“The Crown must win. The crown must always win.”

The Show: ‘The Crown’

The Network: Netflix

The Genre: Historical Drama

The Challenge: Give a show four episodes with which to draw you in, impress you, challenge you, make you feel something deeply. Four episodes for the chance to find out if you care what happens to the characters you’re watching enough to become invested in the story. If after all that, it does none of those things for you? Then no biggie. You gave it a good shot and you can move on. But if you love it, you’ll be glad you stuck around.

The Premise: ‘The Crown’ focuses on a 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth, soon to be Queen Elizabeth II. During the ill health of her father, King George VI, the Princess is sent off on international duty with her husband Philip. In her absence, the King dies and Elizabeth finds herself thrust into unimaginable power. During the decline of the British Empire, ‘The Crown’ depicts a frank Elizabeth, the disarray England is in, and behind the scenes of closed, powerful doors in Buckingham Palace. ‘The Crown’ stars Claire Foy, Matt Smith, John Lithgow, Ben Miles, Vanessa Kirby, Jared Harris, Victoria Hamilton, Greg Wise and Eileen Atkins.

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Claire Foy absolutely steals the show as a young Queen Elizabeth II.

Ever since the BBC’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘Little Dorrit’, Claire Foy has surely been tipped for stardom. In ‘Little Dorrit’, she convincingly played small and poor Amy Dorrit, laden with misfortune. She held a world of emotion in her big blue eyes, and charming chemistry with leading man Matthew MacFadyen (‘Pride and Prejudice‘).

Since then, Foy came to international acclaim for her portrayal as Anne Boleyn in the much-praised drama ‘Wolf Hall‘. And deservedly so. Her turn here as a young Queen is astonishing. Her accent, polished to a tee, and her posture and demeanour—perhaps experienced from her past roles in period dramas—is excellent.

RELATED l ‘The Crown’ Trailer

There’s no doubt about it. Foy is just a powerhouse. And ‘The Crown’ needed a powerhouse to portray the frank and honest young Queen not many of us know behind-the-scenes. She’s emotive beyond dialogue and posture. Her eyes, the pauses in dialogue, the slightest of gestures—none are accidental. All are practised to perfection, and that’s what makes her enchanting portrayal of the young Queen hard to tear your eyes away from.

A standout scene is perhaps when Elizabeth, new to reign, stands up to Winston Churchill in episode four. Amidst the fog, Elizabeth does not bend to Churchill’s increasingly frustrated demands. She does so with cold courtesy, and it’s that kind of excellence Foy commands so effortlessly. To be on par with John Lithgow is no easy task—and Foy makes it look like a walk in the park.

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There is an exceptional sample of British talent on display here. That’s right. We do it brilliantly this side of the pond.

When you glimpse over the names stuck on the IMDB page for ‘The Crown’, you can’t help but prop your jaw closed in wonder. It’s amazing. Foy is a relatively undiscovered talent, for we’d been hoping she’d explode onto the television scene ever since ‘Little Dorrit’. She took a little while longer, but her outstanding turns in ‘Wolf Hall’ and now ‘The Crown’ have surely propelled her as a force to be reckoned with.

Matt Smith is more of a household name with Doctor Who number eleven behind his back. Yet he’s proven in his many projects since then that he’s a more than capable, flexible actor. His cheeky and nuanced portrayal of Prince Philip, a man of great pride, is one to be admired.

And we can’t really say “and then there’s the rest“. The rest of the cast are legendary in their own way. Each and every one of them are experienced and well-known within the television world, and respected. Yet it isn’t a clash of “who’s the best” here. It’s a joint team-effort to make something creative and beautiful, as each actor pulls their own impressive weight.

The chemistry between Foy and Smith is instant and off-the-charts. Also, it’s necessary, considering the tumultuous and passionate relationship between Elizabeth and Philip. Four episodes in and we’re still reeling. In terms of Elizabeth and Philip—we know we’re in for a ride.

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The ascension of Princess Elizabeth to Queen Elizabeth II is stunning over four episodes, and by the fourth episode she has already seized the reigns of her power even at the cost of her personal life.

Claire Foy is getting rather good at playing the hard-nosed, badass woman of period drama. In this, Elizabeth starts as someone who is quite reluctant to take the swift handover from her father. Still devastated by her loss, she is silently grieving yet as her mother tells her, she must leave the old Elizabeth behind and become a new one. A new one that duty calls upon.

And she does it well.

There are arguments with the Prime Minister of the moment, Winston Churchill. Elizabeth and Philip want to keep Philip’s surname for their children; it is refused by the cabinet. Elizabeth and Philip want to remain in Clarence House, their home, instead of relocating to Buckingham Palace. You guessed it: it’s refused by the cabinet.

Yes, it’s a world where the government reigns supreme rather than the monarchy. This isn’t the Middle Ages anymore. But it’s still a world where the monarchy is important, especially image-wise. Elizabeth knows this and capitalises on this, and each scene with Lithgow is a treat, as the duo clash over matters both personal and not.

Churchill quickly learns that the Queen is not someone to be messed around with. She is a Queen, yes. But more importantly, she is a woman.

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Final Verdict: ‘The Crown’ is worthy of every superlative it’s been given. It is quite simply a brilliant insight into the young Elizabeth’s mindset, her early romance with Prince Philip, and the tug of power behind-the-scenes in Winston Churchill’s England.

Everything coalesces into one giant blob of magnificence in Peter Morgan’s splendid take on the young Elizabeth’s life. Every tiny detail is included. Even the camera George VI gives to Elizabeth is put to good use in the early episodes as keen photographer Elizabeth shoots everything she adores during her international tour.

It would be silly to say the acting is outstanding. That should be a known fact already. But the gorgeous musical score and equally brilliant cinematography is something to be admired. More of a wow-factor is transporting modern-day England into the England it was back when young Elizabeth was just becoming Queen. She hasn’t quite reached her coronation yet, so we cannot wait to see the undoubted lavishness of that.

It’s everything you wouldn’t think it is. Who wants to see a biopic about the really old Queen of England? Well, it turns out, we all should do. It’s impeccably acted, impeccably done, and—impeccable. A jolly well done and a standing ovation awaits, surely. Four episodes in and we’re caught, hook line and sinker.

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Questions and Comments:

• Cannot. Wait. To. See. The. Coronation.
  • One for the foregoer of history: I cannot say this period of history was my strong point, but I had absolutely no idea Churchill made Elizabeth wait sixteen months until the coronation. You learn something new every day.
• The juxtaposition of Elizabeth’s freedom (aside from the niggly press) on her international tour with Philip and her pure joy was gorgeously done, alongside her father’s untimely death. It’s tragic and a great comparison to make, story-wise, as she’s torn from her freedom and thrust into her duties as a Queen.
• ‘The Crown’ was nominated for eight Golden Globes and won three of them. That, plus our glowing review, should get you off your backside and onto Netflix (perhaps still on your backside) to watch this!
• I have to call this one of the most underrated shows of the year. It flew under everyone’s radars but it’s gorgeous.