What is there to not like about it?!

Debbie, when I saw you posted this I squeeed with delight the same way I did when Cora read Sybil's letter saying she was pregnant! How much of a crazy fan am I?!

I think I will surely go through some withdrawl waiting for the next season to start. By the way, Sunday was the last episode of season 2. Not sure what extras the dvd has (probably the bits that were unfortunately left on the cutting room floor by PBS...heaven forbid they allow us to see the whole show the way it airs in the UK) but there shouldn't be any sort of season 3 spoilers since it hasn't been filmed yet. (Though I have heard that Shirley MacLaine is going to join the cast as Cora's mother - can you imagine the barbs she will trade with Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess?!)

I love Anna and Bates (and after a near cry I breathed a sigh of relief on that one, I don't know about you); I love Sybil and Branson (started to think that was never actually going to happen; I just wish they showed their wedding); and I'm so relieved Mary isn't going to marry Richard and finally she and Matthew are together. And of course, who doesn't love Violet's one liners - though cousin Isobel got a good one in on her with the nutcracker gift.

I could go on forever about this show - as you can probably guess I am a little obsessed - but it's just so good both as a period piece and as a serial drama. Even the "bad" characters have some redeeming qualities. It's had so many moving moments and I love a show that can make me laugh and cry in one episode.

Ah Tess, I'm with you. I didn't know that last Sunday was the last episode of the season! That is why they showed Matthew and Mary getting engaged! Wow, only 7 episodes in a season, that seems weird, but I didn't count the first season.

Hey, what do you think was up with the Ouija board? That last scene I was thinking that maybe the dead wife of Bates was trying to communicate, but it didn't make sense. I was hoping it would tell them who really killed her, but that would be too si-fi ish for Downton Abbey.

Oh, by the way, I did cry when they first sentenced Bates! I am such a cry baby, I get too caught up i them. I was so relieved when he got his sentence changed to Life instead of hanging.

I can't believe Shirley McClain might be on there next season! That is interesting. Okay, which one is Cora? I am terrible at remembering names.

I just found out about this show and ordered the first session on dvd.

Debbie, I think the first season was shown in 4 installments that were about 2 hours apiece and this season we got as 7 episodes varying from 1 to 2 hours. The seasons were longer when the show was on in the UK that much I do know, but generally speaking UK shows run much shorter seasons than US shows do (like 13 episodes is a long season to them) which is why it is considered a mini-series here.

I think the Ouija board contact in the end was Lavinia with the whole let them be happy thing and then Matthew finally getting over his "we can never be together" thing after Lavina gave up on fighting because she realized he didn't love her the way he still loved Mary and that Mary still loved him too. She wanted them to be happy together and thought without her around there would be nothing left to stand in their way and I think she was the one "communicating", especially since it coincided with the engagement.

I'm thinking that Vera Bates actually killed herself. She probably thought that if she made it look suspicious, they would immediately suspect her estranged husband and she'd in essence take him down with her just as she had been trying. I was really worried they were going to hang him for it since they seemed to be setting up for his and Anna's love story to have a bitter end. I'm glad they didn't go that route though.

Not only did his sentencing make me cry, but I was crying over William too. Even though we knew his fate it was still really sad; though I am glad Daisy went along with things like Mrs. Pattmore told her to so he could die happy and peacefully. I like the new father/daughter relationship Daisy has with William's father too. While we don't know much about her background other than her mention of not having her parents around, I get the impression that she came to Dowton as maybe an orphaned child and was in essence raised by Mrs. Pattmore and the rest of the staff (you figure, the show began in 1912 in season 1 and ended season 2 in 1920 so it's plausible Daisy was a young teen when the show began much like Lady Sybil and was still learning the ropes and doing the grunt work). I wonder whether they will continue to show them connecting.

Shirly MacLaine will definitely be on. It's a done deal. Cora is Lady Grantham (played by Elizabeth McGovern), wife of Robert Crawley and mother of Lady Mary, Lady Edith, and Lady Sybil. I was thinking up till Matthew's proposal that they were going to work Cora's mother in by having Mary go to stay with her in NY but obviously that's not going to be it. Guess she's just coming for a stay maybe to attend Mary's wedding and/or see her first great grandchild...and of course mix it up with the Dowager Countess.

