The Crown - Netflix

[Nopatience]

Imelda Staunton has the same expression on her face in every episode no matter the scene.

 

[Upintheair83]

Iv really been enjoying the first few episodes of this new series! But I still can’t take to Olivia Coleman at all. She doesn’t seem to have any range or depth at all, she just seems to have one expression all throughout- like there’s a bad smell under her nose.
It’s a shame because Claire Foy was just superb.

 

[Leftielola]

The hunting scenes were dreadful those beautiful creatures the royal family are a bloodthirsty lot

 

[Goldilocks3108]

I’m on episode 3 and had to pause. The driving thru Paris bit is really uncomfortable to watch 🥲. Actually feel a bit sick.

Agree, I remember that day so vividly and of course we’ve all seen the photos and CCTV footage of them at the Ritz a million times since then. It was horribly realistic. Have to say, they got all of Diana’s outfits in these 3 episodes absolutely spot on - even all the swimming costumes are identical to ones she wore

 

[thegirlscout]

I’ve got so far as Fagan in the show. I have to say, I have no idea why that episode was dedicated to that one event? We had 2 minutes of Diana’s dress, 10 mins about the Falklands war but a whole episode for an intruder? Felt like the episode was from a totally different show.

 

[PeonyBlush]

I think the stag served two purposes:

1. show the family's love of hunting

2. maybe it's too "arty farty" and I'm overthinking this, but I think it's a "parallel" or "metaphor" for Diana: Diana, a name of the Goddess of the hunt and how Diana is often described (even in her own words) as "lamb to the slaughter", "the huntress becoming hunted [by paps]" and all that.
So Diana's "initiation" into the family is helping shoot a major stag, during a hunt with Philipp, who crucially is another "outsider" (ie married in), but also the manager of the family in private and interestingly the last episode of this series and his... "threat" and advice...
I think the stag is a "representation" of Diana, ironically/fatefully killed by her (with her help, her direction and Phil at the gun).
If one wanted to read even more into it, it kinda even foreshadows the modern popular conspiracy theory of Phil allegedly ordering Diana's death.
So you can read multiple things into the stag bit, but the Diana/stag connection/mirroring is undeniable imo (the Phil conspiracy aside).

As soon as Diana showed up at Balmoral I knew she'd be the one to take the stag down.

Me and my mum were just talking about this on the phone! The stag storyline could’ve been a metaphor for what happens to Diana ultimately!

 

[Mr Krabs]

I sort of like Jonathon Pryce. I think he gives a more subtle, mellow performance of PP, which makes sense as the character is older.

The Queen Mother is odd casting though. She had a very distinctive look with a round, expressive face. The actor looks too small and frail and doesn’t really capture her.

 

[Salacious]

Why were the public falling over themselves fawning over Diana but Kate Middleton gets a much more muted response nowadays? Have times changed so much?

The fawning comes from the fact that she never really got to see her sons grow up, as much as we lost a potential Queen. I think the tragic death and funeral changed perceptions of Diana. People didn't see her as a 'royal', but a relatively young mother, with two small children who had been wronged by her then-husband and ultimately failed by the institution. I still remember where I was when she died, and the days leading up to the funeral just left me quite numb. A surreal experience which could never be replicated in this 24-hour news era, where airtime is granted to just about anyone, and queue jumping TV presenters pay respects by commodifying it.

Diana was a very smart lady by all accounts. She was graceful and charming, but she knew how to court attention and was tougher than she led on (ask Lisa Carling). The Panorama interview was seen by some as a cry for help, but not everyone felt she did the right thing by airing the royal family's dirty laundry. That said, the public did sympathise with her and the interview was groundbreaking stuff, what royal family member shared their grievances with the institution? Meghan tried to replicate the formula with Oprah but the difference is 1) Meghan has no core beliefs - she is a prime example of someone following the money, and 2) people recognise Diana for years tried to make the marriage work (and there is evidence for that, see the tapes), she woke up every day, got dressed and did what was asked. Diana needed a decade before it was clear she 'antagonised' the royals, with Meghan it was 10 months.

