Downton Abbey: Why Matthew Goode Isn’t In A New Era
Warning: SPOILERS for Downton Abbey: A New Era
Almost the entire cast returned for Downton Abbey: A New Era, but here is why Matthew Goode, who plays Henry Talbot, was the lone holdout who didn't appear at all in the sequel. Picking up from the ending of the 2019 Downton Abbey movie, A New Era involves several members of the Crawley family traveling to the South of France to discover why Lady Violet (Maggie Smith) inherited a villa on the Riviera. Meanwhile, Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery) remains behind to oversee Downton Abbey when a British film production arrives to shoot a movie in the great house. The absence of Mary's husband, Henry, significantly factors into her story throughout Downton Abbey: A New Era.
Matthew Goode joined Downton Abbey as Henry Talbot during the Christmas Special that concluded season 5. Henry, the nephew of Lady Violet's longtime friend, Lady Shackleton (Harriet Walter), caught Mary's eye and became her primary love interest when Talbot returned midway through Downton Abbey's sixth and final season. Henry was a dedicated race car driver and gearhead, which made him a very different romantic prospect than Mary's late husband, Matthew (Dan Stevens). Yet Henry won Mary's heart, and they married in 1925. Henry also went into business with Mary's brother-in-law, Tom Branson (Allen Leech), and they opened a garage together. However, Henry only made a cameo at the end of Downton Abbey 2019; it was explained that Talbot was racing in America, but he made it back to Downton just in time to accompany Mary to the climactic royal ball.
Related: Downton Abbey: A New Era — Every Returning Character Confirmed
Matthew Goode was altogether absent from Downton Abbey: A New Era because the prolific and
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