Matthew is dead. Dan Stevens told them to put extra blood on his face so people knew he was gone. There will NOT be a funeral. He died in September 1921, and Season 4 begins April 1922. There’s a scene where Violet and Isobel run into each other at the graveyard (Isobel visting Matthew’s grace, Violet visiting Sybil’s grave). I’m glad there is NO funeral. Way too sad.

They filmed Season 3 of DA February-July 2012. Dan Stevens was in NY on Broadway November 2012-February 2013. They began filming Season 4 of DA about a week AFTER after he finished “The Heiress” in mid-February 2013. Dan could have done S.4. if he wanted to. There was NO scheduling conflict at all. He didn’t want to. He pretty much hated doing the show-sitting around the dinner table for 10 hours filming, he though Matthew getting out of his wheel chair was idiotic, and he though Matthew was too “good” and boring. Whatever dude!