#matthewcrawley

Downton Grand Finale - The Time Has Come to Say Goodbye

For me, the time to say "goodbye' was at the end of Season 3, when JF killed off one of Downton's most important characters, Matthew Crawley.

I did try to enjoy Season 4, but when Lady Mary, totally out of character, had a meaningless roll in the hay with Tony, I called it quits.

Not entirely, though.

I had loved Downton Abbey so much for so long that I refused to have the story end this way. I vowed to fix what I considered then (and now) to be rubbish in a plausible way, keeping the characters that were presented to me in Series 1 thru 3 true to form.

It took me many months to research the time period to create an environment that was accurate. Once done, I faced my biggest challenge - bringing Matthew Crawley back to life.

I admit it was tricky bringing the lawyer from Manchester back into the fold, but I am confident that I did it.

In 9 stories on Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own, I continued the Downton story from the moment Matthew wakes up in the London Hospital in Whitechapel after his auto accident.

My first story, "Patient #9", explains how he survived, where he had been, why everyone thought he was dead, and how he returned to Mary and his son.

Right about now, you likely are rolling your eyes and screaming at the computer screen, "It isn't possible".

You're wrong.

The sad thing is JF could have done what I did to bring Matthew back. After all, I am just an amateur writer and he is....well, we all know who he is.

He has made millions from his movies and t.v. series and I have just written some fan fiction, where my only payment is a good review.

They (the reviews) have actually been quite good, though. Some excellent. So much so, that a reader from China asked if she could translate my stories into Chinese for those in her country who do not read English.

That was quite flattering.

It made me realize, that I am not alone in thinking JF sunk Downton at the end of Series 3 like the Titanic.

You may now be asking yourself if my sour grapes just are about Matthew and Mary being parted.

That is a big part of why I stopped watching the series but not the only reason.

IMO, JF got lazy. He realized he had a sizeable audience no matter what he did or didn't do, and he no longer put his best foot forward.

Characters became unrecognizable to me. I ask you this - Why would Lady Mary, who exhibited regret and shame after sleeping with Pamuk, after not sleeping with her fiance', Carlisle, for years, suddenly jump into bed with Tony?

Don't even get me started on her relationship with Henry Talbot. It was a joke, and the joke was on the audience.

Mary marries a race car driver. Tom encourages her to marry him, despite his knowledge of Matthew being her soulmate, despite the heartache she would apparently face if she lost another husband in an auto crash.

Then there is Carson turning into a tyrant after marrying Mrs. Hughes.

I could go on, but you get the picture. If you put aside your blind loyalty to the series, I bet you will find other inconsistencies. You will see there were better choices that could have been made for each character.

I also am a fan of "happily ever afters" and there does not seem to be many of them if the synopsis I have read of episodes after Series 3 are accurate.

I loved the characters in Downton Abbey. So much so, that I have decided to watch the finale even though it is ridiculous to have Lady Mary as the "toast of the town" at her age. MD looks great, but back in 1930 anyone past 25 would have been considered matronly, not a hot catch.. And what of Talbot? It appears he is MIA again. Not that I am complaining about that.

So, as I said in my opening, for me Downton Abbey on screen ended at the conclusion of Series 3.

However, Downton Abbey in my AU, which I and many others now consider to be canon, is now playing out in 1935 in my last story, "Passage".

If you have any interest, just google msmenna. Click on the link, and enjoy what Downton could have been.

The Holidays at Downton!!

Sybil and Matthew are alive and well. Like every year, the Crawley’s are thrilled to be reunited.

Sybil, Tom, and Sybbie have come from Dublin. (In my AU, I have Sybbie being an only child because I have Sybil as having been told she couldn’t have any more children due to the complicated delivery. 🙁)

Edith and Bertie are there with Marigold (whom Bertie adopted shortly after he and Edith got married). They have a new son, Bertie Jr.

Mary and Matthew, of course, reside at Downton with George, their middle child Robbie, and their youngest child and only daughter Mary Isobel, aka Izzie.

George and Robbie are allowed to help decorate the Christmas tree. Matthew will lift them up so they can each get some ornaments on a few branches they can’t reach. (Izzie is still too young for that.)

The staff now have a tradition of doing a secret Santa type gift exchange that takes place before the ball.

The servants’ ball is always a blast. Always.

This year, someone hangs mistletoe in one of the doorways downstairs. Phyllis and Molesley find themselves beneath it. Molesley, blushing profusely, asks her if she minds. She says she thought he’d never ask. They then share their first kiss.

The best part for everyone is watching the kids have so much fun.

Tom and Sybil make snow angels with George, Robbie, Sybbie, and Marigold. They also help those four build a snowman. (Izzie and Bertie Jr. are too young at this point.)

Mrs. Patmore’s hot chocolate is amazing. Sometimes, she’ll even add peppermint. The children love it the most.

One evening, one of the new assistant cooks accidentally puts too much brandy in the wassail, leaving some of the Crawley’s and their staff a bit tipsy.

George and Robbie are really good at getting Thomas to sneak them extra cookies, candy canes, and other sweets.

Cora and Robert spoil their grandchildren. They love watching the children’s faces as they talk about Father Christmas and when they open their gifts.

The adults toast the New Year over champagne.

Mary and Matthew stand outside as snow falls and reminisce about the night Matthew proposed. Mary remembers it perfectly.

The nanny helps George, Robbie, Marigold, and Sybbie leave out cookies and milk for Santa, as well as carrots for the reindeer.

George, Sybbie, and Marigold wrote letters to Father Christmas. George wrote Robbie’s letter for him.

Robbie is determined to catch Father Christmas in action. He makes sure the coast is clear and sneaks downstairs to spy. Anna finds him a few hours later, asleep on the stairs. Guessing exactly what he was up to, she chuckles to herself and gently wakes him up. She promises she won’t tell his parents what he was up to if he’ll go back to bed. Robbie reluctantly agrees. Anna keeps his secret.

Mary leads everyone in singing some carols. Edith accompanies at the piano. One of the new maids surprises everyone with her voice. She admits she used to go caroling in her home town every year before coming to work at Downton.

If there are any Matthew/Mary fans still missing their favorite couple, I have created an AU that brings Matthew back to Downton and the love of his life in a plausible way.

Hope you will come visit me on FanFiction.net, where Matthew, Mary and their two children are living a happy, productive life.