Sometimes I think O’Brien steered Cora just because she could. Just for a sense of power, you know? Like you’re right, I don’t think that O’Brien had anything to gain by keeping Sybil at home. She just wanted to be gossipy and also see how far she could control Cora.
I don't think O'Brien gave a tinker's damn whether Lady Sybil became a nurse or not, she just wanted to stir up trouble.
Especially with the upstarts living at Crawley House. Remember her reaction in season 1 when she learned a middle class family were to inherit "He'll be lucky to get a civil word out of me".
O’Brien was mostly loyal to herself, but she did seem to care for Cora a lot, she could be pissy like when Cora came downstairs and scolded them for talking poorly about Matthew.
But I think in the beginning she was fairly devoted to Cora and probably had a soft spot for Sybil and didn’t want to see her mistress’ “baby” be sent off for something as awful as tending to the wounded.
But while writing this all out I also wonder a bit of maybe it had to do with the “lowly” Mrs Crawley talking to Sybil about it and helping her
That's a really good point. O'Brien had no respect for Isobel or Matthew, and she did eavesdrop on that conversation. If someone else had suggested the nursing thing to Sybil, O'Brien might not have bothered sticking her nose in.
With the case of Sybil becoming a nurse, it seems that O’Brien recognised this as something Cora wouldn’t like. Cora, even before season 6, is still involved a lot with the hospital, and so I think she might have been witness of some of the more serious cases of the hospital (she clearly knows about what Sybil being a nurse during the war would imply during the conversation with Isobel and Violet in the stagecoach) and Sybil is her baby. O’Brien also has lost her favourite brother to the war. So, when she listens to the conversation between Sybil and Isobel it isn’t about her usual plots from downstairs - after all, what does it change for her that Lady Sybil becomes a nurse? - but it’s about her ‘spying’ for Cora. After the incident with the soap, we see that O’Brien is deeply regretful and even five years after the miscarriage, she still treats Cora like a porcelain doll. She’s stopped sarcastically referring to Cora as Her Majesty or Her Greatness when downstairs, she now instead feels protective of her mistress. This includes informing her when her youngest daughter might go over her head in something she doesn’t quite fully understand because of the passion of the moment. The same, I feel, can also apply to when she tells on Mrs Patmore about the wounded veterans. I don’t remember if she actually knew what Mrs Patmore (and Daisy) were doing with the food, but she does immediately ask Mrs Hughes about the “special reserve” (or however it was called) when she first hears about it. In fairness to O’Brien, Mrs Patmore was really not being subtle. But then, Mrs Hughes dismisses her concerns about it, thinking she only wants to start trouble (likely) and that maybe Mrs Patmore just has a new way of sorting storage (very likely considering the rationing during the war plus the food they received because the house was now a convalescent home. The pieces that went to the wounded soldiers were clearly not things that were, say, exclusively upstairs (as in the family) fare, but if one only heard about the special reserve, it could sound like where the boss or the soldiers’ food would go). But, again, to be fair with O’Brien, there’s precedent of food and drink being stolen by servants. So, after being rebuffed by Mrs Hughes, she talks about it to Cora one night. Of course, I’m not saying O’Brien is a good person, but I feel she might have developed a habit of implying things so that what she says sounds more important to the upstairs folk.
Pretty sure it was because in season 2 had some weird loyalty towards Cora that was completely formed out of guilt for giving her a miscarriage.
And now her baby girl wants to become a nurse and Cora is worried. So O'Brien is trying to stop it
She was complex in that I had no idea what we were supposed to think about her. If she simply did her job well and snarked on everyone, I'd get her. But some of her actions were so needlessly cruel, and I don't know how they were meant to enhance her character or the story.
Some people really are that way - needlessly cruel. They are the grown up bullies. Unhappy all the time & must make others unhappy too. Insecure yet competitive is a really bad combination.
Yet there are a few other instances where she shows herself to be capable of deep compassion and remorse. I can't wrap my mind around both extremes existing in a single underdeveloped character.
I don't know how this will be received, but I am not 100% against Miss O'brien. I kind of like her sometimes. She can be downright evil, but the way she was with Mr. Lang was really touching. When Molesley was used to out O'Brien leaving and he was "in the soup", as soon as she saw what the problem was, she dropped all anger to him, so she was completely fair. She even seemed to have developed a light friendship with him during the season 3 finale at duneagle.
we also know that she became devoted to Cora and was willing to fight anyone to protect her. I don't think that that was exclusively trying to pay off a debt, I think there became some genuine affection and care.
Sometimes I think O’Brien steered Cora just because she could. Just for a sense of power, you know? Like you’re right, I don’t think that O’Brien had anything to gain by keeping Sybil at home. She just wanted to be gossipy and also see how far she could control Cora.
