The third episode of the third season of Downton Abbey belonged to the middle daughter, Lady Edith.
Everyone wants to belong and we all want to have what our siblings have, but Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) would have taken it a step too far to fit in.
In a desperate move Edith agreed to marry the much older Sir Anthony Strallan (Robert Bathurst), who then left her at the altar.
“I won’t let you throw your life away on me.” He tells her.
“The only decent thing he’s done in months,” the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) calls it.
Edith’s eagerness to marry seemed to be rooted in wanting to be a wife rather than wanting to be Strallan’s wife. In true Downton fashion, we’re shown that marriage should be about love.
It should come as no surprise that the Crawley family do not have to sell Downton Abbey. After all, there could be no Coronation Street without Coronation Street or no EastEnders without an East End. Realistically, there would be no Downton Abbey without Downton Abbey.
It turns out that Reggie Swire knew the truth about Matthew (Dan Stevens) being in love with Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) despite his engagement to his daughter.
Matthew decides to use the money left by Reggie to save Downton. Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) tells him they’ll share the property and become joint masters.
Downstairs, Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan) has the all clear from the doctor, or at least that what she tells Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol).
Thomas (Rob James-Collier) and O’Brien (Siobhan Finneran) are still at war. It is bound to end in disaster. I can’t wait.