Edith Made a Bold Decision on the Latest 'Downton Abbey'

LONDON — We're winding down here at Downton Abbey and in the Episode 6 of this season, at least one character reach a turning point while other storylines moved toward resolution.
The character in question is Edith, who gets some news and goes through a variety of emotions trying to figure what her next move.
SEE ALSO: 'Downton Abbey' Episode 5 Recap: A Night for Fights
Meanwhile, quite a few ladies are sorting out their love life or dealing with a love from the past. (We're looking at you, Violet.)
There are also signs that Downton is moving toward a more modern era, as a couple of quite modern and potentially scandalous matters are touched upon, resulting in some great scenes and powerful performances. And there is still the mystery of Mr. Green’s death ...

Love is in the air

The Dowager Countess and Prince Kuragin share an intense scene that reveals quite a lot about their past. In fact, her furtive visit to his very modest place is not their "first secret assignation," it turns out.
At one point, Dowager Countess is taken aback by the man's very direct words.
"I wanted you from the moment I first saw you," he says. "More than any mortal man ever wanted a woman." Quite the declaration. Or better, quite the reminder of how it was when they met and of what could have been.
The Dowager Countess tries to play it cool, but it's hard to do so as he declares his love and suggests they run away together if his missing wife turns out to be dead.
We shall just have to wait and see if this is the end of it or whether the Prince will come back.
Elsewhere, cousin Isobel seems to have made up her mind about Lord Merton's proposal and Rose's connection with Atticus seems to grow and flourish. The latter pair seems like a nice match and the family, including Violet, is pleased with him. That is, until granny finds out he is Jewish: "There's always something, isn't there?"
The same can be said for Earl and Cora, who are still not on solid ground after the "Bricker incident." Though, Cora eventually takes the upper hand in the situation, pointing out in her sly way that Robert is no angel himself.
Cora 1, Robert 0. Marriage saved?
As for Lady Mary, she never ceases to surprise. While still dealing with Mr. Blake and Lord Gillingham, she is feeling rather frumpy and gets a brand new haircut: a bob. She does so just to remind them of what they are missing. We wouldn't expect anything less from you Mary, would we?

News from Downstairs

Since his condition is deteriorating, Thomas finally seeks Baxter's help. He reveals that he's undergone electric shocks, taken pills and had injections "to make me more like other people — other men."
As sneaky and manipulative as we've come to believe Thomas to be, this scene revealed the struggle he's been desperately trying to hide and showed a vulnerable — even desperate — side of him.
Dr. Clarkson's reference to Thomas's homosexuality as a "burden" reflect quite well how at that time even a decent man as the doctor could be intolerant when it came to this matter, finally quipping that, "harsh reality is always better than false hope."
Also downstairs: Carson — seeing how Mrs. Patmore is investing and thinking about her future — makes a business proposal to Mrs. Hughes. He wants to invest in a property together, and though he bills it as a "business venture," we know this is quite a bold move for someone so conservative.
The smile on her face as he leaves the room also speaks volumes.
After Mr. Bates finds Lady Mary's infamous book and the "piece of equipment" (read: contraception) that Anna had hidden at their cottage, he suspects his wife has been trying to avoid getting pregnant all along. And the confrontation that follows is quite tearful, as they both have been hiding pieces of information about Mr. Green to protect each other.
The good news is that Mr. Bates is innocent. He has nothing to do with the death of Lord Gillingham’s butler. The bad news is that the ticket to London that would prove his innocence is gone.
And the investigation is still ongoing.

Edith's choice

The episode opens and closes with Edith in two very different states of mind.
She gets the devastating confirmation that Mr. Gregson was killed by a gang in Germany and descends into utter despair. Lady Mary is unsympathetic as ever, and this contributes to her sense of loneliness and isolation.
The loss, however, seemingly also lights a fire in Edith, who decides to take the matter of her daughter into her own hands. As everyone is away socializing, she gets ready to leave Downton for good. And it seems not even Tom can do anything about it. "I can't stay, not if I'm ever going to be happy at all," declares a very determined Edith.
With an equally desperate and brave act, Edith confesses to Mrs. Drew the truth about her daughter and then runs away with Marigold promising her that, "We'll be as jolly as you like."
Certainly she will have to face more obstacles, but seeing a smile on Edith’s face is quite new and refreshing. At last!
Is this the last we’ve seen of her this season?
What did you think of the episode? Tell us in the comments.
Dani Botti is a freelance writer based in London, England whose work has appeared on English and Italian websites, including gossipandgab.com, 2night.it, and tvseries.co.uk. While her main professional joy remains covering U.S. television shows, she's also an experienced movie reviewer and on-the-ground reporter, covering film and telefilm festivals.