Downton Abbey Series 6 Episode 8 finale recap: Mary marries Henry Talbot in surprise wedding - but did it ring true?

Wedding bells, sisterly spats and attempted suicides, this episode had it all
Two marriage proposals accepted...but only one wedding!
ITV
Edwina Langley9 November 2015

Sniff sniff, sniff. Frightfully sorry, we’re just wiping away the tears because... it’s over! (Well, until Christmas anyway.) What a finale that was for Downton Abbey.

Whilst many characters stood out, the final episode belonged to Mary. She has carried the show for all these years, and so it was only right that she should take centre stage here.

But what did we think of the results?

Mary and… Henry Talbot

Henry Talbot: Mary's dream man?
ITV

What a turn-up for the books! We knew Mary fancied Henry, and that this was always a possible outcome, but declarations of love and marriage? All in one episode?!

Let’s take it from the top: at the start Mary told Anna that not hearing from the chap was (and we quote): “Exactly what I want”.

When he later turned up on her doorstep, uninvited, she reiterated: “This is so not the way to win me over.” And she was right, it wasn’t.

“If you’re trying to get rid of me, I’m going to make this as hard and as horrible as I can,” Henry said gently.

“Well, you’re being extremely unfair,” spat Mary.

Here it felt as if she just wasn’t being heard and that it was simply a case of: with enough cajoling she would eventually come round... “Nobody can believe that I know my own mind,” she cried to Anna later, but we, the audience, did believe her. We know Mary knows her own mind; it’s one of the reasons we love her.

Of course, that didn’t matter though. Because Downton and its inhabitants were intent on changing it anyway.

Henry turns up and Mary is horrified. Branson's face says it all though...

The mind-changing masterplan all started with Cora. In spite of her doubts about the match (which Mary acknowleged) she still managed to mumble: “The man’s only crime is to love you,” which was as much of an indication of her blessing as if she had personally invited him to stay. Which, randomly, she also did.

Then there was Aunt Rosamund giving her tuppance worth too: “She’s clearly quite mad about him”. (Is she really, we asked?)

BAFTA celebrates Downton Abbey

1/5

Next up, was Anna. “She loves him, but she can’t control him, that’s what frightens her,” which was such a dramatic turnaround from her views last week it even surprised her own husband.

Millionth on the list was Edith, who, in the midst of her heartbroken rage, still found the decency to tell her wicked sister: “Henry’s perfect for you.” (Come on, we eye-rolled.)

Let’s not even start with Branson and his relentless attempts at persuasion…

Granny returns from holiday... and the matter is settled
ITV

And finally we arrived at Granny, the Dowager – who abandoned her holiday to travel across the world to tell Mary she “believed in love”. That was all very touching, but a bit out of character perhaps? Unfortunately though, the 'out of character-ness' didn't stop there...

Mary would be married – with 10 minutes of the episode left to go! Henry was summoned, and (contrary to Anna's belief in his so-called ‘strength’) came running – the lamb! They met in the library for the ‘marriage acceptance’ scene.

Now, let us briefly cast our minds back to Christmas 2011, and that proposal scene. There was snow, there was Matthew, there was Mary in her ballgown, excitedly instructing: “Say it properly… kneel down and everything…”.

Cross-reference that with what happened in the sitting room – Henry on one side, Mary on the other, and her matter-of-fact: “We are in love with each other… I’m not sure why I fought it, but I’ve stopped fighting it now” – and what springs to mind? Anti-climax, that's what! Where was the romance?

Similarly, wasn't it a bit convenient her fears of becoming a ‘racing widow’ had magically disappeared?

Perhaps, but no matter, because the magic was just getting started...

Quick as a flash Henry conjured up a rabbit out of a hat. No sorry, a marriage license – ta daa! Then it was ‘abracadabra’ and an Uncle Bishop emerged, on standby to do the wedding. Then there was a flash – POW! – and in the blink of an eye it was all over. Mary was married! And we were supposed to be thrilled, because she had apparently married the man we had envisaged for her all along.

It all felt just a bit quick and (dare we whisper) not as romantic as we had hoped it would be.

Which takes us neatly to the next point...

Mary and… Tom Branson

What a couple they would have made...
ITV

Now there’s a match of passion! What heat we saw between them...

“Don’t lie, not to me!” he bellowed in one of their many set-tos. “Listen to yourself… You’re not a princess in ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’!”

“You don’t want to understand me!” she roared back. What anger! What electricity! What a pair they would have made! (However unlikely.)

Mary and… Edith

The sisterly show down – at last! Whilst we could think of far worse things to call Mary than a “nasty, jealous, scheming b****”, we were impressed with what Edith came up with nonetheless.

For scuppering Edith's chances of happiness – ‘accidentally’ telling Bertie Hexham about the lovechild Marigold – was one (huge) step too far.

What we would have really loved was some hair pulling as well and maybe even a pinch (or a slap). But anyway, as Edith said, they “had the row we all knew was coming”, and it made for excellent television.

“You’re a B****!” Edith repeated. And we heard the trumpets sound.

Mary and… Thomas Barrow

An interesting parallel was drawn here – between Mary and the “suicidal footman in the attic” (as Carson so tactfully put it). We had never connected them before, but we’re glad – in this last episode – we did.

Our notes on the matter: ‘THOMAS! RUN BAXTER! Phew, phew, PHEW! Not dead

Yes, the footman did what we feared he might and tried to kill himself. “What future?” he asked early on. “Silly old me…” The signs were all there.

Well done Baxter for following your instincts, rushing back to the house to bash the bathroom door down, and discover behind it, the ghostly figure of Thomas, lying pale and white in that bath of bloody red…

It's a huge relief that he survived - thank you Julian Fellowes (and Lord Grantham for deciding to keep him on). Our faith is restored.

Patmore scandal

Patmore and the paparazzi
ITV

For some light relief, Mrs Patmore and the house of “ill repute” shebang, really made us chuckle.

Our favourite bits included: Patmore getting ‘papped’, that “daft apeth” comment, and Aunt Rosamund’s depiction of poor old Beryl as a “bawdy house madam”.

Finally, to Edith…

How we cried!
ITV

Oh Edith. How we wept for her! Hasn’t she been through enough?!

Our excitement at learning Bertie Pelham (now Hexham) was to be elevated to Marquess - which would in turn ensure Edith “outranked” them all (specifically, the ‘bullying b****’ Mary) - filled our hearts with utter joy. It was absolutely a “golly gumdrops” moment as Lord Grantham demonstrated (though we would have loved a thigh-slap too, for emphasis).

Then there was that chat on the bench, and later in the hallway, where Edith hinted at her ‘unworthiness’ but faithful Bertie continued to reiterate his love all the same.

And then it all went up in smoke - and so suddenly too - when he left her after finding out about Marigold. The outcome was just too great a sorrow for us to bear.

What a spineless fool Bertie turned out to be. We take back anything nice we’ve ever said about him.

The children play by Sybil's gravestone
ITV

Not even the final shot of Edith watching her beloved child rushing around the graveyard, gave us comfort that this was – in any way – a satisfactory outcome for her. Which means we have our fingers firmly crossed she finally gets what she deserves (a decent partner!) in the very last episode this Christmas.

Until then, we wait in hope.

Follow Edwina Langley on Twitter @EdwinaLangley

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