Change has always been at the core of the Downton Abbey franchise. There is a certain natural contrast between its themes of navigating the post-Edwardian era and the reality that much of the best drama occurs within the trappings of that old world audiences know and love. After fifteen years, six television seasons, and three movies, the time has finally come to say goodbye, for presumably the last time.

Set at the beginning of the 1930s, not all that long after the events of the final season, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale centers its narrative on Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) as she assumes command of the estate. Lady Mary’s ascension has been a long time coming, first discussed in season four. The death of Lady Mary’s husband Matthew (Dan Stevens) upended both the planning for Downton’s future within the show, as well as the series itself, which had to work around Stevens’ unexpected departure.

For the second half of the series, Lady Mary spent much of her narrative consumed with new suitors. After spending most of seasons four and five caught between two men, writer/series creator Julian Fellowes threw a curveball at the tail end of season five with the introduction of Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode). Lady Mary and Henry enjoyed a truncated romance throughout much of season six before marrying at the tail end of the series.

There was always a certain irony in Mary ending up with a car enthusiast after her first husband perished in a car accident during the season three Christmas special, an event that spoiled many viewers’ holiday. Three movies in, one can’t shake the feeling that déjà vu occurred once again while casting Mary’s spouse. One might have thought that the most important consideration for picking Mary’s second husband would be availability for the films that were an open secret by the show’s final season.

Instead, Fellowes settled on Goode, a highly sought-after actor with a schedule far too busy to play arm candy to Lady Mary. In some ways, this ended up working out kind of well. Henry’s minuscule part in the first Downton Abbey film and complete omission from the second two films might be disappointing for those who enjoyed the awkward pairing of Mary and Henry, but his absence gave the films some natural drama missing from the show finale’s preoccupation with tying everything in a neat little bow.

The Grand Finale largely focuses its narrative on the fallout of Mary’s divorce from Henry. Banished from London society, Mary seeks solace in her familiar Yorkshire, which is not immune to snobbery of its own. Set not long after the events of Downton Abbey: A New Era, Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) is still reeling from his mother’s death, unsure of his place in the world he’s given his life to preserving, resisting the gentle guidance of his wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) to relax in his old age.

Cora’s own mother passed away offscreen in between films. Expecting some of her inheritance to cover construction on the estate, Cora is shocked when her brother Harold Levinson (Paul Giamatti, reprising his role from the season four Christmas special) arrives in London with a poor financial outlook. Harold also brought his enigmatic financial advisor, Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), to explain his poor business dealings, which has been a recurring pattern for him since season four.

The final chapter has much more modest trappings than its cinematic predecessors. There’s no marquee event like a visit from the King or a mysterious French villa gifted to a dying octogenarian anchoring the narrative. Instead, Fellowes’ modest intentions serve as more of an extended episode of the series, a well-deserved victory lap.

Fellowes takes great care to ensure that each member of the franchise’s large ensemble gets a moment to shine. There are a few storylines that harken back to the show’s early days. Major events like World War I and the Spanish flu happened during the series, alongside more modest conflicts, like stomping out favoritism in the village Flower Show or whether a lady’s maid could still prepare a restorative broth. The Grand Finale manages to recapture some of the fun of the show’s early days as it wraps up storylines for over a dozen characters.

The shadow of the franchise’s matriarch and apex predator Violet Crawley looms large over the film. Maggie Smith is sorely missed. While nobody can replace her searing wit, Fellowes includes several tributes to the Dowager throughout the narrative. Fans of her frequent sparring with Isobel Crawley, the new Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton) will find much to enjoy.

While the film finds space for the whole cast, The Grand Finale is a lot less forcibly egalitarian than the first two films. This is Lady Mary’s film. Edith (Laura Carmichael) and Tom (Allen Leech) see their roles drastically reduced, the latter functioning in little more than a cameo. There’s a few touching moments for the older servants approaching the age of retirement, though the film conveniently forgets all that time spent on bed and breakfast investments from the final two seasons.

One of Fellowes’ finest achievements in the series was his portrayal of the Crawleys as quiet allies of the gay community. Series archvillain turned sympathetic hero Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) struggled to accept his sexuality for much of the franchise, ultimately finding acceptance with actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West) in the previous film, resigning his role as butler of Downton. At a time when LGBTQ rights are under immense attack around the world, Fellowes finds ample beauty in his portrayal of the 1930s aristocracy as far more accepting than their modern counterparts.

Acceptance is an issue at the heart of The Grand Finale. Used to being the center of attention, Lady Mary struggles with her new outcast status as a divorcee in a world governed by tradition. Lord Grantham struggles to accept that his old world is gone. 

There is a little awkwardness to be found at the heart of the drama. Mary is exiled from London society, yet expected to take the reins of an estate from her still-living father. There is a small acknowledgement that earls are no longer treated like village kings and queens, but Fellowes crafts a story that’s pretty damning to the concept of primogeniture amidst a narrative that still upholds the idealistic nature of country estate life.

Downton Abbey has always favored soapy storylines instead of serious drama, but missing from this film is an implicit defense of Downton as an estate. The series spent most of its run defending Downton as a place of employment, something even the first film managed to squeeze in late in its runtime. Free of her occasional nastiness, Fellowes firmly establishes Mary as a figure worth championing, but is Downton itself a cause worth championing? The film leaves a lot of food for thought on that front.

The pacing is a bit off throughout much of the film. Characters blow through scenes, speaking their lines without much of a chance to breathe. The 124-minute runtime is nearly identical to the first two films, only a bit longer than the Christmas specials that bookended each season after the first. An additional ten minutes would’ve given several scenes a much-needed chance to breathe.

As a franchise, Downton Abbey started wrapping itself up all the way back in season five. With that in mind, The Grand Finale didn’t have a ton of loose ends to tie up, besides the strands of plot that came loose from the last finale. Life is messy.

Downton Abbey took some turns that were out of Fellowes’ control, cast members whose absences had immutable effects on the narrative. Like its characters, the show managed to adapt. The Grand Finale is a triumph for the franchise and all its characters we’ve grown to love. Above all else, it’s a lot of fun to spend another few hours in this delightful world.