Downton Abbey Episode 6

Jill: Bates is released! When he returns, Lord Grantham essentially gives him a vacation, tells him to take it easy, read books. The Downstairs is wondering how they should treat Mr. Bates after his return.

Martha: Mr. Bates get two very different receptions; Thomas is rather cool toward Bates, saying that he now is Mr. Barrow. Lord Grantham on the other hand, treats Bates with great respect, I believe because of their common military experience.

Jill: Edith gets invited to write again, another example of the great time of change that is approaching. It is doubtful that Edith, a lady, would have written for a newspaper before the war. Edith wants to change with the times; her grandmother tells her to do something but she means more "lady-like" pursuits like running a charity or painting with watercolors. The big change coming to house is that Matthew wants to change the way that Downton is run if it is to survive.

Martha:But Downstairs! Poor Thomas, can you imagine the humiliation he must have felt! O'Brien was up to her very nasty tricks suggesting to Thomas that Jimmy had a crush on him. She essentially sets Thomas up. Before he enters Jimmy's room, he is wrestling with whether to go into the room or not. When he leans over and kisses Jimmy, Jimmy awakens, shocked, disgusted, and angry.  Thomas innocently still believes that Jimmy has feelings for him.

Jill: I know that in the past, I have been a little harsh on Mary, thinking that she is cold-hearted, selfish and controlling, but I did see a glimmer of her humanity. When Tom tells her that his brother is coming and he is a bit of diamond in the rough. Mary replies " I'm very fond of diamonds", so maybe I will look at Mary in a different light. And indeed, his brother is a diamond in the rough, maybe  " lump of coal". He is like Tom was in the past, but maybe Tom on steroids, anti-English.

Martha: Well, the baptism of little Sybil takes place, and she is baptized a Catholic. The entire family attended included Robert and the Lady Dowager. When the photographer puts the priest between the Dowager and Lord Grantham, each looks quite uncomfortable. Cora lightens the mood a little by smartly saying, " What's the matter Robert? You think you are going to be converted?"

Jill: The Dowager takes it upon herself without asking Mrs. Crawley to find job offers for Ethel.
She desires new employment for Ethel because according to the Dowager, "she brings a miasma of scandal to this house". We know that the Dowager is doing this for selfish reasons, she is doing this for the family, not Ethel, but when she sees Ethel crying, for a moment she appears to something for Ethel's plight.

Martha: Kudos for Bates! Even though he and Thomas have been at odds. He comes to Thomas's aid. Bates suspects O'Brien of being the instigator . Bates goes to Thomas and asks why he doesn't fight for himself; Thomas says he's beaten and Bates gets from him the weapon to use against O'Brien. The weapon is "her ladyship's soap" and only Thomas and O'Brien know the true meaning of those three words.

Jill: With all the angst in this episode, it ends nicely. Ethel gets a new job and will be near her son Charlie. Thomas's indiscretion is handled by Lord Grantham and results in Thomas being the under-butler and Jimmy being first footman. At the end of the cricket game, Tom, Matthew, and Lord Grantham come together. Perhaps, this foreshadows  what the future holds for Downton, the three men working together to ensure the success of  Downton and the Crawley family.