‘Downton Abbey’ season 6, episode 6 review: Thomas’ trouble, Mary and Edith’s romances

Can the ladies of “Downton Abbey” find love? We know that this is a question that we have pondered from time to time over the past year or two, but Sunday night’s installment on ITV (SPOILERS ahead for Americans) provided more when it comes to hope than perhaps any other installment so far this season.

Let us begin with Edith, who is starting to see Bertie as someone she could be with in the long-term. How else do you describe the fact that she allowed him to see Marigold? While he has not had an opportunity to learn the truth about who she is, a meeting is still a meeting and a big step.

Meanwhile, Mary grew closer to Henry Talbot, and it appears as though she has finally decided to attend one of his races! Here is the problem: She is still dealing with the trauma of what happened with Matthew, and automobiles are for the most part a reminder of that … especially ones going rather fast.

As for some other stories from the evening…

Downton tours – This whole sequence was completely entertaining for a wide array of reasons, with one of the biggest ones being a reflection still to how the middle class tends to think about the rich. Many of the people who saw the home when it was publicly available decided to take advantage of the opportunity to ask a billion questions while embarrassing Cora, Mary, and others in the process. Tom suggested later that they charge visitors to stop by, and hey, it is something that happens in the present day.

Cora versus Violet – Let’s just say that Violet did not take the arrival of the guests to Downton very likely, and felt as though Cora was reveling in her victory. This may be the angriest we’ve seen Maggie Smith’s character play on the show in some time, and yet, it was still fun.

In the end, episode 6 was entertaining, and did carry the stories forward in such a way to prepare for the future of the show. Take, for example, the final shock of the night: The potential end of Thomas’ time at the Abbey. Carson was looking for a reason to send him on, and being seen leaving Andy’s room may be the motivation that he needs. Devastating stuff. Grade: B+.

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