Downton Abbey -- Season 3 on PBS

[DCA]

Please be careful what you say in this forum. I had been avoiding the other discussion because I want to watch the PBS broadcast fresh. Now I've got a big piece of information I wish I didn't have.

[Icetalavista]

I'm constantly amazed by the Granthams' (dad and Mary) sense of entitlement. Hey, Matthew, I burned thru your mom-in-law's fortune through my own godawful stupidity and now I'm going to LET you invest in Downton. Nope, not a fan of pops and mary. I hope Edith gets happiness in some way. Am looking forward to Thomas getting his from O'Brien. I'd be happy to see him leave Downton. But every soap needs villians. :-)

[znachki]

A little fluff piece "Drinking Downton Abbey"

http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/0...cerpt_readmore

What I really like is the drinking game...

Just take a drink every time Lady Grantham says, "Poor Edith," Bates falls on his sword, or Thomas reminds you of a vampire

[manleywoman]

I'm constantly amazed by the Granthams' (dad and Mary) sense of entitlement. Hey, Matthew, I burned thru your mom-in-law's fortune through my own godawful stupidity and now I'm going to LET you invest in Downton. Nope, not a fan of pops and mary.

I thought it was smart to have him as an investment partner. Since Daddy was able to be so foolish with his wife's money, having a partner who has equal say in the decision making will hopefully prevent it from happening again.

[Artemis@BC]

I thought it was smart to have him as an investment partner. Since Daddy was able to be so foolish with his wife's money, having a partner who has equal say in the decision making will hopefully prevent it from happening again.

I think, to be fair, "unlucky" might be a better description than "foolish." By today's standards it is indeed foolish to put all your eggs in one basket, but in the time context of Robert's investment he was actually diversifying his portfolio by not tying it all up in the estate. As he said, everyone thought it was a good investment. And it really is all Canada's fault.

But I agree that the partnership makes good business sense. Though I predict some hefty disagreements about how to do things.

And, as I said before, I'm hoping that since they've already gone through the big-stock-market-loss storyline ... we won't see it again come 1929. (Because of course I hope the series stays around that long!)

[Latte]

I too liked Ediths dress much better than Marys.
I am getting very sick of Matthews attitudes. First he can't marry Mary because he feels its his fault the girl died and now he is just too gulity to take the money. Oh, isn't Matthew just so so self rightious. Blah.

[danceronice]

I think, to be fair, "unlucky" might be a better description than "foolish." By today's standards it is indeed foolish to put all your eggs in one basket, but in the time context of Robert's investment he was actually diversifying his portfolio by not tying it all up in the estate. As he said, everyone thought it was a good investment. And it really is all Canada's fault.

My brother (while I'm giving him a run in the ships department, he has forgotten more about the history of the railroads than I've ever known) had to explain to me why it was a particularly unfortunate investment and while they couldn't have known it was going to be THAT bad, they probably should have known it was not going to be a piece of cake (when "the head of one of the railroads involved died on the Titanic" is the LEAST of your problems....) While Robert couldn't have KNOW how horribly wrong it was going to go, he wasn't diversifying at all, as the solicitor points out--he sank all his money in one investment and, just like usually happens when you do that even now, it imploded.

I think the whole "you can INVEST in Downton" is a bit of face-saving on Robert's part (so he's got an investor, he isn't being bailed out) and a way to let Matthew feel he's putting his money into something, rather than giving it to his father-in-law.

[Icetalavista]

But his solicitors advised him against the all-railroad investment. Not sure who the "everyone" else was, although Grantham referred to them. I'd be interested to know what % of Granthams-style estates' necessary income would come from tenant farmer rents. Any mega-Brit-estate experts out there? I agree - Matthew has a smart head on his shoulders. He should probably make ALL the decisions.

[Artemis@BC]

(Cross-posting this here and in the Once Upon a Time thread)

Interview with Lesley Nicol, aka Mrs Patmore, from CBC Vancouver radio yesterday. She's in town for filming an upcoming episode of Once upon a Time. She talks about the Downton experience and the effect its had on her and her career. She sounds like an absolutely lovely person.

I hope the link works: I know CBC video streaming is geoblocked but I'm not sure about their radio streaming.

