Sunday, March 5, 2017

End of Downton Abbey series

Zingers, especially from Tom Branson, from Seasons 5 and 6 of Downton Abbey - here and here.

Among them, Tom's talk about his marriage with Sybil (to Mary) that was one of the most inspiring:
"It may surprise you, but I agree it's important to be balanced, that one should not be far stronger than the other. I just don't think it has much to do with money or position... To all of you, she had everything and I had nothing. She was the great lady, and I the man who drove the cars, but that wasn't true for us. We were evenly matched, Sybil and I. She was strong in her beliefs, so was I. We were a marriage of equals. We were very happy."

Mary's paraphrase to Henry Talbot:
"Tom and I once talked about how marriage should be equal. It has nothing to do with position or money, simply that a couple should be equal in both strength and passion ... I believe I've met my match. I have. I'm not 20, trembling at the touch of your hand, but I know that if I leave you now I'll never be as happy as we could've been together..."

And the row Mary had with Edith, whom I am extremely glad got her happy ending as well; I never quite agreed with the way Mary ever treated Edith - to tell the truth, sometimes I feel like slapping Mary for being so vicious to Edith:
M: Going away?
E: Do you care?
M: Look, I wasn't to know you hadn't told him. It never occurred to me --
E: Just shut up! I don't know what's happened. Tom has made you feel bad, or Papa, or maybe it's just the same old Mary who wants her cake and ha'penny!
M: I never meant to --
E: Yes, you did! Who do you think you're talking to? Mama? Your maid? I know you! I know you to be a nasty, jealous, scheming bitch!
M: Now listen, you pathetic --
E: You're a bitch! Not content with ruining your own life, you're determined to ruin mine!
M: I have not ruined my life and if Bertie's put off by that, then --
E: Don't demean yourself by trying to justify your venom. Just go.
(SCOFFS)
E: And you're wrong as you so often are. Henry's perfect for you. You're just too stupid and stuck up to see it! Still at least he's got away from you. Which is something to give thanks for, I suppose!

And their reconciliation - speaks volumes of sibling bickering and rivalry, no?:
M: You know I'm sorry.
E: I assumed you would be fairly sorry unless you're actually insane.
M: I'm not insane but I am sorry, I don't know why I did it. Not really.
E: I've told you. Because you were unhappy so you wanted me to be unhappy, too. Now you're happy again, you'll be nicer... for a while.
M: If that's what you feel, then why are you here?
E: Because, in the end, you're my sister and one day, only we will remember Sybil... or Mama or Papa or Matthew or Michael or Granny or Carson or any of the others who have peopled our youth... until, at last, our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike.
M: What do you think he'd have made of it? I went to his grave to tell him, which isn't like me.
E: Matthew loved you and wanted you to be happy. I'm sure he'd be very, very pleased. In fact, I know he would. You look nice, by the way.
M: Thank you.

I am sure there are more. But somebody sensible has to put them together in one place - I couldn't find one that has a good repository of quotes from the series. Then again, that's what's about a good script, different lines appeal to different people, and even the same lines can be interpreted differently because of differences in lives.