I've seen all of the third season except the final episode, the Christmas special. But I know what happens and I refuse to watch. When you compare the lift people had after last year's Christmas episode, watching Matthew propose to Mary, then see how people felt after this year's Christmas episode, what a difference! Some of the comments left online were "Downton Abbey -- you ruined my Christmas!" and "I don't believe it; I can't breathe!"

The entire season had so much unhappiness, and some viewers said they were just going to erase that episode from their mind and remember Matthew and Mary together.

Someone also suggested that Dan Stevens might have overestimated his popularity and should have thought twice before leaving the show. They could have possibly sent him to India in the storyline and left the actor available to take on other jobs and lessen his commitment to DA. But now he's totally cut out of the story with no hope of returning.