Over the past 15 years, Downton Abbey has settled itself into the collective hearts of an appreciative audience, and they’re (okay, *we’re) grateful because it takes you to a place that may be far from a reality we’d live, but there’s consistently a progressive, hopeful soul at the centre of it all, even if seemingly minor Downton storylines can initially appear amusingly over-sold to a desensitised modern viewer.

And this can be the point of Julian Fellowes’ creation, you watch a multitude of shadowy, sullen TV series with players who linger within the dark clouds of intensity, and enjoy superbly written shows, but sometimes, just occasionally, you crave a Sunday-night drama where a new fridge in the kitchen causes a ruffle, or electricity arrives to astound, or even the silver from Mr Carson’s cupboard hasn’t been properly polished!

For Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, we open in a neon-lit 1930 Piccadilly Circus, with a London theatre getaway for the family. Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and the Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern),are also heading off to a Royal-attended society event but once there it’s revealed that Mary is now divorced and cannot be there because when the Royal Princess arrives the two can’t [morally] be in the same room, and she must leave immediately. It’s trivial in a contemporary setting, yet it’s sold seriously and offers a fine reminder of the world we’re heading into, complete with a frustrated Lord Grantham (one of many hilarious moments for Bonneville) and an anguished Mary, who sneaks out shamed and alone.

As well as Mary’s journey out of public scandal, and back to hopeful social acceptance, other key storylines are more financial trouble with the household, a questionable new character, and a general love-in for the Downton ‘family’ and how they support each other. Also, despite Maggie Smith’s Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham, technically dying in the New Era, The Grand Finale offers more of a tribute to her this time around, from her portrait watching everyone in the great hall, to scripted moments which reminds us what a superb character she was, often aided by Penelope Wilton’s Isobel Crawley no less, inhabiting enough spirit for them both, even bringing Sophie McShera’s Daisy under her wing, furthering the essence of what went before and pushing on into a changing society with self-confidence.

The business element of the film is connected to Lady Cora Grantham, the loss of her mother, and the hope that inheritance will keep Downton alive. While Paul Giamatti’s excellent Harold returns, Cora assumes he has the money but he also brings along a shifty American in the shape of Gus (Alessandro Nivola), a man who may be charming on the surface but has other plans, and believes he can convince everyone to take the money himself – and even has some success with Mary! Alongside this, there’s a plan from Isobel to bring the County Show up-to-date, who goes up against a wonderfully grumpy Sir Hector (Simon Russell Beale having a good frump), plus a stronger-than-ever Edith (Laura Carmichael), who’s a key member in the family setup, happy in her life with Harry Hadden-Paton’s Bertie, and even defending Mary’s honour, thus enhancing the strong matriarchal essence. There’s also time for every other character you can think of having a moment, and an impressive performance from Arty Froushan as a special Downton guest: Noël Coward.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale may be spectacularly titled, but Julian Fellows’ ending offers a welcome balance to the world we’ve known for so long, and the characters within it. That title is purposeful, endeavouring to leave no doubt of the goodbye with a ‘clearing up’ of the future of the Abbey, its residents and those attached to the legacy. In some places, it’s a comment on the importance of keeping such historic scenarios within British culture, yet it also remarks on transformation through time for people from all types of background.

Directed by Simon Curtis, the Grand Finale freely offers an unexpected reassurance, and with a real-life world that feels so fast and complex, it’s genuinely delightful to step away from the fear of now, and into a simpler outlook on life, whatever their societal status. There’s a line elegantly quipped by Paul Giamatti’s Harold, as he reflects on the comfort of looking back, rather than forward to a future you cannot control, which straddles that 1930 to 2025 line easily, it’s not tongue in check either, it’s more a touch of gentle support to someone you care about.

And just as things are concluding, and you’re feeling the warmth and welcoming contemplation of times gone by, you’re hit with a visual memory montage that punches you right in the feels, and you won’t be able to stop feeling it. In the world of its films, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is the best of the bunch, it’s an emotional and comforting farewell to an ensemble of characters who’ve all grown and changed over the years, exactly as we might – and I adored it.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is in cinemas now