Starring: Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham-Carter, Jason Watkins, Jane Lopataire, Charles Dance, Josh O'Connor, Erin Dougherty, Derek Jacobi
A new cast breathes fresh air into The Crown, which stalled plenty in season two with tangents and subplots which distracted from the more fascinating characters. Oscar winner Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies take the reins as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and as both approach middle age, we witness more depth and growth in the royal couple than ever before. It took a moment to get used to not having Claire Foy and Matt Smith around, but these actors make the roles their own.
Beginning in 1964, The Crown picks up with Elizabeth and Philip far more settled into their marriage and Philip's place in the monarchy than previously. There is no mention of Beatlemania gripping the nation and the world, but newly elected, progressive prime minister Harold Wilson (a terrific Jason Watkins) is introduced. The queen doesn't know what to make of him. Is he so progressive that he plans to make the monarchy obsolete, or is he a monarchist at heart? As the season progresses, the shifting nature of Wilson's and Elizabeth's relationship provides ample theater.
Elizabeth undergoes extraordinary effort to not show emotion, to be a rigid, neutral monarch in chaotic times for her country, but Colman is great at allowing us to see inside, whether through a tear or a facial expression. Philip's face is even less expressive than his wife's, and his best episode, which coincides the Apollo 11 moon landing with Philip's midlife crisis, doesn't just allow us a peek into Philip's inner turmoil, it puts it on full display with a humble speech to a group of burnt-out priests he previously ridiculed.
We see more of the young adult Prince Charles (O'Connor) and Princess Anne (Dougherty), who are involved in stories of their own involving Charles' trip to Wales, where he learns to ingratiate himself to the populace, and Charles' romance with Camilla Shand, who would later become Camilla Parker-Bowles. While Charles fully understands the family dynamic which is slowly moving against him, Princess Anne deals with her family with directness and youthful arrogance. It's not as if she has any chance of being the future queen. There are many dialogue references to Charles one day becoming king, which provide perhaps intentional laughs because as of September 2020, Queen Elizabeth reigns still, and a now 72-year-old Prince Charles has to wonder if his day will ever come to be king. The Crown fully exploits the family tension between the idealistic, naive Charles and his mother. Parallels between Charles and his exiled uncle Edward (Jacobi) are delved into as well.
Helena Bonham-Carter takes over as Princess Margaret, whose marriage is crumbling due to her husband's philandering. Margaret is capable of pulling a welcome surprise out of her hat, such as a state dinner with President Lyndon Johnson (Clancy Brown) in which the UK's financial future is at stake. Margaret, no stranger to making a public spectacle of herself, finds a way to ingratiate herself with Johnson in the most unexpected ways, and the UK's finances are secured. Queen Elizabeth is aghast, because she could not possible behave like Margaret on her worst day, but she also can't argue with success.
Season three, aside from some minor hiccups, moves along swiftly and sets up a fourth season involving Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana's marriage to Charles. The queen is celebrating her silver jubilee, and Queen Elizabeth has more or less grown to understand her role, how she must behave as queen, and how she must make sometimes devastating personal sacrifices for the good of her crown.
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