‘Downton Abbey’ season 3 spoilers: A Maggie Smith – Christmas special sighting

We’re here with the last of our photo previews for the “Downton Abbey” season 3 special; though sadly, it is hard to really read anything out of this one unless you just are a big-time fan of the Dowager Countess. After all, there’s nothing altogether notable about the image to the left save for the fact that Maggie Smith is in it, and it comes with far less fanfare than the image we shared earlier this month of Mrs. Patmore enjoying herself on a merry-go-round.

So rather than try to analyze an image when there is not much there to really analyze at all, let’s instead try to run down what we know for sure is going to be happening with Smith’s character during the two-hour episode. Following some of her antics during the finale (which included invading the big-city club scene), Lady Rose, with the help of Violet and many of her descendants, is going to be brought back up to her residence in Scotland. While there, we will then promptly have an opportunity to see how many of the characters interact in this new environment.

You can expect surprises at almost every turn within these two hours, especially as we inch ever closer to what will be the cliffhanger for “Downton Abbey” until the show comes back in the fall. It is a long time to wait, especially when it is unclear as to if Smith will even be coming back. The actress’ contract expired at the end of last season, and at the moment it all comes down to just what the actress wants to do moving forward.

What sort of story would you like to see for the Dowager during this episode?