This post contains SPOILERS.

It genuinely surprised me how much I enjoyed this episode. It’s definitely one of the best episodes in the entire season so far. This episode is mostly split into two. On one side we see Churchill and the other we see Elizabeth.

With the Churchill side, we see his retirement and he doesn’t go out easy. No matter what you know about history, it was clear from what we’ve seen thus far that Churchill was never going to go out easily, and he certainly did not.

Most of his journey into retirement is shown through him getting his portrait painted. A portrait which he doesn’t appreciate and one which gets burned. The end of the episode has words that state: “Graham Sutherland’s portrait of Winston Churchill is widely considered to be a lost masterpiece.” So it was interesting to see the making of something so important that doesn’t actually exist anymore.

Continue reading “The Crown Season 1 Episode 9: ‘Assassins’ Review” →

This post contains SPOILERS.

The opening is cold, quiet, and really unsettling. The lighting is dim and there’s silence. When the first words are spoken it’s still very eery. Even when we move to Elizabeth’s speech it’s still got that same tone. The sound of the rain and the slight echo from her microphone only adds to this. The one thing this show always knocks out of the park is it’s filming. The way it blends visuals with sound is always flawless and really brings the whole thing together.

“The Crown does not back down.” I really loved that quote. This scene was interesting. Again, with the way it was filmed. With the men discussing what to do and the lights of the projector dancing all of them. Along with the sounds from the projector, it creates a very dark, slightly hard to see. Again, the show blends into other scenes well. While this is going on we see where Elizabeth is and where Philip is, both talking about the same things in a different way.

The dresses that the former sees are so beautiful. The fashion in this show alone is beautiful, but to see these deliberate pieces on display was really wonderful to see. With each scene, it’s amazing how different they appear and how much they contrast.

It was nice to see Peter and Margaret still in contact. They were clearly very happy together so it was wonderful to see them still talking and discussing the idea of being free, to soon have the possibility of being together. I often find myself in their corner, quietly rooting for them. I also appreciate that the Queen Mother decided to stand up for Margaret and give her something to focus on, and how the practice of that focus forced Margaret and Elizabeth to discuss what happened with Peter.

Also, let’s appreciate the Corgis. They’re adorable.

Continue reading “The Crown Season 1 Episode 8: ‘Pride & Joy’ Review” →

This post contains SPOILERS.

Once again we go back in time to when Elizabeth was a child which was incredibly interesting. The exploration that Elizabeth felt she hadn’t been taught enough and that her education wasn’t good enough was really well done, and it was interesting to see her wanting to take the opportunity now because she felt it was only right that she have more variety in terms of her education.

I really loved the little detail of Elizabeth nervously touching her pearls when trying to explain why she wants a tutor. You can really tell how much she wants to further her education, but how uninformed she is and even how embarrassed she is. Her anger at having been denied an education was well just, and it was pleasant to watch her fight against it.

Continue reading “The Crown Season 1 Episode 7: ‘Scientia Potentia Est’ Review” →

This post contains SPOILERS.

This episode we revisit the relationship between Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend. The two of them announce to Elizabeth and Phillip that they want to get married. Surprisingly the initial reveal goes down a lot smoother, although it does come across a little awkward for all parties involved. Of course, Elizabeth would have to get advice for a final decision, and we know early on that the paper might publish an article about it, so things weren’t always going to (continue to) go down smoothly.

Despite it all, it was lovely to see how determined Elizabeth was to give Margaret the one thing she wanted most. Even though it can’t last forever, it still feels like Elizabeth is trying her best to do her job as Queen, but also as a sister.

One thing I loved was when Elizabeth and Philip came home after dinner with Margaret and Peter. The way they walked through, talking about what had happened, and the guards were just stood there. It continues as they go through the house. They just talk while going about their routine and everyone else just works around them. The way it was filmed was seamless, but also the way they played off each other just worked so well and was really enjoyable to watch.

Continue reading “The Crown Season 1 Episode 6: ‘Gelignite’ Review” →