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To me, the show went reasonably far in showing how World War I changed the world. Women in careers, aristocracy losing their estates and rethinking their roles in their communities, servants finding new opportunities. the broadening of society. Did it go as far as it could have? Probably not, otherwise Edith would have found a new life in London as a businesswoman instead of marrying a guy with a title.
Give it a few more years and the worldwide depression and the mounting wardrums, it would show a lot more for the Crawleys. It's on the verge of that but I think if they did go that far, we'd really want to know how they come out the other end too. One of the best ends was the second Upstairs, Downstairs, when the family moves out and the house is empty, and as they move our of view, the first air raid sirens sound for real. This isn't so much in your face, but you can see the direction they are looking.
Do we really want to know what happens a war comes again and so on....? But they are much better prepared for that time than they were for the first world war.
Well, he isn't of noble birth, so at least he won't have servants calling him "Master Bates."
Quote:
Originally Posted by fleetiebelle
Anna did say something like "we have a baby boy, John" which, since Bates was already sitting next to her, implies that she wasn't talking to Bates but about the baby.
Ok, that makes sense. I did hear her say John, but I thought she was talking to her husband.
We could also do a group rewatch and look for examples of foreshadowing, correct and incorrect, for both events and character development.
This is a great idea, particularly since I've forgotten so much!
I was trying to remember if Carson had to do any physical work -- seemed a shame for him to lose his job if he couldn't pour the wine. I always thought of him as a house/staff manager. Now I'd like to go back and see if he did help with the serving in the dining room.
It'll be awkward with Thomas being the butler and Mr. Carson being the elder statesman. I know everyone is friends now, but still, Carson will have a hard time giving up his authority. But if the dowager can give up the hospital to Cora, Carson may be able to handle it.
I guess all the other servants will have to call the new butler Mr. Barrow.
You're right in a way. Iron deficient anemia can seem benign in that lots of people walk around with it and don't know it, but it takes a toll on the body. When allowed to progress, it can be quite harmful. I know someone who didn't know she had it until she passed out. One moment she was standing up, the next she was unconscious on the pavement. She ended up in the hospital for a few days. Nowadays people can usually just pop pills and/or make dietary changes. Lots of overworked women who always seem tired have it and don't know it. According to the World Health Organization, doctors don't do a good job screening for it, especially since it is easy to diagnose and treat while in the mild stage.
ETA: One can also have iron deficiency without anemia, which won't show up on the hemoglobin test the Red Cross gives to blood donors. They'll take your blood. It won't hurt the recipient of the blood, but isn't good for the donor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge
Pernicious anemia is associated with the body not being able to produce enough red blood cells. The body lacks enough B12 to produce the red blood cells, or to actually get the red blood cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. Since the red blood cells are used to provide oxygen to the body, over time the various organs can suffer tissue damage due to the lack of oxygen, and the heart becomes over-burdened trying to circulate oxygen to the body, when the blood supply simply doesn't have enough oxygen due to the lack of red blood cells.
It would be extremely unusual for someone in Lord Merton's position to have developed pernicious anemia because one of the main sources for B12 in our diets is seafood, and particularly shellfish. Shellfish was regularly served at upper-class dinners in England. England is a sea-faring nation, and for the nobility, there were even specific seafood courses that were part of the dining experience, and seafood would have also figured in the soup courses quite often.
If the anemia were induced by poison, the removal of that poison from the diet would often result in a startling recovery, because it is the poison, not the lack of B12, that is to blame for the lack of red blood cells.
And as others have pointed out, the daughter-in-law might not be to blame. Older people are more likely to suffer from anemia, and a misdiagnosis in 1925 could have actually led to an arsenic treatment concoction that would have made Lord Merton sicker and sicker, mimicking the progress of pernicious anemia.
So it could have been a misdiagnosis. It could have been poisoning. But I really don't like that daughter-in-law. And the way she tried to control access to Lord Merton was suspicious in my opinion.
I find it fascinating when diseases and conditions are looked at from a historical context. Thank you Transplanted Peach and DC at the Ridge for the great posts!
Maybe the writers didn't do enough research but Lord Merton was a wealthy man and he ate very well and had access to lots of healthy foods. Like you said DC at the Ridge, shellfish was a regular dish for the wealthy and he would have enough B12 from just that dish in his diet. The wealthy lived longer lives than the poor because they were wealthy enough to eat well and also had access to the best in medical care. The more and more I think about it and remember how Lord Merton's daughter was behaving, the more I think if the show had more episodes, she would have been found out to be slowly poisoning her father-in-law. Why was she so angry when Isobel wanted to see him and when they try to move him out of the house, she went ballistic. If it was present day, the doctor would have run blood tests and they would have found arsenic.
