Here’s an interview with Julian Fellowes about the last episode and possible future movie:
The final podcast features an extensive interview with Julian Fellowes and he mentions the possibility of a movie. He reveals that in his mind he thinks the Crawleys survived the Depression and have kept Downton even though so many other big houses were torn down during the middle of the last century. Other than Maggie Smith, all I have seen from the cast is that most, if not all, are in favor of the movie. Keeping fingers crossed!
So George will obviously be old enough to serve in WWII. Probably little boy Bates, too. Did they still have batmen (valets in the military) in WWII?
I hope Mary’s new baby is a girl. Otherwise, a lot of difference between Mary’s sons - one is the heir, the other the son of a used car salesman. Or maybe by the time the kids are grown, Tom’s and Mary’s husband’s business will have exploded and they will have a huge contract to outfit the military and they will use their money to once again bail out Downton.
Haven’t watched the finale yet as daughter came home for break and she’s catching up then we’ll watch together. So. I’m ignoring the comments until later but had to come here to post this:
http://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/monday-march-7th-downton-abbey-finale?mbid=social_facebook
Everything was a little too neatly tied up for my tastes – I was waiting for Bertie’s mom to wig out during the wedding ceremony or for Michael Gregson to come staggering into the church. And did everyone in the cast get paired off except for Thomas and Violet???
As Tom & Lorenzo posted on their blog: “Everybody gets a husband! And a castle!”
Ah, well. I’m just begin curmudgeonly, I guess. I did love all the clothes, as usual, and the dowager. I AM glad she didn’t get killed off at the end!
I heard on the after-show “party” on PBS that Julian Fellowes has the palsy he gave Carson.
Here’s the Tom and Lorenzo summary:
http://tomandlorenzo.com/2016/03/downton-abbey-auld-lang-syne/
Tom was getting paired off too with girl (3rd pew on the left…or thereabouts…)
. Only Violet left–whatever happened to the prince? Her advice showed how she was thinking about mislsed opportunities in love.
Would have been great if Gregson had staggered in–wouldn’t that have been grand?–but that would mean another season.
Maybe we should have a “DA fan fiction thread”–continue the story on with limits to next Christmas.
What happens to Mary, hubby, new baby? Car dealership? Anna’s kid? Moseley and Baxter? Does he teach AP classes?
Will Daisy skip pig butler and go for Barrow’s again even though he’s gay?
Will Mrs. Patsmore bring mince meat pie over to the pig farm?
Will Mr Carson starve from Mrs Hughes cooking?
Will Edith say “forget it” on that castle business and go run the paper? Will her assistant want to take over and push her out altogether?
Will Spratt save the day? Or Denker–she’s a conniving soul–teams with Barrows and saves everybody! Tah DAh!!!
I thought that was Edith’s new editor, there for the wedding.
It was–and they were making googly eyes at each other.
And she caught the bouquet.
OK, here’s a serious question. Or two:
While Anna is sitting in bed with New Baby Bates, she tells Mary that she’s eager to go back to work; she’ll work something out with the baby. And Mary says, Oh, the baby can go to the nursery with the other children.
Really?? (1) A woman at that time would return to work rather than bring up her own child? (Aristocrats notwithstanding.)
And, Really? (2) A servant’s child would be welcomed into the aristocratic nursery? Wouldn’t there be an obvious class difference?
Yes. The batman of the headmaster of my school in England worked at the school as the driver and sort of all round handyman. He also made a mean bread pudding. 
(This was in the 60s, so a long time since the war.)
I think that Barrows’ transformation started a long time before this last season.
Baby Bates would stay in the nursery and tended to by nanny.
Then be taught with George and Sibbie’s governess until it is time for Anna’s and John’s kid to go to the village school and be taught by Mr. Moseley.
Did anyone else notice that Bertie’s mother was played by Patricia Hodge? She is best remembered, by me at least, as the actress who played barrister Phyllida Erskine-Brown on the old “Rumpole of the Bailey” series on PBS.
Another witty recap:
http://www.vulture.com/2016/03/downton-abbey-recap-season-6-episode-9.html
^^^^Very sweet recap!! I teared up.
Vanity fair- they had Edith plot line in season 5 -
[quote]
“Of course, it can’t be too plain-sailing in a drama series,” said Trubridge, “so the penultimate episode, where the sisters really showed their loathing of one another, was a very good springboard for Edith.” Although Downton Abbey’s decision makers weren’t quite sure Mary was capable of being that wicked.
“We debated whether Mary spilling the beans about Marigold was going too far, and whether audiences would stomach that,” Neame conceded. “We wondered whether it was just too evil to have Mary be the one who finally tells the truth. And for a few seconds, we thought, ‘Oh, that’s just the nastiest, most loathsome thing Mary has ever done in all these years.’”
I enjoyed the finale very much. Yes, it was very tidy with most everyone pleased and happy, but I was glad of it! The clothes were absolutely lovely (why can’t the 20s come back into fashion?). I was happy for Barrows becoming butler, he did nasty things but also some good ones, and I think he is really trying to change and be a better person.
I appreciated the fact that Cora and Mary and Edith were “modernizing” perhaps faster than some of the men in the family–Cora saying she wouldn’t quit the hospital either way but it was nice LG finally approved, Mary running the estate and breaking the wall between upstairs and downstairs perhaps more than anyone with her multiple assistances to Anna and visiting of Carson and Barrows, and Edith raising Marigold and running the magazine, I was glad she told Bertie’s mother—she was risking a lot but it showed real growth and maturity in my opinion.
I think Daisy and Andy will end up together, Baxter and Molesley will get married, Mrs Patmore and the farmer will be together, Tom and the editor (though she works in London and his business is in York, so?), and Mary’s baby will be a girl and to show just how progressive things have gotten her daughter will marry Anna’s son. Ha!
The rescue of Lord Merton by Violet and Isabel was also a high point for me.
Better to tell her and let the chips fall where they may than risk Mary telling her. Edith’s not stupid and knows what Mary is capable of, “happy” or not.