Diksha Sundriyal
Created by Julian Fellowes, ‘Downton Abbey’ follows the ups and downs in the lives of the members of the Crawley family and the staff who have been with them through everything. The story comes to a conclusion with ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale,’ where the characters find their happy ending despite all the trials and tribulations that come their way. The most notable thing missing from the film is the presence of the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Lady Violet Crawley. Played by Dame Maggie Smith, she is one of the most beloved characters to come out of the franchise, which is what makes her absence even more heartbreaking. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Violet’s Death is an Emotional Gut Punch in the Second Downton Abbey Film
Maggie Smith’s Violet Crawley established herself as the queen of wit and sarcasm, delivering sharp one-liners that range from biting remarks to sincere advice. For six seasons and two films, she remained an indispensable part of the show. However, with her age catching up with her, the show’s creator and writer Julian Fellowes knew that Violet could not go on for so long. Because the fate of a sequel seemed uncertain at that point, he didn’t want to leave things unresolved for the beloved character, which is why the groundwork for her ending was laid in the first film. At the end of the 2019 movie, the Dowager Countess tells her granddaughter, Lady Mary, that she will not live for long.
While no specifics are given about what has happened to her or what new information she has uncovered about her health to believe she is going to die soon, it is clear that she has already accepted what is coming. When a sequel was greenlit, Fellowes decided to use it as an opportunity to give a proper farewell to the character. Instead of killing her off-screen or at the beginning of the movie, ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ unravels new information about Violet, building the emotional weight of the eventual goodbye. He also knew that Violet being such an iconic character meant that her death had to be a punch to the gut for the audience, but it also had to happen in a way that honored her legacy.
By the end of the second movie, Violet’s health deteriorates rapidly, and we find her on her deathbed, surrounded by her friends, family, and servants. Even in those moments, she can’t help but be witty, especially when she tells her lady’s maid to stop crying because she can’t hear herself die. Her death also serves as a poignant moment for the family that has been through a lot of ups and downs. Fellowes noted that every family has its moments of happiness and loss. There is birth and death in everyone’s life, and with Violet’s peaceful passing, it seemed like the family’s arc was coming full circle. With their matriarch gone, they’d have to unravel a new chapter, so, in some ways, it marks a new beginning for them.
The Final Film Pays a Heartfelt Tribute to Violet and Maggie Smith
More than two years after the release of ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era,’ Dame Maggie Smith passed away at the age of 89 on September 27, 2024. This made the tribute scene for Violet in the next instalment even more meaningful. The filmmakers noted that while Violet may have died in the second film, she continues to be a major presence for the Crawley family in the third film. ‘The Grand Finale’ refers to the late Dowager Countess on several occasions. The characters, both upstairs and downstairs, comment on what she would have thought or said if she were alive. Sometimes they refer to her witty remarks and taunting words that mean well, and other times, they miss her wise words that would have guided them in the right direction.
In the final scene, as Mary stands alone in the hall and remembers some of the most memorable things to have happened in Downton Abbey, her grandmother is an important part of her vision. If the dialogues mentioning her and the scenes remembering her were not indicative enough of her presence, there is also a huge painting that hangs in the hall, positioning her at a point from where she can look over her family members. In the end, the movie is dedicated to the late Maggie Smith, serving as a final nod to the actress and the character she immortalised with her iconic performance.
Read More: Where Was Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Filmed?
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