Eventually, his wife persuades him to accept the child as his grandson, and Mr Bryant offers to adopt Charlie. In 1924, she meets, falls in love with, and marries Atticus Aldridge, the Jewish son of Lord and Lady Sinderby. Things move at such a pace in Downton Abbey, storylines can sometimes be over before you've even noticed that they've properly begun. However, he is killed during the Battle of Vittorio Veneto. After she got fired, Edna manages to come back to Downton to work as Cora's lady's maid. Mary is still inconsolable six months after Matthew's death, Edith supports Michael going to Germany to divorce his wife, Molesley looks for a job, and there is a surprise applicant for Ms. O'Brien's job. She first meets Matthew when he is back in England on leave from the Army and they later become engaged. Violet Crawley (The Dowager Countess of Grantham) (played by Maggie Smith) (1841[1]-1928) is Robert's mother and widow of the previous earl. It's just a shame she went about it in such a manipulative and mean-spirited way, attempting to guilt and control Tom Branson. She is one of eleven children and her parents are deceased. Edna's the fucking worst! Bates remains ignorant of the true meaning of the words, but he soon has other concerns when Lord Grantham decides to appoint Thomas as under-butler to take advantage of his skills at cricket; Bates had only hoped to allow Thomas to leave with a good reference. Outspoken, Ethel does not like being told what to do by anyone, which often has her in conflict with Anna or Mrs Hughes. With the possibility of Alfred leaving to pursue his dreams of being a chef, Mr Carson offers Molesley a job as second footman if Alfred leaves. The Marchioness's lady's maid tells Vera about Lady Mary's liaison with Kemal Pamuk. In the second feature film, Andy and Daisy are married and both living together on the farm with Mr Mason, and after the departure of Thomas Barrow it is hinted that Andy will succeed Barrow as Downton's butler. Thomas also leads on the kitchen maid, Daisy, partly for his amusement (since it annoys the second footman, William Mason, who has feelings for her) and for ulterior motives. She reveals that she had stolen jewellery from a previous employer who treated her nicely, and she went to prison but was released early for good behaviour. Pamuk rebuffs him and later uses this incident to blackmail Thomas, threatening to inform Lord Grantham about his indiscretion unless Thomas agrees to guide Pamuk to the room of Lady Mary later that same evening. Immerse yourself in the much loved British historical drama, relive some of. Violet hopes to persuade him to allow the Downton village hospital to remain under the control of the Crawley family, instead of having it merge with a major hospital in York. By 1923, he still has not been found, but pieces of what happened to him are coming to light. Eventually, after Barrow threatens to reveal her secret to Lady Grantham, Baxter is encouraged by Molesley to do so first. Her child by him, a daughter named Marigold, was at first given to a family in Switzerland, where she gave birth. The toughs who lost the bet follow drunk Jimmy underneath a quiet bridge and jump him. Daisy Mason, who is interested in Alfred, repeatedly tries to sabotage Ivy, Jimmy and Alfred in hopes that Alfred will realise that Ivy is no good for him. Mrs Hughes threatens to summon a doctor to examine her if she persists with her lie. The conniving Miss O'Brien left Downton Abbey very suddenly (who will keep Thomas in check now?! Mary tells the Bateses that their newborn son is welcome to stay at Downton's nursery during the day, as Anna wants to continue working at Downton, and that soon their son will be joined by a child of her own, as Mary is now pregnant. Edith decides she wants the child back and plans to reclaim her, then places her in the care of a local pig farmer and his wife. In August 1914 they are successful and Gwen wins a position at a telephone firm. Anna insists that they marry so that she will have legal rights if the worst happens. Soap Opera Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Though Jack loves her, he fears the repercussions of an inter-racial romance. Over time, however, the pair grow closer, and a romance develops. However, Mason becomes persnickety with the living conditions, which grates on the young couple. Barrow then attempts to gain an ally in the form of Lady Grantham's new maid Edna, a maid fired from Downton following her attempt to seduce Tom Branson, by claiming that Edna's accidental damage to one of Lady Grantham's favourite garments was in fact due to Anna Bates. Lieutenant-General Sir Herbert Strutt KCB, DSO (played by Julian Wadham) is a senior British Army general known as the "Hero of the Somme". Downton Abbey (TV Series 2010-2015) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Still in the dark about her pregnancy, Anna begins to experience pains in episode 4, for which Lady Mary rushes her down to London, claiming