With the Downton Abbey series finale premiering tonight, the fictitious Crawleys, cast, and die-hard fans are preparing for the end of an era. Based upon a trailer released prior to the season six debut, more transformations are in store for the Crawley family who have shown great composure in times of great change while simultaneously making period dress and parlor-room banter cool. The teaser begins with the familiar “Downton” music, before flipping through various scenes suggesting lots more plot twists and even some resolution as the series comes to a close.

Executive producer Gareth Neame was careful to say that although there will be “some shocks and surprises and things that don’t quite turn out as you’d expect,” he and series creator Julian Fellowes scripted the final season with fans in mind and were very conscious in trying to “not piss them off.”

Here’s a prelude to whats in store for U.S. fans, who must wait until January 3rd for the stateside premiere of Downton Abbey’s final season.

With so many unresolved storylines, is Season 6 long enough to resolve them all? Here’s a quick top ten list of the most compelling storylines that need resolution from my point of view. Do you have any you’d like to add?

Top 10 Storylines to Resolve in Downton Abbey Series Finale

1. Will Lady Mary pick a suitor?

2. Will Lady Edith find hapiness?

3. Will Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes get married? Moseley and Mrs. Baxter? Daisey?

4. Will the black cloud over Anna and Mr. Bates move to a new location?

5. Will Branson return from Boston and what role will he play?

6. Will the Dowager Countess and Isobel Crawley make it through the end? Will each find love with Prince Kuragin and Lord Merton respectively?

7. Will Mary discover Marigold’s genealogy?

8. Will Mr. Green’s (Lord Gillingham’s valet) murderer be found?

9. Will Cora’s American mother and brother come back into play?

10. What happens to Downton? and does Mr. Barrow learn to play nice?

Although fans are disappointed to see “Downton” go, executive producer Gareth Neame has said it’s time for the Crawley family to pack things up.

“Our feeling is that it’s good to quit while you’re ahead,” executive producer Gareth Neame said earlier this year about winding down the series. “We feel the show is in incredibly strong shape, the scripts that we’re working on for the upcoming season are fantastic and the show is so popular globally. But the danger with this sort of thing is to let it go on forever.”

And here’s a slideshow of photos from Season 6 of many of the main characters.

Thomas Barrow Andy & Joseph Molesley

Charles Carson & Elsie Hughes

Edith Cora & Mary Crawley

Andy and Daisey

Edith Crawley

Violet Crawley

Robert Crawley

Elsie Hughes and Beryl Patmore

Ensemble Photo of Downton Abbey Cast, Season 6

Daisey and Mr. Mason

Cora and Robert

Anticipating an Arrival

Mary Crawley

On the Hunt

Mr.Carson

Mrs. Patmore & Mr.Carson

Isobel Crawley

Lady Cora

Robert Crawley

Mary and Robert

Anna & John Bates

Robert Crawley

I’m patiently waiting for January 3rd; what a great after holiday treat! And if it’s any consolation, Neame indicated he and Fellowes are “definitely considering a film” that would pick up after the finale’s events. He said that Fellowes would be able to write the film’s screenplay while juggling his NBC period drama The Gilded Age. And if there is a spin-off series, it sounds as though it would be a prequel—but as Neame mentioned multiple times, no further Downton Abbey plans have been cemented.