‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ Kills Off a Fan Favorite — And It’s Great

In my humble opinion, the best part of Downton Abbey: A New Era is when — spoilers — an iconic character dies. I’m not trying to dance on this character’s grave, nor do I aim to shock you. I’m merely stating that if you’re going to find yourself streaming the Downton Abbey movie sequel on Peacock today, you might find yourself most moved, to both laughter and tears, about Lady Violet Crawley’s inevitable death.

Yup. Maggie Smith dies in Downton Abbey: A New Era. The grand dame of the PBS hit finally shuffles off her mortal coil, but not before bidding everyone goodbye and leaving great-granddaughter Sybbie (Fifi Hart) a French villa. Trust me when I say that Lady Violet’s death is freaking awesome. That’s because Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes gave Lady Violet one of the greatest last lines in movie history.

While laying in her deathbed, surrounded by family, Violet tells her loyal lady’s maid Denker (Sue Johnston) to stop her insipid sniffling, by saying, “Stop crying, Denker. I can’t hear myself die.”

It’s amazing, it’s hilarious, it’s acerbic, it’s Violet. I loved it so.

Downton Abbey: A New Era is a frothy sequel to the Downton Abbey movie, which itself was a spin-off of Masterpiece on PBS’s most zeitgeist-grabbing hit. Everyone you know and love from the original series is here, from once frosty and now just cool Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) to ugly duckling-turned-swan Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael). Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) is still cooking and chasing old bachelors and Daisy (Sophie McShera) is right at her side. Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), whom I have always hated, is still steadfastly loved by Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and there are a bunch of kids running around.

In Downton Abbey: A New Era, the family discovers that a rich French aristocrat was madly in love with Lady Violet back in the day. So much so, he has left her a villa in his will (which she promptly bequeaths to Sybbie). About half of the family goes to France to see this new villa while everyone else stays home while a film crew headed by Hugh Dancy’s dashing director invades the house. Lady Violet spends most of the time complaining about movies as a concept, which is meant to be a meta joke since — get this! — Lady Violet is in a movie!

When Lady Violet’s death scene finally happens, it’s the most civilized and tidy affair imaginable. Unlike the sudden, shocking deaths of Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown Findlay) and Cousin Matthew (Dan Stevens), everyone seems totally prepared for the grand dame’s departure. Her loved ones gather around her bed to hear her last words of wisdom. The only problem is Denker cannot keep a stiff upper lip. The loyal lady’s maid is a blubbering mess. Lady Violet is so annoyed by this display of affection that she utters those beautifully bonkers lines: “Stop crying, Denker. I can’t hear myself die.”

And then, she dies.

To me, it’s a perfect coda on Lady Violet’s run. Dame Maggie Smith was always one of the best parts of Downton Abbey, classing up the series with her talent and spicing up the story with her hilarious bon mots. The best way to bid this character adieu would be to give her one last biting line. That’s what Downton Abbey: A New Era does. It gives Lady Violet the graceful, dignified death scene she deserves, while also letting her get one last burn in.

Do not weep for Lady Violet. She was a spitfire born and raised in wealth, beloved by French villa owners and Russian princes alike. She hated swivel chairs and did not know what a weekend was. Lady Violet, though, always took the side of her spirited granddaughters and made sure to look out for her most impoverished great-grandchild. She was a legend. Naturally she wanted total and utter silence so she could hear herself die.