Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (PG)

THE TIME HAS COME TO SAY GOODBYE

After six television seasons, five Christmas specials, and now three films, the Crawleys’ saga comes to one grand conclusion. The Grand Finale follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. When Mary finds herself at the centre of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace.

“The Grand Finale” focuses on change and how to cope with it in a family where order and tradition had usually set a precedent. The movie follows three main storylines: Mary’s recent and abrupt divorce, the Crawleys’ declining wealth, and the arrival of Cora’s American brother, Harold (Paul Giamatti).

With the family losing money, as well as the global economy of the 1930s suffering severely, the future seems dark.  Downton and the Crawleys are starting to fall behind in a world that is moving faster than they are. As England modernizes, the typical traditions, while still present, are fading from necessity into performativity.

The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.