Downton Abbey The Morning After: Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

Break out the sherry, Downton's back!

At least that's what Matthew might say when a possible inheritance nearly derails his long, LONG, awaited nuptials to Lady Mary in last night's Downton Abbey series 3 premiere. See, Robert has made some bad investments and won't be able to keep Downton. Coincidentally (very coincidentally), Matthew might be coming into some big bank from St. Lavinia's father, which he feels weird about taking since he, you know, dumped her and all. Thankfully Mary's tendency to be self-centered and stubborn and Matthew's tendency to be self-righteous and stubborn didn't prevent all us Downtonophiles from reveling in a proper Edwardian wedding,

Yay!

and some not-so-proper Edwardian honeymooning afterwards. Though it must be awkward to enjoy the first months of your connubial bliss in your parent's house (and I said "ew" out loud when Matthew slyly shared with Lord Robert that his "eyes had been opened" after the honeymoon), thank you, show, for acknowledging that people did, in fact, have sex in the early twentieth century. Even in England.

The other long-awaited event in series 3 is the arrival of Shirley Maclaine as the crass American with all the cash. I must say, I only liked Martha in so much as it gave the irrepressible, incomparable, Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess a chance not to like her. And I so love when Vi doesn't like things. Like weekends. And how Branson dresses for dinner. Otherwise, Martha's character seemed like they couldn't decide whether to go for full-on campy or not.

Though this outfit and pose seems to place her firmly in the "camp" camp.

Speaking of Branson, it was lovely to see him and a preggers Sybil back for the wedding. And if you're wondering if marriage has cooled his fiery political passions, let me assure you, it has not.

And Edith. Oh Edith. Now the only virginal Grantham in the family, she continues to be a source of incredible pathos, though now that she seems utterly de-fanged by romantic disappointment, she's pretty much 100% pathetic, and will heretofore be referred to as "Poor Edith."

As for downstairs . . . Batesey remains incarcerated in what amounts to a pretty fabulous episode of Lockup: Downton Abbey. He practically shanked his unpleasant cellmate!

He could totally make that into a shiv.

And Anna continues to try to clear his name, which makes her the star of a pretty fabulous episode of CSI: Downton Abbey. Daisy does her best impression of Bartleby the Kitchen Maid out of frustration at her inability to advance in the servant hierarchy, and Thomas and O'Brien are BFFs no longer! O'Brien's is now more concerned with the fate of her tall nephew, Alfred.

We'll have to keep an eye on Mrs. Hughes's cancer scare and Edith's designs on the one-armed Sir Anthony!

Poor Edith.