Characters
We can’t have him assassinated. I suppose.
— Dowager Countess • Downton Abbey
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker sounds regretfully resigned that killing this man is not permitted. The added 'I suppose' turns a prohibition into a dry concession, as if murder would be the preferred solution and only convention stands in the way. The tone is cool, wry and darkly comic.
Context reviewed