‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 spoilers: Allen Leech teases Branson – Christmas special story

Just in case you are feeling like “Downton Abbey” has not really given Tom Branson a heck of a lot to do these days, don’t worry: Based on what the man behind the role in Allen Leech is saying now, he is going to have the opportunity still to do plenty of interesting things moving forward. (Warning: Spoilers ahead for Americans!)

Leech seems to be cognizant of the perception that Branson was mostly a soldier to lean on throughout much of season 4, but based on what he told Metro, the already-filmed Christmas special should give him an opportunity next month to show off a little bit more of that wild revolutionary side to his personality:

“Branson hasn’t had a lot to do in the latest series of Downton aside from sitting down to eat fancy dinners…  But his story isn’t over and it’s such a privilege to be involved in a show where you can follow your character over time. Without giving anything away, I think you need to keep watching because there are definitely signs that Branson is getting his old spark back.”

While we understand the frustration with all of those out there hoping to see something more from Tom, at the same time we have appreciated how natural his story has been the past eight or so episodes. They have not made an enormous deal out of his attempts to get over Sybil’s death, and they have let the character move forward at his own pace. He was able to transition effectively into what we saw with him politically, and we are seeing the same thing evolve now with his love life. Even though he may not fully fit in at this point in either the upper-class or middle-class world of England, he’s starting to find a little bit of a niche and a comfort zone that he understands. The debate from here on out will be just seeing if everyone else is willing to embrace him on this journey.

Di you feel like Branson’s story was lacking a certain something on “Downton Abbey” this season, and what do you want to see happen with him from here on out? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below, and click here to see and debate over that interesting new photo from the Christmas special.

Photo: ITV