If you’re anything like us, you’ve spent the past four seasons of Downton Abbey praying that Maggie Smith—the crown jewel of the costume drama cast—would get a grittier character plot. (Our dream scenario: a late-in-life romance. Why should Isobel Crawley get the single sexagenarian suitor thus far?) And now, Downton Abbey executive producer Gareth Neame has confirmed that Smith’s tart-tongued Dowager Countess is finally getting the screen time she deserves.

In a new interview with TVline’s Andy Swift Neame seemed to confirm that the Dowager’s role this season will be “bigger than normal.” “She has a brilliant story line this season,” he revealed. “It’s Downton at its best, this story line. It’s fantastic.”

Neame would not budge about the plot’s details, though, suggesting that the arc could involve another Crawley-household member or a new guest star. “[E]very episode, we’ll be having some guest; people come in and out. The show is always a melting pot of the regular characters in addition to guests.”

To our disappointment, the subject of the Dowager Countess dating did not come up. But Neame did say that writers have considered at least one other relationship among the estate’s AARP eligible. Speaking about the moment when Carson and Mrs. Hughes held hands toward the end of the last season, Neame said:

“I saw them as sort of a husband and wife very early on. Downton is about romantic love and companionship, and in that sense, they are one of the Downton relationships, even if they’re not married. Obviously that was a lovely tease at the end of last season, so we’ll see what happens to them.”

So what potential story lines could we see the Dowager tackle?

• Eager to give Lady Mary a taste of her own cruel medicine (dosed out regularly to Edith), the Dowager begins writing Mary anonymous love letters, convincing her that she has an aristocratic admirer with royal connections, considerable wealth, and a fondness for small toddlers who only appear once every few episodes.

• The Dowager and Hughes, star-crossed soul mates (in our mind at least), finally get together for that dishy white-wine date we’ve been hoping for.

• The Dowager goes through a three-quarters life crisis, romancing a downstairs boy toy, learning to drive a sporty hot rod, and adopting the most risqué 20s fashions along the way.

Suggest your own best ideas for the D.C. in the space below.