Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale spoilers follow.
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has explained the creative decision behind the emotional character returns at the end of The Grand Finale.
The film, which was released in cinemas on Friday (12 September), serves as the conclusion to the long-running period drama, bringing an end to a story that has been told across six seasons of television and three feature films.
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The closing moments of the final instalment sees Mary (Michelle Dockery) take control of the estate, with the figure then reminiscing on the past as the late Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) and Lady Sybil Crawley (Jessica Brown Findlay) come into shot.
Fellowes, who also wrote and served as an executive producer on the franchise, explained the ending in an interview with TVLine, sharing: “We wanted to remind the audience of why they loved the show and who they loved in it.
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“As to how long it was going to be and also who they were all going to be, there was some talk about, ‘Oh, will they remember Sybil? What about people who started [watching the show] later?’ You mustn’t give in to all of that.
“You’ve just got to do your best. Whether they knew who the people were didn’t really matter. It was the idea that we are all the products of our lives, and Mary’s life at Downton is the product of all those people and all those situations.”
While Fellowes has explained the creative decisions behind the final scenes, actor Laura Carmichael – who plays Lady Edith Pelham – recently described the conclusion as “really moving” in an exclusive interview with Digital Spy.
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“It’s really moving. We were so aware with this [film] that it’s saying goodbye. I certainly felt that there was a bit of pressure with this one. It had to be fitting to say goodbye,” she said. “Julian produced an incredible script.
“It had to be bigger and better and satisfying to fans of the show, and also fun to anyone who hasn’t seen Downton. It’s true escapism, a real adventure for the family and leaves them all in a really great place.”
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is in cinemas now.
Read more Downton Abbey news on our dedicated homepage
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. Â His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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