12 Best Downton Abbey Episodes, Ranked

One of the best shows streaming on BritBox is "Downton Abbey," the celebrated British series which ran for six seasons from 2010 to 2015. Created by Julian Fellowes, the period piece historical drama is set in the early 20th century following the affluent Crawley family. In the stately Downton Abbey, the family and those close to them experience the major historical events and social upheaval that redefined Great Britain moving forward. On a more personal level, the characters go through everything from cross-social class romance, rivalries, and betrayal, all against the backdrop of British high society.

"Downton Abbey" is one of the best British television shows of all time, and that distinction is well-earned. The show ended with over 50 episodes, including annual holiday specials, before transitioning to a trilogy of continuation movies. With this list, though, we're going to focus on the show that made the Crawleys popular worldwide, digging into our favorite installments of the acclaimed series. Keep in mind, most episodes don't have a narrative title, so we'll list which episode in each season we're recognizing. If you're looking for the highlights of the Crawley family saga, here are the 12 best "Downtown Abbey" episodes, ranked.

"Downton Abbey" opened with how losing the heir to the titular estate in the sinking of the Titanic threw the entire Crawley family into disarray. The family's distant cousin Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) was identified as the presumptive heir to the estate, with his arrival heightening the intrigue around the household. Season 1's penultimate episode has Matthew and his cousin Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) confess their love, only for Mary's scandal earlier in the season come to light. Meanwhile, the rebellious inclinations of Lady Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay) lead her to be in the middle of an unexpectedly violent confrontation.

The romance between Mary and Matthew was a long time coming throughout the show's first season, but tempered by her illicit encounter with a Turkish diplomat Kemal Pamuk (Theo James). The shocking circumstances of what occurred between Mary and Pamuk were already the subject of gossip earlier and bitterly undercut what could've been a triumphant moment for Mary and Matthew. This is paralleled by Sybil's growing interest outside of high society and expectations of contemporary gender and social expectations, which comes with brutish consequences here. The first season of "Downton Abbey" is ranked highly among the whole series, and the constant sense of complication impeding progress in this episode beautifully illustrates why.

The first season of "Downton Abbey" ended with Great Britain entering World War I and the conflict's consequences spread to the Crawleys in the second season's fifth episode. After previously missing in action, Matthew and the family's footman William Mason (Thomas Howes) return home from the war gravely wounded. William's injuries are fatal and he weds his reluctant fiancee, the kitchen maid Daisy Robinson (Sophie McShera), before he dies. Trying to forcibly reunite with her husband, Vera Bates (Marie Doyle Kennedy) threatens to expose Mary's past with Pamuk, only to be outmaneuvered by Sir Richard Carlisle (Iain Glen).

So much of "Downton Abbey" season 2 has the shadow of World War I cast over it, with its fifth episode bringing those elements to a tragic climax. William's death ends the loveless relationship he shared with Daisy while Matthew's disabling injury brings new tension to his love triangle with Mary and Lavinia Swire (Zoe Boyle). Similarly, Vera's attempted blackmail over Mary's scandal reaches something of a satisfying conclusion here, at least as far as her threat over the Crawleys. The culmination of several major storylines in season 2, the season's fifth episode is a series standout.

The second season of "Downton Abbey" ended with the culmination of amorous arcs for Mary and Sybil, each received differently by the family. Mary and Matthew's eagerly anticipated wedding kicks off season 3, with American relative Martha Levinson (Shirley MacLaine) arriving to participate in the happy nuptials. This is contrasted by the return of Sybil and the family's former chauffeur Tom Branson (Allen Leech) from Branson's native Ireland, where they relocated to after their own wedding. Given the difference in social class and Branson's outspoken political views, the family is less than pleased to see him back, which Matthew tries to tactfully mitigate.

One thing that never changed about writing "Downton Abbey" for Julian Fellowes is its truthful reflection of society and presentation of an affluent fantasy. Both elements are present in the third season premiere, from Matthew and Mary's storybook wedding to the multi-layered tension accompanying Branson. Given that audiences had been waiting two seasons for Matthew and Mary to marry, there was a high level of expectation for the wedding, something the episode more than satisfies. Starting off things with a momentous occasion, "Downton Abbey" came out the gate with its most lavish season premiere while proving it hadn't lost a step.

