On November 9, the audience's wait for the fifth season of "The Crown" officially ended. The new season is about the 90s of the 20th century, arguably the most controversial decade in the history of the royal family. The film documents the breakdown of royal marriages, with extramarital affairs between Princess Diana, Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and now King Charles, and a fire at Windsor Castle. Supporters of the royal family say many of the storylines are exaggerated, fictional and unfair to the royal family, which is still mourning the queen.
The Crown Season 5: Distinguishing Fact from Fiction
Since "The Crown" debuted on Netflix in 2016, it has been a landmark success, including being the first TV series to win all seven major drama awards at the 2021 Emmys. Now it's in its fifth season.
The latest season has a particular focus on the fictional life of Elizabeth II – not only is this second major cast change (the royals all changed after the second season as the timeline progresses), but also the first time a new drama about Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, has aired since their deaths.
Usually, when a high-profile new TV series is launched, its producers go to great lengths to use positive words to promote it. However, the fifth season of "The Crown" was not so lucky. The fifth season follows the toughest and most turbulent years of royalty, the 90s of the 20th century, but critics see the show as mostly fictional, and for now, they are calling for a disclaimer for each episode.
After the queen's death, any negative depiction of her son became more controversial because it directly criticized the reigning monarch. Proponents of the royal family felt it was inappropriate to portray King negatively on screen when he first started the role. Particularly uncomfortable was the exposure of the 1989 Camillagate tape. In 1993, the tape exposed an intimate telephone conversation between Charles and Camilla, when Charles said he wanted to be Camilla's tampon.
The fifth season will also feature an interview with Princess Diana to BBC correspondent Martin Bashir. After her breakup with Charles, Diana detailed her husband's extramarital affair, her affair with officer James Hewitt, and her struggles with mental health and eating disorders on the 54-minute "Panorama" show. A 2021 report by retired judge John Dyson concluded that Bashir had "materially breached" guidelines by falsifying documents to approach Diana's younger brother, Lord Spencer, to convince her to be interviewed. Bashir was seriously ill and lost face, and the BBC was forced to apologize. Prince William and Prince Harry issued a statement condemning the BBC, saying: "The BBC has largely contributed to her fear, paranoia and loneliness. "Since the findings suggest that Bashir was interviewed on the wrong grounds, some believe the matter should not be exposed again in The Crown.
Joke and history
Those close to the royal family have long expressed their displeasure with the show, claiming that it is biased and that it is not true. With the death of the queen and the accession of a new king to the throne, calls for Netflix to issue a disclaimer before each episode are growing.
King Charles' friend Sir Judi Dench recently wrote an open letter to The Times urging streaming media to make it clear that the show was a "fictional drama". "It's time for Netflix to reconsider – for a family and country that has just lost loved ones, as a tribute to a monarch who has served the people for 70 years, and to safeguard its reputation in the eyes of British users," she said. ”
CNN said that depending on the narrator, the fifth season of "The Crown" is either depicting history, glorifying it, or shattering it. The winners and losers in each case are up for debate, and much depends on how observers choose to define "win" and "lose." First, just like any public figure, royals are perfectly capable of issuing a statement correcting any obscene or distorted content on the show that they deem inappropriate. Just last week, a spokesman for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair followed in Major and denounced the footage of the former prime minister and Charles as "complete rubbish." CNN said Buckingham Palace's propaganda machine was far more powerful than either of them, and the fact that it wasn't working meant that either The Crown might not be as unfair or destructive as some have complained, or its beneficiaries understood that taking it too seriously would have a bad effect on them.
Although The Crown writer Peter Morgan — who personally wrote all the episodes for the new season — has been candid about the need to create fictional scenes for the characters. The Telegraph said previous episodes took advantage of the fact that most of the show's main characters were either unlikely to make any public statements — the royal family adheres to the age-old motto of "never complain, never explain" — or are no longer alive. However, as the new season moves into the 1990s, most of the character archetypes in the show are still alive and often very unhappy with the way they are presented.
The Daily Express argues: "We should not be angry by inaccuracies and sensitivities, but should appreciate the essence of the series: it reminds us in an artistic way that the British monarchy remains one of our most precious treasures." The Crown is a very successful global brand that has encouraged our royal family and introduced them to the new younger generation. Yes, the '90s were a disgusting decade for the Windsor family, but looking back, when the winds of social change hit, it was hard not to sympathize with the family's key figures trapped in an ancient system. ”
The Crown Season 6
While the fifth season of The Crown has just landed on Netflix, a sixth season has been confirmed and is currently being filmed. The news took viewers by surprise, as they had previously been told that the fifth season would be the show's last. Morgan said: "When we started discussing the storyline for the fifth season, we quickly realized that in order for the richness and complexity of the story to be realized, we should go back to our original plan and shoot six seasons. ”
The sixth season of The Crown could return in 2023, and the media expects a new season to be released around November 2023. Netflix hasn't released an official synopsis yet, but the media has made some educated speculations about the plot:
The Golden Wedding Day of the Queen and Prince Philip (1997) – they celebrated their 50th anniversary together. In a speech at the London Ballroom, the Queen said: "He has been my strength and has been with me for so many years. ”
William and Kate's romance (started in 2001) – the two met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and started dating. Whether The Crown will restore their 2011 wedding remains to be seen.
