Back to Downton

So, since I've missed blogging about four episodes of Downton, instead of just doing a recap of last week, I thought I'd just write about what I find to be the most exciting 3 things that have occurred so far this season.

1. Mary and Tony: 

So Mary Crawley and Tony Gillingham have been in a quasi relationship almost all season. It seemed that Mary had finally chosen Tony over Charles when she chose to go on that week-long trip with him. Tony seemed to believe that the trip was going to end in marriage, but Mary had other ideas. I can kinda see where she is coming from. Before that trip, they really hadn't spent that much time together. He is extremely handsome and sweet, but other than that, they really didn't know much about each other. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that maybe Mary just really isn't that into Tony, but it's still hard for me. As soon as he accepts that she isn't going to marry him, I feel like Tony Gillingham is going to leave the show forever, and I'll be left with Tom Cullen-less Sundays!= (

2. Bricker vs Grantham:
The art historian, Simon Bricker is taking way too much interest in the "art" of Downton. Understandably, Lord Grantham is more than a little upset. Again, I can understand where Cora is coming from. Robert has never really made her feel as special as Bricker does. He makes her feel appreciated and heard, and Lord Grantham could really learn a lesson from him. However, he took it wayyyyy to far. Honestly, he seems like a creeper. What kind of guy walks into a married woman's bedroom when her husband is supposedly away for the night and pretty much uses art to make a bunch of innuendos and asks her to sleep with him? Obviously Simon Bricker! When Grantham got home, I knew they were gonna throw down. I could see it in his eyes. As soon as Grantham landed the first punch, I jumped off the couch and shadow boxed in front of the TV. Honestly, that was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen on the show. Go Grantham! However, this guy needs to shape up if he's ever going to keep his marriage because the way it's going right now, he might very well turn into Shrimpie.

3. Edith and Marigold:
I feel terrible for poor Edith. The girl just can't catch a break. I cannot imagine having to live near my daughter but not let anyone (except for a select few) know she is my daughter. She is a mother, after all, and the attraction to her child must be extremely strong. Now that Mrs. Drewe is starting to be creeped out by Edith and they are threatening to move away, I feel even worse. She is facing the strong possibility of losing her almost-husband and now her daughter, at the same time. Rosamund and Violet want to send the girl away, but frankly, I think Edith just needs to tell the family. She will never live in peace knowing her daughter is alive and never getting to see her.

Honorable Mentions:

Dowager Countess and Prince Kuragin: I can't wait to see what will happen between them. They both obviously have feelings for each other, and it will be interesting to watch their story progress, especially if the princess is gone for good.

Branson and Bunting: Ugh, Miss Bunting. I love what she's doing for Daisy, but other than that, she is sooo rude and I'm glad to see her go. Hopefully she stays out of their dinning room forever. However, I'm afraid Branson is ready to leave too. :(

Banna: ANNA DIDN'T DO IT!!! So stop, and leave them alone already!!!!

Barrow: Why does he always manage to make me feel bad for him??? Poor guy is poisoning himself to try and cure something that isn't a disease...He's still suuuper mean though!

Rose: I LOVE ATTICUS <3

 

March 4 Life

      

So I know that when I started this blog I set the theme for TV shows on Sunday nights, but two weeks ago I was lucky enough to participate in a moving and inspiring event, the March for Life in Washington, DC. It was one of the most impactful (is that even a word?) experiences in my life and I felt that it would be interesting to share.

The March for Life is an annual Pro-Life protest that culminates outside the Supreme Court. It takes place every year on January, 22 - the day Roe v Wade was decided 42 years ago. I went with a bus of students from around the area - Lowell Catholic, St. Francis in Dracut, St. Monica's in Methuen, and my parish, St. Anthony's in Lowell. The bus ride was over 8 hours with two stops and traffic, and one girl was carsick and threw up across from me multiple times, but I lived. 

