Here you go dalyn! ;-)

For one brief shining moment, JF succeeded in lulling me into a false sense of security. Surely they wouldn't kill two in one season in childbirth? Everyone seemed to make it home in one piece. Anna and Bates are blissful (annoying). Thomas gets the bejeebers kicked out of him but finds a tenuous truce with James (good man). Mrs. Patmore dodges a bullet (hilariously). Daisy and Ivy seem to be friends now (!?!). Bates seems to have found a new daughter to coddle (sweet). Edith doesn't give a hoo-haw what her family thinks (since when?). Lord Gratham has a change of heart AND an heir (conveniently).

Aaaand then the fast cuts began: fade to Matthew blissfully driving along with the wind whipping his hair, cut to Lord Grantham happy that they finally have an heir, cut to Matthew blissfully driving along with the sun shining off his blonde locks, cut to Lord Gantham conveniently having learned his lesson, cut to lorry, cut to Matthew, lorry, Matthew, lorry, Matthew, Matthew, Matthew. It didn't build the tension for me. It deflated it.

Still - lazy writing if you ask me. I do not believe that once a member of The Family wants to leave, it means death. There are ways. I am sure there is a whole culture of fan fiction-dom that I will not be reading that will explore other possibilities. Sybil's death was handled very well and had something to say about time period and character. Matthew was for nothing more than shock, awe, and, oh, look he didn't want to sign another contract.

Anyway, more power to Dan Stevens. He is leaving at precisely the right time both for his and the programme's future. I do believe that that character and relationship to Mary has been taken as far as it could go. I just didn't feel the chemistry between those two actors and I hope Mary becomes much more interesting again.