‘Downton Abbey’ season 3, episode 3 preview: Teases for Anna, Bates, and Tom

For those of you “Downton Abbey” fans in America who have been lucky enough to avoid spoilers, Sunday night’s new episode is going to be a big one. Not only will there be some familiar faces coming back to the establishment after some time away, but you are going to get yet another example of why Brendan Coyle may be the strongest performer in a cast littered with all-star actors.

Basically, the new sneak peek from the episode (which you can see below) shows off perfectly what we are talking about in terms of the Anna / Bates storyline. After spending such a horribly long period of time being locked away behind bars, Coyle’s character is going to understandably think that his love is giving up on him due to a lack of correspondence. Meanwhile, Anna will be thinking the same thing, and wondering why none of her attempts at communication are paying off. It is a heartbreaking story, and one that is much better if we do not spoil for you just how it ends.

As for what else you can see this week, here’s what we are willing to say: Tom Branson is going to be watched disdainfully by the Grantham family after he makes a surprising move when leaving Ireland, Ethel is going to make a key decision when it comes to her life, and Matthew makes a few key revelations that could change the way that Downton operates in the months ahead.

In case you absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens, the review for the British version of this episode is here from the fall. If you want to find out some other fascinating news about a “Downton Abbey” character who was originally supposed to die during season 1, all you have to do is click here.

Photo: ITV / PBS

Watch Downton Abbey, Season 3: A Scene from Episode 3 on PBS. See more from Masterpiece.