'Downton Abbey' Series Finale Recap: A Happy Ending
Warning: This recap of the series finale of Downton Abbey contains spoilers.
After six years of white-tie dinners, hospital dramas, murder trials, suitors courting Lady Mary, suitors leaving Lady Edith, Carson’s horror at nicknames, and a dead Turk, we’ve come to the end of Downton Abbey, the TV show.
Downton Abbey, the fictional place? As Lord Grantham says, “We never know what’s coming, of course. But I’d say we have a good chance.” (No, they don’t, not with the Wall Street crash and World War II coming, and even further modernization that would have the Dowager Countess rolling in her grave. But let’s not spoil it for them.)
The series finale wrapped up nearly every dangling thread. No longer can we say “Poor Edith,” because Bertie came back to marry her and make her a marchioness (take that, Mary). Thomas went from a repentant villain who tried to commit suicide to the next butler. And love seems to be on the horizon for everyone from Daisy and Andy, to Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Mason, to maybe even Tom and Edith’s editor.
Maybe we are sentimentalists like Henry Talbot, but it’s fine that Downton Abbey gave every character a happy ending, like Oprah gives away cars. For a series that began with the sinking of the Titanic, how can we begrudge everyone their two-by-two life boats?
Here’s what went down in the finale:
Edith and Bertie
Poor Edith. Heartbroken over Bertie, she’s ready to move to London and live as a spinster, but wait — Bertie surprises her with dinner at the Ritz! He wants her back! He can’t live without her! He wants to marry her!
Turns out that Mary set it all up, which, yeah, she should’ve done, since their breakup was somewhat her fault. Edith is wary about their reunion at first, because Marigold is still a being that exists. And what about his terrifying mother? Bertie thinks they should keep Edith’s secret from her, but he’s ready for any gossip. “The only thing I’m not ready for is a life without you,” he says.
Who could resist that? Certainly not Edith. She telephones her parents to meet them at Brancaster to meet Mrs. Pelham, who does turn out to be fairly stern. Even Robert seems a little afraid of her. But keeping Marigold’s identity a secret just doesn’t sit right with Edith, and she confesses all to her future mother-in-law, who is not happy with accepting “damaged goods” into the family.
Bertie doesn’t care though, and it’s Robert who convinces Mrs. Pelham to announce the engagement (he really did learn something from Sybil’s marriage). With that, and a big kiss, everything is settled. The wedding is set for New Year’s Eve.
Everyone gathers for the big event, including Rose and Atticus, who’ve sailed from New York. Even Mary is being nicer to her. “We’re blood, and we’re stuck with it,” is her explanation for why she engineered Edith and Bertie’s reunion. Hey, for these sisters, that’s practically a love letter.
Edith marries Bertie without a hitch (raise your hand if you thought Michael Gregson might fling open the church doors at the “speak now, or forever hold your peace” part). “It’s so strange, I feel so completely, completely happy,” Edith says. It is a little strange to watch it, too.
If we can’t say “poor Edith” anymore, is this even really still Downton Abbey?
Mary and Henry
“Don’t be spiky, Granny,” Mary says at one point in the finale. That kind of describes Mary this episode. Now that she’s married, she’s all smiles, lovey-dovey faces, and even being kind to Edith. Who is this monster?!
Mary may be happy, but Henry isn’t quite content. He’s done with racing — the crash has taken the joy out of it — but he needs something to do. Otherwise, he’s a poor husband mooching off his rich wife. So, he and bestie Tom come up with a plan to open a car repair garage and sales shop. You’d think Mary would turn her nose up at being married to a secondhand car salesman, but instead, she proclaims she’s prouder than any woman living.
Oh, and she’s pregnant! But she wants to hold off on announcing it until after Edith leaves for her honeymoon, so they don’t steal her thunder.
Again, who is this monster that ate Lady Mary?
Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes
Something is not right with Carson. He spills wine at dinner not once, but twice. His hand shakes as he accepts a cup of tea. When his wife corners him, he admits that both his father and grandfather had it — a kind of palsy (we’re guessing maybe Parkinson’s?).
It’s forcing him to resign, which saddens Lord Grantham and Lady Mary. Mrs. Hughes looks like she might cry at any moment. Downton without Mr. Carson? Times really are a-changing.
At Edith’s wedding reception, Carson can’t even pour champagne, and Barrow — who has left for his new job at another estate — steps in to help out. Robert realizes what the solution must be: Bring back Barrow to be the butler.
