After spending over 15 years within the walls of Downton Abbey and adoring each barb, aside and snide remark from Dame Maggie Smith as the legendary Dowager Countess, I have been reflecting on my own personal favorite moments. With the final installment of this beloved franchise, titled Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, premiering on the 2025 movie schedule, I had to ask the cast what some of their favorite moments were.
What The Downton Abbey Cast Said About Maggie Smith
They all mentioned some of the greats, the swivel chair being among them. But Laura Carmichael told me about one she finds hilarious, and now I am going on the hunt for this new BTS Easter Egg…
I was remembering the other day the telephone scene. I am an observer, and if you watch it, you can see me laughing. Is it Laura laughing? Is it Edith laughing? Because she was being hilarious. She's trying to call Shrimpy. She's new to the telephone, and she's shouting, not quite sure if she can be heard. And it was just Maggie [Smith] going for it and just making us all cry. Tears of laughter.
Most of the time when I am watching Downton Abbey, I am focused on the sassy insults and forget to look at the other actors in the scene. But now I am so excited to go back to Season 5 and see if I can catch Carmichael break character. I imagine that this is not the only time one of the actors broke, and I wonder how many other BTS easter eggs are out there, just like this one.
I do not know if the telephone scene will replace one of my personal favorites but it also includes Lady Edith from Season 2, Episode 8. Lady Edith is worried that she will never marry and become a "maiden aunt," to which the Dowager replies, “Don’t be defeatist, dear. It’s very middle class.” I went back and watched this scene, and they cut back to Edith after and we see a smirk cross her face. Which makes me think that perhaps Carmichael broke once again, but who could blame her? It's hilarious.
Julian Fellowes Also Weighed In On Maggie Smith
I also was able to ask Julian Fellowes what one of his favorite moments was, and I forgot about it until he brought it up, but it is iconic…
Well, of course, I enjoyed ‘what is a weekend’, because I loved the way she said it because I was expecting her to do a sort of Edith Evans and do ‘what is a weekend’, and instead, if you actually watch it, she's quite, quite curious, you know, just ‘what is a weekend’? And I loved that because it became sort of iconic and symbolic of the show and all of those other things.
Fellowes hit the nail on the head. Smith takes a curious approach to the line. It seems as if the concept of a ‘weekend’ is foreign to the Dowager, and therefore it’s laugh-out-loud funny. The overall consensus is that there are just too many moments to pick just one. If I asked the cast again, I am sure they would have different answers. I am sure mine will change as well, but for now, I will definitely be on the lookout for these in particular on my next rewatch.
As we all know, Maggie Smith not being in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale was always going to be hard to handle, but she is still woven into the very fabric of the film, and it pays tribute to her beautifully. There is no Downton without the Dowager, and her presence and spirit can be felt throughout the entire film. Make sure to watch the new movie when it hits theaters this weekend, as well as read our Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale review now.
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