9.23: [as Bates and Anna giggle] M: Kiss. Each. Other. Please, honey! Make him drop the cane! I’m sorry; I need some smexy times! A: Yeah, he needs to grab her ass… M: There’s a table right behind you!

9.24: [Harriet shows up] H: Go, Harriet! M: Oh, I like you!

9.25: [as Maggie shows up] M: Oh, Maggie — I don’t like you now! M: [as wife defends procedure] Oh, good for you! A: She [Maggie Smith] is so good at that “What? People are contradicting me?”-look.

9.26: [as procedure continues] M: Whoa — that so ain’t right! H&A: Hush!

Halfway through the show! Guesses all ’round…

A: So the little redhaired girl is going to go off to be a secretary.

M: Bates and whatsherface need to come to some kind of agreement. Understanding.

A: Yeah.

H: Thomas needs…a shagging or a comeuppance…

M: Thomas is going to blackmail his way out of that house.

A: He’s going to use that information to get himself leverage somewhere, somehow.

M: I do think it will backfire.

A: Yeah, he’s going to try. I don’t know what O’Brien wants…but she’s going to be there with him.

M: Her motivation, other than being spiteful, is…

A: If she was acting as if the family was under threat…but she hates everyone!

M: I think she just wants to see people ruined.

A: It’s a very malicious sort of…youngest daughter needs to find some sort of voice.

M: She’s gettin’ close. Middle daughter — all middle daughter is going to end up a little shafted in this story.

A: Which is sad. But yeah. I want to see Maggie Smith and Harriet Jones…

H: Go at it. Oh, god, yes.

M: …preferably in that little cottage parlor. Epic.

[General agreement and headnodding]

Head on over to Hanna’s blog for the full post.