Downton Abbey Recap: The Americans, Or Thomas, Stole The Subtext

Hello and welcome to Downton Abbey Season 3 Recaps! From now until February, I plan to guide you through the rough waters of Downton in the Roaring (maybe not roaring in England) Twenties. Because, love, and Downton, is a battlefield, at the end of each recap, I will rank the top 5 characters of the episode in a scientific manner. I will use these rankings to decide who wins the season. Please note, these recaps will be FULL OF SPOILERS, so either wait to read them until you've watched the show or, alternatively, just read them instead. Also, feel free to share your own thoughts about each episode in the comments. I won't ever judge you. We are all in this together.And now, Season 3, Episode 1.As always, we start with Laura Linney, who appears to be sporting a new outfit and a new hairdo. So much effort! Can't they give her something more exciting to say? A poem to recite maybe? Moving on.We begin in spring 1920. While Daisy hasn't aged a day, we know these are modern times because she is pushing a bike.But enough clearing of the writers' throats. We move on to what appears to be a wedding rehearsal! So it's happening! It's really happening! Matthew and Mary are going to finally, officially, fulfill their destiny! Or ARE they? There seems to be a new sort of will-they-won't-they tension and that is: will Sybil and Branson bring their underclass selves to Mary's magical wedding day? Can I suggest they do not come? Sybil and Branson have zero chemistry and honestly, I would rather they stay in Ireland, off-stage, where we can all pretend they mean something to the plot.Read the rest of this post on KQED Arts.