The fabulous Penelope Wilton shows the aggressive side of Isabel, seemingly written out, but don't let disappearances fool you. Another confrontation between Isabel and Cora results in Isabel giving her notice and not being begged to stay as she thought. The angst of her son being involved in wartime could be behind her seeming personality change, or perhaps the frustration of being an intelligent woman who doesn't believe that she's getting her due. Irregardless, it almost feels like a loss with her presumed departure, even by her frustrated servants now not really having anything to do. Mrs. Byrd and Spratt decide to get involved by turning the absent Mrs. Crawley's home into a soup kitchen.
With war, there are going to be victims, and in a world war, those numbers are going to be astronomically larger. Daisy is worried when William doesn't show up on leave and is declared as M.I.A. When Mrs. Hughes finds Ethel in bed with one of the officers, it's an instant sack from the sack. Mary and Edith briefly make nice by performing together in a concert for the convalesing soldiers and officers, a light-hearted moment in an otherwise serious episode.
The frustrations over Mr. Bates leaving so suddenly continue to fluster the upstairs and downstairs, and thanks to Anna, Robert learns where he is. The warmth and trust between Robert and Bates will take its toll coming up, so their warm reunion here is very touching, something that won't be said for Thomas and Bates. (Check out Mrs. Hughes' grin towards Bates' retort towards Thomas and a later jab at O'Brien from Bates.) Not much of Maggie Smith in this episode, but the twists in all the other stories make up for that.
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