Last night we, that is American audiences who watched the season finale of Downton Abbey, found out what British viewers and the Internet already knew: that Matthew Crawley got killed in a car accident. Sir Richard is extremely mad, and as he argues with Mary, Matthew enters the room. Violet warned him that "divorce" was not an option for someone in his position, and said he should think very carefully. She has also been published in prestigious academic journals and has had her short stories published both online and otherwise. Your support makes this possible. Dont expect season four to pick up with Matthews funeral. As a result, he went on a recruitment drive in Northern England. An outing in a carriage and a dance at a ball caused Mary to feel unwell and decide to head home. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. A fight then broke out between the two men, which was broken up by Robert. Matthew then announced he would marry Lavinia after all. They felt that a better way to deal with Stevens exit was to kill off the character. Matthew's mother Isobel urges Matthew to "fight" for Mary. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The maid Ethel arrived at Downton during the war when the house had been converted into a convalescent home. So, if you were secretly hoping for a Matthew Crawley cameo in the upcoming Downton Abbey movie sequel, think again. Hugh Bonneville and his character of Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, look very similar except, of course, for their clothing choices. Matthew Crawley came back from the war, battered and paralyzed from the waist down. By Ben Empey. Least Realistic: Matthew's Miraculous Recovery. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. But it wasnt just the viewers who wished for a different outcome. Mary and the upstairs/downstairs family dont know about Matthews death. Downton Abbey, Downton, Yorkshire, England (formerly) Crawley House, Downton, Yorkshire, England (formerly) Manchester, Lancashire, England (formerly) Its nun versus AI in Damon Lindelofs new series. Matthew Crawley came back from the war, battered and paralyzed from the waist down. Now excuse me while I go back and re-watch season one of Downton. From this point on, Fellowes stopped trying to write credible drama and began to openly take the piss. RELATED: Downton Abbey's Greatest Achievement was Marrying Past to Present. Matthew met his bitter end in a car crash, but not before having a heartwarming moment between his newborn baby and his wife, Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery). In Downton Abbey 103, we saw the first inkling of attraction between Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens). Why did Dan really leave? Matthew and Mary's relationship is further complicated by the fact that the first time they meet she overhears him referring to the possibility of the Crawley family's throwing one of their daughters at him, thus she initially resented and disliked him, assuming that he was arrogant, and even referred to him once as a "sea monster.". Hair colour Matthew does this after Sir Richard informs Mary and Matthew that Lavinia supposedly told him years ago that she knew Matthew was still in love with Mary, and that Lavinia was worried. Matthew and Mary shortly before the church doors are closed. Carson informs the chauffeur to bring Matthew's car to the train station and to leave it there, so when he gets off the train, he can drive himself directly to the hospital. This character is paralyzed from the waist down.Well, thats not very realistic. Downton Abbey favourite Dan Stevens has explained why he left the series, almost 10 years on from Matthew Crawley's tragic death. His late father was a doctor, and his mother trained as a nurse. Gender Williams injuries proved to be fatal, but Matthew managed to survive the impact, though he has lost the use of his legs, and more troubling, in certain respects his penis. Unfortunately, this kind of camaraderie between the staff and the aristocracy would have been quite rare during the time the series depicted. She got romantically involved with a young major and became pregnant soon after. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. As the digital director for Town & Country, Caroline Hallemann covers culture, entertainment, and a range of other subjects, .css-1du65oy{color:#323232;display:block;font-family:NewParis,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;-webkit-font-smoothing:auto;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1du65oy:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.0625rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1du65oy{font-size:1.3125rem;line-height:1.2;}}'The Great' Season 3 Is Officially Happening, Items of Hollywood's Golden Couple to be Auctioned, How Suki Waterhouse & Camila Morrone Became BFFs, 17 Irish Films to Watch on St. Patrick's Day, 20 Movies You Forgot Were Nominated For Oscars, In Photos: Mia Farrow's Most Iconic Moments, The Academy Awards in the '70s: The Photos, Check Out These Vintage Awards Show Photos. Killing off Matthew Crawley was the only credible exit, say Downton makers. The whole show is in a silly, goofy mood. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. They didnt want to recast Matthew: Could you bear to see Matthew Crawley being played by Hugh Jackman or David Tennant of Dr. Who fame next season? They do have the option to sign again, but British studios dont have the same budgets to increase salaries if shows do well. During the war he met his future fiance Lavinia Swire, the daughter of a solicitor. British agents typically sign three year contracts for their actors. I've had lots of time to think about it. View full post on Twitter Probably the most unrealistic of storylines was the one in season 1that involved the Turkish attach, Kemal Pamuk. Thanks to Anna and Tom, now Sybil's husband, they reconciled and finally married the following day after a eight year on-and-off courtship. Doctor Clarkson also revealed that he had been cautious with Matthew's diagnosis because he hadn't wanted to give him false hope about walking. On a scale of laminated-eyebrow drama to Lemon Lady Secrets. ", "Isn't it better? After this, it became a chore: bogged down by motiveless behaviour, endless exposition, a badly mishandled rape and a cackhanded scene at the house-versus-village cricket match, during which the aforementioned chauffeur was finally welcomed into the family after taking a vital catch, filmed in slo-mo. Those who dismissed it at face value missed out on a first series groaning with mega-budget magnificence, carefully researched stories and sizzling dialogue, delivered by a fine cast of young bloods and old hands anchored by Maggie Smith and her imperious mic drops. Im not saying he cant, but within the framework of the show, if hes alive, and hes surviving the injury, impotence or injury are likely. Pamuk's shenanigans with Mary led to him walking into her bedroom unannounced at night and then dying in her bed. Mary gives him a good luck charm, a stuffed dog from her childhood, kissed him on a cheek, and asked him to take care. In light of .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}the new Downton Abbey film, we're resurfacing this post from 2017. Matthew Crawley. When Matthew broached the subject of their relationship with Mary, he said he could not father an heir while Sir Richard could give her children. Matthew has indeed been growing fond of Mary again, and he surprises everyone by showing signs of recovery from his injury. Viewers didn't take to kindly to this narrative decision, with many fans left devastated at his untimely demise (via the Daily Beast). If hes injured the way you say, those tended to be pretty permanent. From The Crown to The OA, the TV shows that are too long, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Press Release: Downton Abbey Christmas 2012, ITV.com, Wednesday, 26 December 2012, 7:56PM. But its sometimes possible?Theres a group in Miami that has been studying for a while. As Lavinia lay, appearing only slightly ill, with Matthew beside her, she confronted him about what she had heard and told him that she loved him, but did not wish to marry him since he loved Mary. He has the ability to cause others to become obedient and loyal. Matthew Reginald Crawley was a character on the period drama, Downton Abbey. Deadline reported in February that Dan admitted to not even knowing how the story started which means hes pretty unfamiliar with the latest adaptation. It is possible that this is meant to be Lavinia's spirit talking about Mary and Matthew. Mary sympathizes with Lavinia because of her own scandalous secret in the matter of the death of Kemal Pamuk, and so Mary decides not to tell anyone in the family about Lavinia's history with Sir Richard. And what a horrible way it happened! While Sybil was undoubtedly born a great lady who had much wealth and status, she was at heart kind and a sort of rebel, who became interested in progressive politics, and the possibility of improving the lives of others. Shooting Downton is grueling: Stevens was offered the option of appearing in a couple of Downton episodes in season four that would give him a proper send off. Robert had almost slept with a housemaid, and only did not, when Bates almost walked in on them. Thats all in the past by then.". Downton Abbey Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. With only one episode in which to do it, there was no time for a drawn-out death, which is exactly what Stevens wanted. RELATED:10 Ways Netflix's Bridgerton Is Better Than Downton Abbey (& Vice Versa). One moment Matthew was happily speeding down the road after having met his newborn son at the hospital. As a testament to both the actor and the series he left behind, both were able to achieve continued success without the other. How right you look together. Dan Stevens attempts to shed memories of Matthew Crawley in his new role as a murderous ex-US soldier in The Guest. Little is known about Matthew before he was turned into a . With members of the family, once theyre not prepared to come back for any episodes at all, then it means death. As he recovered, Matthew used a cane to walk and remained at Downton Abbey, rather than Crawley House with his mother, slowly learning to walk himself down the wedding aisle. (Recasting The Characters). "There really was no alternative." Lavinia's father Reginald (also the name of Matthew's father and Matthew's own middle name), meanwhile has died, and it is Matthew's job to bring his ashes to Lavinia's grave. All Rights Reserved. Dr. Clarkson, who was the Crawleys' family doctor, believed that Matthew would never walk again, or have children, as did Matthew himself. "I'm still apologizing to people now," Stevens said in an interview with the Mirror in March of 2017. In 1916/1917 he was made an ADC of a British General and was promoted to the Rank of Captain. On her deathbed, Lavinia tells Matthew it is better this way, and asks him to be happy for her sake. The sassy Dowager was revealed to have led a more colorful life than she would have peoplebelieve at first. This heroic act saved Matthew's life. Argues with Mary led to him walking into her bedroom unannounced at night and dying... 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