Recently discovered “The Crown” on Amazon Prime and it is excellent fare, even if one is late to the party. Must see if you haven’t already.
As a companion to viewing “The Crown,” also consider “The Royal House of Windsor” documentary television series now available on Netflix. It, too, is a chronological tale expertly told with interviews, videotape, and film footage.
I absolutely loved both seasons 1 & 2! I devoured them, and was desolate when I finished watching the last episode. The writing, acting, direction - all is outstanding. This is quality, golden age television. Can't wait until season3!
I'm only one ep into season 3, and I'm having a hard time seeing Colman as the Queen. It's not just the brown eyes (why didn't they use contacts??) it's her energy - completely different than my impression of the queen, and certainly different than Claire Foy's bright yet restrained character energy. Colman is too dour, negative - frankly she reminds me more of Margaret than Elizabeth. I'm told season 3 gets better so I will stick it out for a few more perhaps. But so far I feel disconnected from her character, I'm not buying into the illusion.
I'm only one ep into season 3, and I'm having a hard time seeing Colman as the Queen. It's not just the brown eyes (why didn't they use contacts??) it's her energy - completely different than my impression of the queen, and certainly different than Claire Foy's bright yet restrained character energy. Colman is too dour, negative - frankly she reminds me more of Margaret than Elizabeth. I'm told season 3 gets better so I will stick it out for a few more perhaps. But so far I feel disconnected from her character, I'm not buying into the illusion.
I'm warming to her after four episodes, but my wife still feels the same as you. It's a shame because the new actor playing Philip is so good in his part, I haven't noticed the transition.
It's still wonderfully sumptuous high quality TV, though!
I was thinking about this after watching episode 3 last night (the one about the mine disaster). First season was about transition: from being a princess to becoming a queen, so there was an arc involved. But now she's settled into the job, and my sense is that her coldness and formality is what this season is about. Hence the Wales episode, when she admits to not shedding even one tear. Only in the end, in private, can she do so. The Queen has been, and still is, inscrutable.
I'm warming to her after four episodes, but my wife still feels the same as you. It's a shame because the new actor playing Philip is so good in his part, I haven't noticed the transition.
It's still wonderfully sumptuous high quality TV, though!
Yes - agree on both points, the guy playing Philip is excellent, and it's still high quality movie making. Watching the second ep now and loving the portrayal of LBJ, ha ha ha
I was thinking about this after watching episode 3 last night (the one about the mine disaster). First season was about transition: from being a princess to becoming a queen, so there was an arc involved. But now she's settled into the job, and my sense is that her coldness and formality is what this season is about. Hence the Wales episode, when she admits to not shedding even one tear. Only in the end, in private, can she do so. The Queen has been, and still is, inscrutable.
Good points and I'll have to re-evaluate after watching more episodes.
Whether there was, or is, a character arc from Seasons 1&2 to Season 3, Olivia Coleman's Elizabeth is so cold, so forbidding, such an unforgiving ice cliff of a putative human being, that she collapses from being a protag to something more like the palace backdrop itself: a setting against which other, more sympathetic characters, work out their fates.
The series did much to redeem Charles (how many episodes, out of 9, this Season, were devoted to him -- 3 1/2?), and Phillip (2 1/2 episodes?). Mountbatten is presented as a cut-throat wheeler-dealer and two-faced lying scum, which may not be exactly fair, but does make his eventual ascendancy on a cloud of IRA smoke from the sea to the sky above somewhat less of a wrenching event...
The above, at least, is what I got out of half-watching the series, after losing focus the first couple of episodes, and letting family members follow it while I listened to rockabilly and flamenco music on my iPad.
It's gorgeous and, though I am NOT a lover of straight up drama, this is a very surprising series. I am fascinated with it. I love John Lithgow and Jared Harris both of which have amazing, nuanced performances, as do Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby.
I am not looking forward to the switch in actresses for QE2-- what was the reason for the switch? I am looking forward to Tobias Menzies as Prince Phillip (loved him in the first season of Outlander), though I have just finally gotten to like Matt Smith. QE2 has
Perhaps the change in QE2's cold demeanor in season 3 comes from what could quite possibly be, the wearing down of a young spirit. Understandable with heavy burden of being The Crown.
The character arc for season one for QE2, to me, is from naive innocent Elizabeth to ascending into the monarchy and becoming The Crown and Elizabeth Regina-- country before self.
"Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden
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