outshinebycomparison:

33. “Christmas Special”, Downton Abbey (PBS / Season 2, Episode 9 / December 25, 2011)

Oh, Downton, how did you become one of the most talked about shows of the year? Who knew we would just care so much about this estate in England? Well, the second season finale really didn’t let anybody down: we laughed and we cried… a lot. First, Bates and Anna (Brendon Coyle and Jeanne Froggart, respectively) acted their faces off in the murder trial of the century, then finally we could breathe a sigh of relief when the insane sexual tension between Mary and Matthew came to a head. Well, it was relieved in the sense that any sexual tension can be relieved back in the olden times, but it’s safe to say that everybody swooned.