{"id":48444,"date":"2025-09-07T03:02:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T03:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/48444\/"},"modified":"2025-09-07T03:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T03:02:14","slug":"downton-abbey-3-hailed-as-the-perfect-ending-as-first-reviews-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/48444\/","title":{"rendered":"Downton Abbey 3 hailed as the &#8220;perfect ending&#8221; as first reviews land"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"1\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale has been hailed as the &#8220;perfect ending&#8221; to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/downton-abbey\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/downton-abbey\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the long-running period drama\" data-node-id=\"1.2\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the long-running period drama<\/a> in its first reviews.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a65948456\/downton-abbey-disney-uk-streaming\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a65948456\/downton-abbey-disney-uk-streaming\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The third and final film\" data-node-id=\"3.0\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The third and final film<\/a>, which comes after six seasons and 52 episodes, brings an end to the story that began all the way back in 2010, with the action following the Crawley family as they enter the 1930s.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"5\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">&#8220;When Mary finds herself at the centre of a public scandal caused by her divorce and the family faces financial trouble, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace,&#8221; reads the logline.<\/p>\n<p>What to Read Next<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">Written by Julian Fellowes once again, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65251415\/downton-abbey-3-trailer-twist-lady-mary\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65251415\/downton-abbey-3-trailer-twist-lady-mary\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"the film\" data-node-id=\"9.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the film<\/a> boasts a stacked ensemble cast including Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Allen Leech, Jim Carter, Joanne Froggatt and Phyllis Logan.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"11\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">Ahead of its theatrical release on Friday (12 September), the first reviews for the period drama have come in, and it looks like it&#8217;s struck a chord with critics judging by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/downton_abbey_the_grand_finale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/downton_abbey_the_grand_finale\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Rotten Tomatoes\" data-node-id=\"11.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\">Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>&#8216; approval rating of 91% from 23 reviews.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">You can read a selection of reviews below:<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"michelle dockery as lady mary, downton abbey: the grand finale\" title=\"Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/michelle-dockery-downton-abbey-the-grand-finale-68b5913384943.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Rory Mulvey\/\/Universal<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"16\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"16.0\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a63147899\/best-film-tv-tours-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/tv\/a63147899\/best-film-tv-tours-2025\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Best film and TV tours for 2025\" data-node-id=\"16.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Best film and TV tours for 2025<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"19\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">&#8220;At least there is a sense throughout that everyone&#8217;s story will be tied up in a neat little bow before a final scene that succeeds in being both a sad and sweet farewell&#8230; If this really is a final goodbye to Downton Abbey, at least it is a warm one.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">&#8220;Though Fellowes has indicated Downton Abbey could live on in the future through new characters, this [film] is as close to a perfect ending as the franchise could get&#8230; Anyone who has loved these characters will enjoy getting closure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"25\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">&#8220;The film is very silly and always watchable in its weird way, with those eccentrically emphasised shots of characters thanking each other for their thoughtfulness.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"laura carmichael as lady edith, downton abbey the grand finale\" title=\"Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/laura-carmichael-downton-abbey-the-grand-finale-68b58f804bb1f.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Rory Mulvey\/\/Universal<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"28\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"28.0\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65979941\/downton-abbey-star-first-meeting-maggie-smith\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65979941\/downton-abbey-star-first-meeting-maggie-smith\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Downton Abbey star recalls &quot;wonderful&quot; first meeting with Maggie Smith: &quot;She wants to play&quot;\" data-node-id=\"28.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Downton Abbey star recalls &#8220;wonderful&#8221; first meeting with Maggie Smith: &#8220;She wants to play&#8221;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">&#8220;Considering this is now the third film to be presented as the show\u2019s definitive conclusion, I sincerely hope Downton Abbey heeds it. This is about as graceful and fitting an endnote as you could hope for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"34\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\">&#8220;It brings more of the same to the table, but peppers it with just enough hints of nostalgia (and narrative finality) to make this umpteenth ending feel definitive.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"36\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"36.0\">Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is released in cinemas on 12 September.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"38\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"38.0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/downton-abbey\/\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/downton-abbey\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Read more Downton Abbey news on our dedicated homepage\" data-node-id=\"38.0.0\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong data-node-id=\"38.0.0.0\">Read more<\/strong><strong data-node-id=\"38.0.0.1\"> Downton Abbey<\/strong><strong data-node-id=\"38.0.0.2\"> news on our dedicated homepage<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"41\" class=\"css-jjeyh9 emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"41.0\"><\/strong><strong data-node-id=\"41.1\">Celebrate Lady Gaga with our special collector&#8217;s edition bookazine \u2013 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/special-editions-subscriptions-pre-sell-lvgladygaga\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/special-editions-subscriptions-pre-sell-lvgladygaga\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"pre-order online now\" data-node-id=\"41.2\" class=\"body-link css-1lh7k7j emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong data-node-id=\"41.2.0\">pre-order online now<\/strong><\/a><strong data-node-id=\"41.3\">, priced at just \u00a38.99.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" data-dynamic-svg=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/images\/logos\/lettermark.05d81be.svg?primary=%2523000\" loading=\"lazy\" data-testid=\"dynamic-svg-base\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" alt=\"Lettermark\" class=\"css-7mevzh ev8dhu50\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reporter, Digital Spy<\/strong> George is a freelance writer who specialises in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Movies<\/a> and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. \u00a0His film tastes vary from blockbusters like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/mission-impossible\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mission: Impossible<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/john-wick\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">John Wick<\/a> to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale has been hailed as the &#8220;perfect ending&#8221; to the long-running period drama in&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[265],"tags":[341,35899,343,18,117,19,17,342,35898,128],"class_list":{"0":"post-48444","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-content-type-news","9":"tag-contentid-b44da10e-ce1a-4f30-bb70-67d1fe302b09","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-locale-gb","16":"tag-shorttitle-downton-abbey-3-hailed-as-the-perfect-ending","17":"tag-tv"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}