Downton Abbey Season 5 Episode 2

Anna and Mrs Hughes find a photo of Lady Edith’s baby while they’re cleaning up the mess from the fire. Presumably this little shred of evidence will reappear at a later date…

Jimmy and Tom bid a sad farewell. A genuine friendship exists between the two of them. Thomas later confides to Anna that he would like to belong, to be more likeable. But he just can’t seem to help himself and tells Molesley the story of Baxter’s jewel theft and subsequent jail sentence.

The war memorial committee continues to work on the war memorial project, but there is dissent about its location. Carson and the committee think the cricket pitch is a peaceful place for the memorial whereas Lord Grantham thinks the memorial belongs in the centre of village life. Carson discusses it with Mrs Hughes and she agrees with Lord Grantham. Carson tells Mrs Hughes he is disappointed in her and her opinion. He later confides that he doesn’t like it when they’re not on the same side, a move that reveals his affection for her. Carson wants to be convinced rather than defeated about the location of the memorial. Lord Grantham and Carson take a stroll in the village and are moved by the words of a lady talking about her dead veteran husband. Carson is finally convinced and relieved that he and Mrs Hughes are back on the same page. There is definitely something brewing between these two…

Lady Rose brings up the topic of Russian refugees in York; refugees trying to establish communities and save what’s left of their culture after the ravages of revolution. Lady Rose feels a responsibility to help the aristocrats who, in her words, were shopping, dancing and socializing one minute and thrown out into the woods the next.

Lady Edith visits Marigold and puts on quite the show with co-conspirator and step-father to Marigold, Drew. In front of Mrs. Drew, they talk about Lady Edith assuming the position of godmother to Marigold. Mrs Drew doesn’t seem to like the plan as much as the other two. Lady Edith brings up the idea with Lord Grantham and Lady Cora. Edith tells her parents Drew and his wife have taken in a child and Edith would like to take a special interest in the little girl. Lord Grantham says it’s your money, do what you like with it.

Charles Blake brings a friend to visit Downton Abbey on the pretext of viewing a particular painting as research for a book. But of course it’s just an excuse to see Lady Mary. Blake says he came to wish her luck in person. Blake realizes Lady Mary is leaning toward Lord Gillingham. He tells Mary she is smarter than Lord Gillingham which may have worked during last century, but not this century. Blake insinuates that Mary is more interested in Tony Gillingham’s sexy good looks. They ponder the age old difference between Love and Sex. Their conversation leaves Lady Mary confused.

Violet, Isobel and Dr. Clarkson have a luncheon and talk about insulin. Violet is relieved to see Isobel interested in medicine again. Countess Violet teases Isobel about the courtship by Lord Merton, but Isobel reaches her limit and says as much to Violet. Dr. Clarkson is uncomfortable. Lord Merton invites the two ladies who lunch to tea. The duo attend lunch at Lord Merton’s fine mansion and their sparring is hilarious. Lord Merton makes it clear he’s looking for a new lady in his house. He also wants to discuss the science of quarantine with Isobel, the topic of a new book he’s reading.

Lady Rose is also excited about a wireless, otherwise known as a radio. Rose drops hint after hint about buying a radio to an unconvinced Lord Grantham, but when she tells him the king is speaking on the radio, Lord Grantham is finally convinced to rent a radio for the broadcast. The whole house gathers to hear the king speak on the radio. Lady Cora and Lady Rose don’t want to pack up the radio the day after so Lord Grantham agrees to give it an extended stay.

Barrow continues to torment Baxter. He feels Baxter owes him something because he got her a job. Moseley, now in the know about Baxter’s crime, wants to believe there must have been a reason for her jewellery heist, like someone she cared about was in trouble. Baxter says she’s a changed woman, but won’t reveal the details of her motives for stealing the jewellery. Molesley is not persuaded that she could have acted on her own. He is torn between his affection for Baxter and his own moral code. Lady Cora also continues to suspect there is more to Baxter’s story. Even we are getting curious at this point.

