The Crown Season 6 Part 2 Review: We Finally Find What Made Us Fall In Love With The Series

Cast: Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Ed McVey, Meg Bellamy and Dominic West

Created By: Peter Morgan

Streaming Platform: Netflix

Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars)

Today, December 14, 2023, an important era ends for the Netflix streaming platform, as The Crown Season 6 Part 2 is available in the catalog. Since 2016, the year in which the first season was distributed, the series has managed to conquer the public and critics, winning numerous important awards such as the Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the SAG Awards. Over the years The Crown has been able to increasingly broaden its audience, inevitably attracting a lot of criticism – especially from the United Kingdom – regarding a lack of historical accuracy. However, Netflix and the authors – led by Peter Morgan – never let themselves be influenced and continued to do their work, also showing great respect for the sovereign, who died in September 2022; on that occasion, filming of the final season was underway, and the entire crew decided to stop for a period, to pay homage to the key figure of the series itself.

Between established historical facts and fictionalized personal events, the series has told from 1947 to the present day a universe closed to the majority, divided between history and the private life of people born in an extraordinary environment forced to bend their lives to a single will: that of The Crown. He paid the costs of Diana whose tragic end we witnessed in the first part of this season, suffocated for years, before the divorce from Carlo, by the cold logic of the Palazzo; but also, Charles himself who for years had to give up truly experiencing his great and true love Camilla Parker Bowles, and even before that Princess Margaret and the Queen herself. The Crown Season 6 Part 1 analyzed in our previous article, focused almost exclusively on telling the last days of Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki). In this second part (which we previewed, except the last episode), the focus of the narrative seems to return to The Crown.

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 Review: The Story Plot

The Crown Season 6 starts again immediately after Diana’s death, William (played in this second part by Ed McVey) is about to return to school but his relationship with his father is more difficult than ever: the boy blames him, in fact, for what happened at his mother. The prince struggles to find a dimension of himself first in high school and then at university, accompanied everywhere by a bodyguard and with the always lurking presence of paparazzi, so much so that it is difficult for him to even go out with a girl. If the intervention of his grandparents is enough to get closer to his father, in particular, Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce) finally ready to admit his shortcomings as a parent, his love life will take a new turn with the entry of the young woman into the scene – and beautiful – Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy).

Meanwhile, Elizabeth is grappling with the impact that Diana’s death has had on the perception of the monarchy: something has changed, and British subjects no longer seem to love the royal family as much as they once did. As if that wasn’t enough, the popularity of the liberal Tony Blair (Bertie Carvel) seems to be eroding that of the royals: it is from him that Elizabeth will ask for suggestions to “rejuvenate” the monarchy and get closer to the people, only to then understand that the true essence of monarchy resides precisely in the aura of mystery that surrounds it, in its being the necessary testimony of England’s past, of its History. The queen’s golden jubilee is approaching, and Elizabeth approaches it with many fears, but it could be the presence of her nephew William that gives her the strength needed to face a moment as important as it is difficult…

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 Review and Analysis

The last episodes of the final season of The Crown tell in particular the life of Prince William (Ed McVey), a young boy who, after experiencing the shock caused by the sudden death of his mother, had to give up much of the well-known light-heartedness that should be part of his age. William is convinced to return to Eton College but has to deal with an incredible notoriety that, when Diana was alive, he had never seen. His good looks, reminiscent of his beloved mother, make him a perfect sentimental icon for all English teenagers, who compete to get an autograph. Inebriated but often also annoyed by his celebrity, William has to manage with great difficulty his academic commitments and delicate family relationships, characterized by a good relationship with his father but, differently, by moments of tension with his brother Harry (Luther Ford).

The two, although linked by a heartfelt fraternal feeling, do not share the same considerations regarding their mother’s past attitudes, clearly criticized by Harry. William, on the other hand, always has words of affection for Diana, which describe her more as a woman who had countless difficulties in combining life in the royal palace with her uninhibited and informal attitude. The Netflix story also describes the events that led William to meet Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy), a meeting that we will discover is not quite as spontaneous as we could have imagined. In the touching episode 8 of this latest season, entitled Ritz, we discover how much this burden, considered by many only a privilege and a fortune, influenced the life of Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton). Throughout the episode, sister Margaret (Lesley Manville) recalls a memory that is very dear to her, the night of May 8, 1945, when the whole of England was celebrating the end of the Second World War.

The very young sisters, together with two trusted friends slipped out of the royal palace to go and have fun at the Ritz hotel, finally experiencing the freedom that the war, and their rank, had prevented them from having. It is in those carefree hours, in the frenzy of the party, that the true nature of the future queen comes out, unleashed in the dances, smiling, uninhibited, no longer composed and shy, as if in those happy moments, she had put aside the irreproachability that his future role requires. It is as if Elizabeth felt this bond, this similarity with William, and saw what awaits him, what he will have to sacrifice, comparing herself to him as a young man. So much so that she decided to keep him at the shelter from media exposure on the day of his 50th jubilee celebrations in 2002, as seen in the penultimate episode of the series, just now that William has found love in Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy), a newborn relationship that needs be safe from the clutches of the tabloids and the paparazzi, before it inevitably becomes “public property”, with all the consequences of the case.

