My oh MY doesn’t Lady Mary look sad? 

SPOILERS——PLEASE DON’T READ ON IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP! 

Above is the first official photo from the upcoming fourth season of Downton Abbey. Lady Mary seems to be in mourning as she holds her brand new son (and heir, obvs.) So dark and mysterious. I love it. 

Lots of Downton news has been circulating in the past week or so, and I’ve neglected to really comment on it until now because I knew it would just keep piling up. So here’s a brief recap of what’s been going down across the pond: 

1. First things first—O’Brien is OUT. That’s right, everyone’s favorite love-to-hate ladymaid, Siobahn Finneran, has decided—much like her predecessors Dan Stevens and Jessica Brown Findlay—to leave the series. Unlike Lady Sybil and Matthew Crawley, however, Finneran’s exit will be handled offscreen. Sad. 

2. They’re bring on a ton of new cast members to fill in the holes being left by the rapidly dwindling core cast, too. Most notably, British actor Tom Cullen has been cast as Lord Gillingham, an old childhood friend and suitor for Lady Mary. Let’s see how that goes for Mary in her new Black Widow disposition. 

3. Apparently, the fourth season picks up six months after the events of the season three finale. Sigh. I was really hoping we would be able to experience the immediate turmoil and upheaval that Matthew’s death is sure to have caused. Not to mention, I desperately want to see Lady Mary actually FEEL something, and seeing as how little emotion she showed at HER OWN SISTER’S DEATH, I was excited at the thought that Michelle Dockery might actually have to do some real acting for once. 

4. Shirley MacLaine will be back as Lady Cora’s mother. Holla for the sassy old broads in the house. 

Stay tuned for what I’m sure will be an endless parade of Downton news until we get to see the fourth season.