Even a few months ago, this would’ve been Carson’s worst nightmare, but Thomas does seem to be a changed man. And at the very least, well, you know the saying: The devil you know…
Isobel and Lord Merton
Something is not right with Lord Merton, either. Isobel had a mysterious letter from Larry Grey inviting her to tea, then another one disinviting her. When she visits Lord Merton to see what’s up, he tells her that he’s been ill and has been diagnosed with pernicious anemia. He’s dying.
She’s very upset, because as Violet points out, Isobel’s in love with him. When Amelia Grey nee Cruikshank prevents Isobel from seeing him, though, she has to act. She and Violet storm into his home at Cavenham, with a plan to kidnap him. Isobel declares she’ll take care of him from now on, and that she intends to marry him, too!
To Larry Grey’s horrified sputtering, Dickie says, “As my son, I love you, but I have tried and failed to like you.” YAS!
Later, after their marriage, Dickie doesn’t seem any closer to dying, so they get Dr. Clarkson to re-run the tests. Turns out he has anemia, but not the deadly kind. He’ll live. Hurrah!
Related: Why America Fell In Love With ‘Downton Abbey’
Anna and Bates
Not going to lie, we spent most of the episode wondering what would happen to Anna. Surely, Sgt. Willis would turn up and haul her to jail? Or Bates would trip and fall and smash his head and die? Or she’d get accidentally electrocuted by Lady Mary’s new hairdryer?
Nope, none of those things happened. Instead, Anna goes into labor, in Mary’s bedroom of all places (deal with it, Carson) — and Mary has to help her undress, in a nice reversal of roles. All goes well, and she and Bates welcome a baby boy.
Sgt. Willis, wherever you are, you stay away from Baby Bates, y’hear?
Robert and Cora
Robert, Robert, Robert, didn’t we go through this before? He’s acting like a sullen child, throwing a fit because Cora has big, important hospital meetings to attend, while he has nothing to do since his daughter and son-in-law now do his job.
Rose comes to the rescue during her visit. She takes him to observe one of those meetings, and Robert realizes how strong and capable his wife is. It reminds him of her work during the war. Rose alludes to her own parents’ dissolved marriage, and warns Robert not to make Cora choose between him and the hospital.
After Edith’s wedding, Robert tells Cora he’s proud of her: “You are a woman of real substance, and I’m lucky to call you my wife.”
Daisy and Andy
Andy is trying to flirt with Daisy, who is having none of it. Mrs. Patmore makes a very wise observation: Daisy doesn’t like guys who actually like her. She only wants them when they don’t want her. And both Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Mason tell her she can do worse than Andy.
She starts to realize this after glimpsing his muscles while he’s working at the farm. But then, he’s the one rebuffing her and laughing at her terrible haircut. After Anna fixes it, and with some more wise words from Mrs. Patmore, Andy apologizes. He tells Daisy they’ve been out of step with each other, but hopes they can be in step in the future. Then, he takes a lock of her hair. Awww!
Mrs. Patmore and Mr. Mason
Daisy’s surrogate mom and her surrogate dad not only agree on her relationship with Andy, but it seems like they might get together. “I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of you at the farm,” he tells Mrs. Patmore with a wink, after Daisy decides to move in with him permanently.
Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter
The teaching gig is really working out for Molesley, so much so that the headmaster offers him more work and an empty teacher’s cottage. He isn’t sure whether to accept, but Miss Baxter encourages him to do it. That would mean leaving service at Downton (except the occasional big event). And she gets the courage to finally make a decision not to write to or visit Peter Coyle in prison. Brighter days are ahead for these two, presumably together.
Spratt and Denker
They might not be romantically involved, but these two might as well be married for all they bicker. She finds out he writes for Edith’s magazine and tries to undercut him by blabbing to the Dowager. But the Dowager just finds it supremely funny. She even laughs out loud! “In the future, I should come to you for advice about my clothes and entertaining. Who knew we had an expert in the basement?” Violet tells Spratt.
Tom and Miss Edmunds
He has a cute moment while ushering her to a seat at Edith’s wedding, telling her they like strong women at Downton Abbey. And then she catches Edith’s bouquet. Print the invitations!
Dowager Countess quip of the week:
“Some say our history. But I blame the weather.” — on why the English are the way they are