The effects of pernicious anemia sound terrible and far worse than I would have imagined. It is like the parts of the body would be slowly suffocating from a lack of oxygen. Even simple anemia becomes serious if allowed to progress and there must be some point where it becomes the point of no return, probably very rare though because people usually go to the doctor before it gets to that point, but I think there are a lot of alcoholics who have anemia, too and maybe for them it could progress because they aren't taking care of themselves as they should and don't understand the symptoms when they occur. Even anorexics probably are similar in that they don't catch the symptoms and they also aren't taking in proper nutrients. Both alcoholics and anorexics are usually very malnourished.
This is a great idea, particularly since I've forgotten so much!
Thanks. I'd enjoy rewatching it. I shared my idea of what we could discuss because that's what I thought of, although I'd be happy to discuss other topics of conversation. I'm sure the discussion focus would change as the conversation evolved and as different posters come and go.
We'll see what happens! Maybe in a few weeks. Right now I don't want to interrupt the current conversation. Perhaps when it peters out...
So disappointed this wonderful show is over. I stayed up late and watched the final episode twice.
Whole shebang - including BAFTA - rerun on PBS here tomorrow at 8 p.m (plus DA finale has been uploaded to the PBS livestream channel.
If any of you missed it, BAFTA includes a short skit with the priceless Maggie Smith as The Dowager in full costume - and Hugh Bonneville as Robert - quite funny.
Does anybody know or recall why Edith (or Sybil for that matter) never had a ladies maid? It occurred to me for no particular reason - I remember seeing her packing her things when she and Mary had it out, and I never thought anything about it. Then, when she appeared at Bertie's castle in that beautiful blue dress - perfectly turned out - I wondered who helped her dress and do her hair? Mary and Cora both had personal maids - why didn't Edith...or Sybil? Was it only done for the eldest daughter, or was it a personal choice? Anyone recall?
I tell ya, now that I have no DA to look forward to on Sunday nights - I feel like I may as well just head on to bed after supper is over! ALL of my favorite shows are ending (soon anyway) and on summer hiatus - I have plenty of stuff to do around the house, but evening TV is something I look forward to. I never watch it during the daytime - only at night... Not every evening even - just my "favorites"....sigh.....
Does anybody know or recall why Edith (or Sybil for that matter) never had a ladies maid? It occurred to me for no particular reason - I remember seeing her packing her things when she and Mary had it out, and I never thought anything about it. Then, when she appeared at Bertie's castle in that beautiful blue dress - perfectly turned out - I wondered who helped her dress and do her hair? Mary and Cora both had personal maids - why didn't Edith...or Sybil? Was it only done for the eldest daughter, or was it a personal choice? Anyone recall?
I tell ya, now that I have no DA to look forward to on Sunday nights - I feel like I may as well just head on to bed after supper is over! ALL of my favorite shows are ending (soon anyway) and on summer hiatus - I have plenty of stuff to do around the house, but evening TV is something I look forward to. I never watch it during the daytime - only at night... Not every evening even - just my "favorites"....sigh.....
I don't care why they didn't/did have a maid. Does it matter at this point? Or is this more of the "mourning" period?
I am interested in a new show and looking forward to what will come next.
Does anybody know or recall why Edith (or Sybil for that matter) never had a ladies maid? It occurred to me for no particular reason - I remember seeing her packing her things when she and Mary had it out, and I never thought anything about it. Then, when she appeared at Bertie's castle in that beautiful blue dress - perfectly turned out - I wondered who helped her dress and do her hair? Mary and Cora both had personal maids - why didn't Edith...or Sybil? Was it only done for the eldest daughter, or was it a personal choice? Anyone recall?
That's a good question for the manners expert who's had several Downton specials. I wonder if it's something only the eldest daughter had? Maybe Anna helped the other daughters as needed, with dressing and hairdos? There were often other "extra" servants seen in the background… housemaids and kitchen help… but I don't remember seeing any other ladies maids.
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ALL of my favorite shows are ending (soon anyway) and on summer hiatus - 
I have plenty of stuff to do around the house, but evening TV is something I look forward to. I never watch it during the daytime - only at night... Not every evening even - just my "favorites"....sigh.....
