Downton Abbey recap: We cry our way through episode four with wounded lovers, more scandal, and the saddest wedding of all time

Date January 30, 2012

Photography By Nick Briggs/ITV For Masterpiece Courtesy Of eOne Films

By Randi Bergman and Paige Dzenis

We appear to have travelled nine months into the future since the last episode (hello, Ethel’s baby!) and it’s not looking good. Matthew and William are both gravely injured at war and have returned to Downton to recover—but neither have a positive prognosis. Mary’s doing damage control, Bates is still battling his ex, and the Earl, as usual, spends the episode in uniform looking for something to do.

Try not to sob as we review the best and worst moments of the show! »

Least healthy sign of solidarity: This week’s episode begins with Matthew and William’s unit about to attack the Germans. Just before he blows the whistle, they all share a few friendly cigarettes. While many of them are about to die in like five seconds, don’t the rest of them worry about what a few puffs are going to do to their health? Really, haven’t they seen the commercials?

Best use of noble power: Granny spends the entire episode fighting to get poor wounded William back to Downton, revealing a nurturing side we haven’t seen before. Is there something more behind her love of the former footman or is it just part of her Dowager duties to ensure everyone, upstairs and down, is taken care of? (However, despite her very vocal concern, this doesn’t stop Granny from saying “I just have a cold,” when Edith catches her crying at William and Daisy’s wedding.)

Best way to make us wish we had a seriously ill and totally engaged crush: The love in Mary’s eyes as Matthew’s near lifeless body is carried into the convalescent home almost makes us wish we had a near-dead lover ourselves!

Worst person to ask for help: Thanks to Vera, we’re still hung up on Mary’s Turkish transgression—which happened, what, four years ago? Did British society really obsess over the lives of the nobility (especially when more important things, like war are happening) so much that the story would still ruin her? Sir Richard Carlisle seems to think so: when she asks him for help, he’s delighted that her perfect reputation is anything but. We will admit, Carlisle gets the job done (and oh, Vera’s anger is amazing!) however, his ominous “As my future wife, you’re entitled to be in debt to me,” comment to Mary makes us uneasy for what’s to come.

Worst plot recycle: O’Brien seems to have returned to her old, evil ways, by sending a letter to Vera and telling her all about Bates and Anna’s Downton romance. And so we have to endure another rehashing of the same old: Bates trying to subdue his (ex?) wife, Vera being crazy for no apparent reason, Anna glowering one minute and looking dreamy-eyed the next, and O’Brein once again realizing she was in the wrong. Let’s move it along, people.

Best make-under: When the servants awake mid-night to find out what’s happened to Matthew and William, they’re all looking a little disheveled. And dare we say, we like it? For once, Bates’ hair isn’t gelled back into a perfectly coifed submissive ‘do. It’s positively rogue!

Worst way to play the game: First Anna and now Branson are wearing their heart on their sleeves. We know that the servant class has gone without a lot, but haven’t they ever been taught that the only way to get what you want is by playing hard to get? (We prepare to take this back next episode, when both couples engage in wild make out sessions.)

Best potential future conflict: Now that O’Brien realizes that Vera is out to ruin the Crawley family, she vows to destroy her before that can happen. Will the two most hostile characters finally duke it out? Will Edith somehow get involved? (She is, after all, the third best character for ruining people’s lives.)

Best beauty moment: Daisy! She looked so grown-up in her floral wedding dress, curly updo, and dark eye makeup—though it couldn’t totally hide how terrified she was. However, this change in attire did mean that she finally spent some time by William’s side, which is all he ever really wanted.

Worst wedding: Yes, Daisy and William’s bedside nuptials were actually the sweetest, but the sad circumstances meant we cried the whole way through. Mrs. Patmore’s motherly advice to Daisy, and Carson walking Daisy down the aisle—the downstairs family love was almost too much to bear. Even Thomas had a turn of heart, proclaiming that it was unfair William be denied a transfer to Downton, and then saying he’d like to shake his hand before he dies. SOB.

BONUS

Best preview clip of all time: Hold up! In the midst of our weepy goodbye to William, that freakin’ gremlin mummy ghost shows up in the preview for next week and we’ve suddenly had enough comic relief to last a lifetime! We have a sneaking suspicion we know who it might be, but in the meantime, we’ll just call him GMG.

And that’s it folks, until next week! Stay tuned for our recap of Episode 5 next Monday February 6! You can catch new episodes of Downton Abbey Sunday nights at 9 p.m on PBS

In the meantime, tell us what you thought of the episode and you could win a DVD prize pack of Season One and Season Two, courtesy of eOne Films. And be sure to come back because we’ll be selecting a new winner each week!