Downton Abbey

We return to Downton Abbey in 1925, and secrets and rifts threaten the unity of the family, while those below stairs navigate social changes which put their futures in jeopardy. Mary’s past catches up with her when an unwelcome visitor delivers an ultimatum, and news about the running of Downton Hospital puts Violet on the warpath. Friends of the Crawleys, the Darnleys, have been forced to sell their ancestral home, and Daisy's good intentions at the Mallerton House auction have disastrous consequences. With friends in debt and fashions changing, Robert is feeling the pressure to make staff cutbacks at Downton. Carson is concerned that Mrs Hughes is having second thoughts about their impending matrimony, and judgement day finally arrives for Anna and Bates.

Mary's meddling gets Mr Carson into trouble with Mrs Hughes as planning for their wedding gets underway, and Cora and Violet are pitted against each other over plans for the hospital takeover. Thomas's job search continues with disheartening consequences, and an idea of Mary's takes Anna to London and offers new hope. Edith faces challenges at the magazine but it's a problem closer to home that reaches breaking point. What begins as a happy day out for the family and servants ends in panic and leaves Robert with a difficult decision to make.

Preparations for Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes' wedding are underway, but a misunderstanding threatens the peace. Edith reconnects with an old acquaintance, who comes to her aid in an hour of need. Spratt has something to hide but Denker is hot on the trail, and Daisy jumps to conclusions about a plan of Cora's. Tensions mount over the hospital takeover, leading Isobel to offend a friend. The wedding day brings a surprise, with the arrival of some unexpected guests.

As Tom and Sybbie settle back into life at Downton, the family and servants are surprised with the return of another old friend in unexpected circumstances. A visit from Sergeant Willis leaves Baxter with a dilemma, and Thomas struggles to fill Mr Carson's shoes. A crisis takes Anna and Mary to London; will Bates find out what Anna has been keeping from him? Daisy has a bone to pick with Cora, and Mary's eye is caught by an admirer.

Neville Chamberlain, Minister of Health, dines at Downton Abbey as part of Violet's latest scheme to quash plans for the takeover of Downton Hospital, but the evening proves to be distressing for all. Mrs Patmore, Daisy and Andy help Mr Mason to move into Yew Tree Farm and Andy finds an unexpected confidant in Thomas. Mary and Tom go to watch Henry Talbot test drive a new car, but Mary isn't convinced she's met her match. Edith has a date with Bertie Pelham in London, while Denker is in trouble with Violet and Spratt is forced to help her. Mrs Hughes is finding it difficult to please Mr Carson and Mary senses she's been kept in the dark about a family secret.

Opinions are divided above and below stairs when Tom and Mary open Downton Abbey to the public for a day, in aid of the hospital. Mr Dawes, the headmaster, has a proposition for Mr Molesley, and Baxter is thrown into turmoil when she receives an unexpected letter. Plans for the hospital takeover reach a divisive resolution, with battle lines drawn between Cora and Violet. Carson has an axe to grind with Thomas, but all is not as it appears. Mary surprises Henry with a visit to London, while Bertie comes to Downton to see Edith. Can the sisters overcome the shadows of their pasts and find happiness?

Henry Talbot invites the Crawleys to watch him motor racing at Brooklands, and proceedings leave Mary reeling. Violet makes a plan which surprises the family but delights Denker, and gets to the bottom of Amelia Cruikshank's curious show of friendship towards Isobel. Mr Molesley and Daisy must rise to the challenge on examination day, while Mrs Patmore and Mrs Hughes teach Mr Carson a lesson. Andy's secret is brought to light, and Thomas feels increasingly isolated.

A change of circumstance puts Bertie Pelham in the limelight, and Edith must decide whether to conceal her past at all costs, or confront the truth and risk losing everything. As both sisters seek their perfect match, hostilities escalate and it's up to Mary to decide if she can ever make peace with Edith – or herself? Spratt proves to be a man of hidden talents and Mr Molesley embarks on a career in teaching, though his first lesson doesn't quite go to plan. Mrs Patmore's bed and breakfast garners unwanted attention – will the Crawleys come to her aid?

Romance abounds in the final episode of Downton Abbey, but for some the year's end is bitter-sweet. Mary endeavours to build bridges but Edith's secret continues to pose a threat, even after she thought there was nothing left to lose. As Henry settles into the role of husband, scars left by Charlie's death are slow to heal, while Carson struggles to come to terms with developments which prove that even he is not invulnerable to change. Spratt's successful moonlighting venture is threatened by the conniving of Denker, and Daisy may have missed her chance with an admirer. Isobel receives devastating news and when the Greys' scheming takes a sinister turn, she and Violet join forces. Robert must learn the value of independence, while the day that Anna and Bates have been waiting for arrives. The last ever episode offers all the love and loss, happiness and heartbreak of Downton Abbey, and as the family and servants prepare to welcome 1926 with an unforgettable New Year's Eve we will share our final two hours in their company, and reflect on the ending of a television event.