Monday, February 6, 2012

Downton, episode 3. Who killed Mrs. Bates?

I'm feeling powerful. I ended my last post by saying someone should kill Mrs. Bates and they listenSed to me. So whodunit? My guess is Bates didn't do it but he'll be arrested for murder and they'll come up with the real murderer at the last minute. What do you think?

And what about Patrick's reappearance? Is it really him or his friend Peter Gordon who gleaned all the info on the family from him? Several things that were no realistic on this--if he'd been fished from the ocean after Titanic, he'd have been speaking with an upper class British accent. People would know immediately that he was not a Canadian and be able to trace him fairly easily. As to the Canadian accent now--you do not change your accent so completely once you're an adult. I've lived in California for years and still sound completely British.

And another thing: I come from an old family and I wear the family crest on my signet ring. So do all the other family members. Patrick would have worn a similar ring, I'm sure. So unless it slipped from his finger in the cold water, they'd have identified him by his crest instantly.

So sorry, Patrick, you're an imposter. (and if he's not, then it's bad writing)

Loved Maggie Smith being able to trick Matthew's mum into leaving Downton alone. The middle class just don't get the whole stately home thing, I'm afraid.
I've decided I have to have a delicious dowager in my next Georgie book!

So what do you think about Patrick and Mrs. Bates?

51 comments:

  1. But I wonder about the business with the middle sister. She loved him, evidently, and he knew that. And yet he was engaged to the older sister. Scandalous. Is that something that would have been shared by two men? I just don't know. But I think you're spot on with Mrs. Bates.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to see you write a "delicious dowager" in one of your books! Maggie Smith is brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree. Patrick is a fake. He played Lady Edith well and she also, unwittingly, supplied useful information to him. Not only is he a fake, he's borderline mental if we're to believe his rather harsh burst of anger. I'm sure this will come back as a possible plot line further down the road. Oh, the peril Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary could be in for!

    Good riddance to Mrs. Bates! It couldn't have happened to a more deserving vile woman. What are the chances O'Brien was involved? She was given enough close-ups with her donning pensive expressions whenever Mrs. Bates was brought up. Surely she wasn't having a moment of conscience?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I thought the Patrick person was basically begging them to belive him. Thats what made me think that he was in fact a fake.Although I do like the actresss who played Mrs Bates I am glad to see her go as well. Cant wait to see her in the Titanic series. I can not wait to read about your Delious dowager in your next book!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dowagers are necessary to any British story. Can't wait to see how you spin it. I think she should be connected to Darcy - just sayin.

    I like to think O'Brien is having a moment of conscience. What do you think of Shirley MacLaine being signed to play the American grandma to the girls?? Hope that's not a spoiler, they made a big announcement. Can't wait to see her scenes with Maggie Smith!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Patrick" is a fake, was prompting poor Edith, left when she told him that the lawyers were going to find Patrick's friend Peter Gordon. I wonder if Mrs. Bates might have committed suicide but staged it to implicate her husband (yes, i write murder mysteries!). and none of you mentioned the thrilling - literally - moment when Carson is pushing Matthew's chair, but I'm not going to repeat it.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,

      I did!!! I had a feeling anyway, that Matthew is going to regain feeling in his legs! He MUST end up with Mary!!! Those two are perfect for each other. ;)

      Delete
  7. I didn't anticipate "Patrick's" reappearance. Rhys pointed out all the reasons he is a fake. Glad Mrs. Bates is dead, sorry Mr. B will arrested, etc.

    What about Matthew's hint of recovery? No surprise there -- just wondering who he'll finally marry.

    Rhys, you definitely need a "delicious dowager"! We can imagine her sounding just like Maggie Smith. :)

    Cathy AJ from Michigan

    ReplyDelete
  8. I agree! A fake, but possibly a sympathetic fake. So many details didn't add up.
    I'm all for another delicious dowager, too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mrs. Bates was "taken out" by Sir Richard!! He's ruthless and wouldn't trust Vera to keep her mouth shut so he had it permanently shut. Which will cleanly button up the Lady Mary/Sir Richard engagement storyline thus leaving her eligible for Matthew! Lavinia who?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree totally. I think it will be found that Vera was going to let the cat out of the bag and Sir Richard had her mouth permanently shut. Keep in mind this was before Mary gave him the shaft, or he wouldn't have been so accommodating!

      Delete
  10. I also saw the demise of Mrs. Bates coming, agree w Anon. that Sir Richard is the culprit. I also agree that the 'heir' is an imposter; your reasoning is great, Reys, the accent would not be lost because of amnesia. I also caught that Matthew is getting feeling back in his legs and possibly will walk again. Happy ending!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Matthew will walk again and Matthew and Mary will ultimately be together (that's my opinion, anyway). I think Sir Richard had something to do with Vera Bates' death - both vile and vindictive people but Richard had the upper hand with that one. Lavinia? Too delicate for the Crawley dynasty - something is likely to happen to her as well to clear the path for a Mary-Matthew story continuance. Patrick - too fake to consider as serious . . . or is he??

