between Anna and Bates, and the dark future that may await them. This is a remarkable episode.
4 Reviews
Spanish Flu Strikes Downton Abbey
jpismyname21 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Spanish Flu strikes the estate. Lady Cora, Lavinia Swire and Carson fall ill. Ethel refuses to give up her baby son to his wealthy grandparents. Bates and Anna decide to marry.
This is probably the saddest episode since the pilot. I really feel bad for Lavinia Swire. Meanwhile, we see a different side of Robert Crawley here. His scenes with the maid are really shocking, but at those times in the early 20th century they did happen, which is kind of sad.
I really don't like Lady Mary much. Why does she have to take everything from everyone? First, she took Edith's love Patrick Crawley, then now Lavinia's. I feel so bad for her.
Can't wait for the next episode.
This is probably the saddest episode since the pilot. I really feel bad for Lavinia Swire. Meanwhile, we see a different side of Robert Crawley here. His scenes with the maid are really shocking, but at those times in the early 20th century they did happen, which is kind of sad.
I really don't like Lady Mary much. Why does she have to take everything from everyone? First, she took Edith's love Patrick Crawley, then now Lavinia's. I feel so bad for her.
Can't wait for the next episode.
It's finally the young lovers turn to shine.
mark.waltz7 February 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The family is gathered together for an announcement by Sybil and Tom, bluntly breaking the news of their love and intentions to move to Dublin and get married. The older members are of course shocked although granny isn't as horrified as predicted by Edith and Mary. In fact, the usually down to earth Robert is the most angered, threatening to cut Sybil off, and obviously she doesn't care, intending to stay around long enough for Matthew and Livinia's wedding. But the Spanish flu epidemic breaks out, and there will be a ton of heartbreak.
"If you're trying to go American on me, I'll go downstairs", Robert tells Cora who has reminded him of their own differences. I guess it's ok for the papa but not for his sweetheart of a daughter, perhaps a nod to Tevye and Chava from "Fiddler on the Roof". He doesn't have long to be mad at Cora, as along with Livinia, Carson and supposedly Mosely, she becomes bedridden because of the Spanish flu.
Other situations includes Thomas's manipulation to get his job at Downton back, something that Carson is determined to prevent. The presence of a phonograph introduces the hit new showtune "Look For the Silver Lining", but it's another contraption that scares Lady Violet. For Robert and Jane, the maid, their attraction is torture, and as Cora becomes sicker, the loyalty of the prickly O'Brien shows another side to her, showing a big heart hidden underneath her icy torture, mainly due to her guilt which is one of O'Brien's finest moments onscreen. Thomas uses the situation to pitch in to change Carson and Mrs. Hughes' mind, and with her mother ill, Sybil puts off leaving. Livinia, who seems to be getting better, takes a turn, and her final scenes in this arch are very sad.
Then there's Ethel meeting with her baby's paternal grandparents with the grandfather still cold and authoritive and the grandmother dominated and desperate to love her in spite of her husband's cruelty. It's obvious that this couple see the situation completely. There's little going on in the way of the Anna/Bates story, but that's about to take a turn which will dominate a good majority of season three.
"If you're trying to go American on me, I'll go downstairs", Robert tells Cora who has reminded him of their own differences. I guess it's ok for the papa but not for his sweetheart of a daughter, perhaps a nod to Tevye and Chava from "Fiddler on the Roof". He doesn't have long to be mad at Cora, as along with Livinia, Carson and supposedly Mosely, she becomes bedridden because of the Spanish flu.
Other situations includes Thomas's manipulation to get his job at Downton back, something that Carson is determined to prevent. The presence of a phonograph introduces the hit new showtune "Look For the Silver Lining", but it's another contraption that scares Lady Violet. For Robert and Jane, the maid, their attraction is torture, and as Cora becomes sicker, the loyalty of the prickly O'Brien shows another side to her, showing a big heart hidden underneath her icy torture, mainly due to her guilt which is one of O'Brien's finest moments onscreen. Thomas uses the situation to pitch in to change Carson and Mrs. Hughes' mind, and with her mother ill, Sybil puts off leaving. Livinia, who seems to be getting better, takes a turn, and her final scenes in this arch are very sad.
Then there's Ethel meeting with her baby's paternal grandparents with the grandfather still cold and authoritive and the grandmother dominated and desperate to love her in spite of her husband's cruelty. It's obvious that this couple see the situation completely. There's little going on in the way of the Anna/Bates story, but that's about to take a turn which will dominate a good majority of season three.
Spanish Flu doesn't seem all that strange
TheFearmakers20 May 2022
All soap operas have the ever-dependable Disease factor, and using the Spanish Flu from 1918, which the world can relate to now from Covid, gives Elizabeth McGovern a chance to almost die dramatically; but since she's a character everyone knows (and knew) would never die, it's more melodrama than drama and not very suspenseful.
Meanwhile, beautiful young Lady Sybil is totally slumming with Whiny Socialist Wheelman, who is not an interesting character (he's basically Tom Courtenay from Dr. Zhivago only dull and predictable).
What DOES turn out tragic from the flu is, like a lot of things on this show, much too convenient. Or maybe just... Inevitable. Which isn't bad.
Meanwhile, beautiful young Lady Sybil is totally slumming with Whiny Socialist Wheelman, who is not an interesting character (he's basically Tom Courtenay from Dr. Zhivago only dull and predictable).
What DOES turn out tragic from the flu is, like a lot of things on this show, much too convenient. Or maybe just... Inevitable. Which isn't bad.
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