‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 spoilers: Good news for fans of Brendan Coyle’s Bates?

This is apparently what it has come to when you look at “Downton Abbey”: Being thrilled that a person is not going to be transported to the morgue. So long as it isn’t this, any story will do.

This must be the philosophy of Brendan Coyle who, like many actors on the Emmy-winning show, is eager to keep his job. Plus, there has to be a certain joy in getting the opportunity to actually play a part that is a little bit more sinister as opposed to someone who delves into a world of sunshine and rainbows much of the time. For those of you who enjoyed the angrier side of Bates (i.e. those of you who wondered whether or not he was truly guilty of some of the crimes in which he was accused off), the following quote that Coyle gave to the Radio Times may suggest a reason for you to feel excited:

“We see a darker and a more determined side to Bates than we’ve seen before in series four.”

While it was a bust-out-your-hankies moment to see Bates released near the end of season 3, the circumstances surrounding it were ominous enough that it caused you to raise at least the question as to whether or not it was going to come back to bite the man. Given that we have seen nothing at present to suggest that Bates is going to showcase a knack for violence, we personally believe right now that he will be haunted instead by a ghost from his past.

Bates’ comments are still only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the “Downton Abbey” news this week. Most people are still sharing their reactions to the news about Paul Giamatti joining the cast, which you can read more about at the link here.

Photo: ITV