One of the vilest and cruelest characters in "Downton Abbey" was former valet Alex Green (Nigel Harman), who died under suspicious circumstances at the end of the fourth season. The mystery surrounding Green's death hangs heavily over the subsequent fifth season, with family maid Anna Bates (Joanne Froggatt) identified as a person of interest. This scrutiny by the authorities is juxtaposed by the nearby village's war memorial being completed, a project that started with the fifth season. And, in fine Crawley tradition, the season ends with another wedding, this time between Lady Rose MacClare (Lily James) and Atticus Aldridge (Matt Barber), with the usual behind-the-scenes tension.

One thing "Downton Abbey" always does well is parallel a triumphant moment with a calamitous counterpoint. Anna's arrest for Green's murder certainly qualifies on the latter score, while the war memorial's completion is a solemn occasion reminding the community of what it recently lost. On the marriage front, the union between Rose and Atticus doesn't have the longstanding emotional investment as prior weddings, but is no less glamorous. Offering a strong wrap-up of several plot threads, the fifth season finale sets up the show's final season nicely.

So many of the series' biggest moments occur around weddings, and the sixth season's third episode maintains this tradition. The episode revolves around the wedding of the longtime family butler Charles Carson (Jim Carter) and the head housekeeper Elsie Hughes (Phyllis Logan). The lead-up to the ceremony is coupled with the Crawley's business interests facing complications on multiple fronts. As the matrimony is celebrated over breakfast in the village, everyone is shocked by the unexpected return of Branson and his daughter after their attempt to relocate permanently to Boston.

After so many high society weddings, it's refreshing to see another focused on the estate's working class that the family is invested in. There hadn't been a downstairs staff wedding this public in the show's history, and seeing Carson and Hughes find wedded bliss feels particularly victorious. The surprise return of Branson sets him up for happier circumstances from when he left and provides the episode with an excellent coda. Weddings throughout "Downton Abbey" always brought bigger changes to the show and, even in its final season, the series kept that going.

Every season of "Downton Abbey," with the exception of its first, concluded with a Christmas special, serving as an epilogue following the season finale. The fifth season special, titled "A Moorland Holiday," has the Crawleys celebrate the holidays at Brancaster Castle after being invited by Daniel (James Faulkner) and Rachel Aldridge (Penny Downie). At the castle, Mary meets Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode), the nephew of family friend Lady Shackleton (Harriet Walter). Dowager Countess Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) reunites with Prince Igor Kuragin (Rade Šerbedžija), a Russian aristocrat who fled the country after the revolution and who has a history with Violet.

While Maggie Smith wasn't exactly thrilled with her "Downton Abbey" role, she was always a fan-favorite presence on screen. She gets a lot of juicy material to work with here, offering new dimensions to Violet through her shared backstory with Kuragin, proving how essential she was as the franchise's best character. Similarly, the introduction of Henry Talbot has a particularly strong impact on Mary moving forward, lending even more importance to this special. Another momentous Christmas for the Crawley family, "A Moorland Holiday" is a celebratory installment after a tumultuous season.

After weathering World War I's impact on Britain, the show's second season has the devastating Spanish Flu epidemic come to the estate. Several members of the family fall seriously ill, resulting in the untimely death of Matthew's fiancee, Lavinia. This comes as the family is divided by Sybil's plans to marry their chauffeur Branson, despite the couple's visible determination. Sybil and Branson's cross-class romance is juxtaposed with the clandestine wedding of John Bates (Brendan Coyle) and Anna, though Vera takes her revenge from beyond the grave.

The second season finale demonstrates that there are no clean victories for the show's characters, even the ones in secret. Just when Mary thinks Matthew is free of his obligations to Lavinia, his guilt over her death and the secrets he kept from her complicates matters. Bates and Anna think they're finally past Vera's antagonistic presence, but his ex-wife has one last scheme plotted for him. There are many plot threads coming to a head in this episode, effectively building anticipation for the story's next chapter.

In addition to lacking a Christmas special, the show's first season is also the only one to run for less than eight regular episodes. That said, the first season finale certainly doesn't leave audiences feeling like they've been shortchanged on story, given how much occurs. The assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand brings the clouds of war to Downton Abbey. In the lead-up to the conflict, Matthew is confused by Mary's reluctance to proceed with his marriage proposal, while Cora Crawley (Elizabeth McGovern) experiences her own tragedy.

