MovieChat Forums > Downton Abbey (2011) Discussion > Titanic survivor?

Titanic survivor?

posted 4 years ago by Jes' Sayin' (5953)
7 replies | jump to latest

Why did they have that scene with the guy claiming to be the heir from the Titanic when the storyline went nowhere?

It's been a while since I've seen it but if I recall, I think it was something to try and throw the viewers off into thinking maybe his original heir hadn't died or maybe something to do with Matthew & Mary's love.. if dude hadn't decided to leave (although I believe it was only Lady Edith who truly believed him) Mary would have probably been once again been betrothed to him as he would have been Roberts true heir. I'd have to watch again to remember lol

[–] melissah1982 (883) 4 years ago

Just getting into the show (thanks Covid) and watched that episode last night. Not sure if he's referenced in the next episode or not. I don't know if I believed him. I feel like the minute he realized, he could have gotten lawyers or something to reach out to Lord Grantham the proper way; not try to get there via the hospital and so mysteriously. I would have been interested to see where that storyline went.

However, I don't think Lord Grantham would have forced Mary to marry him if it did prove he was legit. She was already engaged to the reporter and the original point of her marrying the heir was for her financial security. They were pushing her to marry other men when Patrick died or when she rejected Matthew.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Because in real life, plenty of "storylines" go absolutely nowhere.

[–] Kowalski (57869) 3 years ago

^THAT.

[–] whoanelly (1558) 3 years ago

It was resolved in the same ep. During his last conversation with Edith, when she tells him that her father’s investigators are looking into Patrick’s friend, Peter, the guy pretending to be Patrick asks what if they discover that Peter was in the Princess Pats unit of the Canadian army. That was him revealing that yes, he really is Peter trying to put one over on the Crawleys. Right after that he disappears.

In a later interview with Laura Carmichael, she answers a reporter’s question about her character by saying that Edith is coming to terms with the guy being an imposter after all.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5953) 3 years ago

Yes, that's what's so weird. Why start such a weird storyline and then finish it in the same episode? It's not really comedic, so if it's meant to throw us off or something it doesn't do it for very long. Seems pointless.

[–] whoanelly (1558) 3 years ago

JF is notorious for introducing a storyline and quickly dropping it. I’m sure he loved the melodrama of someone surviving the Titanic, losing their memory only to regain it and claim to be the lost heir of a noble family title, later revealed as an imposter.

JF got a bit of mileage out of it, using it to drive the stories of Matthew, Edith, Mary and Carlisle.