How to Watch ‘Downton Abbey’ Before You See the Movie

The Downton Abbey movie is mere days away. At long last, fans can return to the world of Lady Mary, Carson the Butler, and old English glamour. While you comb the internet for Downton Abbey tickets and showings near you, there’s still time to watch Downton Abbey at home. The series is available to stream online and makes for a wonderful binge (or rewatch for hardcore fans).

Here’s everything you need to know about watching Downton Abbey before you see the Downton Abbey movie, including a refresher on where we last left Lady Mary Crowley, her sister Lady Edith, Carson, Thomas, and the rest of the upstairs and downstairs characters.

Where can I watch Downton Abbey? Is Downton Abbey on Netflix?

All six seasons of Downton Abbey the show are available to stream. However, they’re not available on Netflix. All six seasons of Downton Abbey are exclusively available on Amazon’s Prime Video.

Where did we leave the Crowleys of Downton Abbey? Where are Lady Mary, Lady Edith, and their family when the Downton Abbey movie starts?

In case it’s been a while, here’s a handy update on where we last left the living members of the Crawley family:

• Lord and Lady Grantham are still happily married, with Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) finally acknowledging Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) as a powerful force at the local hospital.
• Lady Mary Crawley (Michelle Dockery) is happily married to Mr. Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode). Talbot is a retired race car driver who now owns a car dealership with brother-in-law Tom Branson (Allen Leech). He gets along well with Master George Crowley, Mary’s son by deceased first husband Matthew, and the two were expecting a child of their own when we last saw them.
• Lady Edith (Laura Carmichel) finally got a happy ending, marrying “Bertie” (Harry Hadden-Paton), a sweet nerd who wound up becoming the Marquess of Hexham. He marries her even after learning that her ward Marigold is her secret illegitimate daughter.
• Tom Branson and his daughter Sybil are integrated members of the family, and Branson is flirting with potential love interests.
• Matthew Crawley’s mother Isobel (Penelope Wilton) finally marries Lord Merton, an anemic with awful sons.
• The Dowager Countess Violet (Maggie Smith) is still alive, still sassy.
• Cousin Rose (Lily James) is happily married to handsome Atticus Aldridge and lives in the States with their infant daughter. They do not appear in the movie, though.

Where did we leave the downstairs staff of Downton Abbey?

Of course, Downton Abbey is about more than just the wealthy and glamorous Crawleys. A lot of the best drama comes from the servants in the “downstairs” part of this “upstairs/downstairs” story. Here’s where we left the main house staff at the end of Downton Abbey:

• Carson (Jim Carter) reluctantly steps down from role of house butler because of his palsy, a condition that causes his limbs to shake. He is still employed by the family in a sort of advisory role.
• Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) is actually now happily married to Carson, and they live in a cottage together.
• Thomas Barrows (Rob James-Collier) has been promoted to the role of butler of the house. Before this, he almost took his own life, and wound up working for a smaller house, which only made him more depressed.
• Anna (Joanne Froggatt) and Bates (Brendon Coyle) finally are able to live happily ever after, and they welcomed their firstborn son in the series finale.
• Daisy (Sophie McShera) has given herself a Clara Bow makeover and is planning on moving into the farm run by Mr. Mason. She also is warming up to footman Andy (Michael C. Fox).
• Mrs. Patmore (Leslie Nicol) is still head cook, and has a beau in Mr. Mason.
• At the urging of Baxter (Raquel Cassidy), Molesley (Kevin Doyle) has taken a job as a schoolteacher in the town, with an understanding that he will moonlight as a footman for major events at the Abbey.

Downton Abbey, the movie, premieres this Friday, September 20th.

Where to stream Downton Abbey