The official trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale finds Mary courting controversy as the franchise comes to a close. Set for release in September, the upcoming film will find the Crawleys facing an uncertain future at the dawn of a new decade.
Coming off the success of 2019’s Downton Abbey movie and its 2022 sequel, The Grand Finale is confirmed to be the final installment in the hit franchise, and it will feature much of the core cast from the original television series. This includes Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Joanne Froggatt, Phyllis Logan, and more.
On Monday morning, Focus Features unveiled the full trailer for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. The footage reveals fresh plot details for the movie, with the biggest being that Mary is officially divorced from Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode). Check it out below:
What This Means For Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
There’s Still Time For One Last Scandal
The overall tone of the new Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale trailer matches the rest of the movie’s previous marketing, which has generally focused on the notion of saying goodbye. Not only does the footage include choice phrasing, such as “Everything has led to this,” it is also filled with significant character moments, like Mary saying, “Long live Downton Abbey.”
However, the biggest talking point to come out of the trailer is Mary’s martial status. Much has been said at this point about Henry’s absence from The Grand Finale after he skipped A New Era, and it has now been confirmed that Mary is divorced, setting up a very new story for her.
Divorce came up a few times in the original Downton Abbey show, but it was often viewed as an obstacle or a difficult situation.
Downton Abbey 3 is set in 1930, when divorce was still uncommon in England. Mary’s status as a divorcee puts her on the outs of high society, thus putting her place as the head of Downton in a precarious position. This will likely be The Grand Finale‘s biggest conflict, though there are other plotlines as well, including the return of Cora’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother, Harold (Paul Giamatti).
Our Take On The Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Trailer
There’s Still So Much Excitement To Come
Though this trailer is more plot-heavy than the previous teaser, there are still many details that have yet to be revealed about Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Mary’s story has taken center stage, but it appears Robert (Bonneville) will be facing some internal crises of his own, and Harold has brought Cora some bad news.
Beyond that, it isn’t yet clear what the new movie has in store for the various members of the household staff. Mr. Carson (Carter) was set to continue on as butler at the end of A New Era, but another retirement could be looming, and Thomas (Robert James-Collier) hasn’t even appeared in any of the footage. Anna (Froggatt) and Bates (Brendan Coyle) seem quite happy, but there are few clues to be found about their story.
All of this is to say, I’m excited to see what lies ahead in The Grand Finale. There should be plenty of surprises, and it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up by the time the credits roll. More details should be revealed in the coming months, but for now, I’m happily along for the ride.
Source: Focus Features