Day 1: 

So on Wednesday I woke up at 4:30 to get ready to get on a bus to DC. The bus left at 6:00 AM, and headed to St. Elizabeth Seton Basilica in Maryland. The first mass was amazing. The mass was only for participants from the Archdiocese of Boston, but the church was completely full. I was asked to bring up the gifts out of approximately 1000 people, and was really happy to be able to participate. The homily by our bus priest, Fr. Bill, was very powerful, and the whole atmosphere was amazing. 

Later that night, we attended a rally/concert at the Patriot Center. Rend Collective, a Christian band, opened it. We showed up a little bit late and missed most of their act, but what I saw of them was great. After they performed, Chris Stefanik spoke. He mixed humor with
many great lessons. (I now follow his YouTube channel!) After Chris was done speaking, Matt Maher (!!!!!) came out. He preformed some of his classic songs and also some new ones I had never heard before. While all the performers were amazing, that wasn't the best part of that night. I remember looking around me and seeing Christian teens surrounding me. They were all singing along to the kind of music I listen to, and they were praying together as a group.

The night ended with Adoration at the Patriot Center. Yes, my back hurt, my knees were cracking, and I could barely keep my eyes open when we stumbled into the Hampton Inn for pizza around midnight, but it was totally worth it. My first impression of the pilgrimage was a great one.

Day 2:
We woke up early once again, and had to be down to the conference room for breakfast by 6:30. This was the day of the March! We packed into the bus and headed to Mass again. Once again, the Mass was with the entire Archdiocese. Cardinal Sean said the Mass this time, and it was amazing. Listening to him speak is an experience in itself. He has so much wisdom and faith, and even listening to him for 20 minutes leaves a mark on you. We were also joined in Mass by about 80 seminarians. There were soooo many people walking around in black clothing with white collars, it was more than a little intimidating.

After Mass, we got back on the bus, (this time equipped with bagged lunches) and went to the heart of DC where the March was taking place. The atmosphere at the actual March was amazing! We learned chants (Hey Obama, yo mamma chose life!) and there was no anger among us. We were really peaceful and happy. The best moment for me was turning around at the top of Capitol Hill and seeing thousands of people behind me. You couldn't see where they ended! I never knew that so many people shared in the same pro-life beliefs as me, and it was really encouraging to see that.

After the March, we went to dinner with the Archdiocese of Boston (more pizza yay). Then we went to another Adoration service and had the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. That night made me think about a lot of things, and I really feel like it lead to a deeper faith and understanding of who God is to me. Also, witness talks from different people reminded me that being Pro-Life isn't just about Abortion. It's about respecting individual lives in every word you speak and action you take. They taught me to treat everyone with compassion and love no matter what.

Day 3 (Goodbye DC):
On the last day, we attended Mass again, and had our last worship session. We had to say goodbye to some of the friends we had made along the pilgrimage and to people we might have known before. After Mass, we were supposed to watch the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, but our bus broke down and we missed it by three minutes (bummer). We did have time to visit the Lincoln Memorial, and some of the war memorials. I think my favorite part was seeing the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. First of all, it was huge. I had learned about it in art, but didn't realize it was that big. Secondly, some of the quotes surrounding the main sculpture were very relevant to what we were there for and were very touching.

Sadly, after only a few hours of sightseeing, we had to get back on that stupid bus, and head home. It was weird knowing that I had only just met these people but was so sad to leave them. I only knew them for three days, but they probably know more about the real me than many of my good friends. Overall, the experience was amazing. I was happy to be able to share it with a few friends from my Church and my grandfather who I am extremely close with. The trip made me realize the importance of my faith in my everyday life, and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully, I'll be able to go next year again and get to experience it all over again!

   

Completely Random Rant about Tony Gillingham

I know this post doesn't count for the week, but I feel the need to explain why Tony Gillingham is the perfect person for Mary. (Really, I just want to post a ton of pictures of him.) 
He doesn't give up on love

He's asked her to marry him not once...

But twice

He reads her mind...

Mary had just told Anna it's important to know "that side of things" is in order when he made his scandalous suggestion

He makes her smile

I mean this gif just says it all...

They have so much chemistry!

