Tonight on PBS a new episode of their popular drama Downton Abbey airs with an all new Sunday January 18 season 5 episode three called “Episode 3” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode we’ll be seeing Mary [Michelle Dockery] and Lord Gillingham along with Bates [Brendan Coyle] facing trials.
On last week’s episode, Rose plotted to bring a radio into the house; Sarah tutored Daisy; an art historian arrived; and Anna [Joanne Froggatt] made an embarrassing purchase on Mary’s behalf. Did you watch last week’s episode? If you missed it we have a full and recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per say the PBS synopsis, “see the trials faced by Mary and Lord Gillingham, and Bates as well.”
Tonight’s Downton Abbey season 5 episode 3 is going to be great, and you won’t want to miss it. So be sure to tune in for our coverage of Downton Abbey — tonight at 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about the new season of the Downton Abbey.
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Mary and Tony lie in bed post-coital and he asks how she slept. She says it hasn’t taken her long to get used to sharing her bed again. There’s a knock at the door with her breakfast and she sends Tony back to his room and allows the maid in. She tells her she can manage and the woman leaves. Tony comes back in and she tells him she won’t share. He says he ordered something. He says he’s studying her habits so he can acclimate himself to how her routines will govern the rest of his life.
He asks if she really needs to leave today and she says she does. She says it’s a miracle they haven’t been found out yet and he says they’ll be down the aisle soon. She says she won’t be tarnished again and says it must be announced and executed properly. There’s a knock at his door and he kisses her and goes to get his breakfast. She looks thoughtful. Daisy tells them that Sarah says she has a gift for learning. She sees Mrs Patmore is fretting over a letter and asks what it is but she goes quiet.
Cora says Bricker wants to show them a painting in the National Gallery. Robert says she should go. Tom says they have an intriguing proposition from a man in Leeds but Robert won’t let him talk about it until Mary is back. Rose is on a train to York to check on her Russians. Tom and Edith leaves – he’s giving her a ride to the Drews. Tom asks to use the phone and Carson says not to make it a habit. He’s further annoyed when Tom asks for privacy for the call.
He leaves with his tea and Tom makes a call in response to an advertisement in the paper. Mary and Tom part with a kiss on the cheek. Spratt, Violet’s butler, is in Liverpool, standing across the street, and is staring and shocked. Violet asks Isobel how her again Romeo is doing. She says she hasn’t heard from him. Isobel then asks where Spratt is since he didn’t answer the door. She says he’s in Liverpool for the wedding of a family member.
Isobel says it’s odd to think of Spratt with a private life and Violet agrees that it’s unlikely and inconvenient. Isobel reminds her that servants are people too and Violet says – preferably only on their days off. The police investigator is back to talk to Carson and says the witness, a girl, heard Green saying to someone – why have you come? She then saw the man fall into the road. The cop says she reported it because the phrase haunted her.
The policeman says Green complained to Lord Gillingham about a disagreement at Downton. Carson says he remembers Green was acting up and in high spirits while he was at Downton. Cora says Isobel was asking about her travels and Edith asks to see Mary’s sketches. Tom tells her that a builder wants to put in 50 houses on Pip’s Corner. Robert says he won’t have 50 ugly modern houses built over a field of his even though it’s a good deal. The grandkids come in and the conversation is over.
Edith looks at them sadly. Carson talks to Hughes about the Green investigation. Molesley says Thomas has a phone call and Carson tells him to find it. Mrs Patmore tells Hughes she’s had a letter from her sister, Archie’s mum. She says they’re putting up their own memorial to the war heroes. She says the locals will expect to see Archie’s name among the rest but the committee won’t put his name on the list because the war office says he’s not worthy.
Mrs Patmore says it makes his death nothing at all. Hughes asks what she can do and Mrs Patmore says if they could get him on the local memorial, it would help. She asks her to talk to Carson since everyone knows she can twist him around her finger. Hughes says everyone is wrong but Mrs Patmore begs her to help. Spratt serves Violet and she asks about the wedding. He says it was a success and takes tone. She says to spit it out if he has something to say.
