Downton Abbey

Do you remember Miss Bunting? She had designs on Tom a couple of seasons ago. I couldn't stand her so I was thrilled when her character was gone forever.

Amy

I would bet anything that Mary does spill the beans once she is sure of Marigold's parentage

Different times, different place. What we consider acceptable or unacceptable now or what we're willing to tolerate is something that is always changing

I just watched it online--a day behind all of you. Yikes, that was gross. I honestly didn't think they'd kill off Robert with four episodes to go, though. It felt like the climax of the hospital battle; now we know why so much was made of that, and so much foreshadowing of his illness. Was Clarkson the one who operated? If so, now he can convince Violet of the need for the merger and make it stick.

Yes, I agree Tom is looking puffier--it started at the end of last season. Still cute. As for his character, he's almost too saintly these days. And he needs a new girlfriend!

Yeah, that scene with Mrs. Patmore, Mr. Mason, Andy, Daisy: felt like a double date!

Poor Barrow.... Does anyone think he should get a job with Bertie Pelham's lord, the one who never married and lives abroad?

Mosely had possibly the best line in the series so far, when he offered to go back in the courtroom and change the verdict. So funny!

I love Spratt and Denker and think they should have their own spinoff series.

I really loved the scene where Violet fired Denker in front of Isabel.

Can't wait 'til next week!

Suzie I would up vote you if I could find it

I dislike O'Brien most of all, she was despicable.

and I'm sick of the Grand Duchess - pain in the bum, so she definitely deserves Denker

I think one of the show's strengths is that nearly every character, even those who seem negative, has sympathetic elements to his or her personality. I have a lot of sympathy for Barrow; as Baxter says, he's his own worst enemy, but there are occasions when he tries to do the right thing. More than anyone else, he's a prisoner of the times he lives in.

If you think about Denker--who's certainly not sympathetic in many episodes--she did to Clarkson what Daisy did at the estate auction, which is spoke out of turn in a way that was inappropriate for someone of her class. I do think she and Spratt are hilarious and are adding a really enjoyable element to this last season.

Miss Bunting was not someone I cared for, but I think she's a type more than a fully fleshed out character. She's almost sympathetic in her cluelessness.

I guess my least favorite character, one of the few who are wholly odious, would be Larry Gray. He shows up twice: the first time, he slips a mickey in Tom's drink, and the second he puts the kibosh on his father's engagement.

And then there was Vera Bates: a dreadful person.

Lady Mary and Lady Edith both have had their moments of rotten behavior. Edith was awful in the first season. Carson can be rather nasty at times--even if he's on the whole sympathetic.

But the writing in this show is so good that almost every character is a believable mix of good and not-so-good. Which makes them awfully human!

Divine: completely agree! It's fascinating, isn't it?

In my ranking of characters, I look at the amount of damage they caused compared to the amount of good that they do.

Mrs. Vera Bates seemed to be pure evil. Did she do anything good?

O'Brien was a good and devoted lady's maid to Cora, with years of faithful service. She was petty and jealous of the other servants, although with not too much effect. But the soap was deliberately left for Cora to fall, with devastating consequences.

Bunting was very fervent in her helping the lower classes move up in the world, but not recognizing that she needs to work with the upper classes to achieve that goal. Her constant attacks on Lord Grantham were not helpful to her cause. Perhaps her place was to show how reasonable Tom is in his views.

Barrow is such a conflicted character. He is his own worst enemy, and yet he can do good as well. I hope he helps Andrew to learn to read, and finds that he can make a friend, without any need to get anything back out of it.

Denker is mostly harmless. Yes, she is spiteful and torments Spratt mercilessly, but mostly no harm comes of it. She and Lady Violet have the same opinions, it's just Denker forgets her place as a servant is to remain silent. Funny for Dr. Clarkson (who is middle class himself) to put her in her place, and for Spratt to rescue her, even if under threat of blackmail. I can see Denker and Spratt finding their way together.

Larry Gray was just a one-dimensional character to prevent cousin Isobel from remarrying. Isabel and Lord Gray could have decided to marry anyway, and Lord Gray could tell the sons too bad.

Another one-dimensional character was the Lord who left Edith at the altar.

I don't get to watch until a couple of days after the show airs. I'm so happy I found this thread.

Mominator, glad you found the thread, too. Your insight is interesting!

The thing with Vera Bates is we wanted to hate her from the start. If she'd had any redeeming qualities, we would have wondered why Mr. Bates wasn't still with her and it would have cast a shadow on his relationship with Anna. So we were happy to not like her so we didn't have to be conflicted. lol.

As for Miss Bunting, I think in a way we also didn't want to like her because we'd feel that Tom was 'replacing' Sybil. She had redeeming qualities but they weren't a good fit into this family.

Ms. Bunting was not evil, but she was passionate about her beliefs. However, she clearly had no idea how to function amongst the aristocracy. It was a foreign culture to her. Tom did share many of her beliefs, but had come to understand and love the family by then. No place for firebrands among the highly codified behavior of the aristocracy.

For me, the most despicable character was Mr. Green, the rapist! "Honorable Mention" goes to the rascal, Kemal Pamuk, the turkish diplomat. (Although he helped to "out" Mary's true character for me)

Through all the seasons, I have never felt sympathy for Mr. Bates or the situations he found himself in. For Anna's sake, I hope she has a healthy pregnancy. I also have never much cared for Isobel's character and delight when Violet puts her in her place.

So many rich characters in this show and I will miss it.
MsP

Agreed MsPharoah..

What is it about Isobel's - I'm not sure why, but I don't care for her either. Is it because she is self righteous?

Dismay, YES! YES! you found the words I was searching. Isobel is self righteous, indeed. (IMO, of course)

So now I have to figure out why I do not like Mr. Bates.......I think it is because I find him to be closed, secretive, almost sly in his actions and words. It was not difficult for me to believe he could and would murder someone. And I guess it bothered me that Anna pulled a "Tammy Wynette". And others were so willing to lie for him, too.

And rainny, I liked Ms. Bunting. While she was outspoken, irreverent, and sent shock waves through Downton, etc., I appreciated it. It didn't bother me that she angered Robert. Change happens slowly enough even with upstarts like Ms. Bunting. I think they are always necessary.

Love all these points of view.

MsP