    ReplyDelete
  12. I kept thinking, someone is going to murder Mrs. Bates also!!! It was really strange to see my prediction come true! I don't think that Mr. Bates is capable of murder either. Mrs. Bates hung out with unsavory people so someone must've had it in for her! I'm sure Mr. Bates wasn't the only one she had tried to black mail before. I'm thinking the same thing as Rhys, that Mr. Bates will be arrested for her murder & at the last minute he will be saved by some new evidence. As for Patrick, I don't believe it's him either. Even if he suffered from amnesia, he wouldn't loose his accent or his upper class mannerisms! If you look at anyone who has suffered from amnesia there are certain things that they will always retain. He probably knew the real heir & is getting flash backs of what was told to him, therefore assuming that it is a true memory of his & not someone elses! I'm glad he left.
    As for Matthew's mother, I'm glad she was tricked in to leaving!!! LOL! She is just TOO pushy, to suit me so I'm glad they are rid of her!!! Hahaha!
    Now, I definately want Mary & Matthew to get married. I have a feeling that he will regain the feeling in his legs, because if anyone noticed, at the end of the show he felt something, but didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I HATE Richard, I really think he's an EVIL man!! Mary & Matthew belong together, don't you guys think so? Downton Abbey has to have some happily ever after endings!!! Hahaha! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. True, I didn't like that burst of anger that "Patrick" displayed, either!!! I was thinking there is something seriously wrong with him when he started screaming & slamming his fist down! :( I can't believe that Edith fell for that line! She's a bit naive in some things.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Patrick is a fake--noteworthy slip when Edyth says something about Patrick loving Mary and 'Patrick' says, 'yes, he did, I did.' Vile man.
    Mrs. Bates was knocked off by the newspaper man (Sir Richard?) because he knew better than to trust her. But, he'll not let go of Mary . . . poor Matthew better hold on to Lavinia, even though Mary foolishly didn't go for it when she had the chance.
    Dowagers, especially Dame Maggie, are fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I gave in and purchased Season Two on Blu-Ray Tuesday. Watched Part 7 & 8 Tuesday night (LOVED THEM!!)with the Christmas show waiting for Wednesday evening. Downton Abbey is television crack and I'm a total crack whore. Can't wait for Season Three. Pass me the pipe.

    ReplyDelete
  16. who has noticed the sparks between the Earl and housemaid Jane??

    ReplyDelete
  17. Who killed Mrs. Bates? It's obvious. Sir Richard, the scandal sheet publisher. He certainly had a motive. If Mrs. Bates reneged on her agreement and threatened to go to another publisher with her information about Mary and the "Turk", Sir Richard would then not be able to marry Mary. Also, he had the opportunity. Remember he returned to Downton Abbey late with the flimsy excuse of an auto accident. His motive is even stronger than Bates'. Sir Richard's acceptance into the ranks of the aristocracy depends entirely upon his ability to marry well. If Sir Richard didn't do it, then he certainly is one of the prime suspects.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I agree with you about Bates. I think he will be arrested for murder, too. From the looks of Vera’s body lying on the floor with the broken tea set, it looks like she struggled with someone. Or maybe she was drinking tea and plotting, and a blood vessel burst inside her head.

    It could have been O’Brien. She overheard Anna and Bates talking and got the “I’ll take care of her” look on her face. Lord Grantham got the same “I will fix this problem” look, too. Maybe Lord Grantham hired someone to off Vera?

    So, Matthew is beginning to get feeling in his legs? Hmmm, that was a fast recovery! But we knew that was going to happen. I think Matthew will save Mary from the horrid Carlisle. Boy, that Carlisle is a trouble maker. Stealing Carson away from Downton. And what about telling Mary she has to obey him and never cross her or he will ruin her?

    I, too, think Patrick is an imposter. If it is the real Patrick, he gave up too easily without a fight. I bet we haven’t seen the last of him. I think that his return was poor writing, sort of a lame part of the story. Saying he was never fingerprinted. And leaving so quickly.

    I love how the servants were asked their opinion, and they wouldn’t give an answer. They would only pledge their loyalty to their employer and would not affirm their opinions and feelings. That made me laugh.