He says it may not be quite right for him to tell. She says then not to say it. He says it may not be his to tell, but it is hers in a way. She tells him not to test her and to impart it the information or go. He says he hopes Lady Mary enjoyed her time in Liverpool. He says he saw her leaving the Grand Hotel with Lord Gillingham and says they both had suitcases and were leaving. Violet acts as if she knew and says it was a conference of Northern land owners.
She says of course she knew about it and asks him what he imagined he was witnessing. She says she hopes it was nothing beneath the dignity of a butler of this house. He is startled and she asks him to let her drink her brandy in peace. He goes and she looks very disturbed. Anna talks to Hughes and she asks if they think it was Bates that was in London. Hughes says they have no reason to support that he had anything to do with it even if he was in London.
Anna says they’ll find out about what Green did to her but Hughes says only the two of them and Mary know what happened. Anna is not comforted and says they’ll find out somehow. Rose wants to bring the Russians to visit and they agree. Cora is going to see Bricker at the National Gallery in London. Edith says she’s watching Marigold and Rose is taking the Russians to the Moors. Mary gets a call from Violet. Robert says they have some Russian things there they could see.
He asks what his mother wanted from Mary and she says she asked her to tea. Carson asks why he needed the phone and Thomas says his father is ill and he needs to see him in the morning. Baxter says she hopes he’s well and says she may not want to be his spy but says her father was kind to her. Thomas says he never was kind to him. Bates asks Anna out for an evening and she asks if he ever thinks about going somewhere that no one knows them. Then she says she’s being silly.
Daisy talks about her lessons. Baxter gets Cora settled for bed and she asks her ladyship if she’s terminating her. Cora says she thinks she’s come to a decision. Cora says tomorrow she must tell her the missing element of her story. Robert asks Mary if she’s ready for her trip and she says she’s looking forward to it. She asks if he ever thinks about the war and how busy and useful they were. She asks about the houses at Pips Corner and he says not to trouble herself.
Anna asks Mary about her trip and if she’s set a date. Mary says there’s no hurry and asks her to hide the contraceptive in the cottage. She asks her to take it and the book and secret it away. Anna agrees but says she thinks she’s aiding and abetting sin. Mary asks her about the local bobby and the witness. Anna says the witness heard her speak to someone before he died. She says Green told people that he was treated badly at Downton.
Anna says they have to be on their guard. She says she’s sure Bates doesn’t know what he did to her and Mary says if there was evidence against Bates, they would have found it by now. Bates and Anna are dressing to go and he asks what she has. She says it’s something of Lady Mary’s she wants her to keep but she won’t say more. Hughes asks Carson about getting Archie’s name on the memorial. Carson says he’s sorry for Archie and his family but asks if it’s fair to put a coward’s name on there.
Carson says it says their sacrifice was the same as the man who abandoned his duty and ran for it. He says they can’t make less of the gift those men gave when they died. She leaves him. Baxter is helping to pack Cora’s things into the car and tells Molesley that her ladyship is demanding the rest of her story. He asks what she’ll do and she says she doesn’t know. She says there is a story but she wants it buried after. Molesley advises her to set her own conditions on the telling of it.
Hughes gives Mrs Patmore the bad news and that she doesn’t think Carson will relent. He walks up on them and Carson says he’s not unsympathetic. Daisy asks what’s wrong and Hughes says she’s had bad news. Daisy asks Carson if she can sit an examination. He says he’s not convinced this extra work is necessary for her place in the scheme of things. Hughes tells her to go as far in life as God and luck allow. Robert insists on surprising Cora in London. He asks Bates to pack him a bag.
The bobby is back and says Green mentioned Bates by name – saying the valet. He asks to talk to Bates and Carson agrees. Spratt lets Mary into the parlor and says he trusts she enjoyed herself in Liverpool. She’s stunned but then Violet is there and bails her out. Mary tells Violet she knows it’s shocking to someone of her generation. Violet says it’s shocking to most people in 1924. She asks if there could be any unwanted consequences and Mary says she’s quite sure.
