trumpetsounds

OKAY I ASSUME THIS IS BRENT ASKING SINCE I WENT OFF ABOUT HER EARLIER AND LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY FEELINGS FOR HER

IN SUMMATION, I HATE HER

I hated her from the moment she showed up in Season 3. She just kind of conveniently appears right after MY OTP is severed by the pain of death. 

My hatred for this character is fueled by—and matched by—my love for Sybil and Branson together. A couple I wanted together from the very beginning

All the struggles they overcame to be together, the amount they both sacrificed for each other… It was so beautiful. When their marriage was finally legitimized and accepted, he was thrown into her upper-class world, though he had no idea how to belong in it. But even though he initially criticized the upper-class of his time and supported socialist movements, he grew more tolerant and understanding of them the more time he spent at Downton.

Sybil and Branson were just kind of perfect for each other. It was just obvious how they felt about each other and it was beautiful to see that love manifested in their expectation of a baby. Sybil’s love life was, strangely, the least complicated at that point in the series.

BUT THEN WE GET THE MOST EMOTIONALLY GRIPPING AND TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE OF THE SERIES IN WHICH SYBIL DIES OF ECLAMPSIA FIVE MINUTES AFTER HAVING THE BABY. EVEN THOUGH THAT SITUATION COULD’VE BEEN PREVENTED, WE WATCH HER ENTIRE FAMILY AND LOVE OF HER LIFE WATCHING HER DIE IN FRONT OF THEM. 

So I just had to commend Tom on his amazing fortitude. Our hearts still go out to him in his brief moments of weakness in the years that follow.

But it’s like, not even the end of the season when this maid shows up and immediately starts paying attention to Branson. He’s depressed, he’s isolated himself… CLASSES ASIDE, there is NO WORLD in which making a move on him at the time she did would be appropriate.

Perhaps we would have felt sympathy towards her if we knew more about Edna. Is she also mourning a dead husband? Could they find solace in each other, and make him content to return to his humble roots? Nothing of the sort! She completely disregards his ranking in her relentless pursuit of him. So we get this scene at the end of Season 3.

WE HAD TO DEAL WITH HER BEING TOO FRISKY IN SEASON 3, BUT WE THOUGHT SHE’D JUST SEE THE ERROR OF HER WAYS AND LEAVE, remaining a character that was, however minor, necessary for Branson’s development as he learns to cope with the loss of Sybil.

BUT NO, SHE COMES BACK IN SEASON 4. She applies to be Cora’s maid, a position left vacant since the actress for Mrs. O’Brian just up and left for reasons not well-explained. (So that’s just bad writing covering up more bad writing right there.) Of course, she’s trying to corner Branson every chance she gets, either trying to talk to him like “what are we, no really, what are we, after what happened you know?” or pretending she understands him and wants to help him out.

He’s stressed out by the dinner party that was like a whole episode long. So she brings him whiskey. Who knows if she slipped something in it or what, but he’s DRUNK and she takes the opportunity to SEDUCE HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. CONSENT WAS DUBIOUS AT BEST.

Important plot points apart from my feelings about it—

SHE COMES TO HIM LATER AND CLAIMS TO BE MAYBE SORTA PREGNANT. SHE INSISTS THAT HE PROMISE TO MARRY HER JUST IN CASE. LIKE, NO THATS MESSED UP ON SO MANY LEVELS WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO DO.

Eventually, Tom confides in Mrs. Hughes, and she just outs that girl on her whole scheme and tells her off and dismisses her. On her way out, Thomas gives her this applaud-worthy zinger.

Because Thomas liked Sybil, and therefore wouldn’t want anything so awful to happen to Tom. BARROW KNEW WHAT WAS UP.

IN CONCLUSION HER CHARACTER HAS FAILED TO SERVE ANY MAJOR PURPOSE BECAUSE NO ONE FALLS IN LOVE WITH HER OR USES HER CHARACTER TO REALLY DEVELOP THEIR OWN, SHE JUST CAUSES UNNECESSARY RIFTS AND IS ANOTHER FACTOR OF MY GROWING DISILLUSIONMENT WITH THE SHOW AS A WHOLE.