Tonight on PBS a new episode of their popular drama Downton Abbey airs with an all new Sunday, February 8 season 5 episode 6 called “Episode 6” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, uncover the ancient spark that flares in Violet’s [Maggie Smith] heart.
On last week’s episode we met Rose’s handsome new acquaintance and watched Bricker and Robert lose control. Did you watch last week’s episode? If you missed it we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per say the PBS synopsis “uncover the ancient spark that flares in Violet’s heart and hear Bates tell Anna the truth.”
Tonight’s Downton Abbey season 5 episode 6 is going to be great, and you won’t want to miss it. So be sure to tune in for our coverage of Downton Abbey — tonight at 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about the new season of the Downton Abbey.
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There’s a telegram for Lady Edith. Molesley delivers it to Carson who takes it in to the breakfast table. Edith opens it and seems upset. Robert goes to Cora’s room where Baxter is leaving her breakfast tray. Baxter leaves and Cora tells him that he needs to move back into their room. He says Edith is about to get bad news. Downstairs, the servants also talk about the impending bad news.
Mrs Patmore says she’s going to see the cottage again and is taking Hughes along. Hughes asks Carson to come along but he says not to force her to invite him. Mary tells Anna that Michael was a nice man but she never knew what he saw in Edith. Mary also gets word that Charles and Tony will be riding in a hunt and Mary says she may join them for the race.
Mary asks if they want to stay at Downton and Anna asks why Tony would come after she broke it off with him. Mary says he won’t take her word that they’re done. Violet tells Isobel that Shrimpy is close to finding Princess Kuragin. Isobel offers to go along when she talks to Kuragin but she says no. Denker, Violet’s new lady’s maid comes in and asks which luggage she prefers and she refers her to Spratt but the woman scoffs.
Anna tells Thomas he looks dreadful and needs a rest. Bates says he’s never looked worse but Thomas won’t hear it. Lady Mary rings for Anna. Edith sits morose at lunch and Mary asks her father when the bearer of bad news will arrive. Robert says he’ll have drawings soon for them to look at soon about renovating the homes in the village.
Mary tells them that Charles and Tony are competing this weekend and Rose says Atticus told her about it. She says they’ll be at the Grange as well and Rose and Mary make plans to go as well. Edith looks sad that they’re making merry while she’s suffering. Robert tells them he and Edith will meet with the chap alone. Bates searches the cottage and finds the book Anna hid for Mary and the birth control device.
Violet chastises Denker for having too high of standards to remain in her employ when they go see the Russian refugees. She tells her maid to wait outside. Molesley greets their visitor and Carson says it does not look good for Michael. Mrs Patmore agrees to take Carson along to see the cottage tomorrow. She then goes to invite Daisy to come along as well. She says she needs to work.
Kuragin offers tea to Violet and asks how she find him. She says Rose gave her the address but he doesn’t like her being in this part of town. She says she brought her maid. He asks why her son didn’t send her a car and she says she chose not to tell him where she was going and he reminds her they’ve had other secret assignations. She says the past is the past. She says Rose’s father may have found the Princess.
He asks if she’s alive and she says last they heard and she may be in Hong Kong. Kuragin tells her that he wanted Violet from the moment he saw her and she calls this a historical detail. He says if Irina was dead, he’d ask her to run away with him. She says there is no one to run away from. He says he still wants her now and asks why not. She says neither of them were unhappy enough to run off.
Kuragin says she thinks unhappiness in marriage is to be ill bred. She calls him Igor and admits that he knows her well. Carson gets a call from Sgt Willis and tells Hughes that he wants to come back with the man from Scotland Yard and wants to talk to Baxter. They wonder what she has to do with this. He says they’re coming back tomorrow morning and she hopes it won’t make them miss their appointment.
Robert tells Cora the man is gone but confirmed that Michael is dead at the hands of Hitler’s gang of thugs at a bierkeller putsch. He says they found his remains and Hitler has been locked up for five years but Robert says Cooms is sure he won’t serve five. He also says Edith will inherit Gregson’s business. Cora asks how Edith is taking it. He says she wasn’t surprised but was holding out hope. He says she’s gone for a walk and wants to be alone.
Edith asks to see Marigold but Tim’s wife tries to turn her away. Tim steps outside and says he’s trying to bring his wife around. Edith says she had some bad news and wanted to see her. He guesses she was right about Marigold’s father being dead. He asks for time but she says she’s running out. Thomas says the man has been dead for a year but Anna says he only died for Edith that day.
Spratt comes to see Violet and says they are having a problem with Denker. He says she wants to send all the laundry to the big house. He says she’s shouting and refusing to wash her things. She’s horrified he’s discussing this in front of Isobel. Violet apologizes but Isobel says she’s enjoying it. Isobel asks if Violet will come to the Grange and she says she invited Merton to tea. She says she’ll let her know on Saturday.
