The Crown Season 1 Netflix Series Review

The Crown (2016-)
Season 1 - 10 episodes (2016)

The Crown Season 1

Watch The Crown on Netflix
Created by: Peter Morgan
Written by: Peter Morgan
Starring: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, Vanessa Kirby, John Lithgow, Greg Wise

Plot
Claire Foy plays Elizabeth II and Matt Smith from Dr. Who plays her husband Prince Phillip. This series is planned to cover Elizabeth's marriage in 1947, taking the throne at the age of twenty-five, her relationship with Winston Churchill (John Lithgow), and continuing to current day.  The first and second seasons are in development.
The first season focuses on Elizabeth becoming the queen, her relationship with Churchill, and the strain the crown puts on all of her interpersonal relationships.

Verdict
The production values are amazing. There's never a single second that you don't fully believe this is 1950's England. The actors are phenomenal. Claire Foy manages to invoke multiple emotions simultaneously in each scene. John Lithgow is completely transformed and embodies Winston Churchill. It's uncanny.
All of that would just be set dressing without a good story, and this packs a lot into each hour. The inspiration is unparalleled, and we see behind the scenes. Queen Elizabeth performs so many roles, each one strained by the crown, as wife, sister, friend, and politician. Despite her insecurity she finds the courage to push forward and carry out the job with which she has been tasked. We slowly see her gain confidence and fully inhabit the role and her capabilities.
This is one of Netflix's best shows, but it's not an easy watch. You must pay rapt attention as the show rarely slows down. It doesn't hold your hand and it takes a few episodes just to put so many characters in place.
Watch it.

Review
This has a little bit of Downton Abbey (2010-2015) to it, set in England with servants dressing the royalty, but the show never delves into that dynamic. I suppose the Queen can't deign to tie her own shoes. Her her staff feels about that, we don't know.

While a comparison could be made to House of Cards (2013-), this isn't political, at least not directly. The focus is squarely on Elizabeth and her relationship with family, friends, her husband, and politicians. All of them doubt her to some degree, question her, and hope to capitalize on her youthfulness. Every relationship is wrought with tension. She has no political aspirations, she's simply dealing with the responsibility.

Elizabeth is only twenty five and now the Queen. This strains bonds with her husband who gave up his royal titles to marry her and is now second fiddle. As King George tells Phillip, "She is the job... supporting her." As everyone reminds her and Phillip, it's all about the crown. The Crown might as well be considered a character. The crown must always win, and it will always take precedent. That is tough for everyone.

Episode 1 - John Lithgow as Winston Churchill

The first episode is a bit static as it establishes her family & Phillip, while introducing the characters and setting up the catalyst for Elizabeth to become Queen. King George's health is worsening, Winston Churchill is prime minister, and we're introduced to many staff members.

The production is extremely authentic, and this feels more like a movie than television due to the number of settings and the large number of extras in many scenes. The first episode really went all out in scope and scale.
The second episode showcases what this series can do in a single hour. It's a powerful episode where story, direction, and cinematography blend wonderfully. Elizabeth is now two people, the former Elizabeth and the new Queen Elizabeth.

Episode 2 - Elizabeth

Despite her misgivings and lack of confidence, she has the utmost respect for the job and her duty. From the second episode, it's clear the series will showcase her strength of character, and we see her pragmatism early. When a staffer asks her what her royal name will be, she responds she wants to keep things simple. She will retain her own name and will be Queen Elizabeth II.

Episode three introduces the conniving. Churchill wants to delay her coronation so that he can retain power. Elizabeth realizes this quickly. While she assumes to a degree that her advisers have her best interests in mind, she stands up to Churchill and puts him in his place. It's a great moment that shows her power and wisdom.
She has more fire than anyone realizes, but Phillip feels emasculated. He's losing his Mountbatten name, after already giving up his original surname. His children won't even have his name. He has to give up their home and follow her to Buckingham Palace. He is losing his sense of place, and his coldness towards Elizabeth only grows throughout the season. In episode three he takes up flying because it's the one place he's free.

Episode 5 - Queen Elizabeth's coronation.

Elizabeth makes Phillip the chair of the coronation staff. He wants carte blanche as he plans the ceremony, She agrees provided he kneel. Obviously he doesn't like the idea and suggest standing next to his wife. He accuses her of enjoying the power, while she accuses him of insecurity. She reminds him he kneels to the crown, not a wife. No one realizes the distinction between the crown and the person better than Elizabeth. For everyone else, the two blend together. They can't separate the person from the role.

Frequently she asks that something be done and she's reminded of tradition and the proper way to do things. You can feel her frustration. She's supposed to be powerful, but tradition is often able to trump her.
Breaking tradition and proper protocol is the basis of Princess Margaret's arc. Her relationship with a married adviser, Peter, continues when he's divorced, but the royal family frowns on divorce. Elizabeth's devotion to her sister is tested, and while she wants her sister to be happy. The crown and tradition come first.
Phillip frowns on commoners anyway and the queen mother puts a stop to the sensational story the press is spinning about it. Peter is sent on assignment to another country. Margaret will have to wait.

Episode 1 - Matt Smith as Prince Phillip & Claire Foy as Elizabeth

Elizabeth's uncle, Prince Henry, wants to exact revenge in the form of a payout due to the slight to his wife. He refused the crown so that he could marry a divorced woman, passing it on to his younger brother who became King George. The family cast him out for his indiscretion and George's wife blames him for George's death. As he says, you never know if you're in, but you know when you're out.

Princess Margaret relishes a chance to take over the royal duties and make a speech in episode eight, but she tunes it up to fit her style. Elizabeth and her advisers are concerned about the potential offenses and slights, while Churchill lectures her. Margaret got to be the kid left at home with no supervision. While she relished entertaining the crowd, Elizabeth realizes that the role isn't about enjoying it. Relationships with foreign countries could be soured just by a simple joke.

Everyone wants something, hoping they can bend Elizabeth to their will because she's young and a woman. Churchill quickly becomes impressed, describing her as "ingenious." Churchill handled a dense smog storm poorly and she had summoned him for a berating, but by the time he got there the smog had cleared. Instead of denouncing him for a problem that solved itself, she deftly changes the course of the conversation.

Episode 7 - Churchill rebuked by the Queen.

In episode seven, Elizabeth's tutor encourages her to rebuke Churchill and her ministers for hiding his strokes from her. He tells her they'll accept it because they are British and aristocrats. It's a great scene played by Foy and Lithgow. Lithgow is going to garner nominations for this role, and there is a good chance Foy will as well.
It took that outside voice of the tutor to spur Elizabeth to action. She tells him why she can't and his response is that she's the queen, but it's an example of the figurative weight of the crown and the strict adherence to upbringing, order, and tradition that stifles her.

Episode 9 - Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth and Phillip's relationship declines throughout the season, culminating in episode nine. Phillip is barely at home and she begins spending time with an old friend, Porchey. Marriage between Elizabeth and Porchey had been considered at one time, but Elizabeth tells Phillip he's the only one she ever loved. This alleviates some tension, but it can't resolve it.

The final episode resolves Margaret and Peter's relationship, and of course Margaret is upset with Elizabeth.

I expect season two will cover the Suez crisis, Churchill's successor, and her visit the the U.S. where she addressed the United Nations.