In spite of the juicy subjects covered in this upcoming season, reviews are mixed. Variety straight up panned it.

Just finished watching the first episode of the new season and damn it feels like the show is going all out to

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make me feel sorry for John Major for having to put up with these people lol. An unexpected audience surrogate I guess.

 

Now halfway through, some thoughts...

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They've peppered this season with a fair few cameos from the actors from other seasons, not just Claire Foy, which is nice.

An interesting idea to devote a whole episode to Mohamed Al-Fayed to set up later events in the series. I actually had no idea he ended buying the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's former home in France, or that he helped finance Chariots of Fire

I'm sure TikTok will be amazed to learn Fergie had her own feet pics - or rather toes - moment 30 years ago lol

And they really teased us with the Camilagate tapes - I mean a few years ago it was implied they were not going to cover the incident at all when it was reported that Josh O'Connor did not want to enact those scenes but I think anyone savvy and familiar enough with The Crown would have realised that since the tapes weren't made public until 1993 then the scandal wouldn't be covered until season 5. As it was, they initially cut out the most scandalous parts in favour of showing the conversation being picked up by CB radio and taken to the newspaper only to be initially buried. Then we get basically the entire conversation, Tampax and all, once the tape has been leaked and everyone is reading the transcript.

 

And now it's finished!

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The episode on the discovery and reburial of the Romanovs was quite interesting. Didn't expect that 1917 opening where we actually see them murdered though.

Hasnat Khan's relationship with Princess Diana was very sweet, A shame it didn't work out. Meanwhile, the producers got really lucky that there was another inquiry into the interview which they were able to incorporate in the show and gave them two episodes worth of material.

The divorce episode was interesting with the (I presume fictionalised) accounts of other couples divorcing. Charles and Diana also seemed to be on the verge of amicability when he came to visit her but unfortunately the visit degenerated into another argument.

And finally, Charles went off to Hong Kong and had an audience with Tony Blair which the Queen later confronted him about. Also, Dodi Fayed is enamored with his girlfriend Kelly Fisher, but his father Mohamed doesn't like her. And then Mohamed invites Diana to join him on holiday in the south of France. And the season ends with the Queen's final visit to the yacht Britannia, Dodi proposing to Kelly and Diana packing for her trip to the south of France.

 

Edited November 11, 20223 yr by Dion

S1, Episode 3.

 

This grandmother though....WOW.

 

I see why you all fell for it. It is such a slow burn, but wow at how it resonates. 

S1, E6

 

OMG!!! How I hate this Tommy man.

 

But this has gone from slow burn to just engrossing as all gets out. Though I am happy to have part of my system working again.

 

I have so many questions watching it though so you all were right. It's funny how watching this reflects on what is going on now.

Diving into Season 2...

Perhaps it's due to my current situationship (?) but I have to say Elizabeth and the radio to her husband who had sent a video was so romantic since they are literally separated from each other. And yet have to put on a front.

 

And given the first episode already showed they are not going to be in the same spot...tragic.

 

So well done.

Season 6, the final season, has premiered with the first 4 episodes. The final 6 will be released in mid December.

I have watched all of the first 4 and found myself overcome in a couple of instances. One was a throwaway line by a minor character that meant so much now that The Queen is gone. The other concerned the death of Diana and the particular creative choice that the writers made.

Elizabeth Debicki was absolutely perfect. Flawless. She has set a bar that no actress will ever achieve in portraying Diana. My heart broke for her. 

Dominic West was also excellent as Charles. There is a particular scene after Diana has died in which he portrayed this level of grief that was also heartbreaking. Anyone who recalls Diana's death in 1997 will likely agree that he captured Charles' devastation. 

The writing was good in that it treated Diana, Charles, and The Queen fairly and none of them were villains. It acknowledged the complexity of their lives intersecting. There is a scene in the first episode of this season where Diana and Charles talk about being brilliant at divorce and I am so glad it was included because not everyone remembers that the last year of Diana's life was harmonious with Charles and there was footage and photographs of the two of them hugging goodbye after an event for William. By that point in time, relations were friendly, which is why Charles was as devastated as he was when she died. 

The only thing I think the writers got wrong was their portrayal of Mohammed Al Fayed. The episode devoted to him in the previous season was so excellent that the writing for him in this season felt a bit more of a caricature. 

The concluding episodes are now up on Netflix and I have finished them.

The show ended strong. The writing for the last episode managed to tie The Queen's story into a bow, despite it being set at an ending 17 years prior to her actual death.