The other interesting thing to note about Panorama was the underhand tactics that Bashir used to obtain the interview. The BBC held an internal probe in 1996 but for some reason it found nothing, so it was a shame it wasn't until Diana died that the truth came out. Yet that was the tip of the iceberg, a lot of journalists particularly on the royal beat made a name of themselves doing wicked things. There has been a lot of stone throwing at glass houses over the incident by the tabloids.

 

[Anasnake]

I wish Fergie had been a central character

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

Harry is proper creeping me out. That haircut is terrible

Like they just thought fuck it stick a ginger bowl cut wig on Spud from Trainspotting.

 

[disneys]

I think the casting for Philip is off - he was a very tall man & Jonathan Pryce is too short . He doesn’t command the same presence . Shame because Philip has been cast so well previously with Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies

love Imelda Staunton as the queen , Lesley Manville as Margaret is also a great choice . I think they’ve done Anne dirty though - she’s nowhere near the force she was in s3 & 4 !

 

[Thelmachops]

I really like Helena Bonham Carter, but I don’t think that she is the right choice for this role.

I think the actress who played the younger version, is hard to beat..

I am currently on episode 3..i have always thought the comment by Charles in their engagement photocall is very telling..

 

[Libbylulu]

Is this worth watching as currently since the queen died I've been reading and watching a lot of stuff about them and I'm tempted to watch it

I loved the first two series as I thought the cast was excellent and I loved the historical aspect.
Olivia Coleman wasn’t the right choice to play The Queen in my opinion, she’s stern and humourless so I didn’t enjoy series 3/4 so much.

 

[Libbylulu]

I absolutely loved the episode that focused on Elizabeth and Margaret. It reminded me of the early series.

 

[Salacious]

The Al-Fayed casting was spot on. Enjoyed episode 3.

 

[thegirlscout]

There's probably a thesis in how the decline in the scriptwriting reflects the monarchy's decline from the reverence of Empire to tampons and squidgy and toe-sucking I adored the first two seasons not because of nostalgia for Empire (being Irish and all ) but for the exquisite style of the houses, cars, frocks, the Britannia... it was such a feast for the eyes. The 80s, on the other hand, are as tacky-lookin' as I remember, and the scripts seem to have been sent in by fax by a hungover work experience kid.

No just the monarchy but the aesthetic look of the country. Instead of lovely brick houses in our towns and villages we have cheap housing estates that won’t last 50 years, instead of glorious workmanship on buildings in the city we have glass….and more glass. Everything has gotten easy and lazy and ugly.
(need to create a thread on the hatred of modern architecture to express these feelings hahaha).

 

[caremum]

The Mohamed Al Fayed episode was very interesting and the actor playing him did a great job.

The tampon conversation was surprisingly tasteful considering. I'm warming to Dominic West as Charles.

Agree that Imelda Staunton is just not right for The Queen. She's almost there but not quite.

I'm finding the actress who plays Diana is just too thin and rangy. She's a bit nerdy looking. It's distracting and takes away from Diana's attractiveness.

To me tampongate actually highlighted the bond between Charles and Camilla. Relationships breakdown and people should be able to move on and find happiness. Normal life.

 

[Mr Krabs]

Sorry but I thought the line about not looking up to the west was ridiculous. It sounded like something a Netflix writer from 2023 would say, not Dodi Al Fayed who wanted to bang blonde supermodels, make Hollywood movies and hang out in various European locales in his super yacht. He never made any indication that he had any real connection to his homeland or Islam and Mohammed Al Fayed certainly wouldn’t imagine his son saying those things. Also this was supposed to be in 1998, far far removed from modern day politics.

 

[Libbylulu]

I’m loving this series so far, I hated last series and Olivia Coleman’s Queen. I watched Ep 5 last night and thought it really good. Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret knocks Helena B C out of the park. I could believe it was the older Margaret and Peter Townsend meeting up again. Loved it

 

[knickerbocker glory]

I've just got to see the Queen Mother for the 1st significant time. I see what you all mean, AWFUL casting. Al Fayed is good isn't he!