It’s hard to believe, but the Downton Abbey series 4 finale is already upon us. Check out what we know about the story and why it’s not all bad news.

What will happen on Downton Abbey series 4, episode 8 airing this Sunday at 9 p.m. on ITV? Reads the synopsis, “Rosamund hatches a plan to help Edith out of her predicament, but will Violet see straight through it? Isobel is on the receiving end of some unexpected attention, while Mary asks Gillingham for a favour. Rose has her nose put out of joint when plans don’t go her way, and Alfred realises too late that he may have made a mistake. Just when Bates and Anna seem to be coming through the worst of their troubles, some unexpected news gives her fresh cause for concern.”

A clip from this Sunday’s episode depicts Lady Mary confronting Rose about her relationship with Jack:

If that weren’t enough, check out several high-res photos from the storyline which center around a party taking place on the grounds of Downton. Notably, the woman who Tom met on episode 7 appears to have returned for a yet-to-be-revealed reason. Could this be a new love interest heading into series 5?

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Even though the Downton Abbey series 4 finale technically airs this Sunday on ITV, viewers still have the Christmas Special to look forward to at the end of this year. The additional (ninth) episode will carry what we see in the series 4 farewell a little further and introduce a new character played by Paul Giamatti.

We’ve enjoyed this season so far but are hoping for one or two big surprises during episode 8. There haven’t been too many that’ve sent us into shock, so we’d love a nice cliffhanger that has us looking forward to the Christmas Special on December 25.