'Downton Abbey' Recap: Open House

Warning: This recap for Season 6, “Episode Six” of Downton Abbey contains spoilers.

A little boy asks Lord Grantham a very pertinent question this week: “Why is it so big, your house?… Why not buy somewhere comfy?”

Robert doesn’t really have an answer, other than it’s the way they’ve been doing it for generations. But will they be living in the big house for generations to come? Mary is firm in her belief that they will, but thanks to history, we know better.

It’s meaningful that the Crawleys open up Downton Abbey for touring, to raise money for the hospital, because so many of the great estates in England have essentially become museums (or filming locations). Robert, Carson, and the Dowager may think opening the house is an absurd idea — who would want to see their stuff? — but again, they’re on the wrong side of history.

Related: ‘Downton Abbey’ Talks Mary and Henry’s Romantic Moment in the Rain

As the show has reiterated, the times, they are a-changing, and fast. Some people, like the Dowager, will be left behind. And others, like the unfortunate Thomas, might just get crushed in the wheel of change.

Here’s what went down this week at the Abbey:

Robert and Cora

Lord Grantham is on bedrest after his gastrectomy (which Google told us is a partial or complete removal of the stomach), and it seems his medical emergency hasn’t changed the hospital debate at all. In fact, the merger is going forward, and the combined new hospital board wants Cora to be the new president. Meaning, they’re going to sack the Dowager! That’s enough to give Robert another ulcer.

He doesn’t think Cora should take the position, because “isn’t it time for a rest?” Uh, speak for yourself, milord. Cora is perfectly ready to take on the job: “I’ve had one career already, bringing up my daughters. They don’t need me now, so I’m ready for the next.” And, as she reminds him, she’s not old.

They’ve decided to open the house to the public for charity, though Robert thinks it’s mad. What do they have to show them? “Lady Grantham knitting? Lady Mary in the bath?” he jokes to a shocked Carson.

In the end, though, they raise a huge amount of funds, enough that Tom suggests doing it again for their own sake. Robert nixes the idea, because as we all know, he’s a genius with money.

Mary and Henry

On a jaunt to London, Mary decides to surprise Henry with the help of mutual friend Evelyn Napier. Tom goes, too, and they have dinner with several other singletons at the Criterion. She’s looking smashing in that aqua dress and gold headband, and Henry whisks her off for an evening stroll after dinner.

Cue the romantic rain. They run into a tunnel, where Henry kisses her. Mary’s not quite ready to swoon, though — she tells him that Matthew died in a car crash. He already knew, and it’s not a problem. “Plenty of drivers’ wives never go near the racetrack,” Henry says. Uh, wives?! Jumping the gun, aren’t we? Henry admits he’s falling in love with her.

Henry might like to drive fast, but Mary wants to slow down this relationship. Still, she’s willing to give cars another chance, and she considers going to see him race at Brooklands in a few weeks.

“Who is this flexible and reasonable person? I don’t recognize my own dear sister Mary,” Tom says. And we quite agree.

Edith and Bertie

Things are getting more serious between these two, with Edith inviting Bertie to stay at Downton during the open house weekend. When she picks him up in the car and he kisses her, she says that it feels “nice and automatic,” which might sound like an insult, but for Edith is a good thing.

Before dinner, she takes him to see a sleeping Marigold, and Bertie blesses her, which makes Edith very happy. During dinner, Bertie proves he knows his stuff, giving a lot of advice on how to run the open house (the Crawleys seem to be clueless).

But Bertie doesn’t have much else to offer, as Robert notes to Cora. What are Edith’s prospects, though? “With her magazine, she could develop into one of the interesting women of the day,” he replies. Lord Grantham, you surprise us!

Not only that, there’s the whole Marigold issue to deal with.

Carson and Mrs. Hughes

And the newlywed saga continues, as Carson remains a dolt of a husband, again telling Mrs. Hughes to get advice from Mrs. Patmore about cooking dinner. He even suggests they get the maids to come to their cottage to make the beds, because he likes “sharp corners.”

When Mrs. Hughes does cook dinner again, he not only nitpicks the lack of lemon for the salmon, but also decides they won’t drink wine in solidarity with Lord Grantham. Now you’ve crossed the line, Carson. As Mrs. Patmore tells Mrs. Hughes, “You always knew he was old to be trained as a husband.”

Anna and Mr. Bates

Uh-oh, Anna isn’t feeling great. We knew it was too good to be true that an entire episode would go by without something bad happening to her.

Mr. Bates insists she see Dr. Ryder in London, no matter the expense. Well, it turns out everything is fine, just something to do with the ligament. Let’s keep our fingers crossed next week.

Related: ‘Downton Abbey’ Director Talks That Dinner Scene Shocker

Miss Baxter and Mr. Molesley

When Mr. Molesley meets with the school headmaster, Mr. Dawes, about Daisy taking exams, Mr. Dawes has an interesting proposal — why not take a test for his own general knowledge? Interesting, maybe Mr. Molesley has a career as a teacher ahead of him after all.

Just when we thought Peter Coyle was a name we’d never hear again, Miss Baxter gets a letter from him, wanting her to visit. Mr. Molesley advises her against it, but Miss Baxter is still thinking about it. Sigh, #SMH.

Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Mason

This is the final season, so we suppose they want to pair up every single character they can. Still, we like the idea of this. Unfortunately, Daisy does not. Not only does she throw away the thank you note Mr. Mason gives her to pass to Mrs. Patmore (who finds it in the kitchen trash), she throws a tantrum when Mrs. Patmore offers to make lunch on exam day. Really, Daisy is the worst. Miss Bunting has nothing on her.

Isobel and Lord Merton

Well, well, well… we thought this romance was dead, but here’s an interesting development: Larry Grey is engaged to a Miss Cruikshank, and she wants to befriend Isobel. But something seems a little odd about her, especially how she keeps glossing over the problems. “I gather you and he haven’t exactly seen eye to eye in the past,” she says of Isobel and Larry. That’s putting it very mildly.

This week in Dowager Countess vs. Isobel:

The hospital merger is going ahead. They want Cora as the president and will “allow” Violet to retire — yikes — and nobody wants to tell her. She eventually finds out and goes apoplectic on Cora in front of a tour group. Then she reams out her son.

Since she probably hasn’t lost a battle in decades, is it a wonder the Dowager is such a sore loser?

Poor Thomas moment: First, Carson again tells him he needs to find a new job, stat. Then, the butler insinuates that Thomas is doing something nefarious with Andy late at night in their rooms. “So my word is still not good enough, Mr. Carson, after so many years?” Thomas asks. No, it isn’t, apparently, and he winds up crying in the dark by himself in the servants hall.

Poor Edith moment: Things are going really well with Bertie, but Mary’s on the scent of the Marigold secret, and she’s not going to give up until she confirms her suspicion. “She’s so stupid to have saddled herself with a child,” Mary says of Edith.

Dowager Countess quip of the week: “Horses and women.” — Violet on what the Fourth Earl of Grantham collected, in addition to books.

Downton Abbey airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on Masterpiece on PBS.