http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/06/downton-abbey-season-3-preview_n_1860646.html

I can't wait! "Nothing succeeds like success," according to the Dowager... and it sure is true for the show.

Also, "I'll never be happy with anyone else as long as you walk the earth." Awww!

Who else is excited for more Downton?

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sig set by Nurr
It is the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love.married Mr. Darcy 6/14/2012

Oh definitely! I'm excited to see Matthew and Mary get married, and for Edith and Sir Anthony (squee!) and I can't wait to see all the snarky things that happen when Cousin Violet, Branson, and Cora's mother are all under one roof. Shall be brilliant!

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going on a journey through my old claims

I'm mostly excited for new hottie footmen. And valet!Thomas. Is it too much to hope that he can be happy this season?

Edith too, though. I'm interested to see what they do with her story, because it seems like she's going to go out and do things rather than feeling sorry for herself.

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- married fingon fingolfinion 6/4/13 -
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Well, the Thomas situation didn't look to promising, since he was sobbing later in that preview...

I'm also glad that they're keeping Ethel and not just dropping her out of the show, since that's something that really annoys me.

And yes, I'm crossing my fingers for a wedding in the first episode! (Although they'll probably try to mess things up at the beginning to make us worry...)

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sig set by Nurr
It is the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love.married Mr. Darcy 6/14/2012

... maybe he'll hook up with his fabulously pretty new boyfriend and then it will be joy and rainbows for the rest of the season? No? Okay, I'll keep hoping.

I agree about Ethel. She wasn't really as bad a character as everyone made out, and I would like to see her get some kind of happy ending. Not that it's likely, alas.

If they drag out the Matthew/Mary wedding even more, I'm going to start hitting things. That worked for a season and a half, and then it got boring. Maybe if they'd done more with Jorah Mormont Richard Carlisle, it would have worked, but... eh. It was never enough to make me doubt that she'd end up with Matthew.

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- married fingon fingolfinion 6/4/13 -
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WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY



I've been so disappointed with the writers this season. Here I was thinking after episode two that we might be back to the greatness of season one. And we aren't.

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going on a journey through my old claims

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Pretty much my feeling as well. I thought after the first episode it was back to how it was in season 1, but last episode failed epically. It's going to make it hard for me to believe anything else could be as important as what happened to Sybil, and I fear her death has just been for the shock factor. But it also seems like the actress had film offers she wanted to pursue, so it may well have been she had to be removed from the scene.

Terrible, terrible way to go though.

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^ By me and my SS *squiggle hugs*

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I agree as well, Nurr. I'm always an emotional wreck after Downton these days... I bet that the first episode was be the high point of this series. I may not be a huge fan of Edith, but I think that what happened to her was just cruel. And Sybil's death?!? Must they kill off my favorite character in the show?? (after the Dowager, of course.) I understand that Jessica Findlay wanted to move on, but couldn't they have done something less... drastic? My take on it is that the writers have decided that since they finally got Matthew and Mary married, no one else can ever be happy again. Blargh.

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sig set by Nurr
It is the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love.married Mr. Darcy 6/14/2012

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Well my wish isn't going to happen. I didn't want Cora to forgive Robert and I thought she was going to have some fun on the side. She deserves it. I've got it all planned out as well. Benedict Cumberbatch needs to guest star as Cora's lover. And possibly Thomas' lover as well. Oh yes.

Anyway, I cannot believe they killed off Sybil in such a horrible way. I think Robert is going to go speak to the home secretary (or whoever it was that said they wouldn't pursue Tom at Downton, only if he went back to Ireland) to get him to arrest Tom so he can take over care of baby Sybil.

Poor Edith. Now that Sybil's gone she might become my new second favourite character. (Violet will always be my firm favourite.)

I can't believe Dr Clarkson managed to accurately diagnose something that wasn't drunkenness! I'm still reeling from that shock.

I wish Matthew and Mary would crawl into a hole and die somewhere. They're really boring and annoying now they're married.

The whole Bates thing has gone on for far too long. I'm glad he's been released if only to get away from that storyline.

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All by Bellatrix
Married Nymphadora Tonks 29/6/13

I just want to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the finale of Season 3 (well, apart from a certain character dying).

Oh man, with Season 3 being over, what does everyone think will happen in Season 4? I cannot even begin to speculate!

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My favorite episode was definitely the special before the season 3 finale. The finale was okay... but I really didn't like all the random story lines they pulled out of nowhere and then abandoned (Branson and that maid? Doesn't that feel a little soon after Sibyl? And I also felt like they were just re-using that story line from season 2. Also, I din't really get why they needed to include that thing with Mrs. Patmore and the fair guy - it didn't connect to anything else that was going on in the season.)

As for Season 4 predictions, I think that the main focus is going to be on Rose and how she adjusts to life at Downton. Since they've killed off two of the main characters, I don't think there would have been a whole lot to do without bringing someone new in, as they did. I think that it will be interesting to see them explore the theme of the clash of new ideas against the old, which Rose will definitely bring. Of course, I'll be sad that the Matthew/Mary dynamic will no longer be there - but I guess once they got married, all the anxiety that made the show so fun sort of fizzled out. But Maggie Smith is going to stay for the fourth season, so we'll still have the Dowager's one-liners to look forward to!!

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sig set by Nurr
It is the small, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love.married Mr. Darcy 6/14/2012

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^ By me and my SS *squiggle hugs*

A new love interest for Mary? That will be...interesting. However, I guess, she can't mourn the death of Matthew forever. Also. Branson, I wonder which route they will take with him. I was so annoyed with that maid taking advantage of his feelings...I was probably only annoyed because of how much I enjoyed Sybil and I wanted him to worship Sybil's memory forever and not take on a new love interest.

As for Rose, I like her outfits, I want them, they're fun. However, I'm not sure what I will think of her being at Downton, maybe she'll add a youthful flare? She'll definitely add some drama, I wouldn't be surprised to see something happen between her and one of the servants.

I completely agree with you JF about something good happening to Edith! I was so so so disappointed that the newspaper man was already married! All I could think was "Of course, that HAD to happen to Edith!" But, I sincerely hope that something good comes from that situation!

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[Will accept any PM! So PM me! ]

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^ By me and my SS *squiggle hugs*

I'd be okay with that. Something good needs to happen to her! The Branson maid storyline was way, waaaaaaaaay too soon, and I'm glad it didn't go anywhere. Branson spent, what, about 6 years waiting to marry Sybil? He shouldn't be thinking of anyone else for a loooong while yet.

I very much doubt I will watch the next season (I actually stopped watching season 3 halfway through and only finished because my cousin bought the DVDs) - it's just too much. I know we all love Maggie Smith, but seriously, her character would've died by now. It's been too long a time span in the show. Just many of the character choices make me mad - it's writing to just get by, not good writing.

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going on a journey through my old claims

I completely agree, Nurr! I was just remarking to my flatmates after the Christmas special that most of what occurred in the second and third series was so improbable that the show was becoming ridiculous! I always use the example of Daisy. Almost ten years have passed, and she doesn't look a day over 15! It's getting silly. Before the special I knew someone was going to die, and I thought for sure it was going to be the dowager (shows that I don't follow tabloids or I would've known about Dan Stevens long before!).