There are some sequels fans just want to dive into as soon as possible, but I don’t think Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is one of them. At least, that’s my subjective opinion about this upcoming 2025 movie schedule entry, because it’s going to bring creator Julian Fellowes’ iconic British drama to a resounding close.
Now the first footage has finally released to the public, I’m doubling down on my feelings, as it features an emotional scene with a typically stoic member of the Crawley family that feels sure to bring the house down.
Robert Crawley’s Goodbye Gesture To Downton Abbey Is Going To Break Audiences
So what is the scene in Focus Features’ upcoming drama? It's one where Robert Crawley (Hugh Bonneville) plants a kiss on one of those very recognizable front walls. After all of the ups, downs, and everything in-between experienced in that stately manor, the teaser continues to sum it all up in a phrase we’ve seen since Downton Abbey 3’s title reveal: “It’s time to say goodbye.”
I just don't want to, despite knowing better going into this trailer. I let myself get caught up in beautiful little glimpses of Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) showing up to an event dressed in her finest, the return of Julian Levinson (Paul Giamatti) being marked by his trademark ebullience, and a bunch of the family showing up to a horse racing event. But then came that moment where the Paddington franchise star bid farewell to his familial home. A scene that may have been in the works for longer than we thought.
I Think The 1929 Wall Street Crash Has Finally Hit Downton Abbey
Before doing the required deep dive to revisit Downton Abbey’s previous adventures through my Peacock subscription, the vague recollection that the Crawley’s beautiful home has always been on the verge of bankruptcy has always been on my mind. And for a while, one year in particular on the calendar has stuck out as a potential stumbling block to the family fortune - 1929.
Seeing as that’s when the American financial system suffered its first major crisis, and part of the money that’s kept Downton afloat is from Cora’s side of the family. Elizabeth McGovern’s Cora, the American fixture in the ITV hit, has been the connection to various lifelines, for better or worse. With this movie being announced as taking place in 1930, the moment has passed, and consequences will start to take shape - with plenty of Downton Abbey 3 cast members still waiting to take their places.
Which now introduces the possibility that Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale may see her brother Julius coming to collect in some manner or another. Let’s not forget Paul Giamatti’s cryptic Downton 3 tease where he said he does “something of real significance.”
Though now that I think about it, could the return of Guy Dexter (Dominic West) be an indication that he may want to secure the location as his own? You have to admit, that possibility would not only keep Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) in the house he rose through the ranks serving, it’d also be a way to keep the household staff on board after the transition.
I think even Barrows’ former foe Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) would begrudgingly admit that this is making the best of a sad situation. In either of these scenarios, the Crawley era of Downton Abbey looks to be at its end.
The real questions left to answer are where will its inhabitants go, who will be the new owner, and is it really for the best that Matthew Goode won’t be appearing in The Grand Finale? Save your energy, and your tears, as we’ve got until September 12th to think of what to say about the end of this pop culture favorite.
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