‘Downton Abbey’: Season 3 star speaks out on fourth-season hopes

“Downton Abbey” season 3 turned out to be a breakout one for Ed Speleers, as we met and then later felt some rather complicated emotions over him as Mrs. O’Brien more or less put his character of Jimmy in a situation where his pride and manliness would be thrown into question if he were to not try and have Thomas locked up behind bars. Luckily, he decided against making the move, and thus both he and Thomas actually ended up getting a promotion from Lord Grantham at the very end of the finale.

So is this a guarantee that we are going to be seeing Speleers again on the ITV series? Far from it. For one, the show has yet to be even renewed for a season 4 (although it is likely), and the actor himself tells the BBC that there are really going to be a few people controlling his fate moving forward:

“I’d like to do another series, but it’s all down to if the producers want you back … It [may also come] down to if the viewers like you.”

From a personal standpoint, it would be a shock to not see Speleers back for more so long as he wants to continue forward. Jimmy was an interesting character in a number of ways, as he was in contrast to Thomas in that he really does not have the courage to be himself in a world in which homosexuality is not just frowned upon; it’s illegal. There is also the romantic subplot involving Ivy that still has plenty of room to be explored here, given what happened with him and Alfred in the final episodes of the season.

Do you want to take a look ahead to the “Downton Abbey” season 3 Christmas special?