Denker comes in and says Spratt has no knowledge of the proper role of a ladies maid. Violet says they all bend to the will of Spratt but Denker says she won’t but they can talk about it later when she doesn’t have company. She leaves and Isobel says that’s why she doesn’t have a butler or a ladies maid. Anna tells Bates she may go home and read until dinner and tells him that Edith is all cut up. She says she can’t expect the household to go into mourning since he’s not family but it still hurts.
Bates is glum and she asks what’s wrong. He says he couldn’t find her button box but found some other things and tells her about the book and device he found. She asks why he was poking in her things but he says he’s the one that has the right to be angry. He says she’s told him she wants a baby but the is preventing pregnancy. Molesley brings Daisy a history book his father gave him. She starts to refuse but then takes it when Mrs Patmore prods him.
She says he’s always kind and Daisy should appreciate a kind person. Cora asks Robert what he told Bates about him sleeping in his dressing room. She says Bricker said that he wasn’t in her room by her invitation and says nothing happened. Robert says she allowed Bricker into her life and she says he was mistaken for thinking he could be part of her private life.
She says if he can tell her that he can stay away if he’s never given a woman the wrong impression or allowed a flirtation to go too far. She says otherwise, he’d better be back in her room tonight. He waits and sulks then goes back to her room. Hughes and Baxter are interviewed by the police and they ask to talk to her alone but Hughes says no. The Scotland Yard inspector threatens to return her to jail without a trial when she was let out early.
Baxter says there may have been a journey to London that no one knew about but says she can’t confirm who it was. Baxter asks how they knew she knew anything and they tell her they had a letter but won’t say who wrote it. Hughes was shocked to hear that Baxter was in prison for theft but is mollified when she tells her that her ladyship knows all about it. Hughes says they won’t speak of it again in that case.
Robert shows Cora, Tom and Mary the drawings he commissioned for the village. Tom says this won’t produce income. Cora wonders why the dog is lying about and Mary wonders if she might be pregnant but Robert says she can’t be. Mary says they should go for the cheaper option. Thomas asks Hughes where Baxter is and asks to talk to her. She follows him into another room and he asks her to come into the bathroom. She follows him in and he shows her the drugs he’s been taking.
He tells her he’s sorry and she tells him to go on. He shows her that his hip is infected and says it keeps getting worse. He says he can’t sleep and begs for her help. He says he doesn’t know what to do and she says they have to go to the doctor and show him all the medications. She tells him to meet her at the door with everything. He tells her he’s done something he shouldn’t and won’t want to help if she knows.
Baxter says she knows what he’s done and tells him to meet her in five minutes. Mary gets a radical new haircut and says her father will explode. She tips the hair stylist well. Dr Clarkson tells Baxter that Thomas was poisoning himself. He says it was saline but wasn’t pure. Thomas says he spent a lot of money on it plus electrotherapy. Clarkson asks what the purpose of the therapy was and Thomas says it was to make him more like other men.
Clarkson says no drug can do that for him. Thomas asks if he’s been taken. Clarkson says he needs to accept the burden he’s been given and make the best life for himself he can. He says false hope is not worth it. Baxter tells Thomas that he’s brave to inflict such pain on himself to achieve a goal. She says he could do anything he set his mind to and he calls her daft but smiles.
Cora tells Rose she can invite Atticus for dinner and she runs off to call him. Robert tells Cora he’s worried about Isis and may call the vet. Mrs Patmore, Carson and Hughes look over the cottage. She says she could live there when she retires. Carson says there’s an outside privy and Mrs Patmore says she could change things around when she moves in. She says she’s going to take the place.
Carson tells Hughes he envies her and asks Hughes if she’s thought of her retirement but she says she may not live to retire. Rose chats with Atticus when Mary comes in to debut her new style and Cora says it’s so modern. She introduces her to Atticus. Mary asks what Violet thinks and she says she thought it was a man in Mary’s clothes. Robert says it’s the kind of thing he expects of her.
Edith says she would expect that Mary would choose the day after she found out the man she loves is dead to try a new style and plan an outing. Cora says that’s not fair. Mary tells Edith she spoils everything and Edith apologizes to Atticus and says he may as well know what they’re like. She says she’ll have dinner in her room and storms out in tears.
Mary is unsympathetic and says she hasn’t seen him in years and already knew he was dead. Robert says she needs time alone to think. Mary says she and Rose are going anyway. Violet says there’s too much thinking and says before the war, no one thought of anything at all. Anna asks Bates why he thinks she would not want his child and he says it’s because she thinks he’s a murderer.
She asks what he’s saying and says they know how Vera died. He says not Vera, Mr Green. She cries and asks how long he’s known it was him. He says he knew from the time it happened. She says she kept saying it couldn’t have been him because he didn’t know. Bates says he wanted to kill Mr Green and was going to. He says he went into York very early and bought a return ticket to London.