(This one's from the trailer)

Finally, he's just so cute....

I mean come on! <3

Thank you Tom Cullen for making Downton Abbey even more special!

 That is all...continue with your Tony-less life

I promise I'm not crazy!!

 

Guess Who's Back. Back again. Downton's Back. Tell a Friend!

So my beloved Once Upon a Time is on hiatus…I’ll miss it until it comes back in March, but at least I have Downton Abbey to hold me over until then. However, I’m going to run into a problem come February 8^th when two of my top 3 favorite shows, overlap. Downton and The Walking Dead are both on at 9 PM on Sunday nights, and I don’t know what I’m going to do about it!! I have to weigh the elegance and grace of an English manor against the hard truth of the zombie apocalypse. It’s such a hard decision! Anyway, for now I have my favorite friends from Downton to spend my Sunday nights with. 

 

The premiere of Downton Abbey was amazing. There were so many things that made me smile…except for stupid Thomas Barrow! Like what the heck his problem?! All he does is use people. Thank God for Mr. Molesley. If it wasn’t for him, poor Baxter would be completely controlled by Barrow. Molesley is just an all-around great guy. Yes, he might be a little funny-looking and a bit too interested in the color of his hair, but he always has the best of intentions. Giving Baxter the advice to go to Cora herself is some of the best advice I’ve heard on this show since Edith was advised to have her baby. Also, Cora’s reaction to Baxter’s news that she was a convicted criminal gave me hope. In the past, Lady Grantham could be stuck-up and unwilling to understand. When she told Baxter she could stay, it made me realize how far the people upstairs have come.

The Baxter Scandal, as I have affectionately named it, isn’t the only thing going on Downstairs. Jimmy, (who I have hated since his first appearance despite his gorgeous eyes and perfectly toned body) became “involved” with his former employer Lady Anstruther. After a series of pretty gooey

letters, Lady Anstruther comes up with a crazy scenario to spend the night in Downton. Not too surprisingly, she and Jimmy are caught in bed together by none other than the Lord Grantham himself. Lady Anstruther sneaks away before morning, but Jimmy isn’t as lucky as Lord Grantham “advises” Carson to dismiss him. Good Riddance Jimmy! Take your bad attitude with you! There might be another advantage to this. Jimmy was Barrow’s only real friend (even after it was revealed that Barrow was in love with him), and seeing Jimmy go might make Thomas realize he should be nicer to the other people left.

The people Downstairs aren’t the only ones facing problems. Lady Edith has grown too attached to her daughter, Marigold, who is in the care of the Drewe family. Mrs. Drewe had begun to become suspicious. If someone was that attached to my adoptive daughter, I would be too! However, with Gregson gone, Marigold is all she has left. When Mr. Drewe confronts Edith and admits that he knows Marigold is her daughter, I was moved almost to tears. He is such a sweet man and so considerate of Edith's predicament. Hopefully, they can work something out so Edith can see her baby all the time.

As Carson said “I feel a shaking of the ground I stand on.” Things are changing, not only in Downton, but all over the world. The old system of servants and masters is beginning to fade. Lord Grantham (or “Donk”) is feeling that in a special way. Carson was asked to head a committee that traditionally would have been led by him. He put on a brave face about it, but it was obvious that he could tell this wasn’t an isolated incident. His world is changing, and he has a right to be afraid.

Not everyone is afraid of this new world, however. Branson in particular is sliding back into his rebellious ways with all the change. He is now seeing a teacher from the village who seems to bring out the worst in him. Honestly, I hate that woman. You can have your opinions, but there is absolutely no reason to be rude and shove them in others’ faces. She makes even Branson turn on his father-in-law, Lord Grantham. Sybil wouldn’t have wanted Branson to ostracize himself from the Granthams. She worked so hard to make them get along, and if Branson ruins it, it’ll be a disrespect to her memory!

