Fans of “Downton Abbey” unexpectedly choked up and wept when the show’s young heroine, Lady Sybil Crawley Branson (Jessica Brown Findlay), died giving birth to a baby girl.
The first grandchild for Lady Cora and Lord Robert Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern and Hugh Bonneville) was supposed to a blessed event.
But “Downton” fans took to the Twitterverse yesterday instead to share their grief over the loss of a much-loved character.
“Damn you ‘Downton Abbey!’ wrote Tiffany De La Paz @T—RoseDLP. “Why must you rip my heart out? The Tom and Sybil story was my favorite.”
Sarah Smith @smithiness wrote, “Watching ‘Downton Abbey’ on a gloomy, rainy day — rain, tears falling.”
Alexa Dean @mynameisalexa concurred: “Cool ‘Downton Abbey’ just took my heart, ripped it to shreds and threw it in the trash.”
Supermodel and family activist Christy Turlington (@CTurlington) tweeted about the rare medical condition particular to pregnant women that killed Lady Sybil, noting a rare bit of publicity.
“Downton Abbey shocker raised awareness of Preeclampsia,” she tweeted.
The cast of “Downton Abbey” just won a Screen Actors Guild award. A few weeks ago, Maggie Smith won a Golden Globe for her astringent comic performance as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham.