Image via Complex Original
Today marks the U.S. premiere of Downton Abbey’s fourth season. It's fitting that it coincides with the dawn of a new year, as many of us are in need of a fresh start, especially after the pain and suffering showrunner Julian Fellowes subjected viewers to in season three. The third season of England’s across-the-pond TV hit left most heartbroken and cuddling with pillows in the dark, ugly-crying over the tragedies Mr. Fellowes orchestrated. Many beloved characters left us for good last season, and it's been hard to move on.
But the new season is here, and we must brace ourselves for whatever challenges this season has in store, just as we must embrace the unknown of a new year. Will you face 2014 with determination and gumption, a la Cousin Isobel or Lady Edith? Or will you treat this year as any other, simply a duty you must properly fulfill, like the Dowager Countess or Mr. Carson? In other words, here's What Your Favorite Downton Abbey Character Says About You.
Written by Colleen Thornhill (@colleeneebeenee)
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Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham
Your favorite expression is "I told you so," but you rarely say it aloud. Instead, your eyes do all the talking. People have stopped trying to stand up to you because they know they'll lose.
You've got a playful side, though—you enjoy being a matchmaker for your friends. You're probably too harsh when it comes to telling your friend that her boyfriend is a dead beat who needs to hit the road, but you do say it from a place of love. And your friends stick with you, because you're prone to random acts of kindness. You're not above planning a last minute wedding or letting someone else win a competition you were previously so keen to win. You don't like change, and you may not be the most modern of the bunch, but your quick wit and compassion often makes up for it.
And you look a lot like Professor McGonagall.
Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham
You like to be in charge, and your biggest pet peeve is when someone else tells you how to do your job. You're prone to delivering a sharp tongue lashing if an employee dare question your authority. (You right a tight ship over at Panera Bread.)
Secretly, though, you're a big ole softy. You like to help those in need, even if you know they can't pay you back. If you've an employee who needs surgery, you'd secretly foot the bill without letting him or her know. You also hold honor in high esteem. If someone has done a favor for you in the past, chances are you'll return it in the future. (Again, the Panera Bread you manage runs so smoothly.)
Lady Mary Crawley
Being on a pedestal your whole life has made you a bit cynical. You don't know if people flock to your because you're likable or because you're rich. You often act cold in return to weed out the weaklings, which has meant very many first but very few second dates throughout your life. True love is what you need to melt that cold, cold heart of yours, and once you find it, you'll be smiling at everyone. Try harder to think before you speak, though. Then you won't have to apologize as much as you do.
Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham
How are you surviving in this world? You are so sweet it's almost nauseating. You're also far too easy to manipulate. Watch out for that maid of yours—she probably has ulterior motive (but you're too nice to consider that).
Still, there are worse things in life than always being warm and kind, and no one can fault you for that. (That maid, tho. She's gonna get you.)
Lady Edith Crawley
Someday your prince will come. But not this day. This day, you find a job. You've been unlucky in love, but it certainly isn't due to lack of trying. You probably have a list a mile long of all the traits you want in a man hanging on your bathroom mirror, but if someone so much as says "Nice haircut," to you, you chuck that list out the window and begin imagining the names of your future children. It, um, isn't becoming. Do try to keep that side of yourself in line, and stop looking so thirsty on twitter. (Go ahead and delete that Idris Elba tweet, okay?)
But your determination to start a career is admirable. Whether it's writing a magazine column or driving a tractor, you've got chutzpah. And if your family can't see it, someone will. But please try for younger men. This whole grandpa-dating trend needs to end soon.
Isobel Crawley
There's no easy way to put this: you annoy people on the reg. You always think you're right, and you're always determined to prove it. You're too smart for your own good, and you often find yourself disappointed in the shortsightedness of those around you. But lucky for the rest of us, you're a champion of the underdog. Serving others keeps you going everyday, and you don't care if it offends some people along the way. But try not to be so literal all the time. Humor can be healthy.
Matthew Crawley*
Good looks? You've got 'em. Wealthy inheritance? It's coming your way. Blushing bride? Possibly more than one. There's nothing you can't do and nothing you can't win. Things only ever seem to go up for you. The only time you do face a problem is when you behave so piously that you create unnecessary trouble for yourself. Stop trying to be so self-righteous, would you?
Oh, but big problem: you're *dead.
Lady Sybil Crawley/Mrs. Sybil Branson*
You shining star, you. You believe everyone is good at something, and you refuse to hear otherwise. You're all about keeping busy and committing to your work, which gives meaning to your days. You're rarely in a bad mood, and you only see the good in others. If someone spelled your name wrong on your Starbucks coffee cup, you'd be more apt to praise them for their creativity than roll your eyes. You're an idealist and an optimist. Your free-spiritedness tends to upset the status quo at home, but that's not a bother, as you will soon be leaving it to start a new life with new adventures. The world is changing, and you want to be at the front lines!
Except you're *dead.
Daisy
You're a skittish little one, but it's probably because you've spent most your life getting yelled at. You crave acceptance from others, so you've been easily manipulated in the past. But luckily your conscience forces you to admit your mistakes after not too long. You're growing more self-aware by the day, and you're starting to realize the importance of standing up for yourself and listening to your gut.
Bonus points for not being dead, too!
Mrs. Patmore
You're the exact opposite of calm and collected. You're prone to hysteria and you probably don't sleep at night because you're too busy making lists in your head. (Sound familiar, Complex employees?) Nothing is ever your fault, either. You will find someone to take the blame, and it's normally someone half your size. But you know your way around a kitchen, and everyone would really like to be your friend. Truce?
Thomas
You are insufferably conflicting. People get whiplash just standing next to you. One second you're trying to ruin someone's life, and the next you're crying in a corner and that same person just wants to give you a hug. Really, you need to decide whether you're a hero or a heel.
You're clearly hiding something, and you're so desperate to keep your secret safe that you're always attacking others before they can attack you. No one can accuse you of not being resourceful when it comes to looking out for your own well-being. You'd shoot off your own hand to get out of war and you're not above stealing your boss' favorite pet to make him desperate for your help. You're the cleverest of them all. Please try using it for good in the future.
Mrs. O'Brien
Regina George is Mother Teresa compared to you. Gossip, rumors, whispering—it's all in your second nature. You're the very definition of a frenemy. When you first meet someone, you strive to learn their deepest darkest secret so you can use it against them in the future. You're a master manipulator who could talk anyone into anything. But you do have a soft side for the unlikeliest of people, and if someone tries to cross one of your favorites, they'd better watch out for what's coming to them.
Anna
A true romantic, you are. Even if your beau is accused of murdering his first wife, you don't let it bother you. You go ahead and marry him anyway and then spend your first year of marriage trying to free him from prison. And you're a girl's best friend. You can be trusted to keep a secret, and you're always there to tell your friend how great she looks in her new dress, even if personally you think it's hideous. Everyone should count their blessings to have you in their life.
Mr. Bates
You've been dealt a rough hand in life, and you've dated your fair share of mean girls. What you need is a girl with a golden heart to show you life can be kind again. Sometimes your past gets the better of you, and you find yourself losing your temper more often than you'd like. You don't like to be treated with disrespect and if an annoying coworker berated you too much, well, let's just say he wouldn't be able to come into work the next day. But you're very loyal, and as such, you've got friends in high places who are always willing to help you in your darkest times of need.
Mrs. Hughes
You are the mother hen. You're stern, but no one would be afraid to come to you with their troubles. You're full of compassion and you always know just what to say. You don't get enough credit for all the work you do, but your friends know they'd be lost without you.
Carson
Pride and dignity is the name of the game. That thing people call "fun"? Yeah, you've never had it. You can be found rolling your eyes at the idiotic behavior of those around you. Please get tested for this. No one should worry themselves as much as you do about the proper placement of a salad fork.
Still, you're a very loyal sort, and you'd probably make a great publicist because you're so desperate to keep the reputation of those you work for intact and sacrosanct. Plus, work is life and life is work for you, so you certainly wouldn't mind the hours. You have great respect for strong women, especially of the vain variety. If you come back from the dead one day, you'd likely return as a countess or a duchess
Lady Rose MacClare
You are full of youthful vitality. Or just wild. You probably run a White Girl Problems twitter account and a Ryan Gosling Tumblr page. Your mother is an overbearing witch, though, so you live across the country just to keep away from her. Still, she does give you a hefty allowance, so life can't be too bad.
Tom Branson
You've grown a lot over the years. You used to be that embarrassing cousin at dinner who brought up every topic of conversation you are not supposed to converse about at the dinner table. But you're beginning to mature and realize the whole world isn't against you. Try to keep politics to the pub, and you should be fine.
Mrs. Martha Levinson
You're loud. You're splashy. In a word, you're fabulous. Once you've begun, you can't be stopped. You're spontaneous. You like a good party. You manage to convince everyone to follow you to a karaoke bar and sing "Born in the USA" while waving red bandanas in the air and buying a round of Jack Daniels shots for everyone in the room. You woke up like this.