How Does the Crawley’s Story Finally End?

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale wraps up the franchise after six seasons of the popular TV series and two previous films that center on the Crawley family. After following the family through nearly twenty years of tumultuous historical events, fans can watch as the Crawleys once again face scandal, financial ruin, and modernization while trying to protect their family’s home and legacy. Though it’s sad to say goodbye, especially with Maggie Smith‘s Violet missing, the third and final film does a good job of wrapping up the story, giving everyone a satisfying conclusion while sticking with its usual “life goes on” attitude as Downton Abbey moves into the future.

‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ Unites Mary and Edith

Credit: Image via Focus Features 

After years of rivalry, the final film shows Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Edith (Laura Carmichael) in a healthy place as they each help to save the family. Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother, Harold (Paul Giamatti), comes to England after settling their mother’s estate, but brings along Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), who supposedly saved the Levinson fortune from the stock market crash. However, Tom (Allen Leech) discovers he is a con man who stole the Levinson money for himself. Worse, he slept with Mary and tried to blackmail her. Edith stops the situation from going further, leveraging her influence as a marchioness to save the rest of her family’s money and Mary’s reputation. The fact that Edith knowingly rescued Mary shows how much they have grown from the early days of Downton Abbey, when Edith exacerbates a similar situation between Mary and Mr. Pamuk (Theo James). However, Edith isn’t the only hero as Mary saves the family’s finances by selling their London house and downsizing to a flat, moving the Crawleys further into the modern age.

Mary Faces a New Scandal in ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’

No Downton Abbey content can be complete without a social scandal, and in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, that is Mary’s divorce from Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode). After five years of marriage, Mary and Henry officially split in this film, and, though Henry doesn’t appear, the film reveals that he had an affair, resulting in the separation. Still, Mary is the one socially disgraced to the point that the village doesn’t want her to participate in their event. Isobel (Penelope Wilton) doesn’t take no for an answer and, having taken control of planning after Violet’s death, she makes Mary a surprise presenter. The farmer and friend of the family, Mr. Mason (Paul Copley), wins the award and generously takes the time to show appreciation for Mary. Most of the village applauds, proving that she has not fallen so low as it seems.

Meanwhile, Cora and Edith plan to solve the problem by hosting a party. When the guests turn down the invitation, Edith brings the actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West), whom they met in Downton Abbey: A New Era, and the famed playwright Noël Coward (Arty Froushan) to stay, enticing the Lords and Ladies to come. The plan works, and it implied that Mary’s situation inspires Noël Coward to write a story that would become one of his famous works, Private Lives. With a triumphant party, Mary once again overcomes a scandal that would ruin many.

‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’ Gives Everyone Downstairs a Happy Ending

In the various endings, most of the downstairs characters reached a happy conclusion. Carson (Jim Carter) and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) are still happily married, as are Daisy (Sophie McShera) and Andy (Michael Fox), and, more recently, Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) and Mr. Mason, and Miss Baxter (Raquel Cassidy) and Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle). Building on the second film’s ending, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale suggests that Molesley found success as a screenwriter and that Barrow (Robert James-Collier) found happiness working for his lover, Guy Dexter. Additionally, Bates (Brendan Coyle) and Anna (Joanne Froggatt) are expecting their second child. But happy or not, the staff is not immune to changes. Carson officially retires, having trained Andy to replace him, and Mrs. Patmore follows, with Daisy getting a promotion. After years of working together, Mrs. Patmore hands Daisy the reins early so she can watch, confessing that Daisy is the daughter she never had. As so many beloved characters move on, it’s a new era in the servants’ hall, allowing things to change with time, but not making it so tragic.

The Crawleys See a Transition of Power in ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’

The staff aren’t the only ones seeing a change, as, in the midst of Mary’s divorce, the family undergoes a transition of power. Robert (Hugh Bonneville) makes the difficult choice to step back and let Mary take control, acknowledging that she is the future and Downton Abbey needs her ability to adapt. He and Cora move into the dowager house, and Mary becomes the Lady of Downton in truth. Robert promotes Bates to butler as well as valet, and to keep him and Anna together, Mary and Cora swap maids, but Mary promises to keep in touch with Anna and agrees to be the godmother of her child. As the film ends, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale gives a loving nod to the characters who are no longer alive, as Mary looks around her home and remembers Matthew (Dan Stevens), Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay), and Violet, honoring the past even as things change. The film suggests that Downton’s legacy is secure, despite the struggles they’ve faced, and though it is hard to say goodbye to these characters after 15 years, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale gives them a happy, if emotional, sendoff.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is in theaters now.

Release Date

September 12, 2025

Runtime

123 Minutes