While it had been announced that Siobhan Finneran (Sarah O'Brien) would definitively be making her exit from Downton Abbey, fans are still surely wondering exactly how the character will ultimately depart.

Creator Julian Fellowes recently spoke to Vanity Fair about the highly interesting topic, and the rationale behind her last hoorah.

"O'Brien is very much alive. Her departure could be explained in that she simply got a new position," he said.

Actor Rob James-Collier, who dons the role of the butler, Thomas, spoke about O'Brien and the dynamic she has with his character, according to Wet Paint.

"O'Brien's replacement is quite interesting because Thomas has brought her in without a reference. He, obviously, has some kind of hold on her, but what that is, who knows? He is using her, manipulating her with the secret he has on her to feed back to him the stories and goings on from upstairs so he can use it to his advantage," he said.

Downton Abbey is slated to kick off in the U.S. on Jan. 5, 2014, and run until February 23, 2014. Be sure to keep checking back for more of the latest details on the British-American period piece. For other Downton dirt related to the upcoming season, check out the video clip below.

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