DOWNTON ABBEY Season 2 Episode 8 – Well, at long last Lavinia did the only decent thing and succumbed to death. Otherwise we might have had a potentially interesting and complex moral quandary. Yes, the Spanish flu came into town to threaten a few characters: Carson, Cora, Mosely and Lavinia all get the flu, but only Lavinia got put into a grave despite the fact that Cora was bleeding rivers from her head. Let’s face it: it was the most convenient thing to do.

Well, this season of Downton ends on a ridiculous note. It’s hard to feel sorry for Lavinia when Matthew was downstairs shifting Mary on the dancefloor, so obviously uninterested in his dying wife. It’s hard to feel sorry for Cora when Lord Grantham himself is pulling maids into his bedroom for the shift. And of course it’s impossible to feel anything for Sybil and Branson (unfortunately) since they were both given the worst romantic subplot I’ve seen on a tv show in quite some time.

Of course there’s no feeling anything for Edith except relief for the idea that hopefully she’ll be gone next season and stop lurking about the kitchen scullery looking for turnips. Really if this season taught us anything it’s that no matter how much you love a character, it only takes a few waltzes and the odd declaration of love in the car shed to make you unlove them.

So next season Bates is in jail, Mary is free to go after Matthew once again, Sybil gets her father’s full blessing plus a pocketful of money, so there’s no conflict there, the maids are gone, and Downton Abbey is free of drama once again. Yippee.