While many fans of Downton Abbey may be clutching their pearls over the absence of Lady Mary’s second husband in the upcoming Grand Finale, Matthew Goode himself is… well, utterly unbothered. The actor, who first charmed audiences as race car driver Henry Talbot in Season 6, has gracefully stepped aside for the franchise’s final bow — and he’s not losing sleep over it.
Speaking to Collider, Goode revealed he didn’t read the script and doesn’t even know how things wrap up — and that’s precisely the point.
"It might be quite nice if (Lady Mary) doesn’t need a man at the end," he mused, cheekily suggesting she deserves a "real stallion" this time.
He admits his past contributions to the Downton films were minimal — "only a half a page scene" in A New Era, with a single line — so the choice to quietly exit feels natural. And empowering, even.
"Lady Mary is a pillar of modern feminism now. That’s what people tell me," Goode said, seemingly proud to let her shine without clinging to a tidy romantic conclusion.
Rather than demand a sendoff or a line of farewell, Goode embraces the ambiguity — and that nonchalance is downright refreshing in an industry addicted to ego. As the curtain falls on Downton, it seems Talbot’s story ends not with a bang, but with a very elegant shrug.
