Yup, you're on the right track IMO. That's what's irritating about fanwank (which is now retcon to some extent). You have to respect a show's canon - particularly when something controversial happens. The reason we had all the angst of S1/S2 is ~because Mary/Matthew were at the heart of the narrative and so beloved to…

Ugh. You just don't get this show as much as I used to think you did. And you really don't get Mary. You really think Mary won't let Gilingham in because she thinks "she doesn't deserve happiness?" How about because the love of her life has been in the ground less than a year??

I'm sorry, but Cullen had ZERO chemistry with Michelle Dockery in this
episode; the only reason we could possibly think it exists is because
the script tells us it's *supposed to exist (and because of the endless
promotion of his entrance into the fourth season). It's telling that you
admit you're already "invested"…