Matthew Goode Bows Out of Downton Abbey Finale — And He Thinks It’s for the Best
So, if you’re a Downton Abbey fan like me, you’ve probably been buzzing about The Grand Finale , the upcoming third and final Downton film. But there’s one notable absence we need to talk about—Matthew Goode, who played Lady Mary’s husband, Henry Talbot, has officially confirmed that he won’t be returning for this final chapter. And, in his own words, that might not be such a bad thing.
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Speaking recently to Radio Times , Goode laid it all out with refreshing honesty. He explained that his absence from the second film was due to conflicting filming schedules—he was deep into The Offer at the time. And for the third? Well, he’s been working on his new Netflix series Department Q and also recovering from knee surgery. Yep, he buggered up his knee, needed an operation, and that knocked him out of commission for a while.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Goode also admitted that his character, Henry Talbot, had started becoming a bit… well, dull. He actually said Talbot was “edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce,” and that maybe it’s a “good thing” he’s not in the final film. I mean, that’s pretty candid, especially coming from an actor who's been part of such a beloved series. He first joined Downton in seasons 5 and 6 and returned for the first film in 2019. His marriage to Lady Mary felt like the fairy-tale ending fans wanted, but his character quietly faded after that.
Still, the rest of the cast is back in force for The Grand Finale , including Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, and so many more. And there's also something deeply emotional about this final installment—it includes a tribute to the late Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away in 2024. Her character, the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley, left a gaping hole in the story, and from everything we’ve heard, the cast and crew wanted to honour her legacy with genuine heart.
Meanwhile, Goode isn’t slowing down. He’s taking on the role of DCI Carl Mørck in Department Q , a gritty new crime drama based on Jussi Adler-Olsen’s novels. Sounds like a major shift from aristocratic estates to cold-case files in Edinburgh, but Goode seems ready for the challenge.
So, while it’s a bit of a bummer not to see Henry Talbot again, there’s something poetic about letting his character ride off into the sunset. Maybe this way, we get to imagine he and Mary continued their happy-ever-after in peace, off-screen. And as for Matthew Goode? He’s already onto the next chapter.
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