Enough of the bad things about Downton! No episode is complete without the Dowager Countess! Violet was up to her old antics again this week. Today's subject: Isobel's love interests. Recently a certain Lord Merton has been calling on Mrs. Crawley. Now, if Isobel turned out to have mutual feelings for Lord Merton and married him, she would have a higher position in society than Violet. There is no way the former Lady Grantham is going to let that happen! Time for some meddling! Violet held a luncheon and invited Lord Merton, a widowed woman with some status, and none other than Dr. Clarkson! Of course, the luncheon was somewhat of a disaster. Lord Merton paid no attention to Isobel and talked to the other lady the whole time, and Dr. Clarkson made a complete fool out of himself by insulting Isobel. It couldn't have been more perfect for the eldest of the Grantham clan. She sat there with her rather smug smile and her little giggle of satisfaction that she, once again, won.

Okay, so this whole blog post, I've been trying to avoid talking about Lady Mary and the love triangle she is involved in. So I'm just going to say it straight out...TEAM TONY FTW! I never liked stupid Charles Blake as much as I liked Tony Gillingham, and all Blake did was get in the way. I mean what kind of guys steals his friend's girl?! Also, Tony is 1000000x hotter and more gentlemanly. Mary and he are a perfect match! They just look so right together!! The premier made it seem that Mary is starting to sway towards Tony (YAY). Come on, she invited him to stay at Downton. Obviously she has some kind of ulterior motive! Anyway, first of all, they were obviously flirting the entire episode. Second of all, did y'all see those looks they were giving each other at the dinner table?! You're lying to yourself if you say those are totally friendly and innocent. To top it all off, Lord Grantham loves Tony. It's not often you see a character in a TV show ship two other characters together, but Donk ships it like FedEx! My favorite part of the episode was when Tony daringly ventured into Mary's room to make a proposal. This time, he wasn't asking for marriage. He was asking for them to "get to know each other a little better," if you catch my drift... His accent when he says "So what do you say to my scandalous suggestion." melted my heart. Tony is one fine specimen of a man, and if Mary refuses, I'll take him!! Sadly, they were interrupted by a fire...UGH!!

That's right everybody, FIRE! My home for an hour every Sunday went up in flames. (Yes it was only Edith's room, but still!) Several things came of that fire. Mary and Tony were stopped in their tracks.  Jimmy and Lady Anstruther are caught in the act. Worst of all, however, Thomas Barrow is hailed as a hero again. Why does he always come so close to getting kicked out, and then redeems himself in the eyes of Cora?! It's so annoying!!! Anyway, the local firemen got the fire under control, and everyone was allowed to return. I can't wait until this Sunday where I'll get to see what's going to happen with all of these new stories that have just begun!

Tune in this Sunday to stay completely updated on the drama of Downton Abbey!

Winter Finale

Last Sunday's Winter Finale was something else. The Frozen story was wrapped up, but many more stories are just beginning. I'm really going to miss the show until March, but for now, lets just recap what happened last week and look fondly upon the past. The episode focused on three main stories. Hook's situation, Rumpel's power trip. and Robin and Regina's love story.

Oh Regina...The poor woman has such terrible fortune. Once Marian was unfrozen, she and Robin had to put her heart back in and save her (Why couldn't she just die?!). Things started to look up when Marian said that she just wanted to be happy and could tell he wasn't happy unless he was with Regina. She said she would let Robin decide who to go with and step out of the way. Yay Marian! You finally did something right! Of course they could not just let Regina be happy. About 30 seconds after Robin kissed Regina and told her how much he loved her, Marian had a sudden relapse and fell down half-frozen. Apparently, the only way to save Marian was to send her outside the town and she could never return. However, Regina was too nice and couldn't let Marian go out in the world on her own. For some reason, Robin and Roland were the only two who seemed fit to go with her. Once they left, they would never be able to return. Ugh! All I can say is if they don't bring Robin back, I'm not going to be okay. I don't care if Sean Maguire is filming a movie! Robin can't just leave like that!

