The Crown is a Netflix original that has taken the world by storm. As I write this there are four seasons with two more planned that will finish off the series. It is based around the life of Queen Elizabeth II and each season is based on a different time frame and it is a show that is captivating no matter if you are interested in the Royal Family or not.
How to Stream or Download The Crown
You can stream it or you can download the show using the Netflix App, To start, click on the Download button at the end of the review.
The Movie Review
Before we get to the plot of the various seasons, we have to talk about the cast. Olivia Coleman who plays Elizabeth in seasons 3 and 4 seems to get all the attention. However, the casting for this show is amazing throughout all four seasons and I wanted to share a few of my personal favorites.
Seriously, whoever did the casting for this show did a phenomenal job. Matt, Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Claire Foy, Helena Bonham Carter, and Tobias Menzies are awesome. The addition of Emma Corrin as Princess Diana and Tobias Menzies as Prince Charles was great. My personal favorite piece of casting is Gillian Anderson, Maggie Thatcher. I am a huge X-Files fan and I was blown away by her performance.
The first season of the show is probably the weakest in my opinion. Season one takes place from the mid-40s to the mid-50s. You have the marriage of Elizabeth and Phillip and also the strained relationship between Margaret and Peter Townsend. It sets the stage for the series very well, but I would certainly say it was my least favorite.
I loved the second season as it felt like it had far more political shenanigans going on. It deals with the Suez Crisis and Harold Macmillan as the Prime Minister. This was one of those seasons that the wife and I ended up plowing through in just a couple of days as each episode made you want to go straight into the next one.
In the third season, we have a new character join the cast and that is Camilla! If you know anything about the Royal Family, you know why Camilla’s entry in the show is such a big deal. The time period of the mid-60s to the mid-70s is pretty cool too. There is a great deal going on in this season.
So far, I have to say that season 4 is my personal favorite. Not only does it introduce Gillian Anderson as Maggie Thatcher. We also have the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles too. This season was so good that by the time the credits rolled, I was straight online to see when the fifth season would start!
I know that if you are not interested in the Royal Family, you may think that this is a show that is not for you. I only have a passing interest in this kind of stuff, but I found myself hooked pretty much right from the start. The acting is great and the production design is just fantastic and feels very authentic.
