Downton Abbey Recap: Mary and Matthew Go to the Chapel—but Did They Get Married?

Season three premiere debuts guest star Shirley MacLaine

By Christina Dowling Jan 07, 2013 4:00 AMTags
Downton Abbey, ScenePBS

Oh happy day! Downton Abbey finally made it's way across the pond and onto our U.S. TV screens. The supersized two-hour episode brought back all our favorites—upstairs and down—plus some brand new members of the family to obsess over. Including Cora's (Elizabeth McGovern) American mother, played by Shirley MacLaine.

Between weddings, scandal, heartbreak and the possibility of losing Downton forever, season three promises some big drama—and that's just in the first episode!

WHAT WE LEARNED

Cold Feet: Praise the TV Gods! Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew (Dan Stevens) are finally married! After two seasons of will-they-wont-they drama—including a world war—those two crazy kids finally make it official. But of course it wouldn't be Downton if there weren't a few pre-wedding jitters. This time their arguments are about money. Matthew might have the possibility of saving Downton from financial ruin, but still feels the guilt of Lavinia's death and refuses to accept her father's money. We are still waiting for our one ridiculous inheritance, let alone two. 

Irish Rebels: Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) has always been the revolutionary in the Crawley family, but the scandal she has caused by running off with the chauffeur is bigger than harem pants. Robert (Hugh Bonneville) is relieved at first that a pregnant Sybil and her husband won't be making the trip back to Downton, but that relief is short-lived when an anonymous benefactor sends them the fare. Thanks to the Dowager Countess' generosity, Tom Branson (Allen Leech) can fight the good fight against oppressive morning coats, but most importantly he manages to save Mary and Matthew's wedding day.

Frenemies: Once BFF's, Thomas (Rob James-Collier) and O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) are now waging war below stairs. Trust us, no good can come from these former friends at odds. O'Brien is all about helping her nephew, Alfred, rise in the ranks, but Thomas doesn't like that much. Of course war is declared between them. We'd bet that stealing shirts and burning tails will look like child's play in comparison to what happens this season. 

The Other Big House: Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) continues to waste away in jail while his devoted wife Anna (Joanne Froggatt) searches for a way to get him out. First step is to track down all of the first Mrs. Bates' "friends" and see if she was actually suicidal. Let's not be too judgmental, Anna needs to have a hobby too.  

Strapped for Cash: Remember that fortune of Cora's that played such an important role in season one? Well it's a non-issue now, because of some bad investments (let's blame Robert), most of it's gone. Wah-wah. But really it could be very bad if Downton has to be sold. Perhaps the show shouldn't have been named after the house. 

The Middle Sister: Poor Edith (Laura Carmichael), always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Her father almost ruined her chances to marry Sir Anthony Strallan (Robert Bathurst) when he ran him out of the house for being old with a bum arm. But Edith is determined to marry him and brings up some good points about him being more suitable than Sybil's choice in husband. 

American Revolution: Highly anticipated guest star, Shirley MacLaine, blew into Downton like a Nor'easter. With her radical American ideas, like an impromptu picnic, Mary and the Dowager Countess have their work cut out for them to try to convince her to hand over some cash to save the estate. Alas, the rest of her money is tied up and she can only offer a place to crash in Newport.

ONE-LINERS

  • "I shall make sure he behaves normally because I shall hold his hand on the radiator until he does." —Dowager Countess
  • "You're too tall to be a footman." —Carson
  • "Oh dear, have you swallowed a dictionary?" —Mrs. Patmore
  • "I don't agree. It's feeble. He should will himself not to be ill and then collapse the next day." —Mary
  • "You wont be happy with anyone else while Lady Mary walks the earth." —Tom to Matthew
  • "Do you think I might have a drink? Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were a waiter." —Violet to Robert

Are you so happy Mary and Matthew are finally married? Can there be a Downton Abbey without the big house? Will Edith get her happily ever after? Tell us what you thought of the season premiere in the comments!

Downton Abbey OMG Moments!