At the very beginning of the episode, Rumpel threatened Hook saying that he was living his last day. Well, that was a bunch of bologne. Since season 2, Rumpel has been threatening to kill Hook, and he never has. Honestly, I really believe the writers are smart enough to know that they might lose a very large portion of (mainly teenage girl) viewers if they kill off Hook. I will admit though, I was more than a little nervous. After they killed Neal last season, I don't even know anymore. However, my initial prediction was correct. Rumpel surely tried his hardest to kill Hook, but he couldn't. As Colin O'Donoghue put it on Twitter, Hook was "Saved by the Belle". Belle had found some special secret gauntlet (confusing, I know, I didn't get it either) and it lead her to Rumpel's dagger which somehow meant that Rumpel's true love was his power. In my opinion, that was all a little vague, but anyways Hook is alive and well. In the end of the episode, he and Emma shared a kiss and melted my heart.

Belle finally caught on. It took her way too long, but last episode, she finally realized that Rumpel was all about that power and was using her. She saved Hook  (I am eternally grateful) and in the process, she found out what Rumpel was doing. In a tearful ending, Belle used Rumpel's dagger to send him over the town line. Supposedly, that means he will never be able to return. I know I should be happy that Rumpel was finally seen for what he really is, but I couldn't help but feel bad for him. Robert Carlyle is amazing, and I really believed he was scared when faced with never seeing Storybrooke again. In his final few moments, I think he finally saw his fault, but it was too late. I hate to admit it, but I was crying like a baby through the whole thing.

Rumpel was seen wandering through the streets of New York at the very end of the episode. He seemed to be recruting Ursula, Cruella, and Maleficent to help him most likely attack Storybrooke. We also got a glimpse of Regina, Emma, and Henry in the house of who we think is the author of the story. Maybe she will finally get her happy ending.

The way this season is shaping up, it looks like this is going to be the end, but one never knows. So far, however, nothing has been confirmed. Tune in to ABC in March when OUaT restarts to find out more. Until then, I'll be watching Downton Abbey starting on January 4th. I can't wait! Merry Christmas and I'll blog again after the holidays!

To the Winter Finale and Beyond!

This Sunday is Once Upon a Time's fourth Winter Finale. There are several things that are foreshadowed and hinted at in the previews for this week. If everything they are showing really happens, this episode should be one crazy emotional roller coaster.

In the preview, they show Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff going through a door and disappearing. Presumably, this door is a portal back to Arendelle, their home. This could wrap up the Frozen story and make way for a new adventure for the people of Storybrooke. However, I hope that the characters get at least one episode of rest before starting to battle another evil villain trying to curse them all!

Another thing from the preview is the introduction of three more villains, Cruella de Vil, Maleficent, and Ursula. They seem to be pretty awesome from the short clips we have gotten so far. I've yet to see Maleficent, so I don't know what to expect from her. However, I was hoping they would do more with Ursula than just a modified version of Regina in one of the episodes, and I've finally gotten my wish. As far as Cruella de Vil goes, I'm curious what they will do with a villain who traditionally has no magic. Also, I'm slightly terrified of the fate of Archie's dalmatian.

One of the scariest sneak peeks for me was when Hook and Rumpel were conversing. It seems that Rumpel needs Hook one last time. After that, however, he promises to end the pirate's life. Rumpel

has promised to kill Hook since season two, and it is starting to get extremely annoying. Even though I will be heart broken if Hook dies, I just want to know the truth. Whether or not Rumpel kills Hook, I've already developed a hatred for him that I don't believe can be reversed. He literally has Hook's life in his hands, and I despise him for it.

As a whole, the Winter Finale seems that it will wrap up the Frozen storyline and introduce the new villains for the second half of the season. I do have a list of necessities for this episode. If they are not addressed, I might have to write a very angry letter to Eddy and Adam (the writers).

1. Is Hook going to live or die?! Seriously, just tell me already. I cannot live with this suspense!
2. What's the deal with Marian? Is she still a popsicle, ooor...
3. Robin and Regina ('nuf said)
4. At least one more Captain Swan moment! I mean come on...just because he doesn't have a heart doesn't mean he can't love her, right?
5. Some interaction between Belle and Rumpel. Recently, it seems like that woman fell off the face of the Earth.  

