As I've said previously, I'm a viewer who saw it all unfold in real life way back then and have been looking forward to this season with great delight. The ride so far has been wild. I'm in the middle of episode seven and thus far the show has not disappointed. As in past seasons, it's beautifully shot on glorious sets. The production value must be astronomical. The Crown once again commands attention using various narrative devices and seamlessly interweaves fact with fiction.
Calling it now: there will be Awards.
Imelda Staunton, as Queen Elizabeth II: many chef's kisses. Staunton's wig is a miss - they should have softened out those sharp edges just a bit and it can be distracting to nitpicky Moi - but her acting is outstanding, both in mannerisms and how she nails Elizabeth's voice, the best of all the actresses to have played the part and that's saying a lot. She shines in the 'Annus Horriblus' episode and in the scenes with Natascha McElhone as Penny Knatchbull, the special friend of Prince Phillip who remained by his side until his death.
Though Jonathon Pryce is an incredible actor, I wasn't convinced he was right to play Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh but he was given a meaty script and dug in with gusto. The chemistry between Pryce and Staunton is undeniably solid and their scenes convey the depth of the partnership between the monarch and her consort. They were truly a couple dedicated to promoting and protecting the institution, regardless of what happened between them in private. And stuff happened. The Crown gives enough guidance to lead the viewer to read between the lines. Nothing about the royal family is as The Firm would like the masses to believe.
Lesley Manville can do no wrong in my eyes and she brings a warmth and humanity to Princess Margaret, who was deservedly one of the saddest, complicated, most bitter of women. There are flashback moments as her relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend is explored - the overall effect is touching and for anyone who knows the history, a reminder of the human cost of living in the gilded cage that is royalty.
I was initially thrown by Claudia Harrison as Anne, the Princess Royal (I don't remember her hair being so dark and my memory was of much more pouf - I'm not so hair-centric as a rule, but with the budget and plethora of photos available, my expectations were higher than a 60s beehive.) Harrison nails the physicality, voice and ballsy nature of what Anne, the real woman, has let the world see.
Timothee Sambor as the young Prince William oozes sullen teenage disdain for his parents and his scenes with Staunton are a heart-warming dramatization of his deepening relationship with his grandmother as she begins to unofficially train the heir of the heir. It's hard not to feel sympathy for the boy who had to grow up with the most private and humiliating details of his parent's marriage playing out so publicly. The show peppers foreshadowing of Elizabeth's concern for her grandchildren throughout, setting up her reasoning for failing to act sooner when Diana was suddenly killed and sparking a crisis that will be inevitably be covered in season six.
For the first few episodes I was seriously afraid the show would waste the talent of Jonny Lee Miller as John Major, but appreciated his hotness in his sad wig while he quietly gave the slightest of nods in scene after scene. His stillness is rather eerie. Later episodes do give him more to work with but the boring essence of the quintessential calm, soft-spoken, dependable man just is.
Prasanna Puwanarajah is highlighted as the bad guy in this season as the BBC's Martin Bashear. He does a credible job of warm earnestness that would have convinced anyone of his good intentions. Given what has come to light about how he lied and tricked Diana, the Princess of Wales into giving the infamous Panorama interview that blew everything to kingdom come, this storyline feels oh-so-icky, but it's important not to take away Diana's agency. Right or wrong, she wanted to get her story out. She said what she said and she meant it.
The 'Mou Mou' episode is the one I didn't know I needed but the Mohamed al-Fayed storyline is handled magnificently and Salim Daw gives a top-notch performance. By the end I found him endearing. No offense intended to the actors, but I continue to be underwhelmed by both the person and character of Dodi al-Fayed. While it's tragic that he also was killed, I suspect my bias about the events and that she died in the company of what I've perceived as such a mediocre man remains. Perhaps further episodes or season six will change my mind but they're going to have to work for it.
Though we will never know the truth about the real relationship between Diana and Dr. Haznat Khan, it's been said he was the love of her life and the whole depiction just makes me sad all over again. Actor Humayun Saeed has a warm chemistry with Elizabeth Debicki's Diana and it's difficult not to imagine how history would have played out differently if they had been able to pursue their future together like a normal couple. I wish the show had added more about the demise of their two year relationship and the effect it had on the last years of Diana's life.
Olivia Williams as then Camilla Parker-Bowles, now Camilla, Queen Consort, does a fine job of playing what was once the most-hated woman in Britain. I'm looking forward to how the redemption campaign will be depicted. Show runner Peter Morgan paid now King Charles III a huge compliment casting Dominic West as the then Prince of Wales. It couldn't have been an easy role and while West does an admirable job of it, despite a little too much of that weird mouth thing Charles does, I've yet to be transfixed into believing I'm watching the man and not the actor playing the man.
It's really no wonder the current monarch has been so up in arms about this season in particular. It must truly suck to have your own misdeeds thrown open to scrutiny again. Despite the fact that most of this is a dramatization, it is based on what has been public knowledge for decades and he comes off as a total dick. At the end of one episode, the show attempts to borrow the real Dominic West's cool vibe and parlay it unto Charles, but I just laughed out loud. As if.
Elizabeth Debiki as Diana is uncanny. She deserves ALL the awards. They should make up awards for her. Like, seriously, no other actress should attempt to play her again ever again. We are done.
Peter Morgan and the writers of The Crown - bless. Claudia Harrison as Anne, The Princess Royal:
"It was a little...gynecolgical for my taste."
