A lot of people don’t get the appeal, but for those of us who love Downton Abbey the final season is bittersweet. We’re so glad it’s back, but bummed it’s for the last time.

Yeah, it’s just a TV show, but Downton Abbey is classic soap opera goodness. It’s subtly layered with delicious nuances and weird old school hang-ups about sexuality, gender roles and arbitrary class distinctions. It also has such an exquisite aesthetic, from high fashions of the day to classy copper cookware. What’s not to love?

For me, part of what makes the show so compelling is how completely different it is from my own life experience. Seriously, getting all dressed up every single night in formal wear, with the help of a servant, just to have a several-course meal with your family which was cooked and served by live-in household staff sounds, well, awful; such an effort just to eat dinner. I’m perfectly happy to eat microwaved leftovers barefoot and standing at the kitchen counter.

Another striking difference, from a mother’s point of view, is this whole thing with kids being raised by nannies. It’s just awesome. Mary does whatever she wants, whenever she wants, and when she feels like doling an hour or two of her time to her little son, she throws him a tight-lipped smile and pretends to enjoy watching him play on the floor. Most of the time it’s easy to forget she even has a kid. That’s real luxury.

The most recent episode also introduced something I never really thought about, though it did make sense for the characters: The possibility of a marriage entered into with the agreed-upon condition that there would be no sex; the couple could just live together in companionship. What!? Oh Mrs. Hughes, ya done got all skinny for this final season; show Mr. Carson what you’re working with. God knows Carson could use a release.

With the first episode of the final season airing last Sunday, the story leaves us with several gnawing questions, which we must ask ourselves in our best soap opera narration voice:

1.. Will Edith leave Downton and move to London with her illegitimate daughter and embrace her role as a bad-ass newspaper editor?

2. Will Daisy shed her mousy disposition and use her recent education and the coolest accent on the show to raise some low-born hell and make things right for poor, departed William’s farmer dad, or better yet, herself?

3. Will Tom come back from America and give Mary a long overdue proper shagging? Sybil’s been dead long enough, right?

4. Will Anna stop being a frazzled mess over protecting Bates’ stupid feelings? Fuck Bates anymore.

5. Will Barrow ever stop being such a miserable manipulative dick? Let’s hope not.

6. Will Shirley MacLaine come back for more fantastic old-rich lady sparring with the beloved family smart-ass, the staunch but sly Lady Grantham? Pretty please?

Only time will tell, but I’ll be staying tuned to find out all glorious season long. 

This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2016.