Downton Abbey Open Thread

Oh, Lady Edith. Sigh.
[Spoilers are telling secrets downstairs herein.]

Oh the goings-on at Downton this week! Lord Whoops and Lady Valium take the whole gang on a picnic to go look at the hovel, by which I mean SMALLER CASTLE, they will have to live in if Matthew doesn't throw his silly principles in the garbage and bail them out so they can keep Downton. It's all very depressing for everyone, especially when they realize the house is so small they'll probably only need eight staff. OH THE HUMANITY!

Luckily, Lady Mary is ON THE CASE, and she reads a letter intended for Matthew from dead Lavinia's dead father, and discovers that Lord Lavinio totes knew about how Matthew broke his dying daughter's heart, and he is definitely okay with it. Lady Mary also confirms that radical scullery sister Daisy mailed the letter for Lavinia, and tells Matthew all about it. She then tells him if he finds some other excuse not to spend his new fortune saving Downton, she will break Bates out of gaol to murder him. "He's doing the time, may as well do a crime!"

Matthew relents and they totes make out, and Matthew promises to share the good news after Lady Edith's wedding, because he doesn't want to steal her thunder.

HA HA LADY EDITH DOESN'T HAVE ANY THUNDER! Never with the thunder, that one. Of course Sir Jeff Daniels leaves Lady Edith at the altar, LITERALLY AT THE ALTAR, because if there is a worst thing to happen, it's going to happen to Lady Edith.

That said, if someone told me that they loved me because they want to make wiping my ass their "life's work," I'd leave them at the altar, too.

Meanwhile, DOWNSTAIRS, Thomas is still conniving and smirky. O'Brien will definitely be feeding him to the hounds any day now. Mrs. Hughes is cancer-free yay! and Mr. Carson totes has a crush on her no doy. Carson's in such a jolly mood, he'll even let the footmen talk shit about Sir Jeff Daniels BUT JUST THIS ONCE!

Anna interviews some mean lady who calls her a trollop. And the maid who had a baby with someone I can't even remember continues to play coy with Isobel, who only wants to help ALL THE PROSTITUTES. Who definitely do not want to learn needlepoint but would like a sandwich, thankyouverymuch.

And, back upstairs again, the Dowager Countess says something pithy. Oh snap!

Please proceed to talk about all things Downton Abbey, but only through the second episode of Season 3. Please don't share things from later in the season, even with a spoiler warning, because I've got to mod the thread, which requires reading everything. So be kind, if you're elsewhere in the world where the whole season has already aired.