The Crown - Season 1 (review)

This is slightly embarrassing. The last time I uploaded a blog post was about...6 months ago. But I'm back, and I'm hoping to upload at least something once a week! It took some brainstorming to figure out what I was going to write about, but then I had a sudden realisation that I hadn't done a review of Peter Morgan's The Crown yet, despite how much I love the series. Honestly, it's difficult trying to figure out how to write about this, because I did not fancy writing about each episode individually - but at the same time, I do have my own personal ratings for each episode. So, without further ado, let's see what I can come up with for this.

Episode ratings:

Episode 1 - Wolferton Splash: 9/10.

Episode 2 - Hyde Park Corner: 10/10

Episode 3 - Windsor: 7.5/10

Episode 4 - Act of God: 6/10

Episode 5 - Smoke and Mirrors: 9/10

Episode 6 - Gelignite: 8/10

Episode 7 - Scientia Potentia Est: 7/10

Episode 8 - Pride and Joy: 8/10

Episode 9 - Assassins: 5/10

Episode 10 - Gloriana: 6/10

First of all, Claire Foy is amazing. I remember when articles were popping out over the new cast of the show a few years ago, and my initial reaction was that of concern. I had only seen Claire Foy in one other thing, and that was Wolf Hall as the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, so all I had to go off was a character known for her charming persona who eventually started to lose her mind under the stress of trying to produce an heir. Far from what we know of Queen Elizabeth II. In hindsight, I don't know why I was so apprehensive. Claire Foy did a fantastic job as the young queen. At the start of the season, she demonstrated a lack of confidence - understandable, Elizabeth was never supposed to be a queen in the first place. But Foy's interpretation of the role changed as the season progressed, going from a shy naval officer's wife who just happened to be royal to Britain's "undoubted Queen". 

It was so fascinating getting a glimpse of what young Queen Elizabeth II was, considering all I've seen in reality are the few appearances she makes now in her grand old age. I think at least 90% of the world's population can easily say they don't remember a time when she wasn't the Queen - but how many know what she was like as a young woman? Not only did she face challenges as a monarch (her lack of education as shown in Episode 7 comes to mind), she had to deal with being the head of the family in a time where women were subject to their husbands' whims; instead, poor Philip was relegated to the submissive role. Yet Claire Foy managed to do it so perfectly, and I can't imagine another actress playing young Queen Elizabeth ever again without comparing them to Foy.

Speaking of Philip, if I was more concerned about any of the characters' depictions in this show, it was this young, brooding Duke. When the trailer was released and I noticed Matt Smith had been cast, I kept wondering whether the show was worth watching anymore. In my mind, Matt Smith was either the clumsy tweed-wearing Eleventh Doctor, or the bumbling pompous Mr Collins. 'Seriousness' was not a word I could associate with this actor. Again, I was proven wrong. I've not read many biographies about Philip and Elizabeth during this time, but the phrase 'fragile masculinity' comes to mind when thinking about Philip's behaviour - not that I can blame him. While Elizabeth vowed at their wedding to obey him in all things, this would clash with her role as Queen. One exchange in Episode 5 stood out:

Philip: It's released an unattractive sense of authority and entitlement that I have never seen before.

Elizabeth: In you, it's released a weakness and insecurity I've never seen before.

P: Are you my wife or my Queen?

E: I'm both.

P: I want to be married to my wife.

E: I am both and a strong man would be able to kneel to both.

P: I will not kneel before my wife.

E: Your wife is not asking you to.

P: But my Queen commands me?

E: Yes.

P: I beg you make an exception for me.

E: No.

How could Philip argue against that? By this point in the episode, he had not only been forced to move from Clarence House, a home he tried to build for the family, to Buckingham Palace, he had also been forced to conform to the name of Windsor. It was rare for a woman in this time to not take her husband's name, and based on Matt Smith's portrayal, it certainly damaged his pride for Elizabeth to change her name once again from Mountbatten to Windsor. That being said, we see throughout the season a desire on Philip's part to encourage Elizabeth to be more assertive, especially with her ministers. I think he just wanted it to be that she was a true ruler over all except him.

One member of the royal family who has been the most fascinating for me has always been Princess Margaret. In my opinion, she was the prettier sister. She had the nicer wedding look, and she was always sporting the latest fashion trends. Having said that, she would not have made a good queen. As princess, she did her duties well, and showed up to her appointments appropriately - but she was rebellious. Being the second child, especially in light of Elizabeth's strong sense of duty and doing what was right, it wasn't a surprise that Margaret Rose was more appreciative of the freedoms she had. Vanessa Kirby definitely nailed the "diva" aspect of Princess Margaret. She carried the role with grace, touched with haughtiness and entitlement.

I didn't know much about the Townsend affair before the series was released. I knew Margaret had her fair share of troubled relationships, but not the extent of it. To be in love with a man at least 15 years older than her who was also a divorced person was scandalous from all angles in this time - but this was a story that would influence how Margaret was to be portrayed for the whole show, not just this one season. The show definitely made frequent allusions to the Duke of Windsor, given the similarities of the situation: a royal in love with a divorced person. Not that it's wrong, but it did make the Duke of Windsor seem more complex than we know.

As for Peter Townsend himself, honestly I don't know much about the historical figure himself, so there's not much for me to say in terms of how he was depicted - but being one of the most important people to influence both Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh, as his flying instructor, definitely warranted a tremendous amount of focus in the show.

Speaking of the Duke of Windsor, all praise to Alex Jennings. I've seen him in other movies, like The Queen, but there was just something about the way he played the exiled former king that gave me goosebumps. The duplicitous personality of wanting to create a sense of unity with his family, particularly Elizabeth, while writing cruel letters about them to his wife created quite a creepy character. My knowledge of the Duke of Windsor was very basic up until this point, owing largely to The King's Speech, but that depiction did not leave much of an impression. So what if he decided to abdicate for love? Was that really a big deal? 

The Crown definitely indicated that it was a big deal. While the abdication meant a more suitable figure, a family man, would assume the role rather than this populist playboy, it was a cruel move. Because of the abdication, King George VI began smoking even more, advancing his health deterioration; Elizabeth was forced to abandon her dreams of a quiet life; the entire family was put into the spotlight far more than was necessary. But this season does sort of encourage one to feel sorry for the former king. He just couldn't have it all.

What is a historical fiction TV series set in the 1950s Britain without a little bit of politics? Unfortunately, while this was essential to address in the show, this was - for me - the weakest point. I did love the actors who played Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden, but it was just all...very dry. Whenever I decide to re-watch the show, I always find myself skipping the political scenes, simply because it's dead boring - and that's coming from someone who loves politics. In theory, it should've been more interesting. The peak of Cold War politics with growing tensions between not just America and the Soviet Union, but also Britain and the rest of the world...one can't help but wonder whether this was deliberately toned down to put the focus on the monarchy. I wouldn't be surprised.

I think it's probably not a surprise I re-watched this show about 5 times when it first came out. I couldn't believe they managed to make a TV show about the Windsor family, but they really pulled it off - and left me in desperation for the next season. Little did I know the next season would be even better.