Downton Abbey review: Series 3 Episode 4

© ITV; Image credit: Mirror

“Is it not enough that we’re sheltering a dangerous revolutionary, Mrs Hughes? Could you not have spared me that?”

And what could be so awful that Mr Carson would put it on a par with Tom having to flee from Ireland? Was it the fact that one of their former maids is now working as a prostitute to support herself and the child she conceived while working for them? Could he have found out that his lordship’s valet once had an affair with the distinguished Duke of Crowborough? Or even realising that people on the Internet totally want him to get off with Mrs Hughes? No, it wasn’t any of these things that provoked such ire in Mr Carson. It was, in fact, Mrs Hughes’s new electric toaster. And that is why Carson is the best.

Even though he didn’t actually have much of a plot beyond “looking for a new footman and picking the pretty one”, Carson was the star of this episode. Not only did he successfully manage to successfully deliver lots of exposition in the first ten minutes without seeming too much like that was what he was doing (“Once again I’m afraid there’s nothing for you” “Am I to answer to you both?”), he also gave Violet a run for her money in brilliant reactions. I loved him not-so-subtly manipulating Matthew into agreeing about improving staff levels (“I see. I would like to return to my duties as a butler, sir, but if you prefer that I continue to do the work of a second footman...”) but even better was his reaction to the new footman Jimmy. Not only was he distinctly unimpressed by James’s undoubted beauty, he was also distinctly unimpressed by the young man’s cavalier attitude towards, well, everything. Look, Jimmy, if you’re going to say something like “you know what women can be like”, Carson is always going to reply with a withering comment such as “Not as well, I suspect, as you”. But the best Carson moment of the episode, perhaps of my life, was him praising young Alfred by saying “He’s very willing, even if he is Miss O’Brien’s nephew” in a tone that made you realise that he could think of no greater insult. Jim Carter and Julian Fellowes, I salute you.

© ITV; Image credit: coolspotters.com

But things other than Carson being amazing happened this week. Following Matthew’s rather hopeful description of him as a “tame revolutionary” just before Edith’s not-wedding, Tom turned up at Downton in the middle of a storm, having had to flee Ireland and leave Sybil to make her own way to England. Oh, Branson, you silly boy. I am totally unashamed of my love for him and Sybil as a couple, but I have to say that he did annoy be an awful lot this week. I understand that he’s political and all that stuff, but refusing to even consider staying in England did my head in, as did the fact that everyone seemed concerned for Sybil’s safety but the first Crawley grandchild barely got a mention. Still, Sybil’s background and Tom’s revolutionary beliefs were never going to make for an easy marriage, so at least they’re not glossing over that. And having them back at Downton on (hopefully) a more regular basis should be good, because, well let's face it, you've seen Allen Leech, right?

And it seems the revolutionary spirit was in the air at Downton Abbey this week, and poor jilted Edith caught the bug. That’s right, after a deeply caring heart-to-heart with her granny (“you’re a woman with a brain and reasonable ability. Stop whining and find something to do” is joining “have you done something jolly with your hair?” on my bedroom mirror), she decided to do something truly scandalous. She wrote a letter, but don’t worry, it wasn’t to any kind of embassy. No, it was to The Times. Despite Robert’s assertions that it would never be published, he woke up the next day to the headline, “Earl’s daughter speaks out for women’s rights”. Carson’s reaction to that was as beautiful as you ever hope.

© ITV; Image credit: Telegraph

Amongst the servants, thanks to an absence of letters from the prison, we learnt that even Anna thinks Bates is a bit of martyr. Well, ok, she put it as him being “gallant” and trying to force her to make a life for herself without him, but we all know what she was really thinking. Still, I have to say the sight of the two of them delightedly reading a pile of letters from each other was almost enough to make me care about to the two of them. That’s right, I nearly actually cared about them. Nearly.

That new footman caused quite a stir, with even Violet noting that he looked like “a footman in a musical revue”. But Daisy only had eyes for Alfred (can you imagine Daisy being part of O’Brien’s family?) and it seemed like Alfred might have eyes for her too. But then the new kitchen maid that Daisy has been begging for arrived, and Alfred seemed to take an instant shine to her, crushing poor Daisy’s hopes. Oh, Daisy, I do feel for you. Go to Mrs Hughes’s office and get her to make you some toast. Should help you feel a bit better.