The Crown - Netflix (season 2)

[Rodney-2187]

The Crown - Netflix

[master gandhi]

Great series. My wife and I watched the first episode of season 2 last night. Also, it looks really good in 4K.

[storythecorgi]

I love this series but these first 2 episodes of S2 are boring AF. Hopefully it picks up.

[ChadFL]

Plowed through episodes 1-6 already. Not quite on par with season 1 but outstanding. I do with they had spent more time on the Suez Crisis. Flying through that huge landmark event in barely 2 episodes didn't do it justice.

Much as I despise Anthony Eden I'm already missing him simply because Jeremy Northam was so damn good at the role. He did a fantastic job portraying what a disaster Eden was with his drug addiction during the Suez Crisis.

I'm a Michael C. Hall fan but I didn't care for his portrayal as President Kennedy. The Jackie O. actress was solid though.

[kevin87]

I thought s1 was fantastic, and while s2 was still good, it just didn't really feel like it had as much focus or something. Still good, but not as good as it could have been.

Olivia Colman should do well in season 3 and 4 as Queen Elizabeth, but since they haven't announced who the next Philip will be, it makes me wonder.

[storythecorgi]

Episode 6 was awesome when they dug all the dirt on Edward's ties with Hitler. Finally, this season is getting better. Still not as impressive as season 1 but still admiring none the less.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by storythecorgi

Episode 6 was awesome when they dug all the dirt on Edward's ties with Hitler. Finally, this season is getting better. Still not as impressive as season 1 but still admiring none the less.

I finished watching the season tonight. Overall it's very good. I'd say the late episodes are the least entertaining so you may be disappointed post episode 6.

[kevin87]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I finished watching the season tonight. Overall it's very good. I'd say the late episodes are the least entertaining so you may be disappointed post episode 6.

The young Philip episode was pretty good, oddly enough it also involved Nazis.

[storythecorgi]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I finished watching the season tonight. Overall it's very good. I'd say the late episodes are the least entertaining so you may be disappointed post episode 6.

Agree. What a weak way to end the season. And an even more weak way to send off this brilliant cast.

[BluProofie]

Loved Season 2.

[Todd Tomorrow]

I'm up to episode 8 and I think season 2 is stronger than 1. It dares to be more critical of the royal family, which I appreciate, being a republican in the British sense.

[storythecorgi]

Season 3 seems promising as the 70s had a lot of dramatic events. We'll see two more Prime Ministers, Margaret's messy divorce, Edward's death and Willis being treated poorly by the royal family, etc.

I'm still nervous about an all new cast though. The previous actors did such a splendid job.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by storythecorgi

Season 3 seems promising as the 70s had a lot of dramatic events. We'll see two more Prime Ministers, Margaret's messy divorce, Edward's death and Willis being treated poorly by the royal family, etc.

I'm still nervous about an all new cast though. The previous actors did such a splendid job.

I agree, it’s full of potential with plenty historic drama. Casting Olivia Coleman makes me confident in the next couple weeks of seasons, she’s one of my favourite actresses.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by Todd Tomorrow

I'm up to episode 8 and I think season 2 is stronger than 1. It dares to be more critical of the royal family, which I appreciate, being a republican in the British sense.

Agreed. I thought it was excellent aside from Ep. 9, the Phillip one.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by storythecorgi

Season 3 seems promising as the 70s had a lot of dramatic events. We'll see two more Prime Ministers, Margaret's messy divorce, Edward's death and Willis being treated poorly by the royal family, etc.

I'm still nervous about an all new cast though. The previous actors did such a splendid job.

I don't get recasting Elizabeth and Philip. They are outstanding and all it would take is some makeup to make them look older. We're not looking at a huge time jump for a season 3. Sure, they'd need to re-cast the kids but there's no need to replace Clair Foy and Matt Smith unless it's a contract problem.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by storythecorgi

Season 3 seems promising as the 70s had a lot of dramatic events. We'll see two more Prime Ministers, Margaret's messy divorce, Edward's death and Willis being treated poorly by the royal family, etc.

I'm still nervous about an all new cast though. The previous actors did such a splendid job.

You can be sure it will get deep into the Northern Irish "Troubles"/IRA too. The Earl of Mountbatten is a major character in the series and he was assassinated by the IRA in the late 70's.

[cochon]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I don't get recasting Elizabeth and Philip. They are outstanding and all it would take is some makeup to make them look older. We're not looking at a huge time jump for a season 3. Sure, they'd need to re-cast the kids but there's no need to replace Clair Foy and Matt Smith unless it's a contract problem.

It will be tough on the series and the followers to adjust to new actors.

[kevin87]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I don't get recasting Elizabeth and Philip. They are outstanding and all it would take is some makeup to make them look older. We're not looking at a huge time jump for a season 3. Sure, they'd need to re-cast the kids but there's no need to replace Clair Foy and Matt Smith unless it's a contract problem.

Originally Posted by cochon

It will be tough on the series and the followers to adjust to new actors.

I don't think it'll be tough, people are used to Doctor Who changing and as I just posted in the BD topic, you can't have three actors ranging from 30 to 35 keep playing the characters in their 50s onward, they were already aging them slightly above their current ages in the final episode anyway. Plus Claire Foy has said it was always meant to be just 2 seasons and then they'll cast older actors as the characters age. You can't have a show about Queen Elizabeth and only focus on her 20s and 30s, so naturally she and everybody else has to age.

As long as they keep getting good actors then nobody should have a problem. We'll just have to see who they get for Philip and Margaret.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by ChadFL

I don't get recasting Elizabeth and Philip. They are outstanding and all it would take is some makeup to make them look older. We're not looking at a huge time jump for a season 3. Sure, they'd need to re-cast the kids but there's no need to replace Clair Foy and Matt Smith unless it's a contract problem.

They already said there would be a jump in time to season 3. Old age make up, especially on women, usually looks fake and would undermine the reality of the series. You can't encase the entire cast in layers of latex for the coming seasons and have them try to act through that. This isn't some broad Eddie Murphy comedy where an actor gives a big slapstick performance with their whole body, this is about subtle things that happen on faces. You can't do British understatement and hint at repressed emotions through thick make up.

While giving a great performance and getting the accent and mannerisms right, Claire Foy never actually looked much like Elizabeth II in the first place. Getting her angular features to resembles the increasingly round, homely face of the queen in middle age, would be impossible. Olivia Coleman has the right features to resemble the character in her 50s and 60s and she's a great actress. Films use different actors at different stages of their life all the time. If cast right it can work very well, so I'm not sure why it's suddenly a big deal of using different actors for a TV series that spans a life of over 90 years. The performances are strongly informed by the real people they are based on, so there will be continuity in the performances.

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Agreed. I thought it was excellent aside from Ep. 9, the Phillip one.

That was my least favourite episode as well. I'm never a fan of stand alone episodes towards the end of the run of a season, it was Stranger Things S2 all over.