Christmas at Downton Abbey

I can't be the only one who thinks Samantha Bond as Lady Rosamund Painswick is a weak character, has never been built up, fleshed out or used beyond secondary conversations with Maggie Smith, and suddenly she's the focal point alongside the much more important and central love triangle with Mary, the true star of the show... needed more of her and less of the rest, including the help doing a seance for seemingly no reason.

So many shows throw aside their quality when they do holiday episodes. I thought this would happen here. However, it turns out to be one of the best, iif not the best, episodes so far. We have Carlisle (Iain Glenn at his best) being a bigger ass than ever, pushing Mary around and threatening her. He has the deep dark secret. I appreciated that some people finally opened up in this episode and started to move on. We were introduced to a couple of other new characters that provide a subplot. Daisy has an epiphany. It's time for her to have some focus. Of course, Matthew and Mary continue to remain at arm's length through most of the episode. And Bates gets some "good" news, setting up the third season. I'm seeing this series for the second time and I am as captivated by it as I was in its infancy.

In this episode, Christmas 1919 is somewhat subdued by Mr. Bates' uncertain fate, and Richard disapproves of the family's casual traditions; downstairs, Mrs. Hughes is skeptical when the servants unearth a Ouija board and begin attempting to contact the dead. Robert shoots down the idea of promoting Thomas should the worst come to pass for Bates, and Daisy begins to reconsider her role when Miss Shore, Lady Rosamund's maid, suggests that she deserves better. Edith reunites with Sir Anthony Strallan, whose war injury prevents him from joining in the annual shooting party, and she carefully words her answers to his inquiries about Sybil's quiet marriage. Anna visits Mr. Bates, who gently cautions her to prepare for his potential conviction and execution; Robert is less than thrilled to learn that the newly married Sybil is pregnant with a "Fenian" child. As New Year's Eve approaches, Miss O'Brien advises Thomas to rebuild Robert's trust in him via a useful deed, and Violet worries that Edith may become Strallan's "nursemaid" after all. Matthew returns from London, where his would-be father-in-law Mr. Swire has just died, and the family rings in 1920 together. Miss Shore reports that Lord Hepworth, who has joined the Crawley celebrations as Rosamund's guest, has urged her to promote him to her mistress. During the shoot, Mary confides to Matthew that she's growing tired of the humorless Richard. Daisy again frets about her "dishonest" wartime marriage when Mr. Mason pays her a visit; Sir Anthony seems to agree with Violet when he gently tells Edith that he's too old for her, though Edith refuses to accept it. Richard grows increasingly jealous of Matthew's ongoing bond with Mary and tries to convince her to set a wedding date, while elsewhere Violet frankly confronts Lord Hepworth about his obvious interest in Rosamund's fortune. Cora firmly tells Robert to make his peace with Sybil and Tom's marriage, as she plans to have a close bond with her first grandchild, and Anna and Daisy are bewildered when the Ouija board offers up a strange message: "may they be happy." At the exact same time, Matthew finds Mary on the grounds and, assuring her that they are ready to leave Lavinia, Mr. Pamuk and Richard in the past, formally proposes to her. As snow falls on them, she ecstatically accepts.