Sorry for the delayed recap, Trashies. Sometimes life gets in the way. The episode opens with Bates walking to work alone while Anna tries to cover her bruise with makeup. She looks so sad, tired and defeated I want to hug her. In the servant’s hall Bates rather aggressively wishes her a good morning. Then he insists he’s going to greet her at the stairs every day until she tells him what’s wrong but it comes across kind of threatening instead of reassuring. He doesn’t know about the rape, he only knows his wife is blowing him off. We should feel sympathy for him. But he’s playing this with such a bullying manner I dislike him more by the minute. Anna is saved when Cora’s new lady’s maid, Baxter, interrupts them. After she leaves Anna says she’s nice which makes Bates wonder why she seems to be friends with Thomas. Baxter brings Cora her breakfast tray including surprise orange juice since she knows those uncouth Americans like to drink it in the morning. Sophisticated Britains like a bit more legume in the morning.Oh this is delightful! I was afraid you’d serve me a baked bean smoothie. Robert’s put out that Tom and Mary want to talk to him about some aspect of the estate. Yes, it’s ever so annoying when people want to do their jobs.The local doctor convinces Isobel to focus her do-gooding vibes on a local boy who needs a job to help support his mother. He wants to be a gardener. Isobel doesn’t need one but she can’t ever resist the opportunity to help the down trodden. One of the tenant farmers has died with lots of outstanding rent due. He was so late they’d already served eviction notices. Tom and Mary want to finalize it now that he’s gone and Robert realizes they mean to farm it themselves. Probably not literally themselves; I doubt we’ll ever see Mary on a tractor doing honest labor like Edith did that one time. They’ll pay people to do it. Which seems like a bad economic move compared to finding someone else to pay them for the privilege of doing it. Mary seems to have inherited Robert’s ability to throw money in the fire with both hands. Then Robert shows Mary the Pirate’s engagement announcement in the paper. She’s all smiles as she reads it but looks heartbroken as she walks away. Baxter is using her new-fangled sewing machine in the servant’s dining hall since her room has no electricity. (Neither does the bathroom in my apartment AND IT’S VERY ANNOYING.) Mrs. Patmore is aghast that such a dangerous item is allowed in there but Mrs. Hughes just rolls her eyes at that. Anna walks in and Bates says, “Anna!” like he thought she was on the moon and it’s inconceivable that she’s there. Seriously, the choices the actor is making with Bates since the rape have just been weird. Anna makes an excuse and leaves immediately. I can’t even […]
Sorry for the delayed recap, Trashies. Sometimes life gets in the way. The episode opens with Bates walking to work alone while Anna tries to cover her bruise with makeup. She looks so sad, tired and defeated I want to hug her. In the servant’s hall Bates rather aggressively wishes her a good morning. Then he insists he’s going to greet her at the stairs every day until she tells him what’s wrong but it comes across kind of threatening instead of reassuring. He doesn’t know about the rape, he only knows his wife is blowing him off. We should feel sympathy for him. But he’s playing this with such a bullying manner I dislike him more by the minute. Anna is saved when Cora’s new lady’s maid, Baxter, interrupts them. After she leaves Anna says she’s nice which makes Bates wonder why she seems to be friends with Thomas. Baxter brings Cora her breakfast tray including surprise orange juice since she knows those uncouth Americans like to drink it in the morning. Sophisticated Britains like a bit more legume in the morning.Oh this is delightful! I was afraid you’d serve me a baked bean smoothie. Robert’s put out that Tom and Mary want to talk to him about some aspect of the estate. Yes, it’s ever so annoying when people want to do their jobs.The local doctor convinces Isobel to focus her do-gooding vibes on a local boy who needs a job to help support his mother. He wants to be a gardener. Isobel doesn’t need one but she can’t ever resist the opportunity to help the down trodden. One of the tenant farmers has died with lots of outstanding rent due. He was so late they’d already served eviction notices. Tom and Mary want to finalize it now that he’s gone and Robert realizes they mean to farm it themselves. Probably not literally themselves; I doubt we’ll ever see Mary on a tractor doing honest labor like Edith did that one time. They’ll pay people to do it. Which seems like a bad economic move compared to finding someone else to pay them for the privilege of doing it. Mary seems to have inherited Robert’s ability to throw money in the fire with both hands. Then Robert shows Mary the Pirate’s engagement announcement in the paper. She’s all smiles as she reads it but looks heartbroken as she walks away. Baxter is using her new-fangled sewing machine in the servant’s dining hall since her room has no electricity. (Neither does the bathroom in my apartment AND IT’S VERY ANNOYING.) Mrs. Patmore is aghast that such a dangerous item is allowed in there but Mrs. Hughes just rolls her eyes at that. Anna walks in and Bates says, “Anna!” like he thought she was on the moon and it’s inconceivable that she’s there. Seriously, the choices the actor is making with Bates since the rape have just been weird. Anna makes an excuse and leaves immediately. I can’t even […]
