You may have come for Diana, but you’ll definitely stay for Thatcher!
Netflix’s British drama, The Crown has finally reached the epic era of Princess Diana's arrival in the Royal family and Margaret Thatcher’s portrayal of ultimate power, who both lift up the season’s spirit to its best form.
It sets in 1979, with the first female Prime Minister taking over the office, and ends in 1990, amid the chaos that was crumbling the marriage of the heir to the throne. It’s lustrous and dramatic as ever, best for a bleak period of the lockdown.
This season doesn’t really settle on a low-key groove, but it starts with violence which constantly slaps the viewers on their face in the first episodes; but because the focus of attention is so epic and bombastic, it does settle together with more ease. The coldness and the cruelty that runs in the Royal family, all that resistance to outsiders and the snobbery has finally come out at the front, while the question of what must be sacrificed for the sake of service is forever-existing!
Emma Corrin's debut as Diana is just a wonder! She first appears as an innocent, youthful, and shy teenager, hiding behind a plant pot. Later, we see her a Blondie dancing when Charles first calls, having no clue what she has to offer him and what she's going to lose. Stepping into Diana’s shoes is not an easy task; she knew the role was quite demanding, but she pulls it off quite well with the assistance of Josh O’Connor, who emerges as one of the talented stars of the drama.
Gillian Anderson Thatcher steals the show! When Meryl Streep first portrayed Thatcher's character, we knew that there won’t be anyone who could justify the character as well as her. But damn! Gillian Anderson nailed it!
She has remarkably pulled off Thatcher's character with all those icy cool glares, her postures, and the accent. At some point, it felt like it was the real Thatcher speaking!
Her epic encounters with the Queen (played by Olivia Colman) are the real treats of this season! They both try to understand each other, attempting to overpower each other and showing who the real boss is, and dodging the notion of “two women running the country,” as to how Philip puts it!
Nothing is more fun than seeing Thatcher wriggle Princess Margaret’s thumb, and then instantly begging for pardon, and Margaret scornfully replies that “begging for anything is common.”
The Crown’s struggles with tone and taste continue in this season too. It lacks grace and consistency. The subtle display of events wasn’t particularly flattering. At one point there’s Lord Mountbatten’s funeral and the Irish war, and just after an episode, we flip to Princess Anne’s nerves over an equestrian event.
But isn’t that what makes this saga the best? Switching from one beautiful location to another felt like an episode of Countryfile but with an incredible budget. Impressive performances, beautiful locations, staggering storyline, and goose-bumps-causing dialogues makes it hugely enjoyable drama, especially when you’re longing for something in these long, wintery dark nights.
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