‘Downton Abbey’ season 4, episode 3 (PBS) preview: Joanne Froggatt, Brendan Coyle, and the future

Tonight on “Downton Abbey,” there was almost without question the most stunning episode since the death of Matthew Crawley. However, we say it like this because we don’t believe that there is any one event coming up that will stun you in the same sort of way as (Spoiler Alert!) Anna being raped by Mr. Green.

So where will this story for Joanne Froggatt and Brendan Coyle’s characters go from here? What we are going to see in the upcoming episodes is a very specific narrative all about how Anna is going to try to handle devastation, and also believe that she may not be worthy of her husband anymore. She will receive help from some unlikely sources, but one question that remains will be what happens to Mr. Green … especially if Bates learns just what happens to her.

This Bates – Anna story is going to last the rest of the season, so do not expect there to be any sort of quick-fix for this at some point in the near future.

As for some of other stories gracing “Downton Abbey” next week, be ready to see more developments from Lady Edith, Mary continue to struggle with her future, and also Tom Branson continuing to question some of his identity. This episode is going to be almost all about recovery from what happened at the party, though there will also be a few events that set the stage for the rest of the season. There are some episodes this time that are slow-moving, and you may forget about a few details after they air.

What do you think is going to come next on “Downton Abbey” season 4? Share some of your thoughts below.