The Top Five Questions We Want Answered In Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

In just over a month, fans will be welcomed back to Downton Abbey for one last hurrah with the Crawley family and their staff. We invite the GPB community to join us at an exclusive sneak peek of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta on Sept. 10 for an event that will surely bring together passionate fans of Downton Abbey and GPB alike. But as we settle into our theater seats, we have to wonder how the story we’ve been following for the past 15 years will finally end. The trailers have given us some indication, but frankly, we have more questions than answers. After you book your tickets to see Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale with us in September, we invite you to mull over the top five questions we want answered in the final film.

• What brings Guy Dexter and Thomas Barrow back to England?

In Downton Abbey: A New Era, fan-favorite character Thomas Barrow seemingly found his own happy ending. After years at Downton, viewers have watched him evolve from a particularly spiteful footman to a confident butler, taking over for Mr. Carson upon his retirement at the end of the sixth season. But upon meeting actor Guy Dexter in A New Era, Thomas had a change of heart and accepted Guy’s offer to be his companion, both professionally and personally, and departed Downton for a new life in America. 

In the trailers for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale as well as the promotional posters, both Guy and Thomas are present, with footage of Guy in a theater production presumably in London. Would they just return for Guy’s work, or does Thomas perhaps feel a bit homesick for his found family below stairs at Downton?

• Will Anna Bates have another baby at Downton Abbey?

When it comes to the characterization of our favorite family and their staff, sometimes art imitates life. This was the case for Joanne Froggatt, who plays Anna Bates, in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale: Froggatt was pregnant at the time of filming, and thus her real life pregnancy was written into the script for Anna as well. This won’t be Anna and John Bates’ first child: fans will likely remember Anna giving birth to their son in the TV series finale set on New Years Eve 1925.

However, with this film being the final entry into the Downton franchise, we have to wonder if we’ll see the new arrival for the Bates family on screen this time around, just as we did during the conclusion of the TV series.

• How badly has Harold Levinson been affected by the stock market crash of 1929 and what does that mean for Downton?

Cora, the Countess of Grantham, was introduced to Downton Abbey fans as an American heiress whose dowry ended up saving Downton from ruin before the beginning of the TV series. However, Cora has family back home in the United States, including Martha Levinson, her mother, and Harold Levinson, her brother. Harold first visited Downton Abbey in Season 4 Episode 9, “The London Season,” with his mother in order to spend some time with Cora and the rest of the Crawley family in preparation for Lady Rose MacClare’s presentation at court and debut into British high society. Thus far, that’s been his only appearance in the franchise until Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

It’s important to note that Harold is described as not being good with money, and according to the trailer for The Grand Finale, the year is 1930. Presumably, Harold has lost quite a bit of money in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, an event that triggered a worldwide great depression and a need for him to visit his sister in England. What this means for Downton is yet to be seen, but from the trailers it appears that a good amount of Cora’s fortune is still invested in the estate (despite Robert’s efforts to lose it during the TV series in bad railroad investments and an attempted Ponzi scheme!).

• What are the details behind Lady Mary and Henry Talbot’s divorce?

Besides the scandal of the Wall Street Crash, the big topic of gossip in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is the fact that Lady Mary becomes a divorcée. 

It’s not difficult to believe that her second marriage has come to this: while she and Henry seemed quite happy at the end of the TV series, he was hardly in the first Downton Abbey film and was completely absent in Downton Abbey: A New Era. Early on in the second film, Mary remarks that his love for her may not be greater than his love for speed and adventure. And while the trailers indicate that she is divorced (with the news breaking in a rather public way), we’re left to question how it came about.

One hint might come in the form of the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1923. Before this act was passed in Britain, only a man was able to secure a divorce on the grounds of adultery with women having to prove additional fault. But with the 1923 Act, adultery was a ground of divorce for either spouse. With later acts offered additional grounds for divorce, such as cruelty and desertion, these weren’t passed until 1937, so it’s reasonable to believe one or both partners in the marriage committed adultery. We’re curious if this is the case.

• Will the entire Crawley family truly leave Downton behind, or will Mary take over the ownership and running of the house and estate?

Of course, this is the big question for the final film: what becomes of one of the most important characters in the franchise, Downton Abbey itself? Throughout the series and films, the Crawley family has had to grapple with keeping and maintaining such a large, expensive house and the full estate it resides upon. Downton has seen plenty of changes with the times already, from being a convalescent home in World War I to opening its doors for the public to tour and for the film industry to use as a shooting location, all of which was done to be of good use to the community as well as generate an additional income for Downton beyond what the estate tenants are able to pay.

But once again, the times are changing: the Wall Street Crash and its impact on Cora’s funds, Mary’s divorce, the fact that the family and staff alike are getting older and looking towards new opportunities, and World War II in the not-too-distant future.

From the trailers, it seems as if there will be plenty of goodbyes to be had, but we want to know if Downton will simply change hands, passed down from father to daughter, or if the family and staff will all depart for new lives elsewhere. If anything, Robert seems to be giving the house one last farewell while Mary walks through what seems to be empty apartments in an urban setting, possibly finding a new home. If that’s the case, will Downton Abbey be sold to a private owner or to the National Trust? If it’s the latter, the estate could see a second life as a school, a boarding home, or even another turn as a convalescent home.

• BONUS: What will become of all of the beautiful costumes, props, and sets on Downton Abbey?

With the final farewell coming soon to theaters, it’s likely that some of the costumes, props, and more will no longer be of use for filming. But if you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of Downton for yourself, you’re in luck: UK auction house Bonhams presents Downton Abbey: The Auction from Aug. 18 to Sept. 16, 2025. If you’re in London, you’ll have the chance to visit the free exhibition during this time, while the auction itself accepts bids from around the world. 

Gold and silver ticket packages are still available for GPB’s advance screening of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale on Sept. 10, 2025, in Atlanta. We hope you’ll join us as we say goodbye to the beloved drama series.