to Bates that the emergency is hers, not Anna's. At the beginning of series six Anna is in a dark place as the case of Green's death lingers over her and Bates as she's still out on bail. They kiss and enjoy their reunion. After spending the weekend together, he talks of their engagement, but she realises he is not the man for her. When Mary discovers that it was Green who assaulted Anna, she asks Tony to dismiss him, but says she cannot tell him why. In the Christmas Special, she receives a letter from Alfred, implying that they keep in touch. When it is revealed the new valet, Henry Lang, had shell shock, she was uncharacteristically sympathetic towards him and it was revealed that her own brother suffered from it due to the War. However, she eventually decides she does not want to marry any of them, providing a shock, especially for Tony. "[16], Alexander Chee of The New Republic described O'Brien as the show's "best, most complex villain" and stated that her departure made the show less interesting. She is petite, slim, and of average height. Edith's repeated visits began to arouse the suspicion and anger of Drewe's wife. Bates returns to London with her to live in his mother's home but soon separates after learning that she has been unfaithful to him. Cora instantly takes a liking to him, whereas Mary and Robert do not. Still being ignored by the rest of the staff save Anna, he gains an ally in William when he observes Thomas bullying the younger man, who is suffering with severe homesickness. Bates is angered when Miss Baxter informs the police that he could have made it to London the day Green was killed, despite her making clear she could not swear on the evidence. This scheme fails, however, when he is sold worthless goods and is rendered penniless. Edna also remarks to Lady Grantham that anyone would be lucky to be a member of the Crawley family. She starts pursuing Tom relentlessly until she finally convinces him that she is pregnant with his child. Mrs Hughes dismisses her after discovering the two of them in bed together, but Ethel shortly returns having nowhere else to go when she finds out she is pregnant with his child. Martha Levinson (played by Shirley MacLaine) is Cora's brash, outspoken, and wealthy American mother. At the end of series three, Jimmy is promoted to first footman, but he holds a grudge against Thomas into the Christmas Special. A recurring theme during the first two series is the clash between Isobel's more modern and liberal values with the traditionalist ideas of Lord Grantham and his family. Distraught in believing that it is impossible for her to carry a child to term, Anna becomes upset, believing she had let Bates down. She does, though she thinks Edna is not cut out to be a housemaid. With Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle. It is Bates who intervenes to save Thomas's prospects after he attempts to seduce Jimmy, as he is unwilling to see another man lose his livelihood due to the schemes of others. It is suggested by the earl's solicitor, George Murray, that Major Gordon might actually be Peter Gordon, who worked with the real Patrick Crawley at the Foreign Office, which would explain how he knew some of the private details of the Earl's family. Bates finally confronts Anna and reveals the truth; he realised Green was the attacker as soon as he returned to Downton, and he did intend to murder the valet the day he was killed. He tells Robert in another letter how to contact him. However, Anthony jilts Edith at the altar, devastating her. Matthew dies suddenly in a car crash only days later, and he never informed his wife Mary or her parents of his discussion with Gregson while fishing. A distraught Bates along with Lady Mary is adamant that Anna will not be convicted or even go to trial. 14 Oct 2013. Andrew "Andy" Parker (played by Michael C. Fox) is a footman who starts working at Downton Abbey in 1924. In the series finale, Carson begins to suffer from palsy that ultimately forces him into semi-retirement. Poor Alfred is used as a pawn in his aunt's scheming, which eventually comes to nothing. He was further humiliated after being handed a white feather at a benefit concert held in the Crawley mansion. Before 1912, she lived in Manchester with the Crawleys as their cook, but when they moved, she went with them. Anthony Strallan (played by Robert Bathurst) was Edith's much older suitor. She tells Anna that she remembers Vera had dried food under her fingernails, meaning that Vera made the pie herself knowing that her husband would be implicated for murder. To prevent Carson embarrassing himself or the family, Mrs Hughes and Lady Mary conspire to have him join Lord Grantham's trip to the French villa instead. In the first film, set in 1927, Marigold is four or five years old and has returned to Downton with her mother and stepfather for the royal visit. During her time as a housemaid, she would gain a huge crush on chauffeur Tom Branson, but he would not look at