Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Downton Abbey - The Grand Finale is an elegant and accomplished farewell. The writers wisely chose the path of subtraction: fewer contrived twists, more focus on the truth of the characters. At its heart lie the relationships and the interplay between social groups, capturing the very essence of the series. It works beautifully as a compendium, distilling what Downton Abbey has been for more than oa decade.

The Grand Finale was more of a fond farewell than a story telling 'episode' in it's own right. A final homage to the characters that made up Downton Abbey for so many years and so many seasons and episodes.

The Grand Finale started a bit slow, but slowly built up pace, to deliver a satisfactory ending and goodbye.

I didn't think it was as good as Downton Abbey, A New Era. It certainly won't win any Oscars, but, for the fans, it did deliver a nostalgic last 'hurrah' .

What a gift Julian Fellowes has been. Creating a world that so many can relate to and genuinely feel as if they are part of it, though only observers. Having watched from the beginning 14 years ago, waiting patiently for the next episode then movie, it astounds me how emotionally invested I've been. Many viewings have touched me, connected with me. The writing here has delivered an "ending" that completes the story, wraps up the story, ends the story competently and efficiently. But even in its efficient spareness, if you have been a follower or not, it will still deeply affect you. Succumb to it, and hope that other writers learn from it, because this is how films are meant to be written. Thank you Mr Fellowes.

I'm glad I went to see it. Understandably, the film is constructed to please long time Downton fans. There is a rather self-conscious effort to give some characters enough screen time to bid us farewell, so that we see Anna and Mr Bates or Mrs Patmore and Daisy in brief scenes not at all relevant to the story at hand. That's fine, but I can almost imagine a producer standing behind the camera with a stopwatch to check off a box (okay Mrs Crawley, we've reached your quota).

Even the gone and departed appear briefly-Maggie Smith, Matthew, and one delicious shot of Sybil. Gee I wish she hadn't left the show. The storyline itself, emphasized in the trailer as a big scandal involving Mary, doesn't have a lot of punch to be honest, but I guess that's not why Downton fans are here anyway. For my money the worthwhile themes are a softening of class structure (Robert asking Carson for advice) and the virtual end of a centuries-long servant culture in Britain.

The finale touched me to the core. It tied up a great deal of stories while providing a fitting tribute to those who were so much a part of the entire run. And the dialogue is so "cheeky" meaning true Downton followers will appreciate the references. I loved every minute. Thank you Julian Fellowes. You have left us with a lasting legacy to be revisited again.