WARNING: Minor spoilers ahead.
If you’ve ever wanted to be a princess when you were little, you love a good dramatic story, and you’re looking for something to binge watch over this break, Netflix has something great for you; an extremely entertaining and beautiful look at the early days of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in the biographical series The Crown.
Claire Foy plays the beloved queen who marries the foreign prince Phillip (played by Doctor Who’s Matt Smith), has two adorable children -one of which will someday become the king- and tries to deal with her father’s declining health. We see the intricacies of the aristocracy, the gossip, rumors, and all around scheming. We watch how the government intertwines into this web, moving expertly and doing all they can to maintain the support of the people. Winston Churchill, self-proclaimed “Father of the Nation,” rallies the people even more than the monarchy at times, but never loses respect for it. All of that is just in the first two episodes.
This show has been expertly crafted and it is moving to see Elizabeth’s struggle to be true to herself and a just and fair sovereign. But in any situation where power is at stake, everyone has an agenda and things they want. In The Crown it’s things from her, her family, the parliament, and the people. Her grandmother tries her best to help Queen Elizabeth by writing her a letter where she says “The crown must win, must always win,” and these words transform the young, shy, and reserved woman into the glorious and confident queen she was always meant to be.
There is magnificent attention to detail and the most beautiful costumes, sets, and direction. Without all of this, The Crown wouldn’t be nearly the masterpiece it is. It is a clear testament to the ever-increasing power of Netflix to turn out shows that are so good we all fall in love with them and to be able to compete with other epic shows and services. The Crown is up against HBO’s Game of Thrones for “Best Television Series, Drama” at the Golden Globes.
I, like many other fans, will now be excitedly watching the show over and over again until the next season comes to us with high hopes, which are rightly deserved.