Super Bowl Update

With the finale of Downton Abbey's Season 2 airing only last week, and filming Season Three barely even underway in England, we have a long wait ahead of us before we get to watch new adventures of our beloved Downton crew on this side of the pond. In the meantime, we get to spend endless hours debating the possibilities of what's to come. I wasn't super thrilled with how much time got dedicated to Downton being a convalescent home in Season 2. It just didn't seem like Downton got to be Downton! But now that the war is behind us, it's time for Downton to roar into the 20's. It's a time ripe for opulence and eavesdropping and a time to refocus on the relationships and drama of the family and the household staff. Here's a character by character breakdown of what I hope is in store for next year. If you're not caught up through season 2, the rest of this post is a minefield of SPOILERS! Readers beware!

The Right Honourable Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham - I'd actually like to see Robert deal with a serious health scare. It would bring the question of inheritance back to the forefront and give Cora a chance to take care of him for a change. I'd like to see those two not so much at odds. Here's to marital bliss in '20 for the Earl and Countess.

The Right Honourable Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham - I look forward to her having to deal with her mom on the scene at Downton. She should also scheme to get Sybil back at Downton for good! And take care of Robert when he falls ill as I mentioned above. Also maybe she intercepts a letter from Jane to Robert and has her killed. That harlot Jane must die! But Robert must never hear about this...

The Right Honourable Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham - Sure, she'll face off with Cora's mom, but I'd like to see them bring in some love interests for Violet. Maybe a love triangle with special guests stars Michael Gambon and Ian McKellan!

Lady Mary Crawley & Mr Matthew Crawley - M&M need to get married. Now that they're truly engaged, there can be no more stalling, no more reasons why it can never be. I also just realized Mary doesn't even need to change her name! She can keep all her monogrammed towels! Aside from wedded bliss, Matthew should help try to free Mr. Bates from jail and Mary should torture Edith by flaunting her happiness.

Lady Edith Crawley - I wouldn't mind if Edith went insane from jealousy of her sisters and lost in a rage set fire to Downton (a fire at Downton would be AWESOME!), but barring that I'd like to see a love triangle (this show needs more love triangles!) with her two former suitors, Patrick Crawley/Gordon, aka Johnny Deformed and Sir Anthony Strallan, aka Old One Arm. If it turns out that Patrick Gordon really is Patrick Crawley, then Downton could go to Edith and Patrick instead of Mary and Matthew. DRAMA!

Lady Sybil Branson (née Crawley) - I want her back at Downton on a permanent basis. She needs to come back for the M&M wedding and to give birth. Maybe her newlywed driver husband Tom dies in an auto accident (oh, the irony!) and she has nowhere else to go. Whatever works. Bring back Sybil!

Tom Branson - I guess he dies. It's not really Downton if people aren't constantly dying. He seems the most likely to bite it in Season 3. It's sort of a shame though. He is very easy on the eyes...

Mrs Isobel Crawley - She has to stick around for the M&M wedding, but then she should go off on some zany off-screen adventures and come back with new ideas on how to improve Downton, then annoy the hell out of everybody as she tries to implement them. Much as she's done in the past. Hey, if it ain't broke...

Lady Rosamund Painswick - I hope Robert's sister becomes a falling-down-drunk alcoholic who wanders around Downton's many halls reminiscing about her youth and lost loves. She can also take an interest in making sure Edith doesn't turn into a miserable spinster and failing horribly in her attempts to marry her off to statues and potted plants around the estate.

Martha Levinson - Cora's mom! Shirley McClaine is on the scene! I'm sure her American sensibilities will scandalize everyone she meets. Hooray! I hope she throws her considerable wealth around in the most uncomfortable ways possible. Buy Downton right out from under the Crawleys! Open a banana stand right on the front lawn. YES!

Mr. Carson - Carson and Hughes, falling in love in 1920. He also becomes increasingly paranoid that Thomas is after his job by way of setting potentially fatal traps for him throughout Downton. Luckily for Carson, Thomas's schemes almost never work out according to plan. Although he did manage to off Pamuk...  Watch out, Carson!

Mrs. Hughes - Hughes and Caron, falling in love in 1920. Also she might realize that she can help Ethel the Whore by having Daisy give her War Widow pension to Ethel who needs funds to help raise her newborn child. Daisy doesn't want the pension anyway. I don't understand why this solution didn't dawn on her in Season 2. It seems so obvious.

O'Brien - I want to meet some of O'Brien's obviously evil relatives. They should come to Downton looking for work. Hopefully one will be named Miles and played by Colm Meaney!

Thomas Barrow - Thomas needs a boyfriend. With Thomas subbing as Valet for the incarcerated Bates, and William having died, it's time for some new footmen. Hopefully one of them can be Thomas's lover and either be his partner in crime or the force of good that keeps him honest in Downton. Either way, it's been a long time since Thomas got some action. He's overdue.

Mr. Bates - A storyline straight out of Prison Break? Shawshank Redemption? Green Mile? Arrested Development? Whichever way they go, I hope we see him dealing with his fellow inmates. It would be great if he told Anna during one of their visits that there was money in the banana stand...

Anna Bates (née Smith) - After inadvertently speaking to Lavinia's ghost on the Ouija board at Christmas, maybe she can return to the board to battle it out with the spirit of the First Mrs. Bates from across the astral plane to find out who, if anyone, really killed her. That information could help clear her husband's name and free him from prison.

Mrs. Patmore - hopefully she turns into Gordon Ramsay as she tries to turn Daisy into an actual cook. Also, she goes blind again. Sorry, Pats!

Daisy Mason (née Robinson) - I'd like to see Daisy steal all of Mrs. Patmore's recipes and publish them in a cookbook, which Mrs. Patmore can't even read to discover the betrayal because she goes blind again.

Gwen Dawson - I'd like to see Gwen show up again and let us know how she's doing as a secretary at the telephone company. If she's not a guest at M&M's wedding, she'd certainly come by to visit Sybil and her baby. Those two were besties. Gwen's a million times better than Ethel.

Ethel Parks - I want her to go away once it's resolved that she can have Daisy's war widow funds. Go away, Ethel and never return!

Isis The Dog - Isis needs a love interest and give birth to 101 amazingly cute little puppies, which the Dowager Countess wishes to turn into a lovely winter coat.

Julian Fellowes, you are welcome to all these amazing ideas. If you want to brainstorm with me on anything else you've got, you know where to find me.