Lady Mary tells the family she’s going on a sketching tour with her friend Anna Portsmith when she’s really going on a sex marriage trial run with Lord Gillingham. Lady Mary and Anna chat about the upcoming trip and Lady Mary broaches the issue of birth control. She wants Anna to get the birth control from the local chemist. Mary says one shouldn’t rely on a man in that department. Anna’s visit to the chemist is made awkward by the judgemental woman doling out the birth control. (We remain a little bit unsure about the actual method of birth control.) Lady Mary meets sexy Lord Gillingham in Liverpool, with adjoining hotel rooms. The plan, as told by Lord Gillingham, is to eat a scrumptious dinner on Church Street and make love all night long. Soap opera style sex finally arrives on Downton Abbey. Let’s just hope Lady Mary doesn’t give Tony the Turkish treatment.

Daisy continues to find arithmetic impossible, so in a wonderful maternal gesture, Mrs. Patmore hires teacher Miss Bunting to tutor Daisy. While Miss Bunting is downstairs, Rose wonders if she might like to come to dinner upstairs. Lord Grantham is aghast at the idea. Luckily Miss Bunting declines the offer, but she gives Branson a good talking to about freedom and leaving his safe aristocratic nest. He’s not sure he can be that man again. But Bunting stirs the rebel in Branson who has words with Lord Grantham about revolutionary politics over dinner. Lord Grantham fears Miss Bunting is stealing Tom away from them.

Charles Blake’s friend Mr Bricker flirts incessantly with Lady Cora during his visit. Lord Grantham hilariously accuses Mr Bricker of flirting with Isis instead.

A police officer shows up to talk to Carson about dead valet Green. New evidence has turned up: a witness. Oh oh.

Quotes from Downton Abbey Season 5 Episode 2

Mr Molesley: Do I take it that I am now first footman?
Carson: You are the only footman. You are first, second, third and last. Make what you will of it.

Countess Violet: Mrs Crawley’s been distracted lately with Lord Merton frisking around her skirts and getting in the way.

Anna: Honestly my lady, you better hope I never write my memoirs.

Daisy (to Thomas): Why do you have to make everything sound so nasty all the time?

Lord Grantham: Do people think we’re some sort of hotel that never presents a bill?
Lady Cora: You’ve already made that joke.

Lord Grantham: I find the whole idea a kind of thief of life, that people should waste hours huddled around a wooden box listening to someone talking at them… It’s a fad, it won’t last.

Baxter: I was a common thief Mr. Molesley, a convicted criminal. A jailbird.

Countess Violet: Mrs Crawley is never happier than when she has a chance to use her guiding hand.

Bates: It doesn’t sound much like Lady Mary. It sounds a bit bohemian.

Lord Grantham (about Edith): She wants someone to love. It’s as simple as that.

Lord Grantham: I’m not very good at abroad.

Lord Grantham (about Miss Bunting): Every time we entertain, must we invite this tinpot Rosa Luxemburg? (A German communist shot and thrown in a canal)

Baxter: I’d give a limb to rewrite that whole chapter of my life, but I can’t Mr Molesley, even for you. I can’t.

Lady Cora: I’ve employed a jewel thief to look after my jewels. It doesn’t make any sense.

Charles Blake: I love Rose’s definition of ordinary life: dancing and shopping and seeing one’s friends.

Charles Blake: Plantagenets are as susceptible as housemaids when it comes to sex.

Lord Grantham: I’m not having Sybil’s only child snatched from everyone she loves to be brought up by some harpie in an American sewer

Lord Grantham (to Lady Cora): Tell your friend Bricker to stop flirting with Isis. There is nothing more ill bred than trying to steal the affections of someone else’s dog.

Lady Mary: I must be sure I’m right to want this man, as my friend, as my lover, as my husband.

Daisy: Why is it called a wireless when there are so many wires?