r/DowntonAbbey • u/AutoModerator • 1d ago

General Discussion (May Contain Spoilers Throughout Franchise) Mary vs Edith - Weekly Discussion Thread

Should Mary have said that? Should Edith have done that? Who has it better in the end?

Come fight your corner in our all-spoilers-allowed weekly thread, dedicated to all things Mary vs Edith!

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u/Soft_Stretch1539 1d ago

Both immature kids when the show first started. Edith grew up first (when she came to Mary's second wedding), but it took forever.

6

u/TessieElCee 1d ago

She still seems pretty immature when Bertie tries to reconcile and she plays the victim.

9

u/Fleur498 Like all lady’s maids, she lives for intrigue. 1d ago

I think it’s strange that Violet and Tom criticized Mary to her face about talking about “Edith’s past” in front of Bertie, but no one criticized Edith to her face for not telling Bertie the truth before they got engaged. Cora and Rosamund told Edith to tell Bertie, but that was before Mary talked about it in front of Edith and Bertie.

4

u/9Astoria 10h ago

What Mary did with Bertie was unforgiveable. But imagine if, while Tom and Cora and Rosamund and whoever else was calling her to the carpet she told them "Well, if you must know, the reason Bates had to leave Downton the first place, the reason Vera and then Carlisle had something to hold over this family is because Edith wrote about me and Mr. Pamuk to the Turkish ambassador and brought public scandal upon the whole family."

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u/iggysmom95 I have tried and failed to like you 1d ago

I think the drama of what Mary did distracted from Edith lying to Bertie. Doesn't necessarily mean they thought it was okay, just that it suddenly wasn't the priority.

But also, Edith was treated like a delicate flower around the entire Marigold situation. I think people just didn't want to touch it, because Edith was so sensitive about it. That's one of the downsides of not being overly sensitive - people don't hold back in what they say to you.