Aunt Rosamund is on the board of Hillcroft, the college for clever women, which is really great because she has given such terrific advice to her nieces over the years. And she recommended Edith for the board as well because, why not? At first it sounded like Rosamund wanted to set Edith up with the treasurer, Mr. Harding, didn't it? By coincidence, he lives near Downton and he comes for luncheon with his wife, GWEN!!! We haven't seen this former housemaid her since that summer lawn party that was interrupted by WWI. Mary says all she learned in school was French, prejudice, and dance steps. Did Mary attend the Arthur Murray School for Toffs? At first Mary is suspicious, she maybe has her sussed, and tries to wrong-foot her, though in her semi-genteel way. Thomas, on the other hand, drops her right in it, announces to the table that she used to work there, and a hush falls over Jerusalem. Maybe it is that lack of reason he spoke of that led him to pull a Classic Thomas right out in the open. Sergeant Willis (who is always such a harbinger of impending doom that his entrance should be accompanied by the theme from Jaws) turns up at Downton with questions for Baxter. She is instantly nervous. She trembles. It's about Mr. Peter Coyle, the man who seduced her back when she thought dreams would never die and God would be forgiving, then left her holding the (empty) bag of jewels. He's done it to yet another woman and Willis wants Baxter to be a witness to his bad character. Coyle has left a trail of broken lives and Willis is trying to build a case against him, but Baxter fears coming face to face with the man who killed the dream she dreamed. Molesley tries to change her mind with a pep talk, 'All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.' (He read that somewhere.) Yes, thank you, Molesley. That's true, though much easier to say when you've got no skin in the game. Carson and his true love Mrs. Carson return from their honeymoon to liberate the servant's hall and there is much rejoicing. Truthfully, the welcome home party isn't about their wedding so much as everyone is just glad to get out from under the oppressive thumb of Dear Leader Thomas. On a side note, we get to see what Robert's idea of a wedding reception in the Servant's Hall would have looked like (minus the pin the tail on the donkey that he, no doubt, would have chosen as entertainment, to save money on a band). Everyone is having trouble with the whole Carson and Mrs. Carson tongue-twister name change. It's yet another upheaval they will all have to adapt to. Lord Grantham was so thrown by it, that he had briefly toyed with the idea of calling them Thing 1 and Thing 2, but was brought to his senses by Branson.
Review of Episode #6.4