There are several things we can forecast for the future of the show. First of all, there has been no official announcement whether or not Once has been picked up for a season five. Usually by this point in a season, we would at least know something, but everyone is keeping very tight-lipped about the situation. However, it seems improbable that they would introduce new villains and characters into the show if it was just going to end in half a season.

We can expect to see less of certain characters next season due to scheduling conflicts. Ginny and Josh Dallas are trying to raise a baby at the moment and have their hands pretty full. Therefore, we can expect less of Snow and Charming for the rest of the season. The biggest disappointment, however, is that Sean Maguire is currently working on another project that will limit his role on OUaT. This means that there will be a lot less of Robin during a time that is really important for his relationship with Regina. It will be interesting to see how the show will handle that.

The only way to really know the future of Once Upon a Time is to watch the show every week! Tune in to ABC this Sunday at 8:00 PM to catch the Winter Finale.

I'm Hooked on Hook

 

"Killian Jones, but most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker – Hook" 

 

With those few words, Colin O'Donoghue (better known to Oncers as Killian Jones or Hook) captured my heart. Since then, I have watched every week anticipating the moment when his amazing Irish accent would fill my living room. Last year, I even wrote a poem about him (okay so maybe I am a little obsessed...) Not only is Hook super gorgeous and attractive, but he has also gone through one of the most dramatic changes of any Once character (besides Rumpel).


When Hook was introduced to the show in season two he was helping Cora get to Storybrooke. All he cared about was getting revenge on Rumpelstiltskin, the man who killed his love, Milah. At that point in time, Hook was so bent on revenge that he did not care who he was hurting and what means he used to get it. In truth, the thought of revenge on Rumpel was the only thing that kept him going.
Even after he met Emma for the first time, his mission was all-consuming. He pushed down his feelings for her because they got in the way of his hatred of Rumpel and trea
ted her like he had been treating all women since the death of Milah. That would not last long however.

From the very first moment Hook met Emma, the chemistry was apparent. They flirted back and forth (often Emma was not even aware of it), but they did not really take each other seriously. Hook believed he could never love again after Milah, and Emma believed she could not after Neal. Also, Hook did not know what to do with himself after his visions of revenge were blotted out. Emma invited him to join them on a trip to Neverland to save Henry. The first big step Hook took was giving them the magic bean - his last portal out of any world - so they could save Henry.

In Neverland, things got rather complicated between Hook and Emma. Neal had come back, and Emma felt like she needed to give him a second chance. Hook was not willing to give up without a fight, but he respected her decisions and wanted to work honestly to gain her affection. The way he reacted to Emma after she found Neal again showed how far he came. Instead of reacting with anger, he did the logical thing and realized he was just going to have to show her respect and love in order to receive the same from her.

After Neverland, Hook became a part of Storybrooke. This was the first time he felt like he belonged since being with Milah. When Emma and Henry were separated from everyone by a curse, Hook worked tirelessly to get back to her and eventually saved her. Towards the end of season three, Neal died. That was the perfect opportunity for Hook, but he did not take it. Instead, he gave Emma her space. It wasn't until the final few minutes of season three that we found out just how far Hook had come. He gave up his most prized possession, the Jolly Roger, to save her.

So far in season four, Hook has displayed many great qualities, and his relationship with Emma has blossomed. However, he has a very hard time trusting people and sometimes makes bad decisions because of it. All of the problems he is currently involved in could have been avoided if he just told Emma about Rumpel in the first place. When he left Emma a voice-mail explaining everything, he took another giant step in the right direction. Sadly, she never got that message, and now he is in even more trouble than before.

With a squeeze of his hand, Rumpel could kill Killian at any second. I watch the show in constant fear for the death of my favorite character. If Rumpel ever kills Killian, I might actually stop watching the show. That is how much I care. Hopefully, the writers are smart enough to keep him alive, but if they aren't BEWARE!

The Winter Finale is this Sunday @ 8:00 EST. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing happens to my Killybear!