‘Downton Abbey’ season 5, episode 3 review: Was Bates arrested? Plus, Baxter’s secret
Sunday night’s “Downton Abbey” was ultimately a night full of revelations. We learned about the way Mary and Tony are conducting themselves right now, and we also found out that there are some serious fractures in the marriage between Robert and Cora. (Spoilers ahead for Americans!)
Their fracture came in the form of Simon Bricker. We saw last week that the art historian had injected himself pretty heavily into the world of Elizabeth McGovern’s character, and even took her out for a night on the town in London … which was clearly a problem to Robert. Well, it was obvious that Bricker is looking for more than just a friend here, so we understand the Earl feeling threatened. Still, he went about it in basically the worst way possible.
Back at Downton, Cora found out the truth about Baxter: It was her feelings for a man that caused her to become a temporary thief, but she never wants to discuss it with anyone else. At least she still has a job … for now.
Bates’ trouble – Due to a witness who was supposedly around at the time that Mr. Green died, Bates found himself in a position where he had to defend himself. He seemed to cover himself well, but these policemen are thorough.
Mary’s choice – For a time, it appeared as though Mary was starting to fall for Anthony Gillingham, even though they had a crisis of sorts when they were spotted while out in Liverpool together. She cares for him, but after the trip, she is starting to worry about whether or not she saw him clearly.
Edith and concerns – Is Edith starting to get too concerned over the daughter that she gave away? There were moments where we started to worry about that, and this was amplified when she was basically told to stay away.
This episode was once again solid, and stuffed full of big character moments. It ended with more tension between Sarah Bunting and Robert as a tea party at Downton involving the Russians. This further showed some of what she lacks in terms of social skills.
Also, Violet has a secret! She ran into a Prince from Russia while present at the party, and he seemed to make her legitimately weak at the knees. This was nice proof of how good Maggie Smith really is. Grade: B.
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Photo: ITV