The Lost Review. The Crown. Season Three.

This critic like millions of others around the world was very surprised when he discovered just how engaging the first two seasons of The Crown are .that said this initial review for season three was written last year and then the file promptly disappeared into his archive Thus this writer had always considered it one of his very few lost reviews (after a certain point it wasn’t worth going back and fishing out a review for a season that was months old .)Fast forward a year and with season four just released this mindset has changed his mindset. This is also getting posted retroactively because when season four does get covered it will save time in terms of directing viewers towards this first to explain the much more muted set of expectations this critic has going into season four. At the time of writing, he has not started the ten episodes The new season may or may not be a return to the brilliance of the shows first generation. This viewer/fun is going in with an open mind and licence to be impressed by what came out of the gate as one of the best streaming shows. Look out for thoughts on the newest season in the next few weeks.

This critic, not a royalist in any way but the first two seasons of The Crown were superb and in the top three Netflix originals. An excellent blend of engaging character-focused writing, superb performances and terrific production design made for very engrossing drama. With the end of season two having complete the first generation, I was interested to see what the first half of the second generation would ring after a two-year hiatus. Olivia Colman and Tobias Mercedes seemed like good choices for the lead roles. the new season was met with relatively high expectations. What did it deliver?
Honestly, Season three represents the most frustrating type of slight slump in quality that it’s possible to discuss. There’s material in this season that is among some of the best stuff the show has delivered. the dramatization of the Aberfan disaster will almost certainly win the creative team another boatload of awards and there are a few other strong episodes scattered throughout. Coleman and Mercedes are strong in the title roles and Helena Bonham Carter delivers her best work in years as Princess Margaret. If viewers enjoyed the first two seasons there’s a strong chance he will like this season. That said there are a couple of key issues heir head but the show simply can’t get around.
There’s been a shift in the writing from Peter Morgan and his team this season. The style has shifted from character focused with historical events taking place around them to an event focused. The characters and their relationships are a secondary concern. This isn’t awful but feels like a compensate for the fact that we are now at the point in the timeline where everyone involved is aware of how dull various elements of royal life can be. It’s nowhere near as engaging as the first two seasons. These hard event-based episodes but this season it feels like the writer’s room with checking off a list of moments they wanted to dramatize regardless of the impact on overall quality. This produces scenarios and episodes that while strong enough on their terms aren’t anything close to the high points of the previous seasons. This is incredibly frustrating despite this third effort is solid overall.
7/10