After landing in cinemas last week, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale has left fans seriously divided. Drawing the curtains on Julian Fellowes' beloved franchise, the cast may have teased a fitting farewell, but the film's ending has sparked plenty of debate, with some lauding it as "beautiful" and "emotional" on social media, while others called it "boring". Taking to Instagram, many have penned their praise, with one writing: "Watched it and loved every moment. The ending was lovely". Meanwhile, a second remarked: “The best of the 3 movies. It was a grand finale."
© FOCUS FEATURES / Rory MulveyOn the flip side, however, others were left disappointed by Downton's conclusion. "It's perfectly fine, but not the grand finale promised right there in the title. Perhaps finding the excuse to bring back some characters has led to this being a tad overstuffed, but it's still got humour & it's fun enough," tweeted one cinemagoer. "This movie almost completely ruined the entire DA franchise. Lazy writing, poor directing, and terribly acted. This film could have been ten minutes long because there was nothing in it that was interesting," declared another. "Unexpectedly boring," quipped a third.
What have the cast said about Downton's ending?
Rest assured, we won't spoil the ending for you, although you can check out our four-star review for more details on Downton's send-off. What we will say, however, is that the ending has been designed to pay tribute to the stars, past and present, who graced the halls of Downton Abbey, including the late, great Maggie Smith. In a brand new interview with Hugh Bonneville, the actor revealed what fans can expect from, what he called: "a very Downton finale".
© Getty Images"I think people who have watched the show over the years are going to love it," Hugh, 61, said. "It's a very warm and emotional story, and there's a lot of fun to enjoy, too. There are also some exciting new elements that I don't want to spoil. All I will say is that I honestly think this is the best film version of Downton yet."
Asked if this really is the end of Downton Abbey, the actor mused: "I think it is. This feels like a good time to say goodbye. It's a natural ending, in a way, with the passing of Dame Maggie Smith, our matriarch. We all started on this journey together, and we're very proud to end it here, 15 years later, but Downton Abbey will always be there [for us]."
© Anthony Harvey/ShutterstockMeanwhile, HELLO! also joined Kevin Doyle for an exclusive chat, where he revealed why now was the right time to bid farewell. "We lost Maggie [Smith], and so it seemed a good time to finish," began. "We've been saying goodbye to these characters for quite a long time now. The unexpected success of the movies has kind of drawn out that goodbye, so it's been a very long goodbye."
