I continue to enjoy the threequels that make up a portion of 2025’s movies, and there’s at least two more heading our way that I’m hotly anticipating. One of those films is naturally Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which promises the end of an era at creator Julian Fellowes’ titular estate.
A brand new trailer for the upcoming September release has actually explained how Matthew Goode’s Downton Abbey 3 absence is going to transpire. If I’m being totally honest, and with all due respect to the now-out of the picture actor, I think this should have happened a long time ago.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Sees Lady Mary Talbot As A Divorced Woman
We can apparently apply “the grand finale” subtitle to Lady Mary’s marriage as well. Thanks to Focus Features releasing the new full trailer for September 12th’s cinematic gala event, we have now seen Michelle Dockery’s character being ripped off the dance floor by Downton Abbey 3 cast member Joely Richardson. Proclaiming the news with the sort of whispered caution any Downton scandal requires, the mood in the room is killed.
Meanwhile, we see more of Paul Giamatti’s return as Harold Levinson, which looks to be as fun as one would hope. That is until Mr. Giamatti’s “quite important” role becomes part of this equation, which almost sounds like his personal fortunes may be the cause of some pain for the Crawley family.
Considering how much of this sort of shenanigans we can see through a Peacock subscription, the fallout of this return will be what differentiates this final chapter and episodes of Downton past. We're clearly meant to keep puzzling over The Grand Finale's latest trailer in the meantime, after we take some time to get over the shock of Lady Mary Talbot’s change in marital status. Of course, how taken aback can any of us be, especially with the events that transpired in the previous movie?
This Really Should Have Happened In Downton Abbey: A New Era
I know it may sound callous, but I think 2022’s Downton Abbey: A New Era should have played this card on the table. This isn’t a case of “hindsight is 20/20,” as I was hoping that Lady Mary’s flirtation with film director Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy) would have yielded something rather beautiful. I know some of you are looking at me funny, so I feel the need to drop this clip reel from the second movie, in order to sell my point:
From a character standpoint, Henry Talbot has kind of been pushing his luck in the Downton Abbey universe. Despite giving Mary one hell of a freak out in the final season, he's continued to pursue his endeavors in automotive sales and racing. While she seems ok with it in those scenes from A New Era, you have to think that at least once a week, Michelle Dockery’s new head of the Downton household has some sort of breakdown.
Constant thoughts about how she could lose Henry the same way she lost her beloved late husband Matthew would be enough to send any sane person off the track early on. With that being a huge heartbreak from one of the best Peak TV era series, that's something that would even test the Crawley family's patience, and they tend to be made of much stronger stuff.
Matthew Goode’s absence is a perfect cover to drop this bombshell in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, as well as introduce a new potential love interest in Alessandro Nivola. It’s going to be a little bit of a wait to learn more about how the rest of the landscape has changed in 1930. For now, we’ll just have to keep our eyes and ears open until September 12th to see what this grand finale has to offer.
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