‘Downton Abbey’ season 6, episode 5 reaction (PBS): Robert’s medical crisis

Tonight, “Downton Abbey” aired an episode that was at times about love (Mary and Edith potentially have new men in their lives), but also one that was almost about heartache of the worst time. After all, it contained one of the most horrific moments in the history of the show. (Warning: MAJOR spoilers ahead from tonight’s episode. Don’t read until you’ve watched it.)

Near the end of the episode, Robert suffers a rupture that causes blood to literally burst out of him, and it takes place almost in the blink of an eye. It’s a grisly scene for a show that is prim and proper, but this is the desired effect of it. This is a show that really does want to get you off your guard so that it can create a conversation-starter … and this moment does that. It really helps to examine the relationship with the hospital more than ever before, and it also helps Robert to realize that life is precious.

At its core, we do fashion “Downton Abbey” more or less as a show about handling the changing tide, and sometimes, you have to be dragged into the ocean to accept that nothing can stay the same forever. This moment with Robert is a perfect snapshot of that, and a wake-up call to Cora, Violet, and many of the other parents and grandparents of the estate that this is the time to think about the future. From the viewer perspective, it’s certainly a way to wake you up through what was a fairly quiet episode before this moment took place.

As we wrap here, a quick reminder that for our U.S. airing pieces, we’re focusing on a single event to analyze from the episode.