So, while the Brits will be getting the third season of “Downton Abbey” this month, the rest of us are stuck waiting for the show to premiere on PBS in January. The good news? We can at least soak up whatever plot tidbits we can glean rom the trailer below, which gives us intriguing glimpses of Cora (Elizabeth McGovern)’s mom Martha, as played by legendary actress Shirley Maclaine. She blows into town promising to cause further upset at Downton — just like the flapper era — and as we already know from season two, Downton is becoming less rigid by the hour. But that’s hardly all the good stuff.
What we see in the trailer isn’t detailed, but some juicy elements we are able to glean. Libby Crawley’s relationship with Branson the chauffeur seems to be going full steam ahead, and her sister Edith has finally worn down Sir Anthony to pursue romance. On the flip side, conniving Thomas is… crying? Could that be right?
Amazingly, Mr. Bates and Anna, torn apart by his incarceration, don’t look unhappy — unlike Ethel the former housemaid. Scandalized by having a child out of wedlock last season, she seems to have fallen even further, and her tragic storyline suggests we’ll see some real grit brought to the show. Of course, Matthew and Mary loyalists will be happy to see that these two seem to be on solid ground at last — although, this being Downton, there’s no guessing whether or not that will last.
What do you think of the trailer? Watch it here:
What do you think of the trailer? Are you excited for the third season?