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It's monsoon season at Downton Abbey, and in the midst of such tumultuous weather it seems only right that emotions are running high.
In terms of recapping what happened last episode, it must be state-the-obvious week, as everyone has congregated to tell each other what’s going on in their lives, regardless of whether or not the conversation sounds realistic. “You’re having trouble with your illegitimate child. You’re very upset about it,” etc. etc. Despite Downton’s considerable size, it seems that in rushing to give every single character a decent narrative the writers have actually run out of room.
Thomas is looking more and more ill, perhaps mere seconds away from falling face-first into the blancmange he’s serving. It must annoy him that everyone keeps telling him how awful he looks, it’s all: “Thomas you look most unwell”, “Thomas do you need to go and lie down?” “Thomas do you think you should stop injecting yourself with poison?”
Lord Grantham is off on some jaunt with his army pals, which gives the slimy Mr Bricker the chance to make his move on Cora.
Downton Abbey series 5Show all 103 1 /103Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Mr Bates and Anna behind bars
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Atticus with a prostitute
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Andy, Mr Carson, Molesley and Thomas
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Above and below stairs gather for the WWI memorial
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Atticus and Lady Rose, who wears a large engagement ring
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Lady Sinderby, Lord Sinderby and Atticus following his engagement to Lady Rose
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Lady Mary Crawley, Master George Crawley, Baxter, Cora, Countess of Grantham, Denker, Lady Edith Crawley, Mrs Hughes, Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Mrs Patmore, Tom Branson, Miss Sybbie Branson and Isobel Crawley
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Mr Carson and as Robert, Earl of Grantham at the memorial service
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Downton Abbey series 5 downton11.jpg Anna lines up as part of a police identity parade
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Mr Bates at the WWI memorial service
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Mrs Patmore and Daisy in the kitchen
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Cora, Countess of Grantham
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Lady Mary and Lady Edith looking happy together
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 Violet and Isobel Crawley talking at the ceremony
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey: Season 5 The Dowager Countess' new maid Denker chats with Mr Bates
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Edith returns from London
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Love is in the air for Lady Rose and Atticus
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Allen Leech as Tom Branson
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Isis is sick
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 The boys: Lord Merton, Tim Grey, Robert, Earl of Grantham and Atticus Aldridge
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 The girls: Lady Rose, Lady Mary and Mabel Lane Fox
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Aspiring cook Daisy, played by Sophie McShera
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Can Mabel Lane Fox (Catherine Steadman) convince Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) that she's the woman for him?
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Mary continues to look pensive. Is she any closer to deciding upon a lover?
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lord Merton (Douglas Reith) joins the Grantham family at the Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 There's a new face in the form of Lord Merton's son, Larry Grey, who is played by Charlie Anson
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lily James as Lady Rose
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 David Robb as Dr Clarkson and Robert James-Collier as Thomas
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Tensions are high between Cora and Robert after his confrontation with Simon Bricker
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 The cast of Downton Abbey indulge in some racing at a Point to Point
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery looks like she means business as Lady Mary Crawley
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Catherine Steadman as Lord Gillinghams former lover Mabel Lane Fox
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Rose and Atticus strike up a friendship in Downton Abbey series 5
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Thomas, Molesley and Mr Carson serve drinks in Downton Abbey series 5
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Robert James-Collier as under-butler Thomas
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 The Downton Abbey children, George and Sybbie play with cuddly toys
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley and Oliver/Zac Barker as Master George Crawley
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Cora, Violet and Isobel in Downton Abbey series 5
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 The Dowager Countess and her former lover Kuragin share an intimate conversation
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Rose is all smiles as she talks to Charles Blake
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Matt Barber as Lady Rose's new love interest Atticus
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery plays Lady Mary in Downton Abbey series 5 episode 5
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Underbutler Thomas Barrow in Downton Abbey series 5
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Richard E Grant plays art historian Simon Bricker
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Cora, Simon Bricker and Molesley look ominous at Downton's door
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Sophie McShera plays maid Daisy, who tries to better herself by learning maths
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Howard Ward plays Sergeant Willis
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Thomas returns downstairs to speak to Daisy in episode five
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 A sullen Lady Mary sits next to her father Robert, Earl of Grantham
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Louis Hilyer plays Inspector Vyner
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Richard E Grant as Simon Bricker and Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Catherine Steadman as Mabel Lane Fox, Julian Ovenden as Charles Blake, Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley and Samantha Bond as Lady Rosamund
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Daisy Lewis plays schoolteacher Sarah Bunting in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lord Gillingham and Lady Mary Crawley have a heated discussion in Downton Abbey series 5
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary and Samantha Bond as Lady Rosamund in Downton Abbey series 5
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Peter Egan returns as Lady Rose's father Shrimpie
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Richard E Grant flirts with Cora in the role of art historian Simon Bricker
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Mary and Robert, Earl of Grantham have a serious-looking discussion in the Downton grounds
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Mary, Robert, Earl of Grantham and Tom Branson look ready for business
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Robert James-Collier as Thomas in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Christopher Rozycki as Rostov and Rade Sherbedgia as Kuragin.
