Bates (Brendan Coyle) is in focus as his errant wife threatens to rain scandal upon Downton Abbey. Lady Mary is forced to call in some favours and risk being in Sir Richard Carlisle’s power. The Earl (Hugh Bonneville) is somewhat out of the loop, making excuses for his wife, hearing of his daughter’s engagement through the papers and only just managing to give the say-so on a new maid to replace Ethel Parks (Amy Nuttall).
Meanwhile, the secret baby and mother are doing well. Entreaties to the father are getting nowhere and it seems that maybe Ethel isn’t the only single mother in the village. Marriage, divorce and children are becoming increasingly complicated matters in between the ravages of war. Everyone is shell-shocked by the pace of change and the breakdown of social structure. Even the revolutionary Branson (Allen Leech) is shocked to hear that the Tsar’s family were shot and craves a solid family life, whatever controversial form it may take.
Devastating news from the front brings a radical change in the future of Downton. A re-ordering of relationships means a financially secure future for one of the staff and a not so secure future for those upstairs. Violet (Maggie Smith) does her best to pull some strings, but there is little she can do in the face of so much upheaval except bully a few local inferiors. Even Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is nursing soldiers by the time the family have regrouped.
Downton Abbey Season 2 Episode 5 on airs on ITV at 9pm on 16th October 2011 for UK viewers only.
Table of Contents
Cast
- Lady Rosamund Painswick played by Samantha Bond
- Earl of Grantham, Robert played by Hugh Bonneville
- Lavinia Swire played by Zoe Boyle
- Lady Sybil Crawley played by Jessica Brown Findlay
- Lady Edith Crawley played by Laura Carmichael
- Mr Carson played by Jim Carter
- John Bates played by Brendan Coyle
- Lady Mary Crawley played by Michelle Dockery
- Molesley played by Kevin Doyle
- Vera Bates played by Maria Doyle Kennedy
- Sarah O’Brien played by Siobhan Finneran
- Anna Smith played by Joanne Froggatt
- William Mason played by Thomas Howes
- Thomas Barrow played by Rob James-Collier
- Tom Branson played by Allen Leech
- Mrs Hughes played by Phyllis Logan
- Andrew Lang played by Cal Macaninch
- Countess of Grantham, Cora played by Elizabeth McGovern
- Daisy Robinson played by Sophie McShera
- Mrs Patmore played by Lesley Nicol
- Ethel Parks played by Amy Nuttall
- Doctor Clarkson played by David Robb
- Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet played by Maggie Smith
- Matthew Crawley played by Dan Stevens
- Isobel Crawley played by Penelope Wilton
Crew
Written and created by Julian Fellowes
Executive Producers: Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes
Producer: Liz Trubridge
Line Producer: Charles Hubbard
Director: Ashley Pearce
