"Downton Abbey" Episode #6.8 (TV Episode 2015) Poster

(TV Series)

(2015)

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8/10
Love hate relationship for Mary
surfbreeze5525 August 2021
Wow just wow, Mary is such a selfish brat. Every time I start to like her she goes and does something awful. This show sure if full of ups and downs.
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10/10
The season ends with a blast!
hinkevanabbema13 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is amazing! I was so impressed by all that happened, and it was a lot!!

First of all, I have to rectify what another reviewer said about Thomas. He does not commit suicide. He tries to, but he fails. Oh my goodness, that was intense, I'll tell you. And when he lies in bed recovering, Master George visits him and gives him an orange. That was so endearing.

What Mary did to Edith trumps all family betrayal. What a bitch! Hurray for Tom for really giving it to Mary, he was so angry at her! And justly so.

It felt hurried when at the end Mary did marry Henry, but I am happy for them. So curious now what the Christmas special will bring. Hopefully some joy for Edith and Tom, too, they deserve it.
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10/10
The Magic is back!
abuonvinorosso2 December 2015
I wouldn't disparage season 4 or 5 at all. I loved them both, but I felt they lacked the same level of lascivious and sanguinary undercurrents that kept all the pageantry and opulence afloat in those first three seasons. After all, it was this combination of beauty and darkness that initially allowed a rather unlikely tale of Anglo-centric romanticized Edwardian privilege to capture the interests and hearts of ordinary modern people from all around the world.

But that initial spark has most certainly returned here. This lustrous penultimate episode was with out any doubt, the best episode of season six (Xmas special excepted) and likely bodes well for the Downton Abbey finale, which will, no doubt, end this show's run with much of the same bang that started it all.

Glad to see Lord Fellowes has not lost his love for the melodramatic!
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10/10
Too many emotions, I loved it
analucia_santaana13 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best episodes of the show for sure! Oh my god, too many emotions.

I absolutely loved the scene where Mary goes to Matthew's grave and tries to talk to him. At that moment I felt like I had the closure I always felt I needed for Matthews death. It was so beautiful. Thank you!
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10/10
Downton Abbey Keeps Getting Better
jpismyname11 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Mrs. Patmore opens a bed and breakfast, not knowing that her first customers are a man and a mistress, so her small business is branded as a "house of ill repute". It's become a laughingstock. Of course, it is also touching that Robert, Cora and Aunt Rosamund decide to eat there to help Mrs. Patmore flourish her business. As Robert says, " Mrs. Patmore has been loyal, so we must be loyal to her". I wonder if aristocrats at those time really are that kind. It's moving, really.

Mr. Molesley finally finds his own path, that is, to become a teacher. It's really touching.

Poor Thomas is in a depression. How I pity him, finally we understand why he acts so mean at times. His mind is simply not healthy. He is disliked by many and has no friends, and he feels very lonely. We can blame him, I mean after all the things he did, who wants to associate with him? But this time, his illness strikes harder and he considers suicide. Luckily, good-hearted people like Miss Baxter and Anna help him. Finally we understand Thomas better.

