So does this mean that Anna and Bates are free? Or will they never be free? And when we next pick up, what year will be and will Mary and Edith still be living at Downton? Sure the house is big, but is it ever going to be big enough for both of them? Also we were teased by something this entire season with Hughes, and I’m still not convinced we’ve got the whole story. And will Tom every actually just go already OR shut up about it?

I’m kind of hoping there’s an alternative explanation for Miss Clark and her boy. Like maybe Lord Sinderby has a terrible brother who’s the real babydaddy but won’t take any responsibility, so he helps out. And she named him Daniel for her brother that died in the war because otherwise it looks like he’s a hypocrite, and it undercuts the whole importance of marrying within the faith, as well as Rose’s belief that setting up that little photo shoot wasn’t his style. We have no idea what his style is.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if they jumped ahead to 1929 just in time for Robert to lose the family fortune again?

Meantime, if you want to relive Sunday’s Christmas episode (shown in the US in March!) with jokes, my recap should be up over at HappyNiceTimePeople sometime on Monday. And if you need something to do between then and now, might I suggest looking at one of these books or this one?