The case against O'Brien:
Motive: Her guilt over causing Cora's miscarriage makes her determined to protect Cora against further threats. Vera is a threat to the Grantham family, thus to "my lady." For some reason, O'Brien is fond and protective of Thomas. Bates is a threat to Thomas's ambitions. If Vera is murdered and Bates is hanged for it, that gets rid of both threats.
Clues: (1.) She tells Thomas twice that she won't stand by while Vera hurts "my lady."
(2.) We see her wandering around the village, so it wasn't impossible for her to get away from Downton if she wanted to go to London, or to get away from the family when they're in London.
(3.) She borrows baking soda from Mrs. Patmore. This is seemingly innocent, but in her twisted mind it might possibly have some connection to disguising the poison.
(4.) The family goes to London to visit Rosamond. Presumably, O'Brien goes along because she is Cora's maid. This is O'Brien's chance to find out about Vera, maybe to visit her and get acquainted, to find out about her household arrangements and any convenient means of getting rid of her. An opportunity to tell Vera stories about Bates and Anna.
(5.) In an online blurb, it is announced that some "difficult person" will die in Series 3. This could be a clue that O'Brien is convicted and hanged for Vera's murder.
Others:
John Bates: Bates would have had to do it in a fit of rage. He would have broken her neck or strangled her. Poison would never have occurred to him, unless Vera had it on the table. Bates didn't do it.
Richard Carlisle: I don't think there's any case against him, as far as murder is concerned. He had other means of retribution.
Vera's paramour: We don't know enough to speculate.
Vera herself: If she killed herself, it was probably accidental. Such as, on John's last visit, she brewed tea and put poison in his share, then somehow the cups got switched. But she seems too clever for this.
I vote for O'Brien.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Who Killed Vera Bates?
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10 comments:
I think O'Brien souns plausible.
I can't imagine Vera committing suicide, even as a means of causing trouble for Bates. But I truly thought that the writers had intended it as a suicide. Now that you have suggested other characters who may have killed the dispicable woman, I realize that it most likely was not a suicide! I think Cousin Violet or Thomas could have done it! Or Lord Grantham!
Not Lord Grantham. He's too much of a wimp to commit murder. I compare him to Ashley Wilkes. Maybe Cousin Violet though. She's the type of woman who can and will do anything for the sake of her children and grandchildren's well being and reputation. Or Thomas--is he that gay guy that's friends with O'Brien? He could have. But I still vote for O'Brien. But I hope it's Thomas.
I do remember O'Brien in the kitchen asking to borrow some baking soda. But, once she had the baking soda, by what conniving would she get Vera to injest the poison while thinking it was baking soda? I can't imagine.
Yeh, I'm on the O'Brien train, too :)
No way it was suicide. Vera had not only Bates' money, but her money from the deal with Sir Richard, as well. I do think she died by her own hand, though, planning to poison either Carlisle or Bates, but drinking the offending brew herself by accident... but how she planned to get away with it is beyond me.
Unless... she did violate her contract with Carlisle, he threatened her and she took her own life to avoid prison and spite Bates one last time. Her letter to a friend, laying the trap, seems to support it.
We are re-watching (for the umpeenth time) Season Two,and my theory de jour is that Mosley did it. But the baking soda incident is intriguing. And IF O'Brien was actually out of Downton when Vera died, then she seems suspect#1. We'll see...
We are re-watching (for the umpeenth time) Season Two,and my theory de jour is that Mosley did it. But the baking soda incident is intriguing. And IF O'Brien was actually out of Downton when Vera died, then she seems suspect#1. We'll see...
I'm thinking Mosely. And I can't imagine Carlisle doing it, but I can imagine Carlisle hiring someone to do it.
O'Brien looked very surprised when Bates came back from London a bit earlier than everyone thought.
In Season 1, after the household finds out about "the Cheerful Charlies," Sir Richard says "We all have moments in our past we'l like to forget." And so far nothing has come out of that comment.
Oh heavens. I have no idea. I'm looking forward to finding out.
Thank you. I thought I'd imagined O'Brien's threats to Mrs. Bates in the first season.
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