September 13, 2025
It was 1930. The Crawley family, headed by Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern), were facing much stress from all fronts. Cora's brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) had lost their family's fortune in the US, and wanted to claim their family's stake at Downton. Also, the news of Lady Mary's (Michelle Dockery) divorce from Henry Talbot came out in the newspapers, causing a scandal that made her a pariah in their circle.
In order to help Mary recover her social standing, her sister Edith (Laura Carmichael) hosted a party at Downton Abbey with playwright Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) and actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West). Meanwhile, Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) brought Carson (Jim Carter) and Daisy (Sophie McShera) to join the organizing committee of the annual county fair with her, much to the chagrin of stuffy old chairman Sir Hector (Simon Russell Beale).
The screenplay of this latest and final installment of the Downton Abbey series is still its original creator, Julian Fellowes. Fellowes had won an Oscar for his screenplay of "Gosford Park" (2001), about the lives of the aristocrats and the servants living in a single estate. He then expanded this concept into "Downton Abbey," a beloved TV series which ran from 2010 to 2015, showing the evolution of the Crawley family from 1912 to 1925.
After the series came to a close, two feature films followed: "Downton Abbey" (2019), and "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022). These films depicted how the aristocratic Crawley family and their loyal staff struggle to accept the new ways which were slowly but surely encroaching into and threatening the elegant old traditions they were used to. This grand finale continues to document this process of the family adapting and transitioning into modernity.
Knowing that this is the final film in the series brought with it a sense of sentimental nostalgia. This was going to be the last film where we will see that grand old mansion -- the halls, the library, the dining room, the ballroom, even the staircase. Aside from the grand dinner and county fair, another colorful event shown in this episode was the Ascot horse racing sequence. These were showcases of early 20th century England period production design, costumes, hair and makeup -- the signature feature of the whole Downton Abbey franchise.
Since this newest film is a self-declared grand finale, Fellowes gave everyone -- major or minor, upstairs or downstairs -- some sort of closure. Viewers just watching Downton the first time with this film may be overwhelmed by the numerous characters. While the story may be understood, the viewing experience will really be more satisfying for fans who have seen the whole series from the beginning, those who actually care for these beloved characters. That montage of departed characters at the end is precious and bittersweet. 8/10
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