Carson is quizzing Alfred on several different types of spoons; he does pretty well, but has to get help from Carson on the bouillon spoon, an assist witnessed by Thomas. After Carson sends Alfred off, Thomas tries to be ingratiating as he tells Carson he's quite jealous of all the time Carson's taking with him. Carson: "I don't know why. He asked for help. You never did." Thomas doesn't have an answer for that, which is rare, yet hardly surprising in this particular instance.

At Crawley House, Ethel tells her audience that what she has to say is hard, but Mrs. Hughes is like, I have a dinner to see to, so work through the pain? Ethel screws up her courage and asks Mrs. Hughes if she'd write to the Bryants again, saying that she knows she initially took the position that she could raise her son best, but she sees now that she was being selfish. Isobel counsels her not to do anything until she's absolutely sure, which is fair enough, but in an episode that deals with a fair number of gender issues, the larger point to take from this is that, as a woman, she feels she has no options despite Isobel's ongoing attempts to convince her otherwise. Speaking of, Isobel tells her that they all know the route she's taken -- hard to miss it, Isobel, with you shouting it from the rooftops every chance you get -- and Ethel tells her it's good of her even to have her in her house, but Isobel's point is that she'd love to work with Ethel to try to find a way for her to keep Charlie. Ethel, however, thinks that regardless of whatever efforts they might go to, she still could never offer Charlie the opportunities that a life with the Bryants will afford him. Mrs. Hughes doesn't actually look at her watch but is still like, so, the resolution is? Isobel asks her to write to the Bryants requesting a meeting, but to keep the purpose vague. Despite Ethel's assertion that she won't change her mind, Mrs. Hughes sees it Isobel's way: "Then there'll be no disappointment, whatever comes." Not that I disagree with the course of action, but I'm pretty sure she's being optimistic with that prediction. Mrs. Hughes then makes to hightail it out of there...