After two long yearsThe CrownIt is now back for its penultimate seasons and it looks just as good as ever. Peter Morgan’s dissection of the British Monarchy has been viewed by millions since it was first launched in 2016. The show is notoriously known for blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction, but it maintains the character’s humanity in the most profound ways and places.
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“It shouldn’t come as a surprise she’s falling apart. She’s a creature of another age.” It may seem like a line directed at the new Queen (Imelda Staunton), but Morgan isn’t that crude. It describes the Queen’s royal yacht, Britannia, which is extremely old and requires extensive repairs. But Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce) reminds us that it’s “obsolete”.
The Crown Season 5: A New Decade. An all-star cast. The Crown Season 5 Cast. pic.twitter.com/bQ3sth5XqP
— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) November 2, 2022
Imelda Staunton (Queen Elizabeth II), Jonathan Pryce (Prince Philip), Elizabeth Debicki (Princess Diana) & Dominic West (Prince Charles) for Radio Times 📸. And what’s more? The Crown Season 5 will release in the next week! Oh, how I long for the Crown Season 5!#TheCrownNetflix pic.twitter.com/ObBSLuPOei
— 𝕹𝖎𝖌𝖊𝖑 (@nigeladxm) November 1, 2022
Morgan has been open to metaphors from the start. But in season 5, they are much less subtle and really hit you in your gut. But what Morgan skillfully brings to the table this time is that the ‘system’ they wish to protect is the sole reason for their ruining relationships and love.
Morgan repeatedly reminds viewers in the episodes that British Monarchy was archaic. Despite their best efforts to be ‘modern’ to ‘serve’ the people, they are flaming the fire that’s burning their family down. A classic example of this metaphor is the scene of Windsor castle enveloped in monstrous flames, a metaphor for the perishing relationships of the Queen’s children’s marriages.
3 generations.
On November 9, the fifth season of crown premieres. pic.twitter.com/eDgUWjF13L
— best of elizabeth debicki (@archivedebicki) November 2, 2022
While there was quite a stir before the launch of the season, especially by the likes of Dame Judi Dench and her followers protesting against the ‘historical inaccuracy’, The CrownIt is a reminder that the monarchy can still be human. Morgan takes care of the characters without demeaning or diminishing problematic figures, such as Prince Charles (Dominic West).
In the quieter moments — whether it is Prince Philip helping a grieving mother who lost her child or Princess Margaret (Lesley Manville) reminiscent of her lost years with Peter Townsend (Timothy Dalton) —The CrownThese characters are beautifully portrayed and the consequences of their duties. Even though these moments are fictional, they feel so real you’re overwhelmed by emotions. Here, I would like to mention episode 3 and its most beautiful depictions of friendships I have seen between Mohammed Al-Fayed (Salim Daw) and Sydney Johnson (Jude Akuwudike), the duke and former king Edward VIII’s valet.
Season 5’s highlight was the Margaret-Peter reunion. I feel so sorry for them. They’ve always been my soulmates. #TheCrown #Margaret #Peter pic.twitter.com/Oz1PUR5OjV
— JMCG (@JohnMic28046301) November 10, 2022
It was a joy to see Dae, Akuwudike and their screen interactions. Their friendship blossoms through the master’s guidance to deep and lasting bonds between equals. As they help each other, there are moments of tenderness and emotion. Johnson teaches Alfayed the British ways, while Alfayed takes care of him. Morgan’s perspective on their relationship is significant and inspiring as it shows that two ‘outsiders’ can become ‘insiders’, even if it is just for one another.
Speaking about outsiders, Princess Diana’s portrayal by Elizabeth Debicki is nothing short of perfect. It is quite eerie how she nails her mannerisms flawlessly and uncannily. As Diana grows, she seems more confident in herself and has become more secure, even though she can’t leave her marriage. Her struggles with Charles give you a glimpse of how horrible it must have been for real Diana, who had to endure so much for the sake of the ‘system’. It is difficult to watch Philip ignore Diana’s pleas and insist she continues her ‘duty’ towards the crown.
elizabeth Debicki is so real that she granted princess diana permission for her to possess her body #TheCrownSeason 5 pic.twitter.com/ndSYUuQzIB
— ً (@wrathsemilia) November 9, 2022
While everyone dislikes Prince Charles, one can’t help but empathise with them in certain moments of the show. One is the Tampongate scandal, where his and Camilla’s (Olivia Williams) private conversation is leaked in the press, resulting in people thinking he is unfit to rule.
Morgan helps us to understand Charles’ situation and makes Charles realize that he is not a valuable ornament, just gathering dust. This realization comes from Prince Andrew, James Murray, when he is reflecting on the system as well as Elizebeth. “We learn the same lessons over and over that no one with any character, originality, spark, wit and flare has a place in this system,” he says, acknowledging how they will never survive. This dialogue reminds viewers of Diana and Andrew’s wife, Sarah (Emma Laird Craig), who has nowhere else to go.
The Crown Season 5 writers want to abolish the monarchy so badly
— Tianna, the Writer (@tiannathewriter) November 9, 2022
Staunton, a remarkable actor, perfectly portrays the Queen’s character. Many of us are familiar with her. Morgan wrote the Queen’s character arc with excellence, where she goes from a young woman trying to understand her duties to someone who knows when to command and show her emotions. The famous 1992 speech by Morgan was just before. “annus horribilis”Morgan explains why the Queen allows her people to see that year’s events in a speech. “It has been by some margin the worst year of my reign, quite possibly my life,” she tells her mother before giving the address. “I’m happy for people to know…that I’m made of flesh and blood and that perhaps we have fallen short in our duties as a family and owe them an apology.”
Based on what I’ve seen, Morgan seems to keep coming back to the same conclusion over and again: The system is unfair. Yes, but it also makes you question why they didn’t leave if they were so unhappy. This is the one thing that sticks out for me. While I understand it’s to show their misery, bringing it up multiple times renders it redundant, boring and irritating. This is where the show really gets stretched and shows the grey characters in a good light. It’s a place that everyone seems to enjoy, even Charles. We don’t know if Morgan was just trying to be respectful or if he was playing safe. However, it is evident that they are victims to Morgan.
In preparation for Season 5, watched The Crown Season 4 along with my mom. The show was just too familiar.
It is easy to see why Diana was so beloved by many Moms of Color.
Many of them could relate to her struggles from marrying young & learning that it’s not a fairy tale— Cherry #rememberedbyParkBom (@2n1bcdm) November 10, 2022
In the context of today’s time, The Crown is a reminder that the royal family’s obsolescence began way back in the 1990s. Morgan portrays this side as a way to apologize for the past. However, we must remember that despite the criticism and questions the Queen and her family endured during her reign, they clung to their roles with utmost ‘sincerity’, if one is being less cynical about their position. If we aren’t, then you will be able to see the subtle layers of how certain individuals choose to hold onto power while using their troubles to justify the direction they have taken. You, the viewer decide which view you want to purchase. But as far as Peter Morgan’s version of season 5 fares, it is an emotional story of a troubled, if not twisted family, paying a personal, heavy-duty to retain the problematic institution they wish to do away with.
