“The Crown” Season 3 Review by Brooke Daugherty
December 4, 2019 7:36 am |
The Crown has a brilliant formula to entertain Brits and Yanks alike, but the third season of Peter
Morgan’s ode to the aristocracy can’t keep up the streak. Since its inception, the series model is to
have three sets of two seasons. Each set of two has the same actors for one time frame of Elizabeth
II’s life, showing her age without having to age actors up or down. Each era has been cast with prime
actors of their age range, but all seasons are not created equal.
Olivia Coleman looks great taking over from Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth. Her Windsor accent is a bit
more subdued than Foy’s, but still believable. It seems Morgan and his team are trying too hard to
make her more interesting. Most of her stories seem to revolve around her family and less around her
own agency. As great an actor that she is, Coleman can’t even bolster the characterization created.
Tobias Menzies looks more like Prince Philip than Matt Smith and dare I say, he could jump in a time
machine to play an elder Prince William. Although Philip is essentially written the same, but Menzies
portrays him more inwardly indignant than outwardly whiny. This season we see Philip’s obsession
with astronauts & some slight redemption, to unavoidably ruin it.
Vanessa Kirby dazzled as Princess Margaret, has been replaced by Helena Bonham Carter. Bonham
Carter is brilliant as Margaret when, much like her character’s storyline, is allowed to do something.
She shines at the drunken dinner parties and beguiling Americans. When Margaret is not the center of
an episode, she is sulking in the background about Tony. Speaking of Tony, Ben Daniels is a
forgettable Earl of Snowdon. He is a good actor, but doesn’t have the charisma of Matthew Goode.
Greg Wise was a much more compelling Dickie, although Charles Dance’s episode with Penny Downie
as Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was brilliant. In fact, Downie steals every scene she is in. Her scenes
with Menzies, elevate his acting to a point neither are acting but are instead embodying their
characters. Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, is great in the role and I look forward to any other
episodes he graces. His sister Anne is played by Erin Doherty who should steal the show as a feisty,
modern woman, instead her lines feel forced. I won’t even go into how wasted Derek Jacobi was as the
Duke of Windsor. He is one of the best Britain has to offer, yet he is relegated to a boring
characterization with an over dramatic death scene.
The sets and cinema look amazing and I enjoyed the first few episodes, but the waste of talent and
boring plot lines left little to be desired. I would have preferred five more episodes of the previous cast.
Perhaps eight episodes instead of ten of this cast. Although it has faults, I would rather watch this
again, than some shows out there. I will be watching Season Five for Gillian Anderson as Margaret
Thatcher. Plus the introduction of Diana, the series can only go back up.
PCL Rating: Taste It
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅
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Tags: pop culture leftovers, The Crown, The Crown 2019, The Crown Netflix, The Crown Season 3
Categorised in: Television Reviews
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