Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Encouraged to behave with grace and refinement by some of the cast pre-film, what could be better than the final return to Downton Abbey. Partly it’s factional, this is the history we want to believe existed — rather than what was. Rather than drudging in miserable conditions and longing for better paid factory jobs, Downton is happily almost semi-feudal. Rather than selling off the estate for new housing estates, *gasp* or council houses and pulling it down, or gently decaying before requisition in World War Two, the estate soldiers on, and in spite of moments of calamity, mostly stays very much the same. Nor are there any despised surplus women, as the drama bulges with marriages and romances.
Yet, like a comforting box of chocolates, it looks gorgeous, sumptuously feasting the eye with lots of tiny period details (which can all be bought for your very own at the Bonhams 2025 auction) and winds enough plots to a satisfying conclusion for all the characters. No idea how anything ever gets done with the amount of flirting, chatting, feuding and eating that takes place in the period inappropriate shared servants hall. Nor are there the sharp social distinctions and snark as envisaged by Gosford Park. But who cares? (For Tory and Irish Republican can dwell in peace and live as brothers here, people can disagree and still have reasonable non-life threatening conversations, and our world needs more of this niceness!)
In an era when married, let alone pregnant women were discouraged from working in public facing, out of the home roles, Anna (Joanne Froggatt) somehow becomes a modern working woman. In fact the house staff seems full of married couples! Unlike Stephen Poliakoff’s period dramas where classicism, deep social stratification, albeism, racism and antisemitism is rife, in the Downton world, there’s snobbery, snark and an awful lot of kindness, appreciation, gratitude and respect. Not quite a group hug, but characters teeter on this through eye-blinking stares! Niceness and plain speaking in love wins, the family generally speaks truth to each other to show care (maybe apart from Edith and Lady Mary) and social snobs are shamed by the kind deeds and words of others. Generally, if there’s something strange in one’s neighbourhood — forget Ghostbusters, call Noel Coward! Thankfully in this final episode no-one is brutalised (apart from gorgeous period cars by Molesley’s (Kevin Doyle) driving) and no-one dies, apart from beastliness, deceit and snobbery. Even drama ghosts return for one last fling, and you can even be openly gay — if you’re stagey. (Again see the inviting of Noel Coward to one’s party to resolve all social injustices, prejudices and ills).
I love what they’ve done with Edith’s (Laura Carmichael) character — she has great style, a great husband Bertie Pelham (Harry Hadden-Paton) and great contacts, thoughtfully and strategically sorting everyone and everything out. She even sees off a swindler and ne’er do well seducer of her sister and family. When her husband drops faux-pas clangers during polite chats, Edith deals with him too and has him behaving decently and considerately to her sister — and everyone! I am here for the Edith spin-off where she sorts out the world, takes the UK through World War Two and deals with the fractured post-War UK. Maybe she could be time-travelled forward to deal with the ills of today, (which often feels very 1930s). Habitually overlooked in previous series and dismissed as ridiculous and feeble, she’s kind, caring and has great friends. I want that Edith-Noel Coward dynamic duo!
Much like Series One, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) looks fabulous and behaves badly, espied by her Ladies Maid Anna. This time she also has badness forced upon her as her husband pushes a divorce upon her through ‘hotel adultery’, having gained a secret mistress — and Lady Mary has to live with the social shame, stigma and shunning, ‘cos not infront of the royal family! Loved Joely Richardson’s Lady Petersfield fawning over royalty in the room — and shoving the Downton crew out of sight, under the stairs. Somehow Lady Mary fails to exit via the back door, which leads to more shameful headlines, not being able to go about easily in public and a rapid decline in social invites. As there’s no Hungarian to hand, she drinks too many American made Whiskey Sours and too much champagne and behaves badly with a resident American charmer — her uncle’s ‘business advisor’ Gus Sambrook. (Alessandro Nivola channelling Sam Rockwell here). Nor does she have any conscience about keeping a heavily pregnant woman up very late fetching and carrying said champagne!
At the same time, another threat comes in the empty pockets of Lady Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother Harold Levinson (Paul Giamatti), who has invested and lost much of the family wealth — and wants to do the same with what remains. Thankfully Cora says no, and starts a modernising plan to save money, including selling off the Crawley London townhouse to be replaced *gasp* with a flat. Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) is in shock as all the women in his family (and the men too) besiege him until he gives in, hands over the keys and moves into the Dower House, to be sniped at by his ghostly mother no doubt as everyone keeps using that dreadful slang ‘the weekend!’ Indeed, his comic learning curve is accepting that you don’t go ‘up to bed’ in a flat, you go along — and learn to love being sandwiched in amongst the homes of other families. (Even if that flat is in South Ken, opposite the Royal Albert Hall).
Thankfully, Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) is here to save the day (and steal incidents from real life to turn into award winning stage plays). Not to mention breaking down social stigma — Lady Mary shall be acceptable in company again with Noel at the piano, (even if it does include being mocked in song). Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) shall stop being malicious, have fun and love and get to come upstairs, wrong clothes or not! Even Lady Cora’s mean Ladies Maid, Phyllis Baxter (Raquel Cassidy), is a human being when married to Moseley. Moseley shall stop flapping about famous people and learn to like what he’s got, as well as inspiring The Master’s next work.
There’s some lovely moments as one generation hands over to the next and how they do or don’t cope. Mrs Patmore (Lesley Nicol) is much more giving in handing over the rule of the kitchen than Carson (Jim Carter) relinquishing the keys to the pantry and correct China service placements. (Though I think the increasingly narked Lord Grantham may do for the Sèvres plates!) Romance abounds, despite the social and financial gloom, everyone has fabulous hats and Daisy (Sophie McShera) has had a glow up and a huge boost of confidence.
Noticeably and uniquely, the plot is mostly about generations listening to each other. Mrs Hughes née Carson (Phyllis Logan) advises Mrs Patmore née Mason about the joys of married love; Mrs Patmore steps back to let Daisy show what she can do; Carson struggles to let go and can’t help but keep popping back; Mr Mason says positive things about Lady Mary and engineers a standing ovation; Isobel Grey (Penelope Wilton) ferments revolution by inviting a wider range of people to the County Show steering committee who have opinions and turn the show into a family friendly fun fair — where, *GASP* people can have fun! Enjoy the brilliant performance of Simon Russell Beale’s Sir Hector Moreland going deeper shades of furious puce as the children are included in the day’s events and shunned Lady Mary is suddenly invited to present a prize named after her (in front of everyone).
If your sensibility can survive all these horrors, there’s a very happy ending to enjoy! Smirk too at the America vs English socio-cultural sparring. Though there is not enough screentime for Lady Mary’s delicious red dress!
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