Here's what I wonder, though. Susan is the one who is related to the Crawleys. (She tells Violet, "You're my mother's sister, you can bloody well take my side.") So, why does everyone seem to know more about Shrimpy's childhood?

Apparently, sleeping with a guy who dies mystically confers upon you all his knowledge, so Edith not only suddenly knows how to run a newspaper, but is able to seamless step into the role with no clumsy adjustment period.

That's why Violet's reminder was so apt. Mary is not being witty, charming, clever, or sexy in her cruelty; she's being just plain vulgar. Mabel Lane Fox, on the other hand, uses wit appropriately, as a weapon when needed. It's hard to imagine why Tony ditched her for Mary. She seems like a more interesting, nicer,…

I think the argument "Well but she's nice to the people she likes" just makes her more of a sociopath, actually.

Oh gosh you're right! I had it reversed in my mind, somehow. Yeah, that does change things. At least, in terms of the first season. Now, 12 years later, Mary has clearly won, Edith just wants to fumble her way through the mess of her own life as best she can, and the amount of vitriol Mary devotes to kicking Edith…

The surname isn't different. The title holder goes by the name of the title. So, Robert and Cora are Lord and Lady Grantham, while everyone else in their family is a Crawley.

Actually it was not the only home she had known. Remember Marigold has been uprooted once before. We don't know how old she was at the time, but even if too young to have a conscious memory does not mean too young to form a bond, or for the adoptive parents to form a bond. But hey, the Swiss lady found another baby to…

Have you seen Upstairs Downstairs series 2?

If his estate is entailed, like Downton, he cannot disinherit them. At least not the eldest.

Isn't it a little weird how frosty the Bates's are with Baxter, when they are pretty cool with Thomas, who has done way more to try to land Bates in jail. Bates even blackmailed O'Brien for Thomas.

Does everyone remember that this entire investigation, including staking out the murder site?!? is based on nothing more than someone overhearing the guy say, "What are you doing here?" on the day that he died. Even Jack McCoy would be hard pressed to make a case out of that.

What was the name of the housemaid who gave up her kid to the grandparents? Anyway, I was struck by how calmly he went off with total strangers. Now again, we have a toddler suddenly and unexpectedly being removed from home with nary a peep. It's true Edith isn't a stranger, but by bedtime that kid would be screaming…

Once you are married, you get your own lady's maid. And breakfast in bed.

Nous sommes Charlie Brown. But yes, I'm afraid that may be the most accurate description.

Ooh I like that theory. I don't think it'll turn out that way, though.

Mary had just sabotaged what they both knew likely to be the only proposal Edith would ever get, and casually shredded the poor guy's self-esteem in the process. Mary had no motivation other than spite. It may not justify what Edith did, but trying to ruin your sister's else's life out of anger and hurt is in a…

Snippy? That's not perspective. I keep using the word Vicious because it's the only thing that comes close to describing Mary's behavior towards Edith. OK fine they don't get along. But Mary's…well… viciousness goes well beyond mean sister bs.

Ash, I was with you until the slut shaming. Sleeping with the dude is not what Mary did to deserve it. What she did to deserve it was push Edith past the brink. Going out of her way to make sure that Edith would not have even an old geezer husband, for no reason whatsoever. Edith struck back the only way she could.