Perhaps, the biggest incident is Edith vs. Mary, finally, in a last battle. I'm so happy that Edith said those words to Mary, a cold-hearted and scheming woman at times. Edith has learned to fight at last. Mary deserved those words. And the acting is superb.
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9/10
A bit rushed!!!
ohlabtechguy24 February 2016
Lots happened in this episode. Started on a comical note and then turned into personal crisis for Edith, Mary and Patmore. Felt as though Fellows was rushing to get all his characters and plots wrapped up before the end of the series. Both Tom Branson and Violet stepped a bit out of character, acting as tools to get Mary to acknowledge her love for Henry. Branson didn't seem to have a compelling reason to advocate so strongly for a Henry/Mary LTR. And would Violet really side with romantic love over the more practical and useful elements of social power, money and status? I wouldn't think so. Otherwise, a great episode and I will miss the series when it ends. BEST EVER TV SHOW!!!
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9/10
B&B?
brennatapley26 July 2021
I'm wondering about Mrs. Patmore's Bed and Breakfast. Wasn't this a little early for Bed and Breakfasts? Thought they were not common until after WWII. Probably just one of the many historical anachronisms.
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9/10
Bring It All Home
Hitchcoc22 September 2020
Quite an intense final regular show. We do have the Christmas show coming, and I'm sure there will be some changes. This one attempts to put to rest several plot lines, including Thomas's fate. It is rushed in places, but the scenes with Mary and Edith are quite stunning and bitterly confrontational. Others have covered a lot of the critical issues so I will defer. It has been a marvelous series and we will not see the like of it again.
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10/10
Best episode ever
showr_949 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I doubt everyone would agree with me, but, for me, it was the show's best episode ever. It had everything, literally. Right from Henry lashing out at Mary to Mary showing her true colours to Tom giving Mary a lecture to granny coming to the rescue to a pretty satisfying ending. All this, while leaving a few unanswered questions for the Christmas special. Oh God, i'd miss this show.

Did I mention about how good the actors were? My my. There isn't a single soul in the cast who do not fit the part, or better, do not excel in the space given. What an ensemble! (I know it's too late to say this, but once you've watched this episode you'd understand why i'm reiterating it)

Story wise, it has moved forward leaps and bounds, all, in the span of a week. Gist? 1.Mary causes a wreck 2.Edith's heart is broken, 3.Mary gets married 4.Barrow commits suicide 5.Mama(Dowager) returns and repairs the damage caused by Mary 6.Spratt has hidden talents 7.Molesely comes around with his teaching 8.Mrs.Patmore is saved from a scandal by the family and her business will most likely prosper 9.Mr.Carson and Mrs.Hughes have a little romantic tete-a-tete (which is so adorable, gosh!) 10.Berty Pelham becomes a Marquess (Yes, the agent is now of a higher rank than the Granthams)

Phew, so much, isn't it? So what happens when you pack all that into an episode? An explosive finale!
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10/10
Magic of Downton Abbey is back
Even though Mary broke up with Snappy Talbot, neither he nor Tom will take that "get lost" as her final answer. Tom continues to question the divine right of Lady Mary and she's not having it. Whenever she says she doesn't mean to pull rank, you can bet she means to pull rank. She claims that he doesn't understand their way of life (despite the fact that he's been part of it for thirteen years), that whoever she marries will be joining the family show (who are they, the Von Trapps?), and the wrong person will be poison (like she is with her sister). Is Mary pulling rank or is she just hiding behind it? When Tom tells her, upon questioning, that the Marigold secret was not his to tell, Mary accuses him of not being on her side, because everyone must choose sides. Mary is not merely unhappy, she is bitter and angry and penned in, pacing like an animal in a cage and in a serious. Edith will always be an underdog at heart. She sought Bertie out at Brancaster after Atticus said they all felt sorry for him (we all saw that moment), maybe thinking there was a kindred spirit there, and there was. She thought he was a penniless estate agent and loved him anyway. But she had a problem: Marigold, a lovely little parting gift from the last contestant for her heart. After six seasons, Aunt Rosamund finally gives some good advice (so does Cora) but not realizing the clock is ticking away on time bomb Mary, Edith doesn't listen. She should tell Bertie about Marigold but she dithers until it is too late. Molesley has got his first assignment: teaching the ruthless village munchkins on day release from a juvenile facility. He's nervous. Smelling fear, these feral children ignore his efforts to discuss the Civil War and instead uncivilly pelt him with wooden rulers and all manner of blunt objects. Then they lock him in the closet and steal his lunch money. He returns to Downton shaken. The problem is, Molesley feels like a fraud standing there teaching, when he has spent his life as a servant, fetching and carrying; and more importantly, he fears the judgment when his secret is discovered. Lord Merton thinks future daughter-in-law Miss Amelia Cruikshank is a kind and gentle soul. He also thinks the moon is made of green cheese and that Santa Claus really does know if he's been naughty or nice. It's sweet, really. I'm not saying Dickie is gullible, but if you've got a bridge to sell, I'd say he's your first phone call (Lord Grantham second). He practically has "mug" tattooed on his forehead. He truly believes that Miss Amelia is acting as peacemaker on his behalf when, in fact, she cares not a jot about any peace other than the piece of the estate she can con Lord Merton out of.
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10/10
Downton's Finest Hour!
spasek19 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I've watched this series five times now, and frankly, this episode has always been my favorite. It isn't necessarily the happiest one, but perhaps it's because it is the most hopeful.

