Downton Abbey episode six: Bates loses his temper

Neil, i beg to disagree re the Dowager. Her part is written and  Maggie Smith delivers exactly as a lady of her years, standing and time in history would have. In fact so succinct is is the part that it has the right amount of humour  [aka Jane Austen] and understanding that an intelligent female would be allowed to deliver, without all who know her, positively ostracising her.  The Queen Mum was never so understanding and encouraging of her grandchildren. Remember Charles, "encouraged" to give up the love of his life for a younger filly who would bare better pedigree offspring for the future of the realm?
The Dowager, boring????? eg "what's a weekend?";  "people like us, don't have unhappy marriages!"  Context of her one liners, does not allow further typing and no doubt boredom has already set in for you

Actually sounds a rather good episode, this one. Don't usually like Downton Abbey that much - too much of the Dowager Countess - (who, by the way, would have been similar to the Queen Mother in her day), so no real power - making frankly irrelevent comments in any situation, is boring. But this looks like it might be worth a watch, because the episode concentrates on someone else.