But he says he never got onto the train. She asks why not and he says he knew if he saw Green, he would have killed him. Bates then tells Anna that he would hang for it and couldn’t do that to her. She says Thank God. He says when he heard what happened, it was fate. He says the ticket in his pocket proved he never traveled since he had both halves.
He says if the clerk remembers selling it to him, he’s a dead man. She smiles and says she’s happy he’s innocent. She says that may sound mad. She kisses his hand. Molesley finds Daisy in the kitchen and asks what she thinks about Mary’s hair. She says Ms Bunting said that women were being set free. She says she thought she was clever and Molesley says she is and he could help, not with math, but history.
He says his dad wanted him to be a teacher but they couldn’t afford it and had to leave school at 12. He says he’d like to help her get out of the life. Anna asks Hughes about the overcoat she gave her for the refugees. She asks if she found a ticket in the pocket. Hughes says she did find one and Anna pulls her away to talk privately. She says Bates does know it was Green but didn’t do it and the ticket would show he never went to London.
Anna says the ticket was never torn and asks if Hughes threw it out. Anna says it’s her fault, not Hughes, for giving away the proof of his innocence. At the Grange, the race is nearly ready to begin. One man is unseated but the competition continues. Carson serves Robert and the others and Tony points out where he’s riding. He sees Ms Fox and is surprised to see her there.
Cora invites her to stay the night at Downton. Mary comes over with Atticus and Rose says she’s going to cheer him on. Robert asks Mary who she will ride and she says Trumpeter. Tony asks Mabel is she’s stalking him but she shrugs him off and goes to speak to Charles. Charles says she’s off to a good start with Tony and kisses her on the cheek.
Edith is surprised to see Tom at the house and he says racing is not his thing and he has work to do. Edith tells him she’s going away but hasn’t told anyone. She says to please tell the others that her mind was made up and that she’s not hysterical. Tom asks her to wait and tell them goodbye. He asks her to tell him what’s going on but she says she can’t.
She tells him he’s a fine man and not to let them flatten it out of them. She says she’ll leave a car at the station and says she can’t stay there and be happy. She walks out. Edith comes to see Tim and his wife and says she’s Marigold’s mother. She brings her birth certificate and the woman tears it up. Edith says she has more copies. Margie says they have a note from the baby’s dying father.
Tim says he wrote it and they have no formal claim on Marigold. Margie says he’s lied and cheated as much as if he took a mistress. Edith tells Margie she’s grateful and goes for her daughter. Margie cries and tells her to wait. Edith stops and Margie hands her a little teddy bear. She gives it to Edith and says she can’t sleep without it. She tells Marigold not to be afraid and says this nice lady is her new mummy.
She pats Marigold’s hair and says they love her too. She kisses the child and then walks away. Edith takes her daughter and goes. At the races, Mary walks with Atticus to the horses and he says he hopes he doesn’t fall in front of Rose. Mabel tells Mary she’s surprised she’s not riding astride. She asks why Mary showed up looking that good and she says she can’t make it too easy on Charles.
Isobel says Mary is splendid but Violet says she’s cracked. Isobel says it’s good to do crazy things when you’re young and Violet asks what she said to Merton. She says she thinks it’s her last chance at a new adventure before she’s done. Violet says she’ll hear no more argument from her but looks distinctly unhappy that Isobel is soon to outrank her.
The race is set to begin. Mary and Mabel are in the mix and then they’re off. Mary gallops in her side saddle happily. Mabel calls out to Tony as he rides up beside her. They round the bend and the spectators cheer. Charles says Mary should have allowed Mabel to beat her but she says that’s too easy. He says Tony is nearly there with Mabel and says to stop jerking his lead.
Atticus introduces his parents to the others. Cora invites them to Downton for diner the next day and points out Violet and Isobel. Violet says things are more advanced with Atticus than she realized. Isobel says it’s not like with Catholics and Rose won’t be expected to convert. Violet asks what she’s talking about and Isobel says Atticus’ father is a leader in the Jewish community.
The family gets home and Tom says Edith has gone and she doesn’t know where. Violet asks Carson if she can take the car and sneaks out. She tells the driver to take her to the farm. Carson tells Hughes that Edith has taken off and left her car at the station. Hughes says it must have been the news from Germany. Carson asks Hughes if he can make a suggestion she may find strange.
He asks if they should invest in a property together. She asks what he means and he says they could invest in a rental property and would have some income when they retire. She flushes and tells him to go ring the dinner gong. Violet talks to Tim and Margie and he promises they won’t say anything to anyone. Tim says he has no idea where she’s gone and Violet thanks them for their time.
She leaves looking terribly sad. Edith and Marigold check into a hotel and she tips the porter. She cuddles Marigold and says they’re together. She says it’s not ideal but is better than being apart and says they’ll order champagne and ice cream to celebrate and will be as jolly as she likes.
THE END!
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