‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 spoilers: Joanne Froggatt on how Anna tries to save Mary

If there is anyone right now moving into the “Downton Abbey” season 4 premiere that is going to have their hands full, it’s Anna. Not only is she having to take on her typical lion’s share of duties in the famed mansion, but she also has the newfound responsibility of trying to get Mary to find the motivation to live again.

In the sneak peek video that we posed earlier in the week, you can see Forggatt’s character trying to explain to Mary that while she may be heartbroken over the loss of her husband Matthew, she is still a mother to her son George. As Mary is one of her employers, though, she has to find that delicate balance of being understanding and encouraging at the same time to get her to start moving forward with her life.

For more on this situation, just look at what Joanne Froggatt recently said in an interview with Zap2It:

“Lady Mary’s not really turning to anybody at this point … She’s very much within her own grief. She won’t really express it with anyone. She’s locked in her grief and everyone’s trying to coax her back into the here and now.”

“Anna’s kind of walking a bit of a tightrope with Mary in the first episode because Anna can see that Mary needs to get back to the here and now for the sake of her son, but Anna’s in the position that she’s still her servant, so she can only say so much. “It’s not her place to say, ‘C’mon, you’ve got a son to think of.’ That certainly is a concern for Anna in the first episode.”

Anna also has a relationship with Bates to deal with this season that will start out in great shape. However, this is “Downton Abbey,” and as we have learned time and time again on this show, nothing necessarily stays without a problem for long.

Click here to read some more official details from the premiere, which will either make you cry with sadness or cheer that the series is finally back on the air.

Photo: ITV