The recent death of a beloved Downton Abbey character Isis, the yellow Labrador Retriever, is now getting closer scrutiny. In this season’s closing episodes the faithful pooch succumbed to cancer.  Despite Hugh Bonniville’s claims that the dog’s demise was completely unrelated to the violent extremist group ISIS, sources close to 10 Downing Street are hinting that there are indeed sinister forces involved.

There are two theories being actively investigated by Britain’s Security Service, MI5. Some within the Conservative government believe that there was a significant misunderstanding after David Cameron’s visit to the United States last year. Cameron met with President Obama and then made personal phone calls to congressional leaders forcefully arguing for action against ISIS. He publicly claimed that ISIS was a death cult and privately advocated for a stronger NATO response. However it appears that Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL), currently involved in another controversy related to office redecorating, apparently misunderstood Cameron and confused ISIS the terror group with Isis the Downton Abbey Labrador Retriever. Schock contacted members of the CIA’s Covert Operations Division (COD) and  advocated secretly for action.

Now MI5 is investigating to see if any CIA activity in the UK can be linked to the dog’s demise. Some CIA covert agents were reported to have spent time at Highclere Castle around the time the final scenes were being filmed. The agents posing as a couple on vacation insisted in sworn depositions that they are long time fans of the mini-series and would never do anything to harm Isis or any other dog. MI5 is also looking into the possibility the Americans farmed out the contract killing to Russian agents. The Russians have a long history of disappearing political opponents to Validmir Putin’s regime. It is possible the Americans used the Russian’s operational capabilities in an attempt to distance themselves and provide some plausible deniability.

MI5 is now investigating if any CIA activity in the UK is linked to Downton Abbey’s Isis demise.

Another theory being actively pursued is that the White House directly instructed the CIA to dispatch Isis. In 2012 it was revealed that the Obama administration returned a bust of Winston Churchill to the British. The episode left a deep scar on US-British relations. Some within Cameron’s government believe that Obama’s long standing dislike of Colonial Britain has only deepened in the last 6 years. And those same sources have information that the success of Downton Abbey in the United States was so troubling to Obama that he was desperate for a way undermine the show. Recently leaked e-mails from former secretary of state Hillary Clinton indicate that as early as 2012 the administration was looking for ways to attack the Downton pets. The illness of Pharoh, another of Lord Grantham’s pets, is also being investigated. Some within MI5 believe this may have been an earlier failed assassination attempt by the Americans.

In an unrelated story, Kensington Palace announced Thursday that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, would visit Ealing Studios in West London. The studios house the sets for the downstairs staff of Downton. Mrs. Patmore’s (Lesley Nicol) kitchen and Mr. Carson’s (Jim Carter) office are all there. Kate won’t be visiting Highclere Castle in Hampshire, which is where the upstairs family films their scenes.