Vchen, I hope we have not given away too much here and anything we may have spoiled is still enjoyable for you. It is truly a great show.

I too love the show,and I am not ashamed to admit it,I love dramas.
just worried when Ms McClain arrives She will involve everyone in crystal healing now that would fill theold big house with " energy" or should that be spirit? I just hope Mary returns too When Shes on the screen it works wonders for my B.P!!

Haven't heard much on what ol' Shirley's going to be doing onscreen other than her character's connection so who knows if they'll work her real life interests into it. I'd hope not though because then it's more like Shirley's being herself and not a character and that wouldn't be all that fun.

I've read that Matt Milne of the movie Warhorse will also be joining the cast next season as a new footman. Stands to reason since they have none left with Thomas having been promoted to Valet - at least until the hopeful return of Mr. Bates.

Speaking of Mr. Bates, does anyone else find it weird that Anna still calls him Mr. Bates even though she's married to him now? Shouldn't she be on a first name basis with him at this point?

Don't worry Jacob, Mary's going nowhere. I would bet that much of next season will be about planning her wedding to Matthew and whatever other possible obstacles they can come up with since they surely won't make things any easier for them just because they are getting married. I hope they also make sure to get Sybil and Branson (or should we now say Tom?) in with the expected grandchild, and let poor Lady Edith have a chance to find someone too. Poor girl gets no love!

Tes, it does seem odd that Anna keeps calling him Mr. Bates. It's like it is some sort of honor of something. I noticed that Cora also does this with her husband at times. I don't think Mr. Bates wife killed herself, though. She was just too feisty, and I don't think she would give up the fight to keep him from getting divorced. I think she made someone else mad at her. She was a lier, mean and had a temper. I bet it got her in hot water with the wrong person. I almost wonder if she pushed Richard too far and he hired someone to off her.

Boy, Shirley must be getting up there in age...do you know how old she is now?

I haven't seen War Horse yet, so I am not familiar with Matt Milne.

I missed the first series, but totally enjoyed the second, and I look forward to the third. The castle is magical..I wonder what life was like there long ago. Each actor played their parts so well, and I loved all the fashions. This series was a treat for me.

Love the series!

glad Mary,s coming back,feeling better alread,Anna bumped off Bates,s wife,she loves Him so much She would do anything for Him,He knew it was Her so He was content to suffer in Her place!!! maybe Shirley
will come in as the Mother of the Lady of the Big House? just see if She wears a necklace of crystals!!
Up till recently a wife calling Her husband Mr or Dad was common in many places. the Lord is well in
with the legal eagles so after awile Bates will receive a Royal Pardon and the exercise people will catch up with the Valet for dealing on the black market,so Bates can yet again get His old job back!!
o.k o.k I am just guessing! if anyone wants any background information to "The Abbey" happy to share it
love you all

Jacob, Anna couldn't have done it because she was never out of the house alone for long enough of a period of time to have done it. It was at least made to look like Bates did it because he asked for the day to travel to see her to "discuss" the fact that she pulled back from her agreement to the divorce and he was going to persuade her, then suddenly not long after he returned she was found dead. I could buy Richard being involved, seeing how he was keeping the secret for Mary and paid Vera off to keep her mouth shut on Mary's behalf...he also came across as someone with questionable morals so he could've seen her as disposable and also the possible murder wrap on Bates being something else he could hold over Mary and her family as something he was keeping out of the papers. It's just as likely that Vera annoyed someone else too and they went after her as well. Or it really was an accident. Wonder if they will ever actually mention it once they presumably release Bates.

Shirley most definitely will be playing Cora Crawley's mother. Remember, Cora is an American Aristocrat so her mother will be probably coming for a long awaited visit, maybe for Mary's wedding or to see Sybil's baby, and surely to make many mentions of how Cora's family money was what kept the Crawley's in Downton and verbally spar with Maggie Smith's Countess Dowager.

True that many women did refer to their husbands not necessarily by their first name just because they were married (I would have to assume "Dad" would've only been used in cases where the couple had children though). Though I still find it odd. And Cora only tends to refer to her husband as Mr. in the company of others; when they are alone she does call him Robert. I would think when Anna is alone with Bates, like on their wedding night, she would be able to call him John and it wouldn't be out of turn. He doesn't seem to be the blowhard type that would have an issue with her using his first name in the privacy of their shared bed.

I don't think Thomas will be having any more fall out from the black market issue since he never was actually able to sell anything once Ms. Pattmore realized the items were cut with non-edible items and they were useless. He never made money off of that exchange since she said she wanted to see how good the goods were first before she made any deal with him. He destroyed it all so nothing was ever sold.

One thing that never was respoled that I wonder if they will revisit it was the guy claiming to be Patrick Crawley, the original heir. I kind of wonder whether he might show up again next season prior to Mary and Matthew's wedding with some more "proof" of who he is and the family is torn whether to push Mary to be with Patrick instead (like maybe Cora's mother wants her to marry Patrick so the family money tied into the estate stays within the family at least while the rest of the family supports Matthew and want her to still marry him since they are in love and such...?)...Or maybe Edith will finally find someone when Patrick returns and she won't know what to do since she seemed to love him and he preferred her as well...? It's probably the biggest unanswered question of last season so I wonder if they will go back to it...unless someone has seen the scenes that were deleted from the US version that were in the UK version - maybe they did resolve it but we never saw that here...? Anyone know?

ARRRR! NOT ONE SOUL WALKED A PLANK! NOT ONE HEARTY SWING OF A CUTLASS REMOVED SOME REDCOAT'S HEAD!

NO BOOTY TAKEN! NO GROG DRUNK! AND FER THE CURL O' ME WHISKERS, WHO'S THIS "MISTER BATES?" DID I HEAR IT RIGHT?

A LITTLE JIGGERY IN THE POKERY? ARRRRRRR!!! GROG, ME LADS!!!!

Casting FYI - I just read about two more new additions to the cast: actressCara Theobald will play a new kitchen maid named Ivy and actress Lucille Sharp will be playing new ladies' maid Miss Reid. This brings new castings for season 3 to 4, including the previous announcements of Matt Milne playing new footman Alfred and Shirley MacLaine playing Martha Levinson, Cora Crawley's mother.

Since Anna has been serving as the ladies' maid for the girls and Mrs. O'Brien serves as Cora's ladies' maid, I wonder how the new one fits in - will it mean that either Anna or Mrs. O'Brien gets demoted or fired or quits? And what does a new kitchen maid mean for Daisy? Will she get promoted or choose to leave to help Mr. Mason with the farm?

I cannot believe we have to wait a whole year to find out!!! (Well, till the end of the year for spoilers at least, since that's when it will air in the UK).

Heads up, Downton fans! Producers of the show have revealed a few details about the upcoming season that is currently being filmed:

- There will be a birth (I would presume this is in reference to Sybil's pregnancy that was revealed in the last ep)
- There will be a death of a major character (start speculating!)
- Matthew and Mary will get married
- Lady Grantham's mother will arrive to help the cash strapped Crawley family
- The Dowager Countess and Lady Grantham's mother will have some delicious verbal sparring

No word on how large of a time span the next season will be...but I can't imagine them advancing too far compared to the last two seasons given the fact that eventually they will have to start to age everyone with makeup and that might get a bit crazy.

On the major character death...I have read that most of the cast has signed on for a fourth season already save for Maggie Smith (Dowager Countess Violet Crawley), Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley), and Jessica Brown-Findlay (Sybil Crawley Branson). If Maggie Smith passes on another season then they could say Violet passed due to old age but that's hardly exciting tv, not to mention a lot of people would miss her one liners. I could see them killing Sybill off in childbirth if she is the one not returning - and I have recently read that she has signed on to do a movie so it's possible she has decided to leave. I think Matthew might be the hardest to write off since he's integral to the main story but he's been talking about wanting to do some different type of roles too so who knows...I would bet it's most likely one of them though that's being written out because they opted to not sign on for another season.