We had to wait until the very last scene of Season 2 of Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey to get the most satisfyingly romantic moment of the entire series so far. Matthew finally proposes to Mary. Matthew and Mary had been through so much: her stubbornness and sordid past; his engagement to Lavinia; her troubled relationship with Mr. Carlisle that was based on blackmail; his time off at war and his subsequent bout with paralysis. There was also the tremendous guilt they both felt for sharing a romantic moment while Matthew was still engaged to Lavinia. And then, of course, there was Lavinia’s (all too convenient) death. While the list of reasons why they couldn’t be together kept multiplying, that didn’t stop their love from growing and enduring. It doesn’t matter how long both Mary and Matthew lived in the land of denial, we all knew they were meant to be together. And in this Christmas special, they made it official. First, Matthew had to get over that ridiculous vow he made to the memory of Lavinia. He felt he and Mary didn’t deserve to be happy since they were too selfish to resist that kiss in Part 6. As for Lady Crawley, she had to get rid of the awful Mr. Carlisle. There was no love there. She simply tried to tolerate him and he treated her like another one of his possessions. No different from one of the papers he owns.
A fabulous scene that paved the way for Mary’s freedom was when her father confronted her about her reasons for staying engaged to Mr. Carlisle. Cora had told him the truth about that fateful night when the Turkish diplomat died in Mary’s bed. I was so happy to hear Lord Grantham tell his daughter to forget about the effects the scandal would have on their family. He knew she needed to get out of the relationship. She could even travel to America and to her grandmother to wait the scandal out. Mary decided that’s what she was going to do.
The night of the Servants Ball was when the Moment of Goodness happened. Mary went outside to stand in the cold and be with her thoughts. Matthew found her and you just knew something magical was going to happen when he said: “Would you stay if I asked you to?” That’s when I got a big smile on my face and it never went away until the Downton Abbey show title page dissolved onto the screen. But first, Mary needed to know if Matthew had forgiven her lustful indiscretion with the Turkish diplomat:
Mary: “You mean you’ve forgiven me?”
Matthew: “No I haven’t forgiven you.”
Mary: “Well, then…”
Matthew: “I haven’t forgiven you because…I don’t believe you need my forgiveness. You’ve lived your life. And I’ve lived mine. And now it’s time we live them together.”
Mary: “We’ve been on the edge of this so many times, Matthew. Please don’t take me there again unless you’re sure.”
Matthew: “I am sure.”
Mary: “And your vows to the memory of Lavinia?”
Matthew: “I was wrong. I…I don’t think she wants us to be sad. She was someone who never caused a moment of sorrow in her whole life.”
Mary: “I agree.”
Matthew: “Then will you?”
Mary: “You must say it properly. I won’t answer unless…you kneel down and everything.”
Matthew: “Lady Mary Crawley. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Mary: “Yes!”
What a joyous and romantic scene that unfolded, right? It was snowing and beautiful and a wonderful kiss followed Mary’s acceptance of Matthew’s proposal. They broke apart for a few seconds and then he picked her up and spinned her around. I’m just going to live in the moment and not think about what’s going to come next for this couple. For the time being Mary and Matthew are perfectly happy. They are soulmates who finally got it right. It took them long enough but they finally got it right. Great ending to this part of the Downton Abbey saga. As far as I’m concerned, it made up for many of the flaws of this season. As soon as that proposal happened, I was in a happiness haze. Now I cannot wait for Season 3.
Related posts
Classics
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From on EPIX Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks EPIX’s From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People, which US audiences still have not been able…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
Avery Konrad Talks About Sara’s Struggle in From “Silhouettes”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Over the course of the season so far on From, we’ve witnessed Sara’s battle against the voices telling her to to do terrible things, and tonight we saw her unravel further, threatening the Matthews and lashing out in a moment of terror with horrifying results….
Hannah Cheramy Talks From “Choosing Day”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight, on EPIX’s From, the Matthews participate in the show’s version of the sorting hat, choosing where to call home–the town or Colony House. At the end of the episode, Julie makes the decision to split from her family and instead settle in with Fatima…
Ricky He Talks From “The Way Things Are Now”
[Warning: Spoilers for episode 102 of EPIX’s From.] Epix’s new series From is two episodes in and it’s already laying the groundwork for a seriously spooky season. Tonight’s episode demonstrated the careful balance of relief and horror that the show hits, with our characters’ worst fears realized, just not when…
Catching Up with Ted Lasso and Previewing Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] The not so dirty little secret about how I approach a new series is that I sometimes make a call based on the headspace I’m in at the time. It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a show after the first season and then binge…
Interview: Henri Esteve on Grown-ish Season 3
An interview with Henri Esteve, who plays Javi on Freeform’s Grown-ish. He talks about his season three experience.
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…