Awesome / Authors of Our Own Fate

• After all the experiences of his first life, Matthew shows he's going to be playing a different kind of game by explaining himself to Robert in their first meeting in such a way that he comes off as what he's going to become: a thrifty, pragmatic but caring man. The first step into changing Downton in new ways.
• Giving Mary a taste of the aristocrat's anchors by talking about how they can't run off to follow their whims.
• Matthew contextualizing Andromeda and Perseus as a way to show Mary how smart he is while still showing he values her.
• Sybil and Matthew forming their first serious actions to stop Pamuk through subtle moves to protect mary.
  • First, Matthew excuses himself early to stealthily prepare for the night.
  • Second, Sybil comes by to comfort Mary to change her perspective on his advances, and when Pamuk comes in, she smashes a vase on his head.
  • Then she screams to signal Matthew and William to come to the room, trapping Pamuk in his indecencies, and ensuring that he will never trouble Downton again.
• The fact that Sybil of all people orchestrated Pamuk's death; even Matthew doesn't realize what she's done!
• Mary, instead of the doubts and vanities of canon, lays into her aunt that she won't use "potential futures" to stop her marrying Matthew regardless of whether they'd lose the heirdom.
• Matthew goes Calling the Old Man Out by talking about how the war to come won't be pretty, and Robert is wrong to think his helping in the back is a dishonor by men who don't get what's coming.
  • Then when he's shunted away, the 3 sisters and Thomas leave in solidarity.
• Post Time Skip, the Downton sisters and the other exiles have done pretty well for themselves in this new war environment.
  • Sybil couldn't help herself, and signed up to be a nurse alongside Isobel. And with her "cheating" her way through with previous knowledge, gets a position of advocate for supplies.
    • She later is put in charge of the hospital in Downton, on equal footing with Matthew and Dr. Clarson.
  • Edith is now a columnist alongside Tom for Michael's paper. Witty and insightful, fulfilling Matthew's prophecy about her inheriting the future.
  • Matthew and Thomas are supply inspectors. Working as a power pair to expose the corrupt and ensure the war is fought with proper supply.
    • Matthew later becomes the head of Downton's hospital with Sybil while Thomas remains with the army, becoming head of his division with some wondering if he will eventually be Allen's replacement.
  • Mary has become a champion baker, supplying food and reasserting herself as a social lady.
• The first night John spends as the owner of the Grantham Arms he dreams of Pamuk's ghost appearing, threatening Anna and their unborn child. He grabs the ghost by the throat and tells him that he'll just kill him again if he ever shows up again. He doesn't. John Bates scared a GHOST.
• While the family is all pins and needles when Mary and Robert meet for the first time in 2 years, little Lillian cuts through the awkwardness by recognizing that under the old hurts, Mary is TIRED. Tired of carrying this with her family, and it's time to begin moving forward.
• After hearing from Matthew and Sybil about Fake Patrick Tom decides to take matters into his own hands, tricking the man into revealing he's a fraud and then he, along with Lang and Bates, scare the hell out of him.
• When a drunk soldier tries to scare Anna Mr. Lang (now working at the Arms) threatens him.
• Vera escapes prison and plots to kidnap Baby Noah... only for it to be revealed that the Pinkertons were ahead of her, having planted Ms. Baxter as their spy who beats Vera up to save Noah.
  • Mary hiring Baxter to be her new lady's maid because of all she did.
• On a twist of Mary's joking to Anna that if they were in a novel Mary would be a detective and Anna her plucking sidekick, during the Murder Mystery Arc that takes place between Series 2 and 3 it is in fact ANNA who solves the murder of Larry Grey with Mary as her plucky sidekick.
  • Jonsey, when a valet mocks General Lothrop and refuses to give over information that might help find his attacker, tells a servant to go get Dr. Clarkson. Because the valet has some very serious injuries... that he hasn't received yet. Cut to Violet hearing the valet scream in plain as they are brutally beaten.
    • The entire Lothrop family prove to be badasses. Jonsey gives a speech that he and his brother are going to hunt down their father's attacker while their sister and mother stand watch over Allen and the grandkids with guns drawn
    • The reveal that Catherine had a hidden gun that Bates has to collect
  • One for Allen during this arc. When he stumbles upon the murderer trying to capture Lillian, who witnessed the crime, he fights him, buying her time to escape.
  • John Bates casually shooting the murderer just as they begin to rant about why they did what they did, informing the guests that no one really wanted to hear that.
• Sybil impressing Tom's old Irish drinking buddies by winning a drinking contest and then, in full 'Irish Radical Mode', declaring that they are having a wedding right there because she's pregnant.