Downton Abbey has an ISIS problem.
No, none of the characters on this beloved British drama are being beheaded or threatened by the Islamic terrorist group rampaging its way through the Middle East.
But Lord Grantham’s beloved yellow Labrador is named Isis… and she isn’t looking too strong these days.
On the most recent episode of Downton Abbey in Great Britian (Downton Abbey Season 5 starts airing in the United States on January 4), the canine appeared listless on the family’s library floor.
Lady Cora even remarked about Isis having “picked up a germ” and having a veterinarian examine the pooch.
Might the series actually kill Isis off, even if she was named on the show for as a nod to the Egyptian goddess?
“At the time the dog was named, and up to and including the majority of filming of series five, no one was using that acronym to describe a terror group. It is an unfortunate coincidence,” said a spokesperson for ITV, refusing to divulge the pet’s fate.
It’s unclear what will happen to Isis, but there is (incredibly) precedent for a TV show having to make an adjustment based on this jihadist group.
FX has announced that Archer will change the name of its International Secret Intelligence Service (aka “ISIS”) to simply the “spy agency” when it merges with the CIA for the upcoming sixth season.
Those seeking to watch Downton Abbey online and say goodbye to Isis in their own way (if her time has, indeed, arrived), can do so now: