Anna did it.

Every time someone says "ooh, Tom, you MUST invite Miss Bunting" despite the uncomfortable situations that have resulted from invitations in the past, I want to rip my hair out. Here's hoping that after Robert's unseemly outburst, no one ever says that again.

I'm no expert of 1890s/1900s drawing room discussion, but it doesn't seem to me that your positions are mutually exclusive. It's easy enough for a woman to have been greatly involved in charities and the like while still being restricted from political "men's talk." Downton Abbey may be a poor example, but even…

But everyone knows it was her fault she died! He only choked her a little! Bates is innocent! He's a Saint, dammit!

The only way it could end out alright is if Anna discovers proof that Bates killed Green, and she divorces him. Then she can go back to being the plucky Anna she used to be. She is wasted on Bates.

Actually, the fact that she was talking about "consequences" means that, in her mind, she'd already gone WAY past thinking about love and sex and making love all night, all the way straight to the morning after. She's already decided to do it, so that quickness doesn't surprise me.

Thank heaven we've seen a different side to Thomas this week, after all the mustache-twirling of the previous episode (and season). The interaction between Anna and Thomas reminded me that she was the one who comforted him after Sybil died. It is hardly a friendship they have between them (more that she only…

Perhaps we have that to look forward to next episode, seeing that apparently we have Russian princes at Downton.

It reminds me of Tom from the first few seasons, as we're no doubt meant to be reminded. Both Bunting and pre-marriage-Tom singlemindedly pursue their interests (including love interests) without a thought for the impact on those around them, even on those they're pursuing. The relationship between Bunting and Tom…

But in that time period, wasn't pregnancy a "woman's"problem? In the first season, Grantham couldn't even bear to hear the doctor go at all in depth about Cora's pregnancy; I would think that gentlemen would never dare concern themselves over the bodily processes of women, especially pregnancy.

Was I the only one who expected Daisy to beg Bunting to teach her when they met in the kitchens? Could this be a way they bring more Bunting into the episodes in the future?

Poor Edith. This situation with her daughter is not going anywhere good.

Well, even after murdering someone, forging documents, threatening fellow prisoners, and with past allegations of domestic violence with his previous wife, Bates is still cast as the golden child/Saint of the show, whereas poor Molesley who never did anyone any harm is mocked in every possible scene.

That's not a blush. That's just her flushing as she's getting all fired up again over some horrible aristocratic-type class-betrayal thing Tom is probably doing.

Exactly. Season 4 was such a shock after season 3 because of his complete regression in character development. The writers might as well have just said "all that stuff Thomas went through last season was just a dream" while chucking season 3 over their shoulder out the window. It is frustrating to invest any kind…

One of my pet peeves of this show is whenever the discussion is about to hit an in-depth topic, we have a line of dialogue running up to the crucial moment and SCENE. About 80% of the most important dialogue seems to happen off-screen and we usually only see everyone's reactions after the fact. Sure, this probably…

Am I the only one who's tired of the (one-sided) power struggle between Thomas and Bates? Why does Thomas even care anymore about learning Bates' secrets? As under-butler, isn't he in a higher-ranking position than Bates now? Does he even still care about being a valet? I mourn the loss of the relatively…

That's probably what she's saying to those poor kids she's teaching.

I agree. The fact is, Barrow has been scheming and conniving his way through the last 10+ years in their service, sometimes blatantly and sometimes not. I can't think Cora was that surprised that he was trying to manipulate Baxter, and if that is "business as usual" then it's not that shocking she would easily…

I thought it was extremely odd for a butler to behave that way towards a guest of the Countess, though. Isn't it rather unprofessional, and wouldn't you think a butler in this situation would act more subtly (i.e. snobbish behavior/looking down his nose at him vs. outright refusing to serve him)?