Julian Fellowes’ selections as his favorite Downton Abbey moments validates season 3 as the best of his Golden Globes and Emmy Award-winning series. Fellowes is now saying goodbye to his most popular creation with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, the third and final feature film of the saga.

Airing on iTV in the UK and on Masterpiece PBS in the United States, Downton Abbey became a global phenomenon in its broadcast run from 2010-2015. Six seasons of Downton Abbey were followed by three feature films, Downton Abbey (2019), Downton Abbey: A New Era, and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

Taking place from 1912 to 1930, Downton Abbey introduced an expansive cast of beloved characters, from the Crawley family, to their loyal servants, to the multitude of ancillary guest stars who visited the Granthams’ great house in Yorkshire, England.

Among the countless memorable events Downton Abbey has provided, Academy Award-winner Julian Fellowes told The Hollywood Reporter his three favorite moments, and it’s telling that they come from Downton Abbey season 3, and the fallout from the show-changing third season.

Lady Sybil’s Death In Downton Abbey Season 3

Julian Fellowes’ first favorite Downton Abbey moment is the death of Lady Sybil Branson (Jessica Brown Findlay) in season 3. According to Fellowes, “Jessica [Brown Findlay] had always said, right from the beginning, ‘I’m doing three years then I’m leaving,’” hence Sybil’s tragic death to write out the young actress.

Lady Sybil was the youngest, kindest, and most beloved of the three Crawley daughters. The progressive-thinking Sybil fell in love with Tom Branson (Allen Leech), the chauffeur, who was an Irish Republican. Sybil eventually gained her parents’ reluctant blessing to marry Tom and move with him to Ireland.

A pregnant Sybil and Tom returned to Downton in season 3, where Sybil gave birth to her daughter, Sybbie. However, warnings from Dr. Clarkson (David Robb) that Edith had eclampsia went unheeded, and Sybil died from her condition before she could be rushed to a hospital.

Julian Fellowes particularly loves the moment when Allen Leech as Tom Branson improvised a line akin to “stay with me” to his dying wife. Fellowes said it brought him to tears when he watched it, despite his wife chiding him that he wrote it.

Certainly, Lady Sybil’s sudden death in Downton Abbey season 3 is unforgettable, especially since audiences were unaware that Jessica Brown-Findlay was exiting the series after her contracted three seasons.

Lady Edith Was Jilted At The Altar In Downton Abbey Season 3

Julian Fellowes’ second favorite Downton Abbey moment was Lady Edith Crawley (Laura Carmichael) being jilted at the altar by Sir Anthony Strallan (Robert Bathurst).

Sir Anthony Strallan was much older than Lady Edith, and despite his interest in the middle Crawley daughter, Sir Anthony knew that marrying Edith would be wrong, an opinion shared by Edith’s father, Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), and grandmother, Lady Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith).

However, Edith would not take no for an answer, and Sir Anthony yielded to the point where a wedding was arranged. Before the wedding ceremony could begin, Strallan rejected Edith and fled. Lady Edith returned home humiliated.

While this was one of the lowest points of Lady Edith’s life, it became the catalyst for her to reinvent herself, first as a writer, and then a mother. By the end of Downton Abbey, Edith found a devoted husband in Bertie Pelham (Harry Hadden-Paton), and they became Marquess and Marchioness of Hexam.

Lady Edith was initially portrayed as the ‘ugly middle sister’ who jealously schemed against her favored elder sibling, Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery). Edith getting dumped at the altar reset her as a sympathetic character who became one of Downton Abbey‘s best redemption stories.

Lady Mary Mourning Matthew Crawley In Downton Abbey Season 4

Julian Fellowes’ third favorite Downton Abbey moment was in season 4, but was born out of Matthew Crawley’s (Dan Stevens) shocking death at the end of Downton Abbey season 3. Matthew was killed in a car accident shortly after the birth of George, his son with Lady Mary.

Lady Mary was understandably devastated and mourned Matthew throughout Downton Abbey season 4. Fellowes’ loves a moment between Mary and Lady Violet, which Julian says reflected how his father grieved after his mother died.

Fellowes took his father to Florida and told him, ‘You have to make this decision, do you want to live or do you want to die?’ Julian then put that line in Downton Abbey for Mary’s grandmother to say to her.

Lady Mary gradually accepted Matthew’s death and rebuilt her life, which included dating new suitors before she married Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode) in Downton Abbey season 6. Mary and Henry are now divorced in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale as she accepts her destiny as the new mistress of her childhood home.

Downton Abbey Changed After Season 3

Downton Abbey season 3 was the apex of the series under its original conception. The dual exits of Jessica Brown-Findlay and Dan Stevens, leading to Lady Sybil and Matthew Crawley being killed off, irrevocably changed Downton Abbey.

While Downton‘s soapy, addictive, character-driven formula proved sturdy and continued, many new characters were introduced in the next three seasons. Chiefly, Lily James as the effervescent Lady Rose MacClare injected a new brand of youth and rebelliousness to replace Lady Sybil.

Lady Mary considered a cavalcade of would-be husbands, including Tony Gillingham (Tom Cullen) and Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden), before she fell in love with Henry Talbot. Although no one truly replaced Matthew as Mary’s ideal partner.

Downton Abbey‘s first three seasons were special and the reason why global audiences fell in love with the Crawley family. Julian Fellowes’ choices of his favorite moments point to why Downton Abbey season 3 was, perhaps, the grandest of the Crawley family saga.