Now we'll move from upstairs to downstairs. There is much moving and shaking down here as well. Please be aware there are spoilers ahead.
Since the servants have no idea that Lord Grantham has lost Cora's fortune, they can't understand why they aren't working with a full staff. Again, we see Fellowes taking that main problem revealed in the first episode and showing how it impacts the entire household. The staff is trying to prepare for Matthew and Mary's wedding day, but having a tough time of it. When Mr. Carson asks his lordship for more help, he is flatly refused.
O'Brien, however, does manage to get her nephew, Alfred, installed as the new footman by pleading with her ladyship, who persuades Lord Grantham. And here is where the next major plot--in my opinion--comes from. When Bates was imprisoned for the murder of his ex-wife Vera, Thomas Barrow took over as Lord Grantham's valet. Everyone is certain, however, that Bates will be exonerated and return to Downton Abbey, meaning Thomas will be demoted. By bringing Alfred to Downton, O'Brien, Barrow's only friend and conspirator, creates a rival for Thomas, and he's destined not to lose. O'Brien isn't about the be bested either, and works her evil magic throughout the servants' quarters for the rest of the season with disastrous results.
Downstairs this season should be called the Season of Unrequited Love. Daisy is attracted to Alfred. Alfred is attracted to Ivy (a new hire once the money issues are solved), and Ivy likes James (Jimmy), another new footman. Thomas also likes Jimmy, and thanks to O'Brien's meddling, he believes Jimmy feels the same way. Being gay during this time period, however, was very dangerous. It was a crime. Believing O'Brien's lies leads Thomas to approach Jimmy while he's sleeping. When he awakens to find Thomas kissing him, Jimmy freaks out and threatens to go to the police if Thomas isn't let go without a reference (you can thank O'Brien for that idea, too).
Thomas plays an increased role in Season 3. We see a softer side to this villain when he cries over Lady Sybil's death. Though he rarely shares much about his life with the others, he admits to Anna (Mary's lady's maid and Bates's wife) that Lady Sybil was one of the few people who was ever kind to him.
A year passes between the episode where Thomas is caught kissing Jimmy and the final episode. Viewers are left to wonder what has transpired between Jimmy, Thomas, and Alfred--who witnessed Thomas's advances--during that time. We see in the final episode that Jimmy is still uncomfortable around Thomas, who ended up with a promotion to under butler after the dust settled. And in this final episode, Fellowes does something brilliant: he makes Thomas a hero of sorts.
Jimmy has always been too cocky for his own good. When the fair comes to town, Mr. Carson lets the servants take time off while the family is away on holiday in Scotland, to attend. Jimmy bets on the tug of war race, and when the Downton team wins, he ends up making a tidy sum, which he stupidly flaunts all over the place. Getting quite drunk, Jimmy wanders off where he is accosted by two men intent on robbing him. Thomas had been following Jimmy. He ends up taking the beating meant for Jimmy, who runs off. In a moving discussion, Jimmy visits Thomas in his room some time after the beating and asks him why he did it. "You know why," says Thomas. He admits to following him because he was afraid he might get into trouble. Jimmy is impressed with Thomas's bravery and agrees they might try to be friends.
The coming changes are perhaps seen best through the eyes of Daisy and her father-in-law, Mr. Mason. Though her husband William died in the war, Daisy has remained close to Mr. Mason. She visits the farm upon occasion. During one visit, Mr. Mason suggests she leave Downton Abbey and come live with him, learning how to run the farm, which he intends to pass on to her. He tells her that the days of the big houses are ending and she won't be working in service forever.
We see growth and changes in Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes, Anna, and Mrs. Patmore during Season 3, too. We see how Lady Sybil's death affects Mr. Carson, who had known Sybil her entire life. Mrs. Hughes has a health scare, invests in a new invention called the toaster, and grows closer to Mr. Carson. Mrs. Patmore is courted for the first time in many years. Anna, who is separated from her husband, Bates, for most of the season, works hard to see him freed from prison.
Fellowes wrote many moving and brilliant scenes in Season 3. And though there were some disappointments along the way, overall, he has proven himself capable of carrying on such a grand endeavor as Downton Abbey.
They are already filming Season 4. I follow this blog for spoilers and photos. I hope that despite the actors who left after their three-year contracts were up, the new characters and those that continue to be part of this stellar period drama will keep viewers watching.
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