I'm a bit too stunned to write so I've been staring at the screen waiting for someone else to start.

Matthew's car accident just killed my enjoyment of the 2 hrs leading up to it. The look on his face told me 'dead' so I'm not sure why you are writing "even if Dan Stevens does leave..." Do you think there is a possibility that he isn't dead? I got used to the idea of Sybil being dead, and I didn't care much either way about William, but Matthew's departure in this way is just too much to bear. It seems too heavy handed. The whole Matthew/Mary story line was what made me keep coming back for more, although the sparks and tension ended once they married.

It seems Rose will become the replacement daughter of the house so that should be fun.

I'm disappointed that Mrs Crawley and Dr Clarkson didn't become an item. I think that would have been nice, especially considering how much trouble she caused him when she first came to Downton. There was a certain irony.

It was nice to change the setting to Scotland and finally meet the Flintshers. Did you recognize Susan as an older Elizabeth Eliot from P2, Phoebe Nicholls?

A romance for Mrs Patmore could have been fun, but the writers killed it right off when he patted the bottom of his shop assistant at the fair. Good thing Mrs Hughes was there to catch all his flirting with others. I remember Lesly Nicol saying she would like a romance in one of the extras segments of a DVD so I guess she put the idea in Jullan Fellowes head.