The romance between Mary and Matthew is a major emotional storyline and her hesitation to explain her past to him leading to their break-up is among the show's saddest moments. What the season finale also illustrates is how "Downton Abbey" has always rejected ageism, seen with Cora and Bates' separate stories. Bates' subplot is a defining, heartwarming moment for him, while Cora's is one of the show's most harrowing. As Britain was rocked by the outset of World War I, the Crawley family had its own pivotal challenges coming out of season 1.

The series' first Christmas special, closing out its second season, is the aptly titled "Christmas at Downton Abbey." The episode has two romances called off, both involving the immediate family of Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville). Robert's sister, Rosamund Painswick (Samantha Bond), learns her suitor is a duplicitous gold digger while Robert notices how unhappy his daughter Mary is engaged to Richard Carlisle. Robert persuades Mary to end her engagement, leading her to finally address her unfinished business with Matthew as the estate celebrates the holidays.

Only something as seasonally joyous as the yuletide holidays could signal a turning point for Mary's complicated love life. "Christmas at Downton Abbey" feels like the culmination of two seasons of storytelling while promising big things for the show's future. Mary and Sybil each get their own major developments, while the fallout from Vera's last revenge on Bates is revealed. A bittersweet chapter as only the series can do it, "Christmas at Downton Abbey" offers a cathartic holiday with the Crawleys.

The nominal season finale for the series' last season, the sixth season episode has Mary's complex relationship with Henry Talbot come to a head. Upset with Henry, Mary reveals that Marigold is the illegitimate daughter of Bertie Pelham (Harry Hadden-Paton), the new Marquess of Hexham. This inevitably strains Bertie's relationship with Edith Crawley (Laura Carmichael), who is still contemplating his marriage proposal. Throughout these tensions, Henry and Mary finally come clean about their feelings and anxieties about each other, culminating in a brisk wedding.

The will-they/won't-they dynamic between Mary and Henry that lasted since the fifth season Christmas special refreshingly doesn't last as long as the one she had with Matthew. Similarly, seeing the two wed in a much more low-key wedding is a welcome change of pace from the series' more lavish nuptials. Amidst all of this is the plight of Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier), a character who we just want to be happy in the face of his hardships. The put-upon family butler may hit rock bottom here, but it also lays the road for his eventual happy ending.

The third season's fifth episode features the Crawley family at its most acrimonious, complete with plenty of finger-pointing. Believing Robert is mismanaging the estate, Matthew works with the family solicitor, George Murray (Jonathan Coy), to prove his suspicions. As an understandably upset Mary learns what her husband is up to, Sybil dies in childbirth, though her infant daughter is delivered healthy. A distraught Cora blames Robert for this, as he had hired a physician who believed Sybil didn't need to go to a hospital despite visible complications with the pregnancy.

"Downton Abbey" never shied away from major family tragedies, but this episode really is the show at its shockingly saddest. From the death of their beloved daughter to doubts about their effectiveness managing Downton Abbey itself, Robert and Cora are brought to their lowest. Though maintaining the best of intentions, Matthew's actions feel like a personal betrayal of the family. However, this all pales in comparison to what happens to Sybil, a loss that shapes the family for years to follow.

The show's last Christmas special also serves as its series finale, ending on a largely positive note all-around. Mary makes up for her earlier transgression against Bertie and Edith, convincing the two to proceed with Bertie's marriage proposal. As other romances around the Crawley family flourish, Mary discovers that she's pregnant with Henry's child. Finally, Violet and Cora finally reach their own reconciliation after years of shared contention between them.

There was always a wish fulfillment fantasy angle to "Downton Abbey" and with the number of happy endings in the finale, this distinction is firmly cemented. Even the serious medical diagnoses that add a sense of drama to the episode are neatly resolved by its ending. "The Finale" serves as a harmonious send-off to the show's extensive cast, at least as far as television is concerned. With their small screen adventures concluded, Julian Fellowes was inspired to craft the first "Downton Abbey" film, something that spawned a small cinematic series itself.