In Downton Abbey, there is no such thing as a scarcity of video games performed throughout scenes. We have seen Lord Grantham get swindled by the card-sharp Terence Sampson in poker, Daisy observe a recreation of planchette (Ouija) to assist foresee her future, and upstairs, Girl Mary partake in a energetic recreation of charades. Even in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, which lately premiered on the 2025 film schedule, there may be horse race betting and a county honest. So, I suppose it ought to come as no shock the solid is as immersed in game-play as their character counterparts.
I had an opportunity to sit down down with the solid of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, I requested them a few recreation they notoriously performed with Maggie Smith through the period she was nonetheless filming referred to as ‘Wink Homicide’. Once I requested, Kevin Doyle and Allen Leech confirmed the sport was afoot whereas filming precise scenes all through the course of the long-running franchise:
- Doyle: However the wink homicide was nice enjoyable.
- Leech: Wink homicide was nice enjoyable.
Nonetheless, it begs the query: What precisely is ‘Wink Homicide’?
Downton Abbey’s ‘Wink Homicide,’ Defined
OK so, now that we have established the solid was (at the very least typically) actually taking part in a recreation whereas filming Downton Abbey scenes, I wanted to know what the heck was up with the foundations. Fortunately for me, Hugh Bonneville jumped in with out me having to ask them to clarify how the sport works, and it began with somewhat group.
‘Wink Homicide’ within the eating room. So, we had the little mustard pot into which, nonetheless many bits of paper could be put. One which had the X on, and also you had been the assassin.
‘Wink Homicide within the eating room’ seems like an Agatha Christie novel; possibly it might be the subsequent Detective Poirot title. With out all the main points, I’m guessing the variety of bits of paper that had been put into the pot was the variety of individuals taking part in the sport. Allen Leech went on to clarify…
And then you definately needed to attempt very subtly to wink, to kill somebody. After which if that individual caught the wink, so that you, you made eye contact, did that they had been useless. After which they’d die in fairly dramatic vogue, typically throughout [a] take. After which, we had been all making an attempt to determine who was the assassin.
It sounds wild. I can solely think about Maggie Smith being winked at from off-screen and dramatically flopping again in her seat. I have no idea how usually they performed this, or how visceral the “dying” turned, however I would think about that once they did, it might have rivaled Smith’s favourite day on set. I’m curious if any of the ‘deaths’ had been caught on digicam and made it into the ultimate edits, as nicely. Now, I really feel like I must re-watch simply to see if I can catch ‘Wink Homicide’ in motion.
(Additionally, I do know that Lord Grantham’s spitting up blood from a burst ulcer in Season 6, Episode 5, was in all probability probably the most dramatic eating room scene, and it is enjoyable to assume that possibly he was winked at proper earlier than the take.)
Despite the fact that we gained’t have the ability to see Maggie Smith sitting on the eating room desk at Downton in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, as she sadly died final September, we are going to see the remainder of the Crawley household. The brand new film’s in theaters now, so ensure that to learn our Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale evaluation and see should you can catch any ‘Wink Homicide’ deaths on-screen whereas watching the movie.