'Downton Abbey' Recap: Season 3 Episode 5

Downton Abbey airs Sundays at 9:00 pm and is available to stream by WTTW Passport members. Recap the previous episode.
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As the mourners depart from Downton Abbey after Sybil’s funeral, it’s clear that the family remains shellshocked by the loss. Cora is still icy toward Robert, Violet and Isobel are in solidarity for once, and nobody knows what to say or do to help Tom. Isobel thinks that holding a luncheon for Cora, Mary, and Edith at her home might cheer them up. Ethel eagerly offers to cook, but Isobel, confronted with yet another inedible meal, tactfully informs her that a decision can be made about that later. Later, Cora and her daughters agree to attend, and Violet invites herself as well.

Anna worries that Mrs. Bartlett won’t cooperate with the Vera Bates murder investigation and that, even if she does, her evidence won’t be enough to clear Bates. Meanwhile, Robert proposes moving back into Cora’s bed. But it’s a no-go – Cora won’t be forgiving him anytime soon, since he “blocked the last chance they had” to prevent Sybil’s death.

The next morning at breakfast, Robert gets more unpleasant news: Tom has no intention of staying at Downton with their baby and will likely take her to Liverpool; he has decided to name her Sybil; and worse, from the family’s point of view, he intends to have her christened a Catholic. Robert reacts badly, leaving in a fury as Edith and Matthew gape at Tom. Out on the grounds, a furious Robert tries to get Mary on his side, managing to slur both Catholics and the Irish. But having promised Sybil that she would “fight her corner,” Mary is in total disagreement. Robert doesn’t get much sympathy from Violet either; but she is alarmed about Tom’s plans to take baby Sybil away, and by the fissure in Robert and Cora’s marriage. 

Robert invites the Reverend Travis to dinner, hoping the clergyman can persuade Tom to baptize little Sybil an Anglican. This ploy backfires big time, because not only does the rest of the family stick up for Tom, but Mary reveals what Sybil privately told her on the day she died: that she and Tom planned for their child to be Catholic. Tom is deeply touched; Robert and Travis are appalled.

In the village, Ethel flags down Mrs. Patmore, who is deeply uncomfortable being seen publicly with her. Ethel, wanting to make Isobel’s luncheon a success, begs for cooking advice and recipe suggestions. Against her better judgement and despite Carson’s moratorium against anyone going near Crawley House while Ethel is associated with it, Mrs. Patmore reluctantly agrees. Isobel, unaware of this arrangement and worried the luncheon will turn out badly, insists that Ethel keep it simple.

In the prison exercise yard, Crooked Prison Guard and the thug Craig imply to Bates that “something has gone awry” with the efforts to prove Bates’s innocence. Slyly, they won’t reveal more, but Bates learns the answer when the Crawleys’ solicitor Murray visits Mrs. Bartlett: She shares a very different story from the one she told Anna. Obviously she has been influenced by Bates’ enemies. Learning of this, Bates suspects she was bribed and he knows who did it.

Later in the prison exercise yard, Bates pulls Craig behind a pillar. Holding a knife to Craig’s throat, Bates threatens to lie to the governor that Craig and Crooked Prison Guard are dealing drugs and trying to get Bates to sell them. “You’ll stay here five years longer,” he warns Craig, if he doesn’t get Mrs. Bartlett to tell the truth.

Back in Downton’s kitchen, Daisy is still at war with Ivy as she observes both Alfred and Jimmy flirting outrageously with her. (For those keeping score at home: Daisy has a crush on Alfred, who has a crush on Ivy, who has a crush on Jimmy, who has a crush on nobody but himself.) Meanwhile, Mrs. Patmore slips away to help Ethel, who is nervous but resolved to prepare the challenging luncheon for the Crawley women.

Daisy, visiting her father-in-law Mr. Mason at his farm, is astounded when he makes her an offer: that she move out of Downton and leave service so he can train her to run his farm. He intends to leave his entire estate to her when he dies. When Daisy shares this news with Mrs. Patmore, the cook’s response is an emotional one – she sees Daisy as the daughter she never had.

Dr. Clarkson is summoned to Violet’s home. She asks him: what is the likelihood that Sybil would have lived had he been able to deliver her baby by caesarian? Clarkson admits there was a small chance. Violet hopes that Clarkson would be willing to convince Cora that Sybil would have died regardless, therefore letting Robert off the hook and saving their marriage. Clarkson is reluctant – it wouldn’t be ethical to lie. “Lie is so unmusical a word,” replies Violet drily.

A Luncheon 

Matthew and Tom stroll through an abandoned farm on the estate. It turns out that Tom knows a surprising amount about farming: His grandfather raised sheep at his farm in Galway. Matthew floats the idea of Tom leaving his child at Downton while he goes to Liverpool to look for a job, but Tom won’t even consider it. Later at lunch with Matthew and Tom, Robert dismisses Matthew’s ideas about modernizing the estate. He will meet with the estate agent Jarvis (a “keep-to-the-status-quo” kind of guy) himself. Robert and Matthew bitterly argue.

Mrs. Patmore is leaving Crawley House after a final luncheon consult with Ethel when she is caught by Carson. When he learns that the Crawley women are expected there to dine, over Mrs. Hughes’ protests he marches straight into the dining room to alert Robert that his wife and daughters have gone to lunch at a den of iniquity.

Isobel, alarmed by the smell of food cooking despite her request for a simple meal, confronts Ethel, who assures Isobel that she’s had expert help. Isobel is pessimistic, but Ethel’s hard work pays off: the guests marvel that the food is especially good, and Isobel vows to apologize to Ethel for underestimating her. As Ethel bears an elaborate Charlotte Russe dessert into the dining room, there is another unexpected visitor: an irate Robert who bursts in, insults Ethel, and demands that Cora, Mary, Edith, and Violet leave with him immediately. But the women, unmoved by Robert’s tantrum, are intent on enjoying their dessert. Robert storms out without them. That evening, Mary tries to reason with Robert, reminding him that Sybil loved Tom, that Matthew wants only the best for the estate, and that he should do what he can to make amends with Cora.

Downstairs, Jimmy complains to O’Brien that Thomas keeps touching him and it’s making him uncomfortable. Later, O’Brien privately lies to Thomas that Jimmy is receptive to his advances. “He’s got a crush on you,” she confides, setting him up. Meanwhile, Alfred asks Daisy to practice the foxtrot with him in the servants hall. Jimmy joins in, and of course Carson, still stung by the Ethel situation, spoils their fun.

A few days later, Anna is thrilled to receive a note from Murray: Mrs. Bartlett has been persuaded to recant her false testimony (wonder why?). Bates is exonerated and will be released from prison. Robert, having just been rebuffed by Cora again, is pleased to hear Anna’s news. 

Robert and Cora are summoned to Violet’s house, where they are surprised to find Clarkson. Robert tries to apologize to him for dismissing his concerns on the night of Sybil’s death. But Clarkson offers an apology of his own: he might have misled the family about Sybil’s odds of survival. There was only “an infinitesimal” chance that she would have lived if he had operated. Her condition, he tells them, was unquestionably fatal and nobody was to blame. As Violet watches, satisfied, Robert and Cora fall into each other’s arms, sobbing – they can finally grieve for Sybil together.