On Tuesday July 22nd the Television Critics Association was treated to a preview of Season 5 of Downton Abbey.
You can read more of what the TV Critics saw at this article from TV Guide.
- More Dead Crawleys? First off, no major character dies! Hooray for that!
- Brary (Branson and Mary) Romance? Brary-ship fans will continue to be disappointed as there seems to be no romance in store between Lady Mary and Branson (hooray for that too!). However they are both looking for a new love in their life, but in very different places. Schoolteacher Sarah Bunting seems to still have influence over Tom, and Lord Grantham is not necessarily happy about it.
- Baby Bates? Anna and Mr. Bates (I would love to hear her call him John for once) are still dealing with Anna's rape. Did he kill Green? Do we hope he did? Those questions will remain with us through Season 5, hopefully with some sort of closure. A Baby Bates would certainly be a sweet addition, but then how on earth would Lady Mary get dressed in the morning without her Lady's Maid?
- Go Granny!: The Dowager Countess (how we love her!) apparently was not a shy wallflower in her youth, as there is a suggestion made of a possible "past" with a prince. "Go Granny!"
- Poor, poor Edith: And finally, poor Lady Edith has to watch from afar as her daughter is raised by the nearby farming family. Will Gregson be found, dead or alive? And what was that paper she signed the night before he went away? Will Edith inherit money in her own right and not have to live under Papa's thumb anymore? Or will she find herself the owner of a newspaper and no clue what to do? Maybe one of these days Edith will catch a break.
- Harson (Mrs. Hughes and Carson) Romance?: Okay, well what about Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes holding hands at the end of Season 4? Will their "working" marriage as Butler and Housekeeper blossom into a true romantic relationship? I almost hope not as the tension of "almost" love is often better than when the on-screen couple actually get together.
You can read more of what the TV Critics saw at this article from TV Guide.
When will the new season of Downton Abbey start?
Downton Abbey Season 5 airs mid-September 2014 on ITV in the United Kingdom, and
January 4th 2015 in the United States on PBS.