‘Downton Abbey’ season 3 spoilers: First video from episode 7

After weeks of unbearable sadness on “Downton Abbey” this season, we like to think that the ending to Sunday night’s episode provided for some sort of glimmer of hope. While there are still a plethora of problems afoot when it comes to the general handling of the establishment to Robert and Cora’s current state of affairs, we can still breathe a sigh of relief on a few matters. For one, Bates is free! The video below gives you a first look at him back at the Abbey, where he does receive a rousing welcome. (Will the circumstances surrounding his release come back to haunt him? That is still a worthy question.)

Elsewhere, Edith is continued to be asked about as a potential columnist, and we still do not have any idea as to whether or not she would accept. If she does agree, it would mark just the latest in a line of career changes at the moment when you consider what Ethel is currently doing with Isobel.

As for the questions surrounding the state of the Abbey, expect tension between Matthew and Robert to hit a boiling point, as the latter believes that the residence should stay rooted in its traditions; meanwhile, Matthew is more of the belief that this sort of house is not the way of the future in Britain, and they must already begin to make the necessarily preparations for that. At this point, someone needs to just give our Lord a hug; he hasn’t just had a rough past few episodes, he’s had a rough season as a whole.

What storyline are you the most interested in seeing pan out?