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A chronicle of the lives of the British aristocratic Crawley family and their servants in the early twentieth century.

During an exclusive tour an elderly woman dies suddenly and the priceless piece of Medieval jewellery she was going to donate to a local museum vanishes.

A young boy, who happens to be a brilliant detective, recruits a washed up actor who played a detective on TV, to work as his front man in solving a jewel heist.

After Bates' mother dies, he hopes his inheritance will buy him a divorce and allow him to marry Anna, Matthew announces his engagement to Lavinia Swire, and Sybil gets involved in the war effort.

August 1918: Deserted by the baby's father, Ethel has been installed with her child in a cottage on the estate by a sympathetic Mrs. Hughes, who brings her food. Jane, a war widow, has taken Ethel's place as a maid. Vera Bates returns, having spent John's money but with no intention of sticking to their arrangement and planning to make money by selling the story of Lady Mary's indiscretion to Carlisle's newspaper. Tipped off by Anna, Mary goes to see him and explains all, thus scotching Vera's plan as the newspaper owner threatens her with libel action. Having returned to the war, both Matthew and William sustain severe injuries at the Battle of Amiens, fatally in the case of William, who marries Daisy. Mary is glad to become a hospital auxiliary to nurse Matthew, though his spinal damage will, in all probability, leave him paralysed from the waist down and impotent.

The Spanish Flu disrupts plans for Matthew's wedding when Cora, Lavinia, Carson, Molesley, and other staff members fall ill. Ethel has to decide the future for her son, and Jane resigns from Downton.

Things go badly amiss at Downton Abbey. Robert and Cora are not speaking. The servants are shunning Matthew's mother, Isobel. And Matthew and Robert have fallen out. Bates takes a gamble.

A vindictive Ms. O'Brien hatches a damaging plot. Edith makes a major decision. Matthew devises a major plan for changing things, and Tom's brother pays a visit.

Change arrives in a big way for several key characters at Downton Abbey. A yearly cricket match with the village sees old scores settled and new plots are hatched.

An unofficial will from Matthew comes into the family's hand, Thomas plots against Anna, Rose gets involved in a scrap at a servant's dance, and Mrs. Crawley tries to reconcile Carson and Trigg.

An extravagant house party at the Abbey gives the Crawleys a chance to reconnect with old friends, but some guests prove more welcome than others, and along with the celebrations come deceit and heartache.

Anthony Gillingham returns to Downton to propose to Mary, Edna tries to coerce Tom into marrying her, and Anna will not tell Bates what's bothering her.

Mrs. Hughes tells Bates an edited version of Anna's rape, Edith goes to London to see Michael, Alfred takes a culinary test, and the Countess suspects new employee Pegg of theft and Robert tries to keep a tenant.

Cora's playboy brother, Harold, is in trouble, so Robert must travel to America to help bail him out; a new farming venture at Downton sees Blake and Mary putting aside their differences.

Rosamund comes up with a plan to help Edith, but Violet sees right through it; Isobel is the object of someone's attention, while Mary asks Gillingham for a very big favor.

A birthday party is planned for Robert, but Rose's contribution to the event surprises those above and below stairs, a new farming venture on the Downton estate comes with dramatic repercussions for Mary, and Edith receives troubling news.

See how life was - and is - lived in Highclere Castle.

Tim Drewe guesses the parentage of Marigold, Mary receives another proposal from Tony, Violet plays matchmaker, Thomas continues to press Baxter for information with blackmail, and a flash fire threatens the mansion.

James leaves Downton, Mary has a weekend rendezvous with Gillingham, Carson and the Earl disagree for the site of the War memorial, a wireless becomes part of Downton life, and Edith becomes Marigold's godmother.

Mary wakes up in bed with Tony Gillingham after their tryst and returns to Downton, where she learns that a building firm want to buy land for a housing estate, to which Robert objects. Violet discovers from her butler Spratt about Mary and Tony but covers for her before summoning her for an explanation. Mary explains to her that she plans to marry Tony but later tells Tom the truth, that she has no intention. In return he confesses that he is considering a move to America. Following the policeman's visit, Anna is perturbed that her ordeal will be revealed, particularly as the animosity between John and Green comes to light. John gives his alibi, that he spent the day in question in York, and Mrs Hughes and Mary agree to collude with this. As Barrow goes to visit his dying father, Baxter tells Cora that she was beguiled into the jewel theft by a cruel footman called Peter Coyle, whom she loved but who fled leaving her to take the blame. Tim's wife wants to bar Edith from seeing Marigold, whilst Rose hosts a benefit for a group of Russian political exiles and Violet is taken aback by one of their number.

Tom ends his relationship with Sarah, Rose meets a young man of Russian descent, Rosamund's visit to Marigold has consequences, Mrs. Patmore asks advice for her inheritance, and Simon Bricker expresses his love for Cora.

The Countess confesses her past with Prince Kuragin, Lord Merton proposes to Isobel, Rose's parents are divorcing, Lord Grantham becomes jealous of Simon, and Lady Mary tells Gillingham she won't marry him.

Violet's new maid doesn't seem to be working out, Kuragin reveals he still loves Violet, Anna realizes Bates' innocence, and Thomas reveals a secret to Baxter.

Atticus brings his parents, Edith and her daughter are brought home by Cora, Tom decides to take his daughter to America, Baxter volunteers to testify for Bates, and Isis is dying.

Kuragin tells Violet he wants to live with her, someone tries to break up the Atticus Rose wedding, Daisy wants to live in London, and Anna is accused of Green's murder.