When long-running franchises reach their swan song, expectations couldn’t be higher. Fans want closure, emotional payoff, and the sense that the time invested in a beloved story was worthwhile. Yet, as two very different series wrap up, the results couldn’t be more starkly opposed. The Conjuring: Last Rites delivers a limp and hollow conclusion to one of horror’s most successful modern sagas, while Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale manages the rare feat of a graceful and satisfying sendoff that may have devoted fans in tears.
A Hollow Ending for The Conjuring
Since 2013, The Conjuring franchise built its reputation on a bone-chilling atmosphere, earnest performances by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, and a knack for turning (allegedly) real-life paranormal cases into genuinely terrifying tales. After The Devil Made Me Do It’s lukewarm reception, fans hoped Last Rites would deliver not only scares, but also emotional closure for Ed and Lorraine Warren, the couple at the heart of the series. That’s not quite what we got.
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The first two Conjuring films balanced horror with humanity, where you actually cared for the families whose homes were plagued with evil spirits. The creature designs were memorable, the backstory and lore kept you intrigued and the scares kept you up at night and dreading any dark corner of your bedroom. Last Rites overstuffed itself with dual plotlines, too many evil spirits, ear-ringing jump-scares and dragged despite frantic pacing at 2 hours and 15 minutes—the longest entry in the franchise.
Where the first two Conjuring films balanced horror with humanity, Last Rites reduced the formula to a checklist of what made the originals great.
A Proper Farewell From Downton Abbey
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale whose preceding two films were enjoyable but didn’t add much to the world of the beloved series. 2019’s Downton Abbey film felt more like a lost episode or one of the feature-length Christmas specials rather than a way to move the story forward. It was crammed with storylines that very well could have filled out an entire new season of the show: a foiled assasination plot, the secret behind Lady Bagshaw’s heir, Barrow gains a love interest, and a royal visit to the Abbey.
2022’s A New Era was a vast improvement as its main focus were two storylines: a Hollywood silent film is being shot at Downton, and the Crawley’s head to the south of France about a villa the Dowager has inherited. The film developed characters further, pushed stories forward, and set up the family’s future.
The Grand Finale’s Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes and director Simon Curtis crafted a conclusive chapter that honored its characters, wrapped up key storylines, and gave the Crawley family a proper farewell.
The Grand Finale strikes a balance between nostalgia and progression and gives each character a moment of resolution, tying together arcs developed over six seasons of television and the preceding films. It embraces what made the series a phenomenon: the blending of family drama, humor, and societal change, all delivered with a sense of dignity befitting its title.
The Power of a Proper Goodbye
The difference between these two endings underscores what makes a satisfying conclusion. Audiences don’t demand perfection, they demand purpose. Franchises only get one chance to say goodbye, (though some would argue this is the third goodbye from Downton) and the contrast between Last Rites and The Grand Finale serves as a reminder: endings matter. One left its audience in the dark with disappointment; the other left them in the glow of earned closure.
