‘Downton Abbey’ season 5, episode 6 review: Did Bates kill Mr. Green; Thomas’ illness, Mary’s makeover

Tonight, “Downton Abbey” aired what has to be, without question, its most-shocking episode of the entire season so far. The truth came out on many subjects, and while some of it made us rather sad, there were also parts of it that made us very happen. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)

Let us begin with what is the biggest shocker of the entire episode: The truth that Bates did not actually kill Mr. Green, which was the long-suspected truth by both us and most other viewers of the series. Heck, it was expected by Anna. The truth here was that he had traveled in order to kill him, but he never actually got on board the train to London. Someone else killed him, and unfortunately the only real proof that he is innocent is a ticket that seemingly does not exist now.

Edith’s truth – After many years of uncertainty, she finally learned that Gregson was dead, which was yet another sign that for some reason, things just don’t work out for her. She became very upset when Mary celebrated a makeover when she was in mourning, and this seemed to be what convinced her to finally opt to up and leave Downton.

Before that, she decided she wanted to take her child, as well. This scene with her “new parents” and her was extremely well-done, but also heartbreaking to watch.

Thomas’ illness – It had sadly been revealed before the season that Thomas was trying to undergo treatment in order to change his sexuality. This pained us, but it was nice to see the doctor actually tell him the truth: These treatments will not change a thing for him in the long-term, and he is mostly wasting his time.

Mary’s other moves – The episode ended with a horse-race, which was slightly more confusing when you consider that she wants to get Tony Gillingham together with his ex. Why try to one-up her?

After the race, the news came out about Edith’s exit, and that is reverberating all the way through Downton. This capped off what is the best episode of the season all around, both in terms of acting, writing, and overall emotion. Grade: A.

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