According to Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale could have had a completely different ending. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor revealed that in one version, her character, Lady Mary Crawley, was seen sitting at her desk in the library and getting back to work.
However, as Dockery notes, the final ending, which featured a tribute to her late co-star, Dame Maggie Smith, was “the right way to finish”.
“[Mary, Cora and Robert] are saying their goodbyes, and I think that’s for the audience — this feeling of moving on and saying farewell to each other,” she said. “But in reality, Mary’s not alone. She’s in the house with various other people, of course, all the staff. She’s got family members who are going to be coming, and I think it looks forward to the future.
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“It feels quite hopeful. I also like that at the end of this story, Mary ends up as a single woman. There’s a new chapter ahead of her, she’s happier, and she’s excited to take the reins and become the lady of the house. It’s the end, but it feels like it’s ongoing.”
During an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Dockery echoed this sentiment, remarking that the franchise “wraps up really beautifully.”
Universal
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“I think when I first read it, I thought [writer and creator Julian Fellowes] did a really great job at tying up all the storylines for each character and that it really feels like things are moving on, even though it’s the end. There’s a real feeling of passing on to the next generation. For several characters, it feels like there’s a real passing of the baton, and so I was really pleased with the way things ended up, and for Mary.”
Likewise, Laura Carmichael, who portrays Lady Edith Crawley, found the ending “really moving”.
Rory Mulvey//Universal
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“We were so aware with this movie 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, and it felt like we had to get it right,” she continued. “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 now available to watch in UK cinemas.
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Megan is a freelance news reporter for Digital Spy.