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley, Allen Leech as Tom Branson and Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham study a map
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Prince Kuragin, Isobel and Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham take a look into the past
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery dresses up to the nines as Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Rade Sherbedgia as Kuragin, Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham, Lily James as Lady Rose, Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Mary Crawley is all smiles ahead of her saucy weekend with Lord Gillingham
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Jeremy Swift as Spratt in Downton Abbey series 5
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Howard Ward as Sergeant Willis and Brendan Coyle as John Bates as the case of valet Green comes under scrutiny again
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Richard E Grant as Simon Bricker and Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham admire some artworks
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Richard E Grant as Simon Bricker and Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Simon Bricker charms Cora in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Robert, Earl of Grantham is left 'red faced and furious' when things do not go as he had planned
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Robert James-Collier as Thomas on the telephone in Downton Abbey
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Rade Sherbedgia as Kuragin and Christopher Rozycki as Rostov
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Raquel Cassidy as Baxter
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Cora, Countess of Grantham, Elizabeth McGovern) and Simon Bricker (Richard E Grant) deep in conversation
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Edith with her estranged daughter
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Socialist school teacher Sarah Bunting (Daisy Lewis) and friend of Branson, creates tension at Downton
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol) and Daisy (Sophie McShera)are wondering what the future holds amid the changing social and political landscape
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 The household appears transfixed by a gramophone...
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 ...but Carson does not look impressed.
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Mr Carson, played by Jim Butler, and Mrs Hughes (Phyllis Logan). The loyal Carson is struggling to adapt to the changing times
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Under-butler Thomas Barrow, played by Rob James-Collier. The actor has told audiences to expect a "harrowing" storyline centred around his character's sexuality
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 John and Anna Bates (Brendan Coyle and Joanne Froggatt) in the fifth series of Downton Abbey - how will their marriage hold out?
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Sophie McShera as aspirational household cook Daisy
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 For Isobel Crawley, played by Penelope Wilton, romance could be on the cards
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Elizabeth McGovern as Cora, Countess of Grantham, and Richard E Grant as Simon Bricker
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Anna Chancellor as newcomer Lady Anstruther
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) is struggling to deal with the fallout from her illegitimate pregnancy...
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 ...and can't keep away from her secret child
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Will Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) pursue a romance with Lord Gillingham (Tom Cullen)?
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Mary's stepbrother (Allen Leech) could also be in line for a new love...
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 ...in the form of socialist school teacher Sarah Bunting, played by Daisy Lewis
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Jimmy (Ed Speleers) is the subject of Lady Anstruther's infatuation
Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Harriet Walter will reprise her role as Lady Shackleton
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael) with her secret child Marigold...
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 ...and with the child's adoptive parents, Mr and Mrs Drewe
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Emma Lowndes plays the farmer's wife
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Downton Abbey series 5 Downton Abbey series 5 Richard E Grant as Simon Bricker
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Fashion-wise this episode does very well, although with the ominous, ‘he’s behind you’ sense that the Second World War is approaching, red and blue seems to be cropping up an awful lot. Perhaps it’s the fashion, but it would be nice to see Lady Mary, Lord Grantham and Sarah Bunting model something other than the British flag.
Lady Edith is devastated to learn that the couple who adopted her child are moving away. So she flounces off again. The farmer does a bit of flouncing as well this time. It’s unclear if he has a soft spot for Lady Edith or he just really loves his farm.
Lady Rose is enjoying the miserable weather because it’s led to her meeting the charming Atticus Aldridge. After telling her that he has Russian blood, a tense moment involving him and Lady Rose’s Russians reveals that his family are actually Jewish. Cue history lesson about pogroms during the revolution.
After being told a hundred times that Lord Grantham was definitely going to be away all night, Mr Bricker rocks up unannounced in Cora’s bedroom. Of course the Earl arrives home early and rightly lands a smack on his smug face. Cora tries to break up their scuffle by saying “stop” half-heartedly a few times, which is so ineffective that she might as well have stood there shouting “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT”.
The men are only interrupted when Lady Edith knocks on the door, where Cora reassures her that they’re just playing “a stupid game”. Lady Edith shuffles off again, Mr Bricker slithers back to his own room and starts packing his things, and Lord Grantham storms off to sleep on the posh equivalent of a sofa for the night. Maybe it’s the weather, but the “drama” in the series so far has been something of a damp squib.
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