Claire Foy portrays Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1 and 2 of “The Crown,” but Olivia Coleman is set to take over the role in season 3.
Credit: @TheCrownNetflix
The highly acclaimed historical drama “The Crown” starring Matt Smith as Prince Phillip and Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II returns for its second season on Netflix.
At the end of Season 1 in the series, Elizabeth’s sister Margaret (Vannessa Kirby) was unable to be granted permission from the Church and cabinet to marry Peter Townsend (Ben Miles) while Phillip prepped to leave for his royal tour to promote the Olympics. This situation occurs in the last few minutes of the season finale. It is foreboding because the last words that can be heard are: “Forgetting Elizabeth Windsor now–only Elizabeth Regina.” These words echo the constant theme of “The Crown,” which is Elizabeth at war with herself because she must always prioritize her role as Queen, which strains many of her relationships, especially with her family.
When the show returned, the struggle to keep the family together comes to a head. In the first episodes of the second season, Phillip and Elizabeth take shelter upon a boat after Phillip has returned from his trip to the Olympics to hide from the press. Within those closed doors, they discuss their discontent with their occupation and status within society.
One of the things that is exemplary about this series is the level of emotion that the actors can deliver while portraying prominent historical figures. They endear these characters to their audience, making it a binge-worthy show.
Although the script and actors are exceptional and historically accurate, there are always creative liberties that must be taken for the shortage of time and to keep its audiences entertained. An example of this can be found in the second season of the show. At the end of episode five of “The Crown,” instead of showing all of the suggestions or changes that Lord Altrincham made to the crown, the audience was only able to witness at least two of them while the conflict was resolved through subtitles at the bottom of the screen. This production choice causes a loss of importance as well as makes the significance of the event seem like it was a filler rather than an indication of change within society. The audience may feel disconnected from some points in British history with which they are unfamiliar. Hence, the possibility that the show may have focused more on the dramatic relationship between members of the royal family than they should have. Therefore, these moments can be forgettable which makes the major jumps in time during the show to be illogical.
Overall, the story was incredibly well-written and enticing to people who are interested in the British royal family or enjoy history. Rating: 4 out of 5 paws.
