‘Downton Abbey’ season 5 character debate: Joanne Froggatt and Anna Bates

Is there a character on “Downton Abbey” season 4 that went through more than Anna Bates? This is a woman who certainly seemed to start off the season happy enough, but then (spoiler alert!) there was the horrific incident when it came to Mr. Green. Her rape changed everything, and it also changed her relationship with Bates in that she never really told him who the attacker was. (However, he still managed to figure it out.)

While it thankfully feels like the bow has been tied up on this story, there are still plenty of other developments that could unfold for the character moving forward.

What we last saw from her – Joanne Froggatt obviously had some big material to tackle as Anna struggled to deal with the what happened to her, but her big move was actually not telling Bates that Mr. Green did it. But, he still seems to have murdered the guy, and the Christmas Special ended with Mary opting to not call the police over the evidence that was there. Thanks to that, there is a prevailing sense of relief, and a clean slate.

What we could see – The obvious temptation here is going to be seeing these two try to start up a family, or moving forward into the next phase of their lives as a couple. The other fear could be as the show comes closer to 1930s, and life begins to be tougher for some of the estate houses. What would happen if these servants suddenly found themselves without a job?

What we would like to see – Personally, the really interesting move for the writers with Anna would be to try to take on the question about what other sort of ambitions Anna has. Is she going to want to stay in her current position forever? We know that the drama in her life is not over, but we don’t see them dealing with the rape too much more. We want to see more of Anna outside of work, and figuring out how she wants to shape her legacy.

What do you want to see unfold for Anna on “Downton Abbey” next season? Share some of your thoughts below.