Netflix fans, if you're not watching The Crown obsessively, then you're doing it wrong. Artful, dramatic, and beautiful, The Crown is everything you could ever want in a show. As far as terms of historical accuracy, there are a few things that are embellished slightly, but overall, it's a 10/10. Season 2 came out in December and it has taken all of my willpower to wait this long to finish it. Now that I have, I'm counting down the days until the end of the year and the projected release date.
Regardless of whether or not you appreciate historical dramas or the British Monarchy, this is still the best show on Netflix right now.
1. Claire Foy might actually be the Queen
Claire Foy is a carbon copy of Queen Elizabeth II from the way she carries herself to her accent. Her physical build is nearly identical right down to the color of her eyes. It's kind of terrifying, tbh.
2. The costumes
The costumes are beautiful and so accurate. The refined and classic style of the Queen playing off of Princess Margaret's fun and modern look is such a great expression of personality and, tbh, I constantly try to figure out how I can let them inspire my outfits.
3. Matt Smith
While I nearly always fall into "Team Elizabeth" when she and Philip have an on-screen fight, Matt Smith is a great actor and he makes the show a lot of fun to watch. His slightly dorky, slightly athletic portrayal of the Duke of Edinburgh is endearing even though he does annoy me half of the time. He has this kind of kicked-puppy look that is 10/10 every time he uses it.
4. The camera angles
I'm not a film nerd, but the camera angles are so unique and artful. They really like to use reflections and shadows. It's so cool!
5. Vanessa Kirby
Vanessa Kirby is a beautiful human who does a fantastic job acting as Princess Margaret. Everything about her and her portrayal is perfect.
6. The drama
The drama of this show is incredibly balanced. I love when they use voice-overs of a character reading something while showing a scene. The second episode of season 1 is wonderful for this. Basically, all of the drama and political plots are just wonderful.
7. The ascension to the throne
Elizabeth's ascension to the throne is so well done and really highlights all of the issues that came up for the young queen. The balance of her grief and her self-control as she managed her new life was so well-done. Basically, everything about her is just so impressive.
8. The timeline
The timeline of the show is so cool. I love that we get to see Elizabeth and Philip get married, have a life without being the rulers of the country, and then actually deal with becoming one of the most famous couples in the world. Having characters die within the first few episodes was a risky move, but it works really well.
9. The strong female characters
The Queen and Princess Margaret are just two of the strong female characters in this show. Their grandmother was a force to be reckoned with and having her on-screen was really fun! I also really loved Clementine Churchill and her character (even though she didn't have a lot of screen time). Basically, all of the ladies in this show are phenomenal.
10. The Queen Elizabeth II/Duke of Edinburgh relationship
I cannot tell you guys enough how cute I think they are. The Queen has said that Philip's temper tantrums and overreactions were embellished quite a bit by Netflix, but I honestly don't even mind because it makes their make-ups that much cuter. Basically, I'm shamelessly obsessed with the two of them.
Okay, one more:
I promise this is the last one: