Downton Abbey Season 5 Episode 5

SPOILER ALERT! This post is intended for those who have already seen Downton Abbey Season 5 Episode 5

Well there are nudists in Essex now are there? Very odd to open with this item of news, I thought. How on earth is this relevant? I imagine that Julian Fellowes found this tidbit in his exhaustive research. We should at least have gotten a good Dowager Violet zinger out of it!

Otherwise, there were some great moments in this episode mixed in with rehashed previous stories.

Lady Mary and her next beau Charles cooking up a plan to toss the last beau Tony a bone in the shape of a very prickly but well dressed Mabel Lane Fox. Hmm...In fact, the stars of this episode were the dresses. The brilliant blue number on Lady Mary is divine!

Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes certainly played Mr. Carson like a violin at the end. "Significant Look" of the week award goes to Carson who shoots a look at Mrs. Hughes like I have never seen before (snigger) when the ladies are trying to break it to him that Mrs. Patmore invested her inheritance as she liked...and then they made him think it was his idea! Brilliant job ladies!

Cora and her randy admirer certainly livened things up when Lord Grantham came back early. I was actually squirming when he hit the front door unexpectedly but Cora stayed composed and cool as a cucumber as usual. It must be the power of those spectacular dresses! Nice to see the Earl get stirred up for a change. But then he throws a silly snit at the cocktail party instead of begging Cora's forgiveness for ignoring her and then tossing her on the bed instead of Mr. Bricker.

Otherwise more of the same. Yawn! Inspectors inspecting. Thomas being a jerk and yet struggling to fit in again. Tom hinting at a big decision again and more nonsense with Lady Edith's bastard child. Ugh!

But Lady Rose and her gorgeous Jewish sweetie! Now there is a story line I can get behind. However, we have seen Rose fall for someone "not of her people" before. First the married guy and then the black jazz singer right? Oh please let this be her Mr. Right!

Best Lines of the Week (and they weren't very good this week)

Countess Violet (to Isobel): Ellen Terry has nothing on you when it comes to stringing out a moment. (NB Ellen Terry was a famous Victorian actress and nobody can string it out like Julian Fellowes!)

Mr. Bates: We'll sit by the fire with all our children around us and I'll keep you safe. (Anyone else find this creepy and weird?)

Isobel (to Violet): You're as infirm as Windsor Castle. (?????)

Rosamund (to Violet): I'm afraid you've read somewhere that rudeness in old age is amusing. And it's quite wrong. (Actually Rosamund, the really good rude zingers are amusing and were missing from this episode!)