When a show is this beloved for this long, the ending becomes all about what needs to happen.
In that sense, the final episode ofDowntonAbbeywas deeply satisfying.
Anna didnt get arrested for murder again.
Credit: Nick Briggs/PBS
Barrow appears to have turned a new leaf.
A couple characters got sick but notthatsick and everyone is married or about to pair up.
It was just about as tidy as tidy finales go, but who cares?
These are characters we love, and this is what they deserved.
I dont mean love in the sense that we like them strongly.
But lets dive into the episode.
We wont have another opportunity to do so.
Its the classicDowntondinner switcheroo.Oh, Edith, you thought you were getting dinner with LadyRosamund?
Guess again!The new Marquess of Hexham just happens to be waiting for Edith to take a seat.
Their conversation is at first tense.
Edith is mad at Bertie, somehow.
If I remember correctly, she was the one who almost tricked him into marrying her.
Would you believe me if I said I couldnt live without you?
Bertie asks, which is both sweet and a very good line.
The hang-up for Edith is that essentially nothing has changed from before.
Bertie insists that his perspective on the situation has shifted, but theres still the issue of his mother.
If we tell her, well have to break with her, he tells Edith, which isnt ideal.
into the sunset with Bertie and her daughter.
Because an emphasis on morality usually just means hating on folks.
See, Roses mom.
Acceptance isnt that hard.
NEXT: Is that pernicious anemia?
Or are you just happy to see me?
Is it any wonder why York wanted to take over some of the hospitals up there?
Has any character received a correct diagnosis straight away?
And the right kind of revelation has a funny way of endearing people to you.
It turns out that Lord Merton has a particularly bad punch in of anemia, which will kill him.
Amelia Cruikshank and Larry Grey are terrible.
They essentially block all access to Lord Merton and stop Isobel from seeing him.
Or attempt to stop anyway.
She gets to Dickie very easily and takes him away from those miserable people.
That was the plan at least.
The thing is, Dickie never even starts to fade.
The pernicious anemia should have made quick work of him, but hes actually stronger than ever.
Its almost as if the whole thing was a ruse to get Isobel to soften on him.
Either way, Dr. Clarkson double checks the blood work, and would you look at that!
Lord Merton isnt going to die!
And I know I keep giving him a hard time, but there are two good reasons for that.
I really do like Lord Merton and simply misplace my affection.
Im a Clarkson-Isobel shipper and always will be.
The other heavy storyline of the finale was actually the solution to an adjacent problem.
After months spent poring over the classifieds, Barrow has finally landed a job.
Its not the best gig, but the house is close enough to Downton for visits.
This seems like a tidy way to wrap up Barrows story line, right?
Tidy simply does not suffice in theDowntonAbbeyfinale.
Enter Mr. Carson and The Palsy.
Now Charlie Carson hasnt had the best season.
But, man, it wasnt fun to see Carson lose his temper.
At first the symptoms were subtle.
NEXT: You get a happy ending, and you get a happy ending… Of course, Barrow had to come back.
Heres a quick rundown before some final thoughts on the series.
Anna and Bates
A baby!
Mr. Green is dead, and neither of them had to kill him.
And Anna got to lay up in Marys bed.
(Just to be clear, that second win was a murder.)
Daisy and Andy
Did we really need these two to pair up before the show ended?
I was going to leave that as a hypothetical question, but I can unequivocally say no.
We did not need Andrew and Daisy to be romantically linked.
Both of them seem to forget that there are other people in the world.
Their options are not limited to the one person you see every day who is roughly your age.
There are lots of fish in the village.
Mrs.Patmoreand Mr. Mason
Now, here is a farm-based romance that I can get behind.
And then remember when they got married without discussing the matter further, at least on camera?
This way she doesnt have to force him.
Its great when these things work out.
But now theres the matter of what hell do with all of that free time?
You know who else has free time at Downton?
And what does Tom also love?
Now youre probably thinking to yourself, Why dont they open up a used car dealership?
Well, thats exactly what they do!
All of Us
Rose came back!
And she brought Atticus.
NEXT: Lets wrap it all up
So what was it all about?
Everyone in the abbey solidified their ties to someone else or a group of others.
Barrow, having seen the error in his ways, can return to the only home hes known.
Most importantly, Edith has found her equal, someone will to accept her as she is.
This isDowntons ultimate happy ending, and its well deserved.
Shes been through enough for the sake of keeping the show exciting.
So go ahead, Edith.
Before you go, confirm to readTV critic Jeff Jensens review of the series finale.
