'Downton Abbey' Recap: Season 4 Finale 'The London Season'

“The London Season” capped off what was a lackluster fourth season of Masterpiece on PBS’s Downton Abbey with the most enjoyable and best episode of the season. As all season finales have done, “The London Season” jumped forward a considerable amount of time – about a year – and was more a standalone event than a true season finale.

With most of the storylines resolved, or nearly resolved, in last week’s episode “The London Season” was allowed to focus on present day events instead of being dragged down into the variety of melodrama that had run season long. Yes, the loose ends of the plot threads from season four were tied up in the episode but they took a back seat to the ceremonial pomp, which is where Downton shines.

However, “The London Season” had a little extra gleam to it as Cora’s mother Martha, with Shirley MacLaine reprising her role, and her brother Harold, played by the wonderful Mr. Paul Giamatti, visit for Rose’s debutante. So not only did Downton allow the audience to gallivant from function to function but it gave Paul Giamatti, to boot. A grand season finale indeed.

“The London Season” was, for obvious reasons, an episode that revolved around Rose more than the other Granthams. Careening from function to function, be it a night out at a swanky club or being presented to the King of England, Rose takes center stage. Even with all the costume changes and Buckingham Palace audience – where the king actually speaks to her – Rose also became embroiled in a royal scandal, which is just the kind of ridiculous circumstance that put the Granthams into some silly sticky situations.

Before being presented, Rose go out to a bar with Madeleine Allsop and Freda Dudley Ward, two other debutantes. Ms. Dudley Ward reveals to Rose a love letter she has received from the Prince of Wales. Unfortunately Rose does not make the best confidant and she almost announces the letter’s contents to a table that includes both the Prince of Wales and the poker cheat Mr. Sampson. Sampson steals the letter as the ladies and the other men go to dance and so the game is afoot.

When Rose tells Robert what has happened and that she feels responsible a cockamamie scheme is formulated. Robert decides to hold a poker game, including Harold and his rich Americanness, so that Sampson will not be able to say no. While the poker game is on Rose, Mary, and Mr. Blake are tasked to go to Sampson’s residence to find the letter – a veritable A-Team. To get into the house Rose and the gang need a letter from Sampson saying they are granted access and Robert turns to Bates to have “his friend” forge the letter. Another layer of Bates is peeled away as he is actually the forgery expert and he quickly crafts a letter. Robert also has planned a night out for Violet, Isobel, and Martha but there were no repercussions when Violet and Isobel declined to attend the night of theater.

The plan goes off without a hitch but, alas, Rose and company do not find the letter at Sampson’s apartment. Luckily Bates has a particular set of skills and is there at the most opportune time as the poker game breaks up. As he offers Sampson his coat Bates makes sure to pull the letter from the inner breast pocket of the coat before placing it Sampson’s shoulders. With the letter now in safe hands the Prince of Wales makes a special guest appearance at Rose’s debutante ball and becomes her first dance, making Rose the talk of the town.

The whole plot sounds somewhat silly, and it is, but it is where Downton excels. While there was a chance of some serious repercussions for the Prince of Wales it was a very light hearted and entertaining plot, the kind of which season four has mostly lacked. It was good to see the Granthams completely out of their element amongst this very high-class background.
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“The London Season” also delighted in pointing out the differences between the upper classes of America and Britain with the injection of Harold and Martha into this very rigid social gathering. Whenever Downton gets a chance to make fun of the seemingly uncouth Americans it always adds a little extra spice to the episode. American straightforwardness is rather unwelcome across the pond, it seems and there was no better way to show the differences than with Harold.

Harold was the reason Robert had to go to America in the previous episode as he was part of the Teapot Dome Scandal. Now Harold is visiting Europe to get away from the whole affair and he is none too pleased. However, the Allsops have something different in mind for both Harold and Martha.

Mr. Allsop immediately latches on to Martha in hopes of wooing her with his British title so that her great fortune can save his estate. Harold, who seems to randomly have paired up with Allsop’s daughter, and Rose’s friend, Madeleine does not beat around the bush when discussing her father’s plan with her. But Allsop pushes forward and so Madeleine and Harold end up seeing a lot of each other over the next few days and what a relationship that begins somewhat icily warms up nicely by the end of the episode, despite the large age difference between the two. And unlike any of Edith’s relationships with older beaus, Harold’s and Madeleine’s friendship/relationship feels genuine.

Of course this may have not been in the case if Harold was not played by Paul Giamatti who has a talent for being the lovable and unassuming older man. He is frank without being mean and brings his certain brand of charm that makes everything feel right. Giamatti also has some good chemistry with the actress playing Madeleine, Poppy Drayton, which only helps further the growing interest between the two. Hopefully this episode will not be the last for Harold.

Two other subplots were also introduced and resolved in the episode. Harold’s valet takes an immediate liking to Daisy and tries to get her to become Harold’s chef in America. His plan falls through but at the end of the episode Ivy volunteers herself for the job and Daisy can’t be happier for the attention he had given her. There’s also the decision Carson must make about where the wait staff should go on holiday that Cora gives them. After all of his rather stuffy suggestions fall on deaf ears Mrs. Hughes places a postcard of Brighton Beach in Carson’s temporary office to subliminally influence him. It works and the last shot is of Hughes and Carson holding hands as they wade into the river after a bit of flirtation that hints at a possible romantic relationship between the two next season.
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Amidst all of these specific plots for “The London Season,” Downton still managed to further the central storylines from season four. Gilliam and Blake are still playing tug-of-war with Mary. Edith still doesn’t feel right for giving up her baby to the Schroeders in Switzerland. Ms. Bunting is still interested in Branson. And the mystery surrounding Bates’s involvement in Mr. Green’s death is explored a tad further and that is the only storyline to actually reach a conclusion.

Mrs. Hughes finds a train ticket to London on the day of Green’s death in Bates’s jacket pocket. After some failed probing into the matter by both Hughes and Mary, Mary decides to burn the ticket after Bates reclaims the love letter from Sampson. While this could crop up again next season there was no hint of that possibility. Hopefully that is the last time anyone hears of Mr. Green or Bates’s possible murder.

Meanwhile, Edith still doesn’t feel right for giving up her baby to a random Swiss family. Not only is she still guilty but finally there is news of Gregson who has been arrested after getting in a fight with some possible Nazis in Munich. It also seems that Edith was given power of attorney and that now there is the possibility that she may have to be the behind the scenes editor, since it would be unsightly for a woman to be the editor, of Gregson’s newspaper. Edith’s adopted son takes precedence, however, and after receiving some encouraging words from Branson Edith decides to bring the baby back to Downton and let Mr. Drewe, the tenant farmer, take care of her daughter. This will certainly be quite a big to do early in season five.

Branson runs into Ms. Bunting once again and they have dinner. She then invites herself over to Downton when everyone is in London and takes a quick look around. Thomas catches the two on the upstairs balcony and, after it is revealed he is jealous of Branson, tattles on Branson to Robert when they join up in London. Branson does not handle it at all well during the poker game when Robert brings it up and so there will surely be some repercussions next season as well.

Last but not least is the constant courtship of Gilliam and Blake for Mary. Throughout the episode Mary seems to be favoring Gilliam because she is worried that she and Blake would be too at odds with each other because of his job and her assumption that he is from the lower class trying to tear down the traditional aristocrat. However, Gilliam drops a bombshell telling Mary that Blake is actually meant to inherit one of the biggest of all the British estates. This completely surprises Mary and puts Blake back in the game.

“The London Season” was certainly Downton’s best episode of the season. It was lighthearted and didn’t become bogged down in any of the running plots from season four. In fact, season four’s main shortcoming may be from how much importance it placed on its running plot threads, which were poorly paced and featured little action. In any case, “The London Season” left Downton Abbey’s fans with a good taste while making sure to tease and surprise just enough to bring the fans back next season.