‘Downton Abbey’ Season 4 Gets Fans Fired Up, Again

Downton Abbey has made fans angry again, after the shocking developments of the last episode aired on Sunday night.

As if last season’s ending wasn’t upsetting enough for fans, especially in the UK, where the death of the beloved character Matthew Crawley played by Dan Stevens, left fans in shock on Christmas Day, writer Julian Fellowes decided to take a cruel road with another very well liked character.

Downton Abbey Season 4 is mostly centered on how Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) is moving on — or not — after the sudden, tragic death of her husband and father of their child and heir to the estate.

This time we see the usually spirited and opinionated Mary, subdued and withdrawn, as her family tries hard to bring her back from the depression she feels.

Between her grandmother, the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith), the loyal butler Carson (Jim Carter), and her brother-in-law Branson (Allen Leech), her sister’s widower, she starts to show more interest in estate affairs.

Here come the spoilers. If you don’t want to know what happened in Downton Abbey’s last episode we suggest you skip the next few paragraphs.

** SPOILERS**

The newest episode starts with a warning, that some scenes may not be suitable for all audiences. From the get go it doesn’t bode well for anyone that loves Downton Abbey.

The Grathams are hosting a party, after months of dark clouds hanging over the estate following the deaths of youngest daughter Lady Sybil in childbirth and that of cousin Matthew in a car crash.

Spirits are festive until tragedy strikes, downstairs.

The shocker –as this particular scene is being described — comes as Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and the valet to one of the guests, Mr. Green (Nigel Harma) find themselves flirting with each other (yes, the same Anna who is married to Mr. Bates).

But things take a dark turn when Green attacks Anna as they are alone, shoving her inside a nearby room, hitting her, and worst of all, raping her.

A battered Anna only tells longtime Downton Abbey housekeeper Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) and is desperate to keep the attach from her husband.

To say that fans were upset, would be an understatement. When the episode aired in the UK last year, there was such uproar that some were writing to ITV1, which airs Downton Abbey in the UK to complain.

Julian Fellowes was — once again — forced to defend his decision to put a controversial scene in the miniseries, saying he doesn’t do things gratuitously and everything has a reason for it.

Executive producer, Gareth Neame told TV Guide the point of the brutal scene is to bring to light the treatment of lower class women at the time.

“It is not us just being flashy and trying to get attention,” Neame explains. “It is definitely something that was an issue at the time and women did not have any of the recourse that they would have now. Anna is in a terrible predicament that gives us a great undercurrent that runs through our fourth season.”

What did you think of the last Downton Abbey episode?