Downton Abbey 6 - Episode FOUR

Downton Abbey series 6, episode 4 TV review: A credible and story-serving nostalgia fest

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read this if you haven’t seen episode 4 of series 6 of Downton Abbey

By NEELA DEBNATH

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Rose Leslie as Gwen in Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey fans were getting blasts from the past from all directions tonight as Gwen (Rose Leslie) paid a visit to the Crawleys with her husband.

If you can only remember her as Ygritte from Game of Thrones, then let me refresh your memory. She was the housemaid who became a secretary in series one before hot footing it to beyond the Wall to become a wildling.

Gwen returned for one last jolly in her newly elevated position - and again, it's a sign of the times on Downton.

The nostalgia fest didn't end there. Even from beyond the grave, Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) made an appearance - if only in conversation - as her revolutionary outlook on life was touched upon.

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Tom Branson played by Allen Leech in Donw

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Lady Sybil was far more forward-thinking than the rest of her family

Hilariously she even managed to overshadow Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) who suddenly realised that she'd spent a great deal of her life doing absolutely nothing by comparison. But not felt reinvigorated by her younger sister’s spirit.

Praise to Julian Fellows for bringing back an old character in a believable way that serves the story rather than because it’s the final series. Gwen's return never feels shoehorned in.

He's managed to make the story fit together, including the reminiscing about Sybil - right down to Tom Branson's (Allen Leech) surprise return. It's pleasant to hear Sybil's good deeds coming to light and know that she’s not been forgotten in the mists of time down the years.

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Gwen is a sign of the changing times

Out of the Crawley sisters, Sybil was a refreshing and forward-thinking bit of brilliance – the zest of Downton Abbey along with her firebrand husband Tom.

It's a shame actress Jessica decided to leave because it would have been intriguing to see what Lady Sybil would be up to now, you get the impression that she would have been the only one who could have foreseen the demise of the aristocracy.

Her sisters are only now starting to do what she would have been doing a good decade ago.