The series opens with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, which claims the life of James Crawley, the heir to Downton Abbey. This tragedy sets in motion a succession crisis that threatens the estate's future. The Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley, must navigate the complex entail laws that prevent his daughters from inheriting, while his American wife Cora's fortune is tied to the estate. Meanwhile, the servants below stairs deal with their own dramas, including the scheming footman Thomas Barrow and the ambitious valet John Bates, whose mysterious past creates tension. The season explores the rigid class system of Edwardian England, showing how both upstairs and downstairs lives are interconnected yet distinctly separate.
World War I transforms Downton Abbey as the estate becomes a convalescent home for wounded officers. The war brings profound changes: Lady Sybil becomes a nurse and falls in love with the family's Irish chauffeur Tom Branson, challenging social conventions. Lady Mary's engagement to newspaper heir Sir Richard Carlisle creates tension, while Matthew Crawley, the new heir, returns from the front with a fiancée. Below stairs, the war effort unites the staff, but personal conflicts persist, particularly around Bates's troubled marriage and Thomas's returns wounded from the front. The season culminates with the war's end and the Spanish flu pandemic, which claims several lives and forces the family to confront mortality and change.
Post-war Downton faces financial crisis as death duties and economic hardship threaten the estate's survival. Matthew and Mary finally marry, but their happiness is complicated by financial pressures and family expectations. Lady Sybil's marriage to Tom Branson creates ongoing tension, especially when she becomes pregnant. Below stairs, the staff faces their own challenges: Bates is imprisoned for his wife's murder, while new characters like the ambitious footman Jimmy Kent and the scheming lady's maid Edna Braithwaite create drama. The season ends tragically with the deaths of both Lady Sybil in childbirth and Matthew in a car accident, leaving the family devastated.
The family struggles to rebuild after the devastating losses of Season 3. Lady Mary, now a widow with a young son, must decide whether to remarry and to whom, with several suitors vying for her attention. Tom Branson, now a widower, faces discrimination as an Irishman and a socialist, while trying to raise his daughter Sybbie. Between the staff, conflicts arises between the young. The season introduces new characters like the charming Lord Gillingham and the mysterious valet Green, whose actions will have lasting consequences. The season finishes with Rose's debut ball, and the appearance of the controversial Prince of Wales.
The mid-1920s bring both progress and challenges to Downton Abbey. Lady Mary's romantic life takes center stage as she considers multiple marriage proposals while managing the estate's business affairs. The family faces issues, including Lady Rose's new jewish beau and Lady Edith's secret child. The staff deals with personal crises: Anna's trauma from a previous assault, and the arrival of new servants who disrupt the established order.
The final season brings closure to the series. The estate's financial future hangs in the balance, forcing difficult decisions about its survival. Lady Mary finally chooses a suitor, race driver, Mr Henry Talbot, while Lady Edith finds love with the agent of a powerful state. Tom Branson's future in England becomes certain when he opens a new business. The servants faces their own endings and new beginnings, Daisy finishes her studies, Mosley becomes a teacher and Mr Barrow is now the butler. The season culminates in a grand finale that sees the family and staff coming together for one final celebration: Edith's wedding. The series ends with a sense of hope and continuity, showing how Downton Abbey adapts to the modern world while preserving its essential character.