A relationship so special that the sovereign had thought of asking him to stand next to her and support her on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet her subjects because she was scared of the possibility of not seeing any crowd or even being booed due to the general discontent towards the royal house of those years. Perhaps her gesture for the first time is a simple grandmother’s gesture, a gift that she gives to her grandson to allow him to live for as long as possible the normality that she regrets. The one when together with Filippo, young newlyweds, lived in Malta, near Valletta, in a house called Villa Guardamangia, among the happiest years of his life, when he went shopping like any other person, organized dinners and picnics far away from the spotlight. “I want the same for you”, says the queen to William, wishing him a sweet gift once he moves to a house in Hope Street with Kate and two other friends that are “his” Villa Guardamangia.

William will be at her side on that balcony in the end by his own free choice, devoted to the queen, but above all loving and protective towards his grandmother, thus ideally taking the place of those who for 50 years of reign have been at her side without reserves: Margaret and the Queen Mother, who passed away shortly before celebrating this milestone with her. A queen and a future sovereign, a grandmother and a grandson. With an always exciting narrative that, starting from the facts of a monarchy, manages to talk about personal events that become universal, The Crown has succeeded in “humanizing” the royals of England with six seasons and bringing them closer even to those who were distant from them geographically and emotionally. This latest season confirms the very high quality of the real story told by Peter Morgan, a highly experienced screenwriter for films such as The Queen by Stephen Frears (Oscar for Helen Mirren).

The accuracy of the sets and costumes, the punctual and exciting soundtrack, and above all the great work of the casting director Robert Sterne who this time too, as in previous seasons, chose impeccable and passionate interpreters starting from Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Jonathan Pryce and the young Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy. A jewel that will remain in the annals of TV series, and which at the same time we can consider great cinema. God save the Queen, the King…and Peter Morgan. If Ed McVey works very well in the role of William, the real star of these episodes is Imelda Staunton’s queen, who is finally given the right space. The episode in which we most appreciated this newfound importance of hers is the eighth, entitled Ritz, in which the actress shares the screen with Lesley Manville, who plays Princess Margaret. It is the relationship between sisters that is central this time, and the series, through a series of flashbacks, takes us back to an episode from when they were still teenagers, to the first night after the end of the war and to a party at the Ritz, where Elisabetta can spend a few hours of carefree time without thinking about the future that awaits her.

If we hadn’t appreciated how Diana’s death was told, that of Margaret (who was a central character throughout the series) is brought to the screen in the best way in our opinion: it is through her sister’s illness that the queen is faced with time, being deprived of one of the most important figures in her life. The relationship between the two, both when they were young and in adulthood, is deep and touching and allows us to show the more human side of a woman who is more at ease in demonstrations of affection towards ” dogs and horses” (as is repeatedly underlined) rather than with people. The passage of time, the “end of an era”, is more evident than ever with Margaret’s exit from the scene, and with Elizabeth appearing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace accompanied by the new generations, by those who will take her place: it is with a certain melancholy that we conclude this last season of The Crown, definitely satisfied but also sorry that there isn’t another episode waiting for us, that this story can’t go a little further.

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 Review: The Last Words

The latest episodes of The Crown involve the viewer in a way that hasn’t happened in a long time: in a narrative arc dedicated to Prince William and Queen Elizabeth, we finally find what made us fall in love with the series. The two, although linked by a heartfelt fraternal feeling, do not share the same considerations regarding their mother’s past attitudes, clearly criticized by Harry. William, on the other hand, always has words of affection for Diana, which describe her more as a woman who had countless difficulties in combining life in the royal palace with her uninhibited and informal attitude. The Netflix story also describes the events that led William to meet Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy), a meeting that we will discover is not quite as spontaneous as we could have imagined.

The Crown Season 6 Part 2 Review: We Finally Find What Made Us Fall In Love With The Series - Filmyhype

Director: Peter Morgan

Date Created: 2023-12-14 15:52

Editor's Rating:
4

Pros

• Emotional resonance: The concluding part is likely to deal heavily with the aftermath of Diana's tragedy, potentially offering a moving portrayal of grief and its impact on the Royal family and the nation.
• Shifting focus: Moving past Diana's death, the series could explore Elizabeth's reign into the new millennium, tackling issues like devolution within the UK and the Blair era.
• New dynamics: The introduction of younger characters like William and Kate could bring fresh perspectives and storylines to the show.
• Production quality: The Crown has consistently delivered high production values, and Part 2 is expected to maintain that standard.Over-reliance on Diana's tragedy: Excessive focus on Diana's death might overshadow other important historical events and character development.
• Predictability: Some aspects of the narrative, especially regarding Charles and Camilla, might feel predictable to viewers familiar with the real-life events.
• Casting choices: While the current cast has received mixed reviews, some viewers might still struggle with the new actors portraying iconic figures.
• Accuracy concerns: As with any historical drama, creative liberties taken with real events might draw criticism from some viewers.

Cons

• Over-reliance on Diana's tragedy: Excessive focus on Diana's death might overshadow other important historical events and character development.
• Predictability: Some aspects of the narrative, especially regarding Charles and Camilla, might feel predictable to viewers familiar with the real-life events.
• Casting choices: While the current cast has received mixed reviews, some viewers might still struggle with the new actors portraying iconic figures.
• Accuracy concerns: As with any historical drama, creative liberties taken with real events might draw criticism from some viewers.