Let me just start by saying that this article does not contain any spoilers (yes, you’re welcome!); it’s just my opinions and observations about the most recent season.
Guys, I really enjoyed the newest season of The Crown. I think overall I’d give it an 8.5/10.
I’ll admit I was a little skeptical before watching Season Three because I tend to develop extremely high expectations when there is such a long break between seasons. However, this time my expectations were pretty much met, which is something I can’t say about the last season of Game of Thrones. (But that is a conversation that should’ve been had five months ago.) Back to what I was saying, my roommate and I turned the show on the night it became available and giddily whispered comments back and forth throughout the two or three episodes we watched that night.
As many of you may already know, this third season is different from others because it takes place a number of years after the last season left off. So, of course it takes a little bit of time to get used to the new actresses and actors. The show is set up in a way that provides multiple visual reminders of who each of the characters are, though, and that’s really helpful. (Side note: I am going to refer to them as characters, though I don’t know if that is the correct term for them because they’re obviously representing real people).
Olivia Colman is great, as expected, and I really enjoyed Tobias Menzies’s portrayal of Prince Philip. As for other characters, you are pretty much able to recognize when Princess Margaret comes on screen just by seeing her room and the way she sleeps. Margaret is played by Helena Bonham Carter, which is interesting. Carter seems to be the perfect person to make Margaret’s continued craziness and self-obsessive attitude seem utterly believable.
Photo via Netflix
Aside from the main characters from the previous seasons, we also get to know Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice, and hear her talk about her difficult life. Philip and Elizabeth’s children also receive more focus in this season, and particularly Anne and Charles. There are multiple episodes dedicated to Charles’s life and his struggle with being the future King. Anne, on the other hand, is under a lot less pressure and as a result lives her life as a spunky, free-spirited and confident royalー the exact opposite of her brother.
After getting used to the new faces, I began to realize just how much Olivia Colman’s voice sounds like Claire Foy’s did. There is one part where you can hear the Queen talking before you even see her come into the frame, and for a split second I expected to see Claire Foy’s face appear. Basically, Olivia has one heck of a voice coach.
Photo by Des Willie via Netflix
Overall, I thought that the season moved at a relatively suitable pace. Each episode was distinct, and we get to see other sides of the royal family members. There is a good amount of scandal throughout, which always keeps it interesting. I also cried/teared up at almost every episode. We could chalk it up to me just being excited about the season, or the sad events that happened at this stage of Queen Elizabeth’s life. Either way, it’s definitely a season you should watch, if for no reason other than seeing the lead-up to their introduction of Diana!