Mary has always been a very cold, spoiled, immature, and self-centered person. However, she has her high points, as demonstrated by how she treats Anna, Carson, and Tom. By the end of this episode, we know that Mary won't ever really change, but there is hope that she may strive to be a better person, especially in how she treats Edith.

Bertie wants to marry Edith, but Edith is reluctant to tell him the truth about Marigold. For once, Rosamund is actually correct in that Edith's fear is only setting things up for disaster. Unfortunately, Mary takes great delight in pulling the pin to Bertie at the breakfast table. Mary has done some terrible things, but this blatant betrayal is easily the worst. Even Tom can't hold back as he unleashes his disappointment and anger, but wisely telling her the truth about herself. She's an unhappy person. And unhappy people love to make others as miserable as they are. That is why she's a coward and a bully.

Oh, and we're not done yet as Granny comes back from her trip to unload on Mary as well. She's not quite as severe as Tom, but she's just as eloquent and truthful. Maybe because Granny and Mary have always been so much alike that Granny sees much of herself in Mary.

Tom is my favorite character in the show because he's got a foot in both worlds. And while it took him a while to get himself situated, he has the uncanny viewpoint of both worlds as well, something nobody else has. He has an appreciation for those who have wealth and use it to help others, as well as an appreciation for those who serve, and the trust and loyalty that comes with it. The scene when he unloads on Mary is priceless because, despite his anger, it's done out of genuine love. While he didn't start out as a selfless character, he easily became the most selfless character of the series.

And finally, we have Mr. Barrow whose own misery and unhappiness have finally caught up with him. We recall how much delight he took in making others miserable around him, and despite some efforts to change, he finds himself all alone. In many ways, he and Mary aren't so different. Mr. Barrow is simply more honest about his cruelty. And so, Mr. Barrow finally hits rock bottom, which is actually a blessing in disguise. Why? Because there's no other direction to go but up. I think most people can't fully appreciate the challenges of being a gay man in this time period.

Unhappiness is a cancer. It plagues and poisons the mind and heart because it causes the person to live in a delusive world where all happiness seems out of reach and impossible to attain. Of course, it's all a lie, but happiness can only ever be found in one place: within oneself. And until it is found, it is impossible to be truly happy with someone else.

However, by the end of this episode, we remain hopeful. Hopeful that Mary can appreciate her life and perhaps strive to be a better person. Hopeful that Edith may find her own piece of happiness, and hopeful that Mr. Barrow can finally learn to find some degree of peace.
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1/10
Worst Downton Abbey episode.
Harhaluulo5424 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"The slow pacing is now gone and everything must suddenly change for whatever conclusion possible because the series is about to end."

-The writers of this series probably, possibly and apparently.

If you liked this episode, you have 0 understanding of the characters and you most likely never truly liked this show. Most of the characters had massive out- off-character behavior during the first part of this 2-part finale. Saying stuff and acting in a way they never would have acted in the first 50 episodes nor would they act like this now if they kept in character.

This sudden personality change on all the characters is cancerous and against everything else that has happened in the past 50 episodes. The shipping of Mary and mister car driver - who is the worst husband candidate yet and apparently the canon pairing of this finale - is nauseous and has ruined my day.

The quality drop is simply insane and a total disgrace. Any of the characters from the first 50 episodes would agree with me - not suitable. Seeing how IMDb has this episode ranked as the 3rd best Downton Abbey episode is a perfect example of how right the Dowager Countess of Grantham was and is about change.
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