‘Downton Abbey’ season 5, episode 6 review (PBS): The truth about Bates, Mr. Green
Well, it about time, isn’t it! Over the past season of “Downton Abbey,” we’ve wondered when the show is going to finally tie up the story of Anna, Bates, and what happened to Mr. Green. They really milked this for all it was worth, didn’t they?
Well, American viewers on PBS tonight finally got the chance to learn what really happened to this character. Specifically, that he did not kill Mr. Green … but he originally intended to. He planned on taking the train to him so that he could do the deed and then return. However, the ticket was never ripped, because he eventually opted to not board. Unfortunately, finding that ticket is not exactly an easy thing for these characters, and that is the challenge the rest of the way.
The question that we understand many having right now about this episode is why in the world the show waited so darn long in order to tell us about this? If the writers knew, why not share? We feel like much of it ties back to them enjoying having Mr. Bates as this somewhat-mysterious figure with a dark side. Clearly, him considering killing Anna’s rapist enough to buy a train ticket is pretty telling … even if he did not actually go through with the deed.
In the end, this episode is meant to be a sign of Bates’ evolution as a character. This was a guy who years ago, may have actually reacted even worse than he did here. Maybe prison changed him; or, maybe spending more time with Anna did. Either way, this remarkable moment was a watershed one for the couple’s relationship, and it changes the direction of the entire series. Now, Anna can fully trust him … though the two are not free of harassment from the police yet.
This is a short analysis piece of one key moment from tonight’s episode. You can read our review of the original British airing right now at the link here.
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