her, as he was in love with Sybil Crawley. Mrs Hughes does not approve of the way Edna has attempted to pursue Tom and says to Tom that he let Edna make him feel ashamed of his new life. Specifically, the new housemaid, Edna. He has never condemned Mary for any of her more questionable actions, and Mrs Hughes once remarks that "Mr Carson would forgive (Lady Mary) if (she) attacked him with a brick.". In series four, Jimmy is something of an antagonist, stirring the pot for amusement and to get at Alfred, his professional rival. She is coerced by O'Brien into telling Edith, who writes to the Turkish Ambassador. "They're quite well known apparently. However, it becomes clear that Barrow knows a secret about her, which he uses to his advantage to make her spy on the servants and family, something Baxter is very uncomfortable with. The show ran for six series and fifty-two episodes, including five . When O'Brien seeks to assist Alfred by enlisting Thomas' support, he refuses to help tutor him, irritated that someone else should progress rapidly when he spent years trying to reach his position. However, his physical dishevelment deceives Grantham into thinking that Thomas has more concern for the family than Grantham believed, and Grantham later tells Carson that he is willing to give Thomas a try as valet. Bates reveals that he kept the untorn ticket in his coat as a talisman for a time. She says that she does not want to be in service for the rest of her life and often complains about her surroundings. This engagement is broken off and during the war he is injured. He also insists that Ethel cannot prove that Charlie is Major Bryant's child. Mrs Hughes has described her sister as being born "not quite right in the head" and has been privately caring for her since their mother died. Their increased companionship is suggested by showing Jimmy often with a cigarette. Thomas is quickly drawn to Jimmy, whose flirty and vague behaviour leads him to believe that Jimmy might be interested in sharing a homosexual relationship. The Dowager Countess learns of his situation and tells the doctor that William had an embarrassing skin condition in order to keep him from being drafted. Jimmy continues to be manipulated against Thomas by O'Brien, while John Bates and Elsie Hughes work to protect Thomas from the fallout. Angry, she casts Jimmy off, and Jimmy laments to Thomas that the whole venture was a waste of time and money. In series four, Anna is violently raped and Bates is confused and hurt at her attempts to push him away, as he is unaware of Anna's distress. Gordon convinces Lady Edith by relating experiences in Downton. Lady Rosamund Painswick (ne Crawley) (played by Samantha Bond) is Robert's widowed sister who lives on her own in London. In series six she married Mr Carson, but continued to be addressed as Mrs Hughes regardless. However, the same day, Matthew is killed in a car crash while driving home from the hospital. She visits him in London, and he has a cocktail party that important artists and literary figures like Virginia Woolf attend. During a conversation with Bates, Anna tells him that something in her history could stack against her in a court case. She would be canned after she tried everything to derail Tom's transition to the upstairs family. The Dowager Countess's Lady's Maid Gladys Denker takes advantage of him to go out drinking, but Thomas Barrow comes to his rescue, teaching Denker a lesson in the process. Edith inherits his publishing company and reclaims their daughter, Marigold. Series six deals with Carson's and Hughes' marriage and life as a married couple. She only gets truly emotional when her plans are foiled. Sir Herbert leaves Downton the next morning with no knowledge of the incident. She would cause trouble with the house, and she again schemed to try to connive Tom into her life again, this time, trying to trap him into marriage. The brusque, domineering and nouveau riche Carlisle is a self-made, extremely wealthy newspaper magnate from Edinburgh whose paper, with the help of Lavinia Swire, was instrumental in breaking the Marconi scandal story. She later tells Mrs Patmore that she is ready to start planning her wedding to Andy. She manages to stop the divorce that Mr Bates thought was a foregone conclusion, and he goes to London to confront her. Eventually Mary breaks off the engagement to him after the pair argue with increased frequency, and after Lord Grantham discovers the truth from Lady Grantham and advises Mary not to be unhappy with someone she does not love. After being told he would not make it, William proposes to Daisy and tells her that he wants to marry her, not just out of love, but also to secure her a widow's pension so that she would be taken care of. Edith's grandmother (and Rosamund's mother) is highly suspicious of this plan and discovers later that Edith left when she was around 34 months pregnant to give birth there. I will not post major spoilers from series 4 without warning.