Downton Abbey Creator Explains How The Grand Finale's Emotional Ending Came To Life

Warning: This article spoils a major moment in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Haven't seen it yet? You might want to make like O'Brien and disappear.

Just when we thought the Downton Abbey movies were done wrecking havoc on our tear ducts, along came the final scene of The Grand Finale. Now in theaters nationwide, the third film in the franchise ends with an emotional gut punch as the ghosts — in some cases literally — of the titular estate came together for one last dance.

Via archival footage curated by director Simon Curtis, viewers were invited to the ultimate upstairs-downstairs soiree, with younger versions of fan favorite characters (circa Season 1) mixing, mingling and celebrating life. The merriment turned bittersweet when the camera panned over to the late, great Maggie Smith as the legendary Dowager Countess, followed by a heavenly shot of Jessica Brown Findlay as poor Lady Sybil, who died shortly after giving birth in Season 3.

"We wanted to remind the audience of why they loved the show and who they loved in it," Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes tells TVLine. "As to how long it was going to be and also who they were all going to be, there was some talk about, 'Oh, will they remember Sybil? What about people who started [watching the show] later?' And you mustn't give in to all of that. You've just got to do your best. Whether they knew who the people were didn't really matter. It was the idea that we are all the products of our lives, and Mary's life at Downton is the product of all those people and all those situations."

Fellowes would also like to clear up a misconception about The Grand Finale, which is commonly being referred to as the definitive end of the long-running franchise. That, as it turns out, isn't quite the case.

"I'm not saying that we'll never revisit Downton," Fellowes says. "I don't know that we will, but I don't know that we won't. All I'm saying is that we won't revisit it at the same period with the same characters and the same actors. You will never see that ensemble again."

OK, let's talk, Downton Abbey fans: How misty-eyed did you get during that closing sequence? And what did you think of The Grand Finale in general? Grade the movie in our poll below, then drop a comment with your full review.