Violet says it’s a nice kettle of fish and if there’s a proposal. Mary says Tony already proposed and wants to set the date. Violet says she doesn’t approve but it does put thing in a different light. She asks when they’ll announce and Mary says she’s not sure. Violet says if she was seduced by a man, she wouldn’t let grass go. Mary says she wasn’t seduced. Violet argues. Mary asks if a woman couldn’t go to bed with him of her own free well.
Violet says not if she’s the daughter of an Earl. Spratt comes in with tea and asks if she enjoyed her conference and Mary says (to vex her grandmother) that she learned a great deal she never knew before. He leaves and Violet gives her a harried look. Cora tells Baxter she accepts her condition. Baxter tells her there was a footman named Peter Coyle who was handsome but cruel. She says she didn’t see it then but he was nasty and made her nasty and she embraced it.
Baxter says he handed in his notice and talked her into stealing the jewels and meeting her later to run away. He ran of and didn’t meet her. She says she was ashamed of how she let him change her. Cora says she should tell the police but Baxter says she won’t dredge it back up and says he’ll never have a happy day because he’s a terrible man. The bobby asks Bates what he did in York. He says he mailed a letter, went to a shoe shop, had a drink then caught the train home.
He says he had a sandwich in a pub but he can’t remember where. The bobby says he has enough. Anna is lurking outside but the bobby comforts her and says it’s all routine. Anna asks Bates why Green would say things about him. Bates says he never liked him and he supposed he never liked him. Anna asks why he would invent a quarrel and Bates says it’s like he was expecting trouble from Bates and started it first. Anna agrees.
Bricker and Cora are at the National Gallery and he’s talking art with her. He tells her that her observations are very sharp. He tells her that this painting may have been related to the one at Downton. She says she’s amazed that he painted it at the end of his life and says she’d like to be remembered centuries after her death but no one will likely remember her once her body is cold. He says otherwise and she says she’s taking up too much of his time.
Bricker says he’s enjoying himself. Mrs Drew comes home with her son from the dentist and is disturbed that Edith and Marigold are not at the house. She runs around yelling for them and then runs outside. She finds them outside the garden with Tim. She gets short with her then snatches her daughter from her arms. Edith offers to stay and help but she says no. Edith offers to come tomorrow and then leaves.
Margie tells Tim she can’t take it anymore and says Edith may be lonely but she can’t have their daughter. He tells her to think what Edith could do for Margie. She accuses he and Edith of having some sort of dalliance and he gets angry and stomps away. Cora can’t get in touch with her dinner hostess and Bricker insists she have dinner with him instead. She says she probably shouldn’t but well. He promises to have her home at a reasonable hour.
Hughes talks to Mary about the visiting cop. They wonder if Carson noticed this and she says if he does notice, he wouldn’t say something but someone that works with the clueless cop might. After dinner, Bricker walks Cora back to Rosamund’s. She talks about London scaring her when she first arrived from America. She says she was from new money and it smoothed their way and her mother thought she’d make a better match across the pond.
Bricker says she was probably the prettiest one there. Cora smiles and says she had a lot of names on her dance card. He asks her to walk on around the square and talk more about herself. Cora says a night out on the town really isn’t something she’s used to. He asks if they can do it again. She says she doubts it but says the offer is a compliment. She walks in and is pleased to see Robert. He says he came to give her a treat only to find she’s out with another man.
She says it wasn’t wrong to have dinner with Bricker to discuss paintings. He says he finds it unlikely that an art expert cared about her opinions on paintings. She tells him she’s going to bed. She says he has every right to say what he’s thinking but she’s obviously had enough and walks off. Tom asks Mary if Edith seems distracted. He says she always seems to be thinking of something else. She says he’s like that too. He says it can be hard to know what to do and says you may hurt people.
She says she knows what he means and he asks if that’s about Tony. She says she’s not sure. He says he thought she’d settled but Mary says now she’s unsettled and that’s the first time she’s said it out loud. Tom asks what he’s gone wrong and she says they spent time together and she realized they didn’t have much in common. He asks when they spent time together and asks if it was her so-called sketching trip and says he never believed it.
