‘Downton Abbey’ season 4: Is there darkness left in Mr. Bates?

Everyone wants to believe that Mr. Bates on “Downton Abbey” is set to have a happy ending with the love of his life in Anna … but is that really going to happen? This is not necessarily a show all about happy endings, and it is definitely not a show where actions come without consequences to them.

(Warning: If you have not yet finished season 3, which is now available in full on iTunes, you probably want to stop reading this article now.)

The question of Bates’ future on the ITV / PBS series is an interesting one, especially if you remember that for whatever reason, it is a story that has also been by and large swept under the run in comparison to some of the others that are being discussed at the moment whether it be Lady Mary moving on without Matthew or what Tom Branson is going to do next. With all of this in mind, no one has really opened up and discussed just what the future for Bates on the show is going to be. His life with Anna is good, but he did not exactly get out of prison in the most conventional way. At some point, the violet nature that he did develop behind bars, survivalist as it may be, could certainly come back to bite him.

Like with Bates, Brendan Coyle in real life embodies much of that gentle spirit with a touch of an edge. He has not done anywhere near the violent acts of his character, but he did spark debate recently over some unexpected comments he made on Twitter about Margaret Thatcher. While you may not agree with him, sometimes it is not best to be squeaky-clean … this is why the ambiguity in Bates makes him a better character, and why it is interesting to sit back and wonder where he could go next on the series.

Do you believe that there is much more of Bates’ story to tell than what we have seen already on “Downton Abbey” through three seasons? Be sure to share your thoughts, and you can check out some more questions for the upcoming episodes at this link.

Photo: ITV