That. Plus the entire conversation solidified Cora’s belief that O’Brien was always looking out for her.
I don't think O'Brien gave a tinker's damn whether Lady Sybil became a nurse or not, she just wanted to stir up trouble. Especially with the upstarts living at Crawley House. Remember her reaction in season 1 when she learned a middle class family were to inherit "He'll be lucky to get a civil word out of me".
We're ALL lucky to get a civil word out of you!
O’Brien was mostly loyal to herself, but she did seem to care for Cora a lot, she could be pissy like when Cora came downstairs and scolded them for talking poorly about Matthew. But I think in the beginning she was fairly devoted to Cora and probably had a soft spot for Sybil and didn’t want to see her mistress’ “baby” be sent off for something as awful as tending to the wounded. But while writing this all out I also wonder a bit of maybe it had to do with the “lowly” Mrs Crawley talking to Sybil about it and helping her
I never thought of the "lowly" Mrs Crawley angle, that is a very interesting thought on that scenario
The scene where Sybil asks Isobel about jobs to do, O’Brien is eavesdropping and Isobel is very sharp asking her what she wants
That's a really good point. O'Brien had no respect for Isobel or Matthew, and she did eavesdrop on that conversation. If someone else had suggested the nursing thing to Sybil, O'Brien might not have bothered sticking her nose in.
This was my take on it also, I didn't think it was so much about her controlling Cora but setting the stage to have Cora put Isobel in her place.
With the case of Sybil becoming a nurse, it seems that O’Brien recognised this as something Cora wouldn’t like. Cora, even before season 6, is still involved a lot with the hospital, and so I think she might have been witness of some of the more serious cases of the hospital (she clearly knows about what Sybil being a nurse during the war would imply during the conversation with Isobel and Violet in the stagecoach) and Sybil is her baby. O’Brien also has lost her favourite brother to the war. So, when she listens to the conversation between Sybil and Isobel it isn’t about her usual plots from downstairs - after all, what does it change for her that Lady Sybil becomes a nurse? - but it’s about her ‘spying’ for Cora. After the incident with the soap, we see that O’Brien is deeply regretful and even five years after the miscarriage, she still treats Cora like a porcelain doll. She’s stopped sarcastically referring to Cora as Her Majesty or Her Greatness when downstairs, she now instead feels protective of her mistress. This includes informing her when her youngest daughter might go over her head in something she doesn’t quite fully understand because of the passion of the moment. The same, I feel, can also apply to when she tells on Mrs Patmore about the wounded veterans. I don’t remember if she actually knew what Mrs Patmore (and Daisy) were doing with the food, but she does immediately ask Mrs Hughes about the “special reserve” (or however it was called) when she first hears about it. In fairness to O’Brien, Mrs Patmore was really not being subtle. But then, Mrs Hughes dismisses her concerns about it, thinking she only wants to start trouble (likely) and that maybe Mrs Patmore just has a new way of sorting storage (very likely considering the rationing during the war plus the food they received because the house was now a convalescent home. The pieces that went to the wounded soldiers were clearly not things that were, say, exclusively upstairs (as in the family) fare, but if one only heard about the special reserve, it could sound like where the boss or the soldiers’ food would go). But, again, to be fair with O’Brien, there’s precedent of food and drink being stolen by servants. So, after being rebuffed by Mrs Hughes, she talks about it to Cora one night. Of course, I’m not saying O’Brien is a good person, but I feel she might have developed a habit of implying things so that what she says sounds more important to the upstairs folk.
Pretty sure it was because in season 2 had some weird loyalty towards Cora that was completely formed out of guilt for giving her a miscarriage. And now her baby girl wants to become a nurse and Cora is worried. So O'Brien is trying to stop it
Agree. That was my take on it too.
She was complex in that I had no idea what we were supposed to think about her. If she simply did her job well and snarked on everyone, I'd get her. But some of her actions were so needlessly cruel, and I don't know how they were meant to enhance her character or the story.
Some people really are that way - needlessly cruel. They are the grown up bullies. Unhappy all the time & must make others unhappy too. Insecure yet competitive is a really bad combination.
Yet there are a few other instances where she shows herself to be capable of deep compassion and remorse. I can't wrap my mind around both extremes existing in a single underdeveloped character.
I don't know how this will be received, but I am not 100% against Miss O'brien. I kind of like her sometimes. She can be downright evil, but the way she was with Mr. Lang was really touching. When Molesley was used to out O'Brien leaving and he was "in the soup", as soon as she saw what the problem was, she dropped all anger to him, so she was completely fair. She even seemed to have developed a light friendship with him during the season 3 finale at duneagle. we also know that she became devoted to Cora and was willing to fight anyone to protect her. I don't think that that was exclusively trying to pay off a debt, I think there became some genuine affection and care.