Review - The Crown (Season 1)-Part 1
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WARNING: Spoilers. If you haven’t seen it, stop reading now because I don’t plan on withholding information. But can there really be spoilers when a show is based on real-life events? My daughter always gripes whenever I allow the trailer to play for episodes we haven’t seen yet because she doesn’t want to see spoilers. I just look at her and say, “You do know this has already happened right? It’s history…literally, but, if you’re anything like my daughter, and you plan on watching the show, this isn’t the post for you. Go watch season 1 and come back. I’ll still be here.
Now, let’s get into it, shall we?
According to IMDb, The Crown follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth ll’s reign and the events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century.
There has always been an obsession with the (royal family) so its no wonder that this show is doing extremely well. Many have said that it’s the best show on television and I’ve even heard a few say that they’re obsessed and have binged the show more than once. I’m not there yet, though I understand the obsession with the family. How many of us have dreamed of being Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses as children? Several right? Some of youl are still hoping. Hey, I’m not one to kill anyone’s dreams so may the odds be ever in your favor.
But…
Are you sure you’d want to bear the weight of the crown? If there is one thing—and there are several actually—that this show has done well, it has shown the heavy burden that accompanies the duties of the one who sits on the throne, and not just the throne, but also the burden of those who are closely linked to the one who holds the power. But we’ll get into that later.
Cinematography
First things first. Can we talk about the visuals? My gosh, the cinematography is absolutely brilliant! I can feel the emotion in every scene, every camera angle, lighting, location, you name it. I have to say that I have never paid much attention to the cinematography in any film or show before my daughter mentioned it. Now I have a new found respect for cinematographers. I never realized how crucial of a role they play in bringing what we see to life. Bravo!
Costume Design
Let’s also hear a round of applause for the costume designers. The wardrobe was beautiful, grant it most of the first season takes place in the 40s & 50s, which in my opinion, introduced some of the most gorgeous fashion trends we’ve seen. Either way, the clothing was stunning and Princess Margaret was dressing circles around everybody. That girl was dressed to the nines.
Set design…immaculate!
The details were remarkable. I found myself wanting to have a cup of tea in every room while conversing with Queen Mary who was undoubtedly my favorite character of the first season. I’ll explain why later. I love home decor, so as it is with every thing that I watch, I paid close attention to the setup in the background. The furniture, gold wall trim, paintings, teapots…it was all beautifully crafted.
Overall; visually, The Crown was aesthetically pleasing. Five stars for that.
Cast
Where do I start?!
“My name is Elizabeth.”
With the queen, of course. Claire Foy is nothing short of amazing. Every emotion she exudes is believable, down to her wordless facial expressions. She’s striking in her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth ll and I’m a little sad that they couldn’t age her and keep her a little while longer. Let’s hope the next actress will live up to her performance.
“What kind of marriage is this? What kind of family? You’ve taken my career from me, you’ve taken my home. You’ve taken my name. I thought we were in this together.”
Philip, Philip, Philip! I have to say that I don’t know much about Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, but I can say that Matt Smith—the actor who portrays him—isn’t helping his cause. I can’t tell you how many times I was ready to send the prince on the first thing smoking back to Greece (with all due respect). He just wasn’t a pleasant guy, but I’ll discuss my issues and sympathies with him in a minute. Matt, you are not likable, which means you did well.
“Don’t tell me you understand that. You don’t know for a minute what it is to be…unhinged. To be flailing about.”
Princess Margaret…Vanessa Kirby, giiiirl yes! After watching Vanessa’s performance, I had to do a little of my own research on Princess Margaret. From what I gathered, she did an exquisites job with the role. Princess Margaret was a free spirit who was colorful and full of life—a little rebellious (which I kinda like). Vanessa portrayed that well.
“We’re all dying. That’s what defines the condition of living.”
Winston Churchill. Listen, somebody give John Lithgow an Oscar! This man needs his flowers now! He played the hell out of Winston and was actually one of the more entertaining characters of the show. I’ve liked him as an actor since Ricochet with Denzel Washington, and once again, he did not disappoint.
Although the above four will be the only characters I highlight, by no means does that take away from the other performances. All of the actors exude immense talent.
Favorite Moments
All of my favorite scenes have to do with the moment Elizabeth became queen.
The moment she was first addressed as queen.
“My name is Elizabeth.”
“Then, long live Queen Elizabeth.”
Hearing her addressed as such gave her pause and rightfully so. Life was about to drastically change for the new queen. But even though that was the case, her choosing her own name as her regnal name was symbolic in a way. Though everything must change, I will still be Elizabeth. It was almost like a reminder to be true to herself deep down.
The letter for Queen Elizabeth ll written by her grandmother and my favorite character, Queen Mary.
“…And while you mourn your father, you must also mourn someone else: Elizabeth Mountbatten. For she has now been replaced by another person, Elizabeth Regina. The two Elizabeths will frequently be in conflict with one another. The fact is, the crown must win. Must always win.”
Listen, that was the pure definition of, “fix your face, put your big-girl panties on, and accept your duties. There’s no time for fear, doubt, or sadness, but if you must, do it quickly and let’s go.” I loved Queen Mary because she reminded me so much of the women I come from. Women who have been where I am going and have survived. Women who had little time to lick their wounds. They pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and got ish done. I enjoyed hearing Queen Mary’s wisdom and smart little quips on the show. Once she died, I almost wanted to stop watching. I still haven’t found a character I like as much. Let’s hope season two makes me eat my words.
The moment the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and Queen Mary have to bow to Queen Elizabeth. I felt every emotion in those scenes. I could only imagine. My mother, sister, and grandmother having to bow before me?! It all seems like blasphemy! That was the moment I realized that it was bigger than Queen Elizabeth ll. They weren’t bowing to her, they were bowing to The Crown.
The coronation scene when Phillip had to bow, not to his wife, but to his queen. Look, my husband told me flat out that he wouldn’t have done it. Not then, not now, not ever! (Chilllle…I would have had him thrown in the dungeon. Lol) I get it though, a man’s pride and all. I guess it was hard for him to see the queen as just that…the queen. He seemed to have had little respect for anyone’s authority. The way he mocked the crown of the king(?) in Nairobi. “Nice hat.” I think I called him everything but a child of God during that scene. I just didn’t like the guy. I managed to garner a little sympathy for him as the season went on. I mean he did lose his name, career, and his home, but then he had the audacity to start cheating. That sympathy went out the door quick. Hopefully he’ll have some character growth because as of right now, he is the character I like the least on the show.
These are the moments from season 1 that resonated with me the most. There are more that I would like to discuss; the relationship between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend, The relationship between Queen Elizabeth ll and Princess Margaret (jealousies), the Queen Mother’s struggle with losing her husband and her place as queen, while also trying to support her daughter in her new role, but for the sake of this post being waaaay too long, I’ll refrain.
Although I’m not on the bandwagon of The Crown being this obsessed-worthy show, it is interesting to watch and I would give my recommendation to watch it. It’s got me to thinking though, I would love for someone to do a series like this on one of the Egyptian Pharaohs (and can we use actors with melanin, please?) or any of the other kings and queens of Africa. That would be the series to watch. Zamunda and Wakanda were nice ideas but let’s bring black history to life on the big screen.
Anyhow, that’s all for now. On to season 2.
Always love and blessing,
Queen Tamarria.
“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
