Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Something happened between episode 2 and episode 3 that I don’t understand. It’s as if some studio executive said, “The last movie was too perfect. We need to shake this one up a little. Film it rough, edit it poorly, rattle the can a little. That’ll bring the kids in!” Maybe their timeline or their deadlines were different. Suffice it to say, something is off here. Pans are too fast. Close ups are too close. Cuts are too abrupt. It’s the filmmakers fault for making “A New Era” so perfectly perfect. “The Grand Finale” had nowhere to go but down(ton). Not that it’s a first-class train wreck. The trials of Lady Mary still engage, as expected. She’ll be missed by her demographic.