‘Downton Abbey’ season 6, episode 4 preview: Rose Leslie to return

Here is a story that certainly caught us by surprise when we first got a whiff of it: Rose Leslie is coming back on “Downton Abbey.” We didn’t even recognize her in the ITV footage from this past weekend, and there are two separate reasons for that: So much time has passed, and she was not entering Downstairs as a servant. Has Gwen Dawson moved up in the world? It’s at least possible…

The Radio Times confirms that Leslie, who has since appeared on “Game of Thrones” as Ygritte, will be back for this weekend’s upcoming episode. However, it is still to be seen just why she is coming back. She has not been seen on the show since the first season, where she worked her wait out of a housemaid position thanks in part to her stupendous work ethic. Eventually, there was news in the fourth season that she had married, with many of the servants organizing a card to sign in celebration of what was apparently a small, quiet occasion.

We imagine that Leslie’s return is just one of many during what could be a cameo tour for the show in the final season. While it seems impossible for people like Dan Stevens or Jessica Brown Findlay to return, we do think the odds are high that someone like Lily James could give one more appearance. We already know that Allen Leech is back as Tom Branson, and should be there to stay for the remainder of the series after realizing that being at Downton was in fact his home.

We figure we will have more to say about Gwen this weekend; be on the lookout!

If you missed it, you can head over here to read our review of the most-recent episode of “Downton Abbey.” Also, sign up right away to get some further TV news on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: ITV.)