Characters of Princes Diana and Charles in The Crown 1:06
(CNN) — Propriety issues in season five of The Crown, set to premiere two months after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, are largely overshadowed by other issues as the Netflix series is supercharged with new talent, prestige in key roles and old troubles , but it feels more disjointed than unusual. The result is a one-sided campaign that reinforces the feeling that the Emmy-winning series is in danger of extending its reign for too long.
This topic is among the juiciest bits of palace intrigue in the new season, as Prince Charles (Dominic West) balks at his status as heir and speaks openly about “Queen Victoria Syndrome,” a reference to his mother the Queen (Imelda Staunton ). , too steeped in history and tradition to meet the changing demands of a modern monarchy.
Of course, the 1991 season begins, so there’s the tantalizing certainty that Isabel would retain that title for another three decades, and that Carlos will seriously damage his public image thanks to the breakdown of his marriage to Diana (Elizabeth Debicki). , which perfectly captures Diana’s thoughtful and slightly sad look. The character fares worse in terms of emotional insights, as this time she’s portrayed as less sympathetic, at least in her naivety about the hell that speaking publicly about the royal family would trigger.
Dominic West as Prince Charles and Elizabeth Debicki as Diana in Season 5 of The Crown.
The uneasiness associated with such public outbursts affects the new Prime Minister, John Major (Jonny Lee Miller), who sees the dynamics of what is happening better than the main players, which makes his role no less uncomfortable for him.
Writer/producer Peter Morgan finds himself in all sorts of situations again throughout the 10 episodes, including the unlikely friendship that develops between Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce, who plays a lead role) and Penny Knatchbull (Natascha McElhone), Felipe’s much younger wife godson, who begins by trying to comfort her over the tragic death of her daughter.
Felipe is also responsible for chiding Diana for not understanding the institution where she got married, reminding her that “it’s not family. It’s a system.”
However, given this decade’s focus on Diana and Charles, this season’s digressions seem more pronounced, and in some cases more questionable, when it comes to the plight of Princess Margaret (now Lesley Manville), who hasn’t fully made up for her past , to a deep dive into the backstory of Dodi and Mohamed al-Fayed (“The Kite Runner” Khalid Abdalla and Salim Daw, respectively), Diana’s future boyfriend and her husband-obsessed wealthy father.
There’s also an episode dedicated to Russia and the sordid history of reality surrounding the revolution, and at times it feels like a bridge or two is too far.
5 unmissable series and films about Isabel II and Carlos III 1:05
Great characters remain incredibly rigid even under the most difficult of circumstances. As Carlos privately tells his mother about Diana: “I did what you asked me to do, mom. I’ve been trying to make it work,” she replies brusquely that “being happily married is more of a preference than a requirement.”
The cast remains eye-catching on almost every level (Timothy Dalton even makes a small but significant cameo) and for those who can’t get enough royal gossip, Morgan brings audiences with his version of what happened with Closed , back up door, as Carlos and Diana quietly chatting after finalizing their divorce.
“You were never young, not even when you were young,” she tells him.
The Crown was great, as confirmed by the Emmy Award for its fourth season, and it’s still pretty good. However, given the ups and downs that younger versions of these characters have brought, watching the current season feels more like a preference than a requirement to borrow from the Queen.
The Crown begins its fifth season on November 9th on Netflix.