'Downton Abbey' season 6 cast news: Elizabeth McGovern shares her farewell

"Downton Abbey" is shooting its final season, season 6, and until the rumored movie becomes a reality, this will officially mark the end of the series. This becomes more apparent now that actress Elizabeth McGovern has shot her final scenes and has shared her farewell photos via Twitter. 

McGovern portrays Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham. She is an American-born character who eventually married Lord Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham.  

One photo showcases her hugging her co-workers goodbye with the caption, "#LastDaysofDownton. Literally . My last. #tears. #tears #tears," which is what confirms she has filmed her scenes for the last time. 

The second photo shows her with actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays the character Robert Crawley on the show. Hugh is seen posing valiantly as McGovern bids her farewell to him and the rest of her co-workers. 

However, just because McGovern is done shooting her scenes doesn't mean that production has ended. It is more likely that all the scenes where she is needed are done but there are still many more to do involving the other cast members. It is only a matter of time before the other cast members begin posting their farewells via social media as well. 

There are nine episodes for season 6, with the ninth episode being this year's Christmas Special. In previous seasons, the Christmas Specials were not considered a part of the seasons and served as a transitionary episode to introduce the next season. That is no longer the case here as the Christmas Special will serve as the series finale. 

Plans for a prequel series have been in the works since 2012. The prequel, which would take place decades prior to the first season of "Downton Abbey" and would see a young Cora, was initially meant to be published as a book but was later picked up by ITV. There has been no word since about the project's development. 

"Downton Abbey" season 6 is set to premiere in the United States on Jan. 3, 2016.