‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 spoilers: Michelle Dockery, Allen Leech stand out in new photos

Finally, the long wait for new “Downton Abbey” images is coming to an end. We got our first taste of some new photos from the series now, and it features some proof that the children of the Abbey are starting to grow up.

The photo to the left features both Michelle Dockery’s Mary and Allen Leech’s Tom, but let’s start with Mary, given that there are some interesting things worth talking about here. First of all, Mary is clearly still in mourning following the death of Matthew, as evident in her all-black outfit. Several months will have passed following the character’s tragic (and Christmas-ruining, for those in the UK) death, but she has not completely moved on. It’s also interesting to note that this is the same outfit that she wears in the only other promotional photo released of her for this season, which shows Mary’s young child facing away from the camera. This is the first time that we have seen his face.

Meanwhile, this photo of Tom is also distinct, and the character seems infinitely more adult for whatever reason with his young baby Sybil at his side. We are curious already what these two are looking at: Is it another carnival like we saw last year, an old-timey car arriving to the famous residence, or simply a dog running around? Tom clearly does not look pleased enough for it to be the latter, but more than anything else, we just don’t want to see any more tragedy for this man in the near future.

While no official premiere date has been announced for “Downton Abbey” in the UK, expect to see more of it around the start of the fall.

Is there anything in particular that you appreciate in this photo? As per always, we want to hear some of your thoughts below! For some more “Downton Abbey” news, including updates from the show courtesy of a calendar of all things, we have them for you at the link here.

Photo: ITV