AHHH!!! This episode is so scattered and hard to write about! Kay so firstly I want to address Anna & Bates vs. Thomas & O’Brien. I absolutely love how everything is a battle between theses four. Thomas & O’Brien are always the troublemakers and Anna & Bates act as the good guys. I find it funny how even professionals in the early 20th century have petty feuds between each other. From episode 1 Thomas has been trying to get Mr.Bates out of Downton so that he can get a promotion as valet. But Lord Grantham always rejects Thomas’ request to be valet because being a valet would make Thomas, Lord Grantham’s personal servant. Fortunately Lord Grantham knows not to trust him. This makes Thomas really despise Mr.Bates because he is well like and stands in the way of his promotion. At least Thomas & O’Brien always have each other’s backs. 
It really seems in this episode that these two ^^ really can’t stop making trouble. It was a very clever idea to tell Lady Edith of Mary’s scandal because then surely the family will begin to divide. The best thing about Thomas & O’Brien is that they have to act as double agents. When they are upstairs they must stay professional and are seemingly kind. O’Brien for example as a lady’s maid is one of the most trusted members of staff because she acts as both employee & friend to Lady Grantham. The bad thing is all of the Crawleys see her true colours with the exception of Lady Grantham & the Dowager Countess of course. Lord Grantham often insists that Cora fire O’Brien because she if alway trying to get Bates fired. Then Cora will retaliate saying that Robert should fire Bates because his can’t do his job properly etc etc… O’Brien really has Lady Grantham wrapped around her finger and she knows it.
Early on in this series we also see that something is really off about Mrs.Patmore. Because she is going blind everyone is worried she won’t be able to do her job correctly because as the cook it is quite crucial to see what you are doing when it involves feeding your employer. Mrs.Patmore will always hae Daisy’s help in the kitchen but Daisy also has many chores to do all day so she can’t prepare full meals all of the time. Poor Mrs.Patmore she does nothing but cook all day. That must suck.
The Flower Show ❤ is such an awesome subplot because it is one of the first recreational things we see the Downtians do. I often forget that back then there wasn’t a lot of fun and games. It was basically all work and no play. Mainly all events were high-end like the Flower Show, so because the Crawleys participate in it all of their servants come too. I think it would be interesting to go back to this time and see what people did for “fun”. The servants are very rarely treated to perks with the exception of the fair and the servant’s ball at the end of the year. Plus…I love seeing the servants in nicer clothes…well…a bit nicer.
The hats ❤
I also love the Flower Show because it causes Isobel and Violet to have another disagreement. Never put two martyrs in one room.
Give all the awards to ^^
Dowager Countess Quote:
Dowager Countess: You are quite wonderful, the way you see room for improvement wherever you look. I never knew such reforming zeal.
Isobel Crawley: I take that as a compliment.
Dowager Countess: I must have said it wrong.
discussingdownton 