Downton Abbey continues the story of the Crawleys and the Granthams as the King (Simon Jones) and Queen (Geraldine James) come to visit the estate. As with most everything in Downton, things don’t always go exactly to plan. Some sort of drama seems to encircle everything that happens in the family.

When the royal party arrives, Downton’s house staff are relegated to serving the royal staff, which does not make them happy, of course. So they hatch a plan to get their chance with the king and queen. Thomas Barrow has an eye-opening evening that takes a turn for the worst. Andy (Michael Fox) fears that his fiance Daisy (Sophie McShera) is flirting with the handsome plumber, causing him to erupt in a fit of anger.

Of course, the drama doesn’t only focus on the staff. Tom Branson (Allen Leech) has been meeting with a stranger (Stephen Campbell Moore) who has been asking lots of questions about the king and queen’s schedule, causing some to question Tom’s intentions. Bertie (Harry Hadden-Paton) learns he is being sent on a 3 month trip to Africa at an inopportune time. Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), the queen’s lady-in-waiting is Robert’s (Hugh Bonneville) cousin. Lady Bagshaw knows Violet (Maggie Smith) will no doubt bring up the touchy subject of Robert being Lady Bagshaw’s heir. Then there is the question of Lady Bagshaw’s attachment to her attendant, Lucy (Tuppence Middleton).

And that isn’t even all of it. There is so much going on in this movie that it could easily be exhausting. However, it is done with such charm and finesse that it all works together very nicely. The costumes and set dressing are as precise and impressive as they are in the show. The characters all have just the right touch of class and wit that made the series such a success.

If you were an avid viewer of the series, you will no doubt love the movie. If nothing I’ve said above means anything and you’re questioning who all these people are, fear not. The movie opens with a rather in-depth recap of the entire six seasons of the show. This summary will get you up to speed, or refresh your memory, enough that you’ll be able to keep up with the story enough to enjoy it. No need to binge watch it before going to see the movie. However, you’ll have a little deeper connection if you do, even if you only happen to catch most of an episode here or there. It makes for an enjoyable, if quick feeling two hours will leave you wanting just a bit more.