Downton Abbey returns tonight!

That squeal of joy you hear? That's me, beyond thrilled that this day is finally here! Downton Abbey Series 2 premieres TONIGHT on Masterpiece Classic! Here's what we have to look forward to:

Downton Abbey's Granthams and their family of servants have already weathered scoundrels, scandals, and a momentous succession crisis. But by November, 1916, the Great War has rendered everything — and everyone — changed. Even Downton Abbey itself, like its residents, has risen to the call of duty and transformed.

At the war front, life intensifies for Downton's young men in the face of untold horrors. Meanwhile, at Downton, war makes new and often unjust demands. Some rise to its call for a stiff upper lip and a useful turn, and others see change as an opportunity for either growth or exploitation. Far from the trenches, there remains no shortage of scheming, meddling, and dangerous attractions.

As other great houses crumble, a diminished Downton Abbey struggles to prevail into a new era with its residents and its honor intact. Maggie Smith (David Copperfield, Gosford Park), Elizabeth McGovern (A Room With A View), Michelle Dockery (Return to Cranford), and Dan Stevens (Sense and Sensibility) return with an all-star cast to season two of Julian Fellowes' Emmy Award winning drama, Downton Abbey.

And here are links to my Series 1 recap and review posts, just in case you need something to read this afternoon to while away the time until the premiere. *wink*

• Series 1, Part One (The Crawleys)
• Series 1, Part One (The Servants)
• Series 1, Part Two
• Series 1, Part Three
• Series 1, Part Four