The Crown

I just watched the first two episodes and I already am in love with the story and characters! The acting is excellent as well as the directing, story line, costumes, sets, filming locations and everything else that has gone into the making of this series. It is well written and filmed and I am looking forward to seeing the remaining episodes. I have always been fascinated with history and this series takes you back in time. It has such powerful emotion and a lot of surprises which held my interest tremendously. So far, the episodes I saw went by quickly with me wanting to see more. If you are a history buff or interested in the Royal Family, don't miss this! It is a down to earth version of their lives and responsibilities. And so far, there are many things I did not know or appreciate. Definitely a learning experience and thank you for such a beautiful story! This is an addition to my previous post- I am now on episode 9 and if there aren't any awards for acting, I will be extremely surprised. John Lithgow's portrayal of Winston Churchill is award winning as well as Claire Foy playing the Queen. All of the acting is superb in my opinion and I don't want this series to end...

I have to be honest. I had refused to watch this show from the moment it was released. Being no fan of monarchies in general, or of the House of Windsor in particular, I wrongly failed to see the potential.

But history always is interesting, especially when left in the hands of able writers and an absolutely spectacular cast. To a person, word for spoken word, I was drawn into this series headlong and found myself taken by this expertly crafted story.

I love that the flaws and tensions that existed are exposed and leveraged. And I find myself reaching for the shelf and pulling out a book or two to refamiliarize myself with some event.

In short it won me over and taught me a lesson or two in the process. What more can one ask?

The Crown boasts no action sequences or big movie stars, and yet it is one of the most expensive shows of all time. Why? Because of the sheer attention to detail. Aside from the fully historically accurate costumes and locations, the show is just gorgeous to look at. The lighting, the cinematography, and everything else visual about it is on point. It's quite apparent none of that money went to waste.

The show doesn't just look gorgeous, though. It is also compelling, well written, and well performed. In fact, almost every element is perfectly executed, which means that no single one stands out above the rest, but rather they work in harmony. And that is the show's greatest success; the fact that it all comes together smoothly into a neat, binge-able, high quality package.

Mind you, the reason I enjoy the Crown so much is that I knew what to expect when I went into it. This is NOT a fast-paced, action-packed, edge-of-your-seat experience. It is a character drama about the royal family. It runs at a slow pace. Yet it is gripping all the same.

That's why it is so good to know that Netflix made such a large investment in this series; they're taking chances and funding original and unusual things in an era when Hollywood is afraid to do anything that isn't already an existing intellectual property. I hope that the Crown blows up like Stranger Things. I hope it gets all the attention it deserves.

What can I say about The Crown that hasn't already been said? It's incredible! There are some that don't like it because they take some liberties with the story but overall it's pretty accurate, especially the first few seasons. You can tell the amount of effort they put into this show from everything from the writing, acting, cinematography, production, etc. All being as good as it gets for a television show. It chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family from the 1940's to modern times. It gives you an inside look at the personal lives of the royal family including their romances and political rivalries. There's a reason this show has won so many awards and that's because it's brilliant!

Season 1-2 was perfect, but major casting mistakes were done in season 5. I've grown to like Imelda Staunton as the Queen although her performance seemed a little insincere. I normally really adore Lesley Manville but she's totally wrong to play Princess Margot. Her accent and her demeanor is all wrong for this role. But honestly, the worst casting mistake was Dominic West. Dominic West was Dominic West. He failed to transform into King Charles as the previous actor did. Other reviewers are all complaining about Debicki and the actor who plays Prince Phillip, but I liked both of them. They were definitely better than West.

The episode in season 5 that highlighted the last moments of Tsar Nicholas's family was very spot on. A lot of people don't know that the Bolsheviks murdered their family in cold blood, raped the young princesses's and buried them like animals. Bringing awareness to this historic horror was important and well done.