She says she thinks her judgment of him was clouded by some romanticism but she’s over it. He says he’ll back her up if she backs him. She asks if he’s talking about Sarah or the move to America. He says he’s not sure and then maybe both. Mary says that’s asking a lot and says she’s not keen on Sarah and can’t bear the thought of him leaving. She says she loves him and he says then she has to support him. She reluctantly agrees.
Isobel asks Violet to come along on the Russian outing since she’s the only one who’s actually been there. Violet says she hasn’t kept up with anyone from there. Robert and Cora make it back for London. Rose is happy they’re back before the Russians arrive. He asks about the Russian artifacts at Downton and is happy to hear they were rooted out. He speaks to Mrs Patmore then notices she’s glum. He asks what it is and Carson says it’s a matter underneath his lordship’s notice.
Rose frets that there’s not enough lemon. Mary is surprised to see Tony there and asks what’s going on. Mary says there are Russians coming from tea. Isobel and Violet are there as well. Tony says he came to make some plans with her. Mary pulls Violet aside. Tony tells Isobel she’s kind and he thanks her. Rose goes down to the kitchen and Daisy has to slice lemons but then Sarah is there to tutor Daisy. Rose asks her to stay for tea.
Violet asks Mary if Tony’s arrival means she’s going to make it public. Mary says she won’t be rushed by her or Tony. Violet asks why she went to bed with him and says, in her day, a lady was incapable of feeling physical attraction until she’d been instructed to do so by her mother. Mary laughs and says she doesn’t believe it. Violet tells her to get control of her feelings before they take control of her. She walks away from Mary.
Cora tells Baxter she thought a lot about what she told her and she thinks she should report Mr Coyle but it won’t make a difference. She tells Baxter she can stay and Baxter thanks her effusively. Robert makes pleasant small talk and asks if she saw what they brought out for the Russians. She asks if it matters since he places no value on her opinions. He says he was just cross that she was out. She says he’s allowed to be cross but not unjust and walks away from him.
Anna tells Edith that Mr Drew asked for her. She goes to the back door in a panic. He says Marigold is fine, but it’s Margie. He says she has to stay away, not forever, but for now. She’s distraught. She heads back upstairs in tears and rushes past a concerned Hughes and Anna. The Russians are there and one chats up Sarah. Robert asks Cora why she’s there and she says Rose asked her to join them. She asks why he’s irritated.
The Russian is absolutely horrified by what Sarah has said about the czar. He demands to Rose that they take them away. Cora stops him and insists he looks at the artifacts from the wedding of the Czar and from Grand Duchess Maria. Robert tells Tom to keep Sarah under control. They take the Russians to see them. They are all crying over the artifacts and Robert says he thought they’d be happy to see them. Violet says they are but it’s just their way.
Cora asks why Violet was in Russian and she says they went to St Petersburg for the wedding. Rose asks if it was splendid and Violet says she has no idea. She recounts some of the antics. Violet comes to look at some of the pieces and she says she wondered what happened to that fan. She says it was given to her at a ball at the Winter Palace. She says the room were hot and she was in a pale blue gown trimmed with silver lace.
An older man steps forward and says he gave her the fan and she hid it in her purse in case Lord Grantham would be angry. Violet is stunned. He says he couldn’t resist the temptation to see her. Robert asks if they met in Russian. She introduces him as Prince Kuragin. She asks after his wife and he says he doesn’t know her fate. Rose smooths it over and says they should go have some more tea. Mary tells Tony and Isobel that Granny has a past and says it’s a good thing her children were already born at that point or they could spin all sorts of fairy tales.
Anna asks Hughes how it’s going and she says the Russians are being emotional. Mary walks Violet out and she tells her granddaughter her friendship with the Prince was respectable. Mary says she now knows that Violet understands her predicament far better than she let on. Violet gets into the car with Isobel who tosses her own words back at her and asks if she’s made plans to see her admirer again. Violet pointedly ignores her.
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