For those of us who are fans, this feel-good, everything-turns-out-all-right movie checks all the boxes. No one dies, all lonely people are paired up and Downton appears to be going on forever.  (cbsnews) If this takes out some of the suspense for you, I’m sorry, but Downton viewers don’t really want suspense–this is not a thriller after all.  What we want is gorgeous scenery, magnificent dresses and the chance to see our favorite characters again. This the movie provides. As in the series, every undergarment, every table setting, every hair style is perfect.  I wonder if Julian Fellowes, author of this and every single television episode and maker of the magic, sat down and thought about what we’d all like to see if this is indeed the end, and then gave it to us. If so, thank you Julian. He is, by the way, Baron Fellowes of West Stafford DL and a Conservative peer of the House of Lords. (wiki)

Weaving over 20 stories into a coherent unified plot had to be extraordinarily hard, but he does it. I don’t want to put in any spoilers but as the main story line is already public, there’s no harm in telling you that the King and Queen are staying one night at Downton while they do their Yorkshire tour. (elitedaily)This sends everyone, upstairs and downstairs, into a tizzy with Mrs. Patmore thrilled she’s going to cook for the King, Mr. Molesley hilariously happy and Mr. Carson brought back into the house to supervise. (britishheritage) The two minor plot lines, one comic and one political, work very well.

If you were worried about Tom’s love life, how the new marchioness is working out, or Mary’s future handling of the estate, (people) don’t worry any more; all has been taken care of.  Kudos to the splendid cast for remaining themselves and giving their loyalty to Downton. There are even some hints for another go round in case the Downton Abbey viewership wants more. If the film is a success, says Fellowes, that could happen.

So go and enjoy. It’s a delicious guilty pleasure.

@downtonabbey

@julianfellows

@MrsPatmore

@LadyMary

@TomBranson

@MrCarson

@MrMolesley