[skatesindreams]

I am getting very sick of Matthews attitudes. First he can't marry Mary because he feels its his fault the girl died and now he is just too gulity to take the money. Oh, isn't Matthew just so so self rightious. Blah.

We shouldn't expect these people to act as we would now.
These attitudes/actions were accepted; and even expected, at the time.

That includes Matthew's "investment" in Downton, as well.

[danceronice]

We shouldn't expect these people to act as we would now.
These attitudes/actions were accepted; and even expected, at the time.

I would hope for most people now days feeling at the VERY least ambivalent about taking the money (especially when he thought Lavinia's father had no idea his daughter wanted to cancel the wedding) would still be an acceptable, expected reaction. And I would hope the average person now wouldn't be standing at the grave of his fiancee going "Well, I really sorta wanted to marry you anyway, and now this solves everything--you can totally dump your fiance, too, right?"

[nubka]

Please be careful what you say in this forum. I had been avoiding the other discussion because I want to watch the PBS broadcast fresh. Now I've got a big piece of information I wish I didn't have.

Probably would be best to stay away from this thread, then. It's easy to let info slip, even when you are trying to be careful.

[A.H.Black]

Probably would be best to stay away from this thread, then. It's easy to let info slip, even when you are trying to be careful.

The first post in this thread reads as follows -

Yes, yes, I know there's already a thread going, but I'm very much afraid of spoilers from our friends in the UK or those folks on this side of the pond who used other means to watch earlier. So if you'll indulge me ... can we have a separate thread here for those of us watching on the North American/PBS schedule?

Thus, this thread is trying to be spoiler free. There is another thread about Downton if you would like to discuss everything.

[victoriajh]

I too liked Ediths dress much better than Marys.
I am getting very sick of Matthews attitudes. First he can't marry Mary because he feels its his fault the girl died and now he is just too gulity to take the money. Oh, isn't Matthew just so so self rightious. Blah.

Edith looked stunning, but she seems mor free spriit than Mary , so the dress choices for each made sense to me. I was almost crying when sir Anthony left her at the alter I hope they find a good solid love interest for her , or as pp mentioned make her like Jane Austin or Beatrix potter and let her be successful in life on her own

[Coco]

I watched everything on itv through expat shield, but it stopped working before the xmas special. ARGH!

[Jenny]

Probably would be best to stay away from this thread, then. It's easy to let info slip, even when you are trying to be careful.

FSUers have been careful and considerate enough not to ruin countless tv shows, movies and books before, so I don't see why it can't be done here. It's a real shame that someone who either didn't bother to read the topic and opening post of this thread or who thought they were being clever has ruined it for others.

[danceronice]

FSUers have been careful and considerate enough not to ruin countless tv shows, movies and books before, so I don't see why it can't be done here. It's a real shame that someone who either didn't bother to read the topic and opening post of this thread or who thought they were being clever has ruined it for others.

I can't figure out what someone was spoiled for openly, unless they completely disregarded one clearly-marked post with spoiler tags and a warning NOT to even hover over the link included. Everything NOT behind spoiler tags on this thread's already aired on PBS--if it's broadcast, it's fair game (someone opting to record and watch later should know better than to open the thread), if you don't want spoilers, don't click on spoiler tags.

[danceronice]

FSUers have been careful and considerate enough not to ruin countless tv shows, movies and books before, so I don't see why it can't be done here. It's a real shame that someone who either didn't bother to read the topic and opening post of this thread or who thought they were being clever has ruined it for others.

I can't figure out what someone was spoiled for openly, unless they completely disregarded one clearly-marked post with spoiler tags and a warning NOT to even hover over the link included. Everything NOT behind spoiler tags on this thread's already aired on PBS--if it's broadcast, it's fair game (someone opting to record and watch later should know better than to open the thread), if you don't want spoilers, don't click on spoiler tags.

[vesperholly]

I can't figure out what someone was spoiled for openly

Spoiler

I believe the spoiler was that Dan Stevens will not be returning for Season 4.

[Latte]

We shouldn't expect these people to act as we would now.
These attitudes/actions were accepted; and even expected, at the time.

That includes Matthew's "investment" in Downton, as well.

Well maybe I should have just said that no matter how pretty he is, I am just getting sick of Matthew