Entertainment NOW

Cover Story Life after death: 'Downton Abbey' soldiers on after a tragic loss By Jacqueline Spendlove TV Media T hose post-Christmas blues have no place in North America this year, at least for "Downton Abbey" fans. With the dawn of 2014 comes a gift that far exceeds anything you found under the tree: the eagerly anticipated new season of the acclaimed period drama is upon us at last. The "Masterpiece Classic" favorite has received numerous accolades and, as of its third season, has become PBS's most-watched drama to date. The fourth season of "Downton Abbey" has already aired in its entirety in the United Kingdom, and makes its U.S. debut Sunday, Jan. 5, on PBS. "Downton" followers have surely been awaiting this moment with bated breath since the jarring Season 3 finale, which ended with the untimely demise of Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens, "Sense and Sensibility"), one of the plot's driving characters and love interests. It seems all too cruel, doesn't it? The will-they-won't-they scenario with Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery, "Anna Karenina," 2012) was finally resolved when the two married early in Season 3, and the couple conveniently provided Downton with an heir before Matthew, the current heir, expired. Now, just as Downton seems to be at peace again following the losses of the First World War, a foolish investment on Robert's (Hugh Bonneville, "Twenty Twelve") part that almost cost him the estate and a slew of other calamities and near misses, we're hit with this new and perhaps greatest bombshell. Now it's time to take a breath and remember that however much we love the characters and feel like we know them, these aren't real people. It may seem tragic, but in terms of story, the real tragedy would surely be stagnation. It's the hardships and unpredictability that make "Downton Abbey" so gripping, and the show wouldn't be what it is if everything simply went according to plan. The Matthew-Mary storyline was a major driving force for the earlier seasons. "Happily ever after" really works better at the end of a story than it does in the middle, though. While fans rejoiced in the couple's happy union, that particular storyline really didn't have much life left in it. As Lisa Bernier put it in a PolicyMic.com article, "it was clear Matthew was the type to settle into marriage and family, ready to leave drama behind in the name of stolid Sunday mornings and 1920s sweater vests." As viewers, though, it's the drama we want. With that in mind, Matthew's death, however heart wrenching, was also perfectly timed. Though writer and creator Julian Fellowes had no real choice but to write Matthew out of the series following actor Dan Stevens' decision to leave, he worked in the departure seamlessly. The stage 2 • January 5 - 11, 2014 has now been set for a whole new array of challenges, and the birth of wee George – fortuitously a male and therefore heir to the estate – ensures that the show won't go back to square-one with the question of the entail. Still, the characters can't be expected to see the upside to the death of the heir apparent. Season 4 will examine how the lives of the rest of the household — family and staff alike — have been altered in the wake of this terrible loss. The first episode opens six months after the accident, and Mary is still mourns her husband. "We've got to the point, not obviously where Mary has recovered or got over it in that way, but when it's time for her to start getting back in gear," Fellowes told The Huffington Post. Mary has the additional challenge of rearing a baby without the child's father. Dockery adds, "She's barely left the house in six months and she finds it very difficult to relate to, or have any sort of contact with the baby, because she says each time she looks at him, he reminds her of Matthew." Because of her gender, Mary can't be heir herself (tradition isn't always a good thing). Yet she's strong, intelligent and cares a great deal about the future of Downton. So long as she can rise above her depression, she's in the perfect position to groom her son to be a wise and capable future Earl of Grantham. It remains to be seen, however, who will take up Robert's gauntlet until young George comes of age. On top of the changes taking place, there will be some new faces cropping up at Downton. Paul Giamatti ("Lady in the Water," 2006) appears as Cora's unruly, playboy brother, Harold, for the dramatic season finale. Tom Cullen ("Weekend," 2011) joins the formidable cast as an old family friend of the Crawleys, while Gary Carr ("Death in Paradise") appears as jazz singer Jack Ross. Viewers basking in Season 4 can do so content in the knowledge that this season won't be the last. Following its U.K. run, the period drama secured a renewal for a fifth season. It's really The cast of "Downton Abbey" no surprise, with Season 4 viewers averaging at 11.8 million, making it Britain's highest-rated TV drama of the year. American audiences are about to add significant fuel to that fire, and true zealots won't even have to wait for PBS to air the season in full. Those who fork over a $120 donation to PBS (either as a lump sum or $10 per month for a year) will receive the whole of Season 4 on DVD in early January and will be able to lord their knowledge over their peers. Should you begin to notice your Downton-loving pals navigating life with their fingers in their ears, there's no need to question their sanity – it's merely a safeguard against spoilers. Though it's lost some major characters over its run, "Downton Abbey" always manages to keep calm and carry on. With a whole new set of challenges, twists and shockers, Season 4 is sure to be every bit the success here in North America that it's been across the pond. The new season of the period drama kicks off Sunday, Jan. 5, on PBS. Med Plus 1/16 pg Communities listed D - Danville V - Veedersburg H - Hoopeston O - Oakwood TVWeek V - Veedersburg Ca - Cayuga Co - Covington W - Westville

• Cover