Downton Abbey fans 'can't stop crying' as franchise nears end after 15 years

Metro

02-06-2025

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Downton Abbey viewers are already emotionally devastated watching the first trailer for the franchise's last goodbye after a three-year wait.
The long-running ITV period drama created by Julian Fellowes first captivated fans in 2010 with the highs and lows of the Crawley family as they navigated war, love, loss and a transformation of the class system in early-20th-century England.
After finishing its initial six-season run in 2015, the widely-loved franchise returned for a cinematic trilogy with main cast members such as Mary (Michelle Dockery), Edith (Laura Carmichael), Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), Anna Bates (Joanne Froggatt) and Mr Carson (Jim Carter) all reprising their roles.
All good things must come to an end, however.
After the huge success of the second feature movie, A New Era, in 2022 (which saw the death of the late Maggie Smith's character, the Dowager) now the third and final film is set to come out in September.
The first teaser trailer for The Grand Finale, which came out earlier today, is running with the tagline: 'The place we'll always remember. The family we'll never forget. Everything has led to this.'
If that wasn't enough to tug at your heartstrings, then seeing the gang back together as they conquer a new decade – the 1930s – and seemingly say goodbye to their home will definitely be enough to make longtime fans go misty-eyed.
Especially as the trailer closes out with Robert poignantly placing his hand on the building to kiss it farewell.
'The end of it with Robert kissing his hand and placing it on the house with the family and servants outside really really gets to me,' haydendixon7189 wrote on YouTube.
'The trailer didn't reveal much but at the same time revealed everything. I'm so emotional and can't wait for September,' jdivine7445 added.
'Never has a trailer made me all teary before. And I realise with a sharp pang that I'll miss the Dowager so terribly, which will only make me miss Maggie Smith, too,' RidingAGrizzly shared.
'I can't stop my crying,' mohitkotak2473 added.
'I cried like never before watching this trailer… So much chills! This is the most painful farewell I give to a TV series. Thank you for all these years,' monsieurtoc said.
Ove ron X user mx_aman wrote: 'My heart can't handle this.'
'If you see me bawling my eyes out about some rich British aristocrats having to sell their enormous house well, please respect my privacy in these trying times,' fawvarl emotionally quipped.
'Downton Abbey has been a big part of my life over the last 15 years. Can't believe it's really coming to a close,' AnnaLibri lamented.
There's not been much disclosed about the ins and outs of the plot for the third movie although Mary's husband Henry Talbot (played by Matthew Goode) shall be absent, after a reduced role in the last movie.
'Wouldn't it be more exciting if [Lady Mary] didn't need a man so she might end up on her own? Some people look up to her as a modern feminist or a pillar of modern feminism,' the Dept Q star told Metro about his decision to not return.
Meanwhile, in January, Michelle gently reflected on what to expect from the next movie, and its homage to Smith, to Collider. More Trending
'It's a beautiful film. For us, it was such a treat to be able to come back together again. It's a real tribute to Maggie Smith, the film.'
Paul Giamatti will also be reprising his 2013 character in the final movie as Lady Cora's uncle Harold Levinson.
'Working with Paul again was wonderful. He's so much fun. And because he was already part of the family, it was lovely to have him back on set, so I'm really excited to see the final film,' Michelle added at the time.
Downton Abbey seasons one to six are available to stream on Netflix. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale comes out in cinemas on
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