Downton Abbey airs its final episode of the series...
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Written by Joe McDonald / November 9th, 2015, 10:09am
For the past couple of months, I’ve felt that this final series of Downton wasn’t up to the standards of the previous series. Before last night’s episode aired, when I looked back, I could see that the highlights of the series were some arguments over a hospital which dragged and the Earl of Grantham exploding.
Last night’s extended episode felt more like a TV movie than anything. It focused mainly on wrapping up Lady Mary’s arc in which she refused to admit she was in love with Henry Talbot and thus lashed out at everyone around her. It’s been something she’s done since the series began six years ago but it’s never been presented in quite this way.
After a horrid confrontation with Henry, Mary lets slip the secret that we all knew she would expose at a totally inappropriate moment - that Marigold is in fact Edith’s daughter from a previous affair. Her fiance Bertie - who just so happens to be the Marquess of Hexham - is understandably distraught that Edith hadn’t told him and broke it off. That segment of drama has to rank as one of the highlights of Downton but what followed afterwards was equally as compelling.
With her relationship with Edith all but destroyed, it was only a matter of time before Mary crumbled. She held out for about half-an-hour (of the TV programme), making snide comments to her father about contributing to Thomas’s suicide attempt, lashing out at Branson for trying to set her up with Henry but she wasn’t going to last forever. Branson writes to the Dowager Countess and in a beautifully moving and emotional scene, Mary finally breaks down, confirming what I’m sure most people had suspected all along. Yes she was in love with Henry but she was scared of being a crash widow again. She was equally scared of being challenged by Henry’s strength and conviction which was at least equal to hers. To which Violet replies that the most important thing in life - above rules, position and duty - is love.
So Mary and Henry marry, and the Mary lovers rejoiced and the Edith lovers booed, although I’m sure that’s not the last we’ll see of Bertie and they’ll reunite in the Christmas special.
Julian Fellowes left the best episode till last, and it was a beautiful love letter to everything that made Downton special - character-driven drama of the highest quality. Even after the Christmas special airs, I’m sure this won’t be the last we’ll see of Downton but if it is, they’ll be going out on a high. Its an episode that I think will stay with me for a very long time.