Matthew Goode

Previously on Downton Abbey: After various disasters involving everything from the reception location to wedding attire, Carson and Mrs. Hughes finally tie the knot and everything is perfect forever and I can basically just stop watching this show now. Oh, wait, there are like five more episodes to go? What? In other news, Anna thinks she might be pregnant, Daisy is convinced Cora has a secret plan to rescue Mr. Mason, Edith has to pull an all nighter to get an issue of her magazine to press, but gets to spend it with a nice man, and Branson comes back from America.

Oh, and that hospital storyline no one cares about is still happening despite no one actually caring about it. (If you need more info, you can check out last week's recap right this way.) 

.Guys, our last ever Downton Episode 4 recap is here. (Sniff.) 

Let’s get it started. 

Previously on Downton Abbey: Carson and Mrs. Hughes have a disagreement about what kind of wedding (and reception) they’d like to have. Mrs. Drewe continues to have a lot of emotional issues as s result of Edith reclaiming Marigold, and literally everyone on the show basically refuses to acknowledge the wrong that they’ve all done this woman. After Mrs. Drewe basically kidnaps Marigold, the family is basically forced to give up their tenancy on the farm they’ve worked for generations. Thomas starts looking for a new job. The fight over the future of the hospital continues; no one cares.  

If you missed last week’s recap, you still have time to stop by and check it out. As far as this week’s episode goes, I’m still smiling, so that seems like a pretty good sign, yeah?

Previously on Downton Abbey: Lady Mary faced a blackmail threat over her previous dalliance with Tony Gillingham and was saved at the last minute by the intervention of Robert, who decided to believe in his daughter for once. Carson and Mrs. Hughes realize that they are MFEO and finally decide to set a wedding date. A pointless fight is brewing between Violet and Isobel over the future of the village hospital. Daisy did something stupid and irritating. Violet’s ladies’ maid it the worst person on the show. And Anna and Bates are cleared of the various threats of murder charges hanging over them but are still miserable because Anna is now convinced she can’t have children. This show hates them. 

Onward to this week, our last ever Downton Episode 2. 

(Sniff.) 

Previously on Downton Abbey: There is too much. Go visit the Season 5 recaps for a bit if you need a refresher on all the things that went down last year.

Y’all: It’s finally happening: The end of Downton is here. And no matter how much we may wish that weren’t true, it’s time to start getting a handle on our emotions about it. (JK, we’re basically going cry straight through the next eight weeks, right? It’s cool. We’re all friends here.)

Anyway, there’s a lot to discuss (surprise, surprise) and some of it’s incredible and some of it’s not, and some of it’s the televisual equivalent of the shrug emoji (¯\_(ツ)_/¯), so, you know, prepare yourselves. 

In short: We have a lot to talk about. 

 As we prepare to officially kick off the end of an era this weekend– otherwise known as the US premiere of the final season of Downton Abbey – it seemed appropriate to take a moment to really wallow in our heart-bursting nostalgia before the new episodes start.

Downton Abbey has been many things to many people – a game-changing, global ratings smash, a revitalizing reminder that no one does period dramas like the British, a regular source of devastating Maggie Smith quips. But, at its heart, Downton is about people, and the relationships between them, and despite its occasionally overly-soapy missteps (remember that time Matthew’s paralysis was cured because it just turned out his doctor was wrong?), it has always gotten the emotional beats of its story right. And from upstairs to down, from servants to aristocrats, it’s the characters who make up the heart of Downton Abbey, and the reason why, even when the storylines were almost too stupid to be believed, we still loved every silly, soapy, overly dramatic moment.

So, let’s celebrate the beginning of the end with a look back at some of the show’s great moments (or at least yours truly’s favorite moments) and remember all the reasons that our Sunday nights will feel a bit emptier next year once Downton is gone.

 (You will absolutely have deletions or additions to this list – so make sure you hit the comments to share your favorites!) 

PBS and Masterpiece have released another trailer for the highly anticipated final season of Downton Abbey that is basically meant to capitalize on the fact that fans everywhere are basically drowning in a sea of emotions as they count down the days to the Season 6 premiere. (There’s also an earlier trailer here, in case you missed that and want to double whammy yourself with feels. Just FYI.)

This clip is 100% meant to capitalize on all of your nostalgia and affection and OMG, I still miss Matthew how is it possible it’s been like three years by interspersing voiceovers from the new season with clips of many of your favorite moments from episodes past. Along with an incredible ton of references to various permutations of the word “end” or “ending”.

The end of an era is upon us.

Filming wrapped up this week on the final season of beloved, megahit costume drama Downton Abbey, which has been something of an emotional affair for all involved. And will doubtless be an extremely emotional affair for fans when Series 6 finally broadcasts. (And by the way, it’ll be airing here in the US beginning January 3, 2016 if you missed that memo).

Several members of the series’ cast and crew have been sharing the experience on social media as they bid farewell to the world of the Crawley clan, using the hashtag #LastDaysofDownton. And, fair warning, even just scrolling through that hashtag is likely to make you a bit sniffly.

Previously, on Downton Abbey: Rose and Atticus get married amid drama that includes: Rose’s awful mother’s existence, her awful mother’s attempt to frame her future son-in-law for an affair he wasn’t having, her awful mother telling her future in-laws that she’s divorcing and bringing scandal upon them in an attempt to stop the wedding. In short: Lady Flintshire is THE WORST. Edith spends a lot of time mooning over Marigold and doing a terrible job of pretending that’s not her kid. Robert figures it out and is surprisingly not a jerk about it. Tom has decided to go to America, and Tony Gillingham has decided to marry Mabel Lane Fox. Mary is depressed over both these developments. The London cops literally have no other crimes to solve (poorly) other than Green’s murder and have arrested Anna, because this show hates the Bateses (and its viewers, possibly). Need more details or just want to squee about it? See last week’s recap.)

It’s season finale time! Hasn’t this season gone by in a blink? What will happen? Read on and let’s find out.

Previously, on Downton Abbey: Cora and Rosamund track Edith to London, where she’s fled with Marigold and convince her not only to return to Downton with the child, but that lying about the Drewes ability to take care of the child is enough cover for her to just adopt her. Sure, okay. Isobel gets engaged to Lord Merton, but his hellspawn sons ruin the dinner party the Crawleys throw in their honor. Daisy mopes about the state of progressivism in the world. Rose and Atticus are so adorable they are basically made of kittens and puppies and also they get engaged. Isis is diagnosed with cancer because this show hates me so much. There’s more stuff, but just see last week’s recap.)

It’s the penultimate episode of the season and there is a lot going on. Let’s dish.

Previously, on Downton Abbey: Edith’s boyfriend Michael Gregson is officially declared dead and everyone ignores the fact that the timeline of this show has become so wonky that he has both only been dead a year and also somehow has a two-year old daughter. Whatever! Anyway, Edith mopes and ends up basically doing a snatch and grab of her illegitimate child and fleeing to London. Bates, who super sucks, accuses Anna of trying to keep herself from getting pregnant, but it all works out in the end because he confesses that even though he totes wanted to kill Green and plotted out how he’d do it, he couldn’t go through with it in the end. Anna’s relieved. Baxter forces Thomas to see Dr. Clarkson, who tells him to stop his weird conversion therapy treatment. Mary gets a new hairdo and there’s a horse race. Yeah, kind of a lot happens. Just see last week’s recap.)

Alrighty, now that we’re all caught up – time for Episode 7. Let’s do this, folks!