    I cannot wait for the next espisode.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm going to go against the tide here, and say I think Bates has probably one good thing going for him, and that's going to be an ironclad alibi. Think about it. He's a servant in a big house - when did he have time to slip off and shoot that woman? Servants don't get a lot of private time, he's bound to have been in sight of someone most of the time in question. However, Sir Richard looks good for that murder. And it would get him out of the way for Mary and Matthew, assuming Matthew's legs decide to work again, and Patrick turns out to be a fake.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I believe Thomas set him up. He knew where to get things on the black market. No one cared if he came or went. And he has the most to profit from Mr. Bates' removal from the house.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I was hoping that Mrs. Bates would kill Sir Richard and then go to prison herself, thus freeing everyone from their undesirable presence.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I think O'Brien killed Mrs Bates. She's the one who listened in on Bates being bullied by the Mrs. O'Brien is harboring some secrets that have yet come out - me thinks.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Patrick was a fake and I think Carlisle hired somebody to kill Mrs. Bates.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I think that Sir Richard did it or, more likely, had it done. His part will come to light when Branson, now working in a paper in Dublin, will come across the person hired to do it. He will expose Sir Richard and then be fully in the family's graces.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom - I think you have it. I also think Sir Richard was responsible in some way. You're brilliant to think of Branson uncovering something through his newspaper work. If that's not where the plot is going, you need to write it yourself.

      Delete
  25. I think it was Mosley. He's in love with Anna and wants to be Lord Grantham's valet. If he can get Mr. Bates convicted then hes able to get both. And with Mrs. Crawley away he has lots of time to do it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't think about your angle. That is quite possible however they haven't focused much on him. Can't wait till the new season starts in Sept.

      Delete
  26. Carlisle had something to do with Mrs Bates murder to get rid of the scandal that might consume Mary and make him look bad. Sybils husband may have something to do with finding this out as well. Patrick was a fake but why didn't he try harder with Edith on his side. Maggie Smith the grand dam is wonderful and says exactly what we would like to say.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Since the season finale, I have been suspecting Thomas and O'Brien. O'Brien told Thomas upon his arrival to run the Downton Abbey convalensce home, "here's your chance to be the boss over Bates". Thomas schemed very well to stay employed at Downton after his failed black market food stuff adventure. Thomas wants to be Lord Granthum's valet so bad that he may be willing to do anything to get the job. Being a footman was okay but Thomas wanted to climb the ranks at lightening speed. Then there is the O'Brien effect in Thomas' life. Thomas has been O'Brien's puppet or her partner in plots against servants and masters of the Abbey. After Lady Granthum's near death from Spanish flu, O'Brien's conscious has turned her into a fiercly protective ladies's maid. She would do anything to keep Vera from destroying Lady Granthum's name and family reputation.

    My second guess is Carlisle. He wanted Lady Mary for a trophy wife and to add to his wealth. Keeping Mary's secret safe was the only way to trap Mary into a loveless marriage. No doubt Carlisle would of had multiple affairs thinking he had the key to the box Lady Mary would of had to live in. He would hold over her head forever that she was "damaged goods" and should be grateful for his rescue.

    I wish the writers would give Lady Edith a spine. She is at war with Lady Mary only because of Edith's lack of self confidence.

    For me, Anna is the #2 star in the series only second to The Dowager. Mr. Bates was destined to be a MAIN character in the Downton Abbey saga, as he was the very first character viewers saw in season 1, episode 1. I have loved him since the Larkrise to Candleford series.

    There is 9 months until season #3 airs in the U.S. The waiting is agony.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think your first idea is right, O'Brien killed Mrs Bates! The only thing I would point out is that Cora because sick with influenza after Mrs Bate's death. After she was responsible for murdering Lady Crawley's fetus she became fiercely loyal to Cora and defensive of the family. She sent a letter to Mrs Bates that would cause trouble for Mr Bates but as she told Thomas in the stair well she didn't realize it would affect the household, she just wanted to cause problems for Mr Bates. Thomas said he didn't care.
      When we first met Mrs Bates she was sipping on Lord Crawley's tea and remarked on how much she liked it and did he have it blended especially for Downton? The last time Mr Bates sees Mrs B alive he's talking to Anna and telling her how bad it was, as they walk away the camera pans back to O'Brien, who looks worried and wondering. She already had Mrs. B's address (she'd sent her the letter) and she could've easily incorporated poison into a loose leaf tea. O'Brien had motive, she wouldn't see Downton torn down and she has ability, we've seen how devious she is and poison is a woman's weapon!

      Delete
  28. She killed herself to frame her husband. Common guys...hasn't anyone read Sherlock Holmes' "The Problem of Thor Bridge?"

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm on the O'Brien train, myself. Her loyalty to Cora since the miscarriage has been nothing short of creepy

    ReplyDelete
  30. why would obryan kill mr bates, and anyhoe, he is threatening the guy sharing his cell now!

    ReplyDelete
  31. wonderful street fashion web site names http://casinogamesonlinee.blogspot.com best online casino

    ReplyDelete