Any comments on Downton Episode 2?

[joeybee12]

Wonder where they're going to go with that...Bates seeking revenge?

[oregonjen]

1. Not sure, but it made my stomach upset watching those scenes

She doesn't want him to know, so he won't kill the guy. How will it play out, do you think? I've remained spoiler free, unlike Sherlock.

[joeybee12]

2. NO real drama up until then...sort of positioning and manipulating...

So that kind of took me by surprise...yes, it was upsetting...well done, so it was upsetting.

[Ilsa]

3. Anna's assault will give us a look into the past culture

And we'll see that we haven't progressed that far. I hope her misery isn't compounded by a pregnancy. But her marriage will be on the line, I'm afraid.

Geez, Edith sure is loosening up. They are not that far, time-wise, from Germany being taken over by Nazis. I wonder how Gregson will react to the Third Reich.

I hope Tom isn't persuaded by Edna Braithwaite that he doesn't belong there. I'd hate to see him endanger himself in Ireland.

I'm hoping Mary shows Robert that she's a capable businesswoman.

[joeybee12]

8. That's true...although in many cases not much has changed...

Lots of women are still afraid to go to the police, and there's certainly enough Repuke asshats out there who don't take it seriously..

[glinda]

4. I hate to see so many personalities descending into the rabbit hole.

Am bothered that the rape had to be thrown into the mix and sense that some sad things are on the horizon. Maybe I just want to see fluff at this point and less stressful situations. Too much crap going on in the world.

[joeybee12]

9. I do like the manipulation on the show, especially by Thomas...

But I don't want it to go too dark.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. I found it very heavy-going, but well done.

Here's an interesting article on the reaction -- not all of it has been positive.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24448002

[joeybee12]

7. Interesting...thing is, it was really dark, as rape always is...

Seemed like a different turn for the show, there had been a lot of tragedy with death, but this dealt with the seemier side of humanity...interesting to see where it goes.

[greatauntoftriplets]

10. I'm concerned about the whole Michael Gregson going to Germany plot.

Looking at it with 20/20 hindsight, I can't imagine anything good coming out of it, especially if Edith goes with him.

[joeybee12]

11. Very true...

I can't recall what year they're at...but it's getting close to when Germany went fascist...

[JoDog]

6. Anna's rape was horrible, but it wasn't the only rape

If we accept that no one (male or female) can consent to sex while drunk, then there were 2 rapes on "Downton Abbey". Knowing he was having a difficult time a the house party, Edna made sure Tom was supplied with whiskey--enough to get him drunk. When he goes to his room to sleep it off, she (sober) sneaks on in. It doesn't take much of an imagination to figure out what happened next.

Anna's violent assault was something viewers can clearly recognize as rape. But Edna most certainly took advantage of Tom, too. His trust in her as a friend (as misplaced as that was), as well as his privacy (Then it was unheard of for a woman who was not a close relation to enter a man's room.) were violated. While not as violent as Anna's rape, these violations are nonetheless real, and there will be consequences (I watch on the UK sched, so I saw what happened already).

By juxtaposing these two violations, Fellows not only asks us to compare a woman's position in 1925 to that of today (which, sadly, has not changed as much as we would hope), but also to compare what it was like for a woman AND a man in this period. What both Anna and Tom can do about their situations are very different. Viewers also are reminded that predators come in all shapes and sizes in the world of "Downton Abbey".

[txwhitedove]

15. Agree totally, that was my take on the episode and was so angry with Edna. Evil comes in many

guises. Seems Barrow figured out what she was up to.

[FarPoint]

12. I'm thinking that the Footman, the one who fell backwards...

I think he has a cervical vertebrae fracture....numbness in left hand....

I sense a paralysis in the mix here....not a good outcome.

[joeybee12]

14. Probably...they're going somewhere with this...

And probably not just that he has numbness for a while...

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. Episode 3 confirmed something for me.

I Mrs. Hughes.

[grasswire]

17. she's a saint, for sure. nt

[grasswire]

16. something on the preview caught my eye

...but it was gone so fast I don't quite know what I saw.

Thomas recommends a new lady's maid for Cora, and says that she is a little older. Then we see a dark-haired figure enter the Abbey.

It wouldn't be O'Brien, would it????!!!!

[greatauntoftriplets]

18. Not O'Brien.

I believe that her name is Baxter.

[joeybee12]

19. Half-way through episode 4...

Baxter seems nice but there's something that makes me think that won't last...