The Queen's Golden Jubilee (2002) – Elizabeth is the first British monarch to reign for 50 years after Queen Victoria. To celebrate the holiday, she traveled 40,000 miles that year, visiting people across the country and around the world.
Prince Charles and Camilla's Wedding (2005) – The two held a civil ceremony at Windsor Town Hall before the wedding blessing ceremony at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Tony Blair's reign (1997-2007) – After Labour's landmark victory in the 1997 general election, he entered the stage at the end of the fifth season of The Crown. He reportedly had a strained relationship with the queen, although neither responded to the speculation.
For now, the sixth season is the final season of The Crown, but there are reports that a prequel series may be launched. As for "The Crown" will report on Harry and Meghan's romance? For those hoping that Morgan plans to explore the former royal relationship in the coming seasons, the media advises against expecting too much. When the news of the sixth season was announced, he had this to say: "To be clear, the sixth season is not going to bring us closer to what we are today – it just allows us to tell the previous period in more detail." In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he specifically mentioned the couple: "Meghan and Harry are on their journey and I don't know what their journey will be like or how they will end, but I prefer to write about what happened at least 20 years ago." ”
But looking ahead, what will be the ending of the final season of The Crown? Will it describe today's events? Producer Suzanne Mackie explained in a chat that Morgan doesn't write beyond the beginning of the 21st century for the following reasons: "Morgan made it clear that he couldn't write at all unless he had enough time to get the right perspective. I think he always felt that 10 years was the shortest time he could observe things in a historical context, allowing him to really understand these historical events. "As we all know, Morgan changed his mind before (filming the sixth season), so will this plan finally come true?" I don't think he's going to stray from that," McKee added, "We all know these stories, but the great thing about Morgan is that he goes behind these stories and understands them in a more subtle, complex, surprising way." ”
The main new cast of iWeekly+ The Crown is as follows:
Imelda Staunton plays Queen Elizabeth II
A stage and screen veteran, Staunton is best known for his roles as the Harry Potter villain Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter), an Oscar-nominated character in Vera Drake, and a BAFTA nominated for a BAFTA in Return to Cranford and The Girl.
Jonathan Pryce plays Prince Philip
In season five, Prince Philip forms a close friendship with his godson's wife, Penelope Knatchbull (aka Mrs. Romsey). Price has starred in "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Tomorrow's Empire", and was nominated for an Oscar for "The Succession of the Pope". He also played the master in the Doctor Who short film in 1999.
Jonny Lee Miller as John Major
One of the most controversial episodes in the fifth season of The Crown was a meeting between Prince Charles (now King) and then-Prime Minister John Major who plotted to abdicate the Queen, to which Major herself has responded as "nonsense". Miller is currently best known for playing the modern-day version of Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes: Basic Deduction, as well as for his eponymous role in Frankenstein in London's West End, which won an Oliver Award.
Lesley Manville as Princess Margaret
After previous seasons in which actors Helena Bonham Carter and Vanessa Kirby gave chaotic portrayals of the queen's grumpy sister, Manville played a more emotionally stable version of the new show. Manville is widely acclaimed for starring in the BBC sitcom Mama, and is also nominated for a BAFTA and Oscar for his role as Cyril in The Magic Line. She recently starred in the comedy film Madame Harris Goes to Paris.
Dominic West plays Prince Charles
It was a dramatic 10 years for Prince Charles, with his marriage breaking down, a phone call with Camilla's "tampon door" and a conspiracy to become king, not to mention the death of Princess Diana. West is best known for his roles in The Wire, The Chase of Love and serial killer RFred West in Proper Adult, and most recently appeared in SAS: Rogue Heroes. Dominic West's son and newcomer Senan West will play his on-screen son, Prince William.
Elizabeth Debich (Dominic West) plays Princess Diana
In the fifth season of The Crown, the description of Diana's life story was controversial, including a compelling interview with her by journalist Martin Bashir and her death in a car crash in Paris. The trailer suggests that she will be played by Debich with extraordinary precision. Debich has starred in several important roles, including Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby, and roles in The Night Manager, The Widow, and Tenet. She also played Ayesha in Guardians of the Galaxy Installments II and III.
Olivia Williams as Camilla
Camilla's relationship with Prince Charles was thrust into the spotlight in season five. Olivia succeeded Emerald Fennell in this season, who was nominated for awards for her outstanding performances in Shadow Writer and Growing Up Education, as well as playing Anna in The Sixth Sense.
Claudia Harrison as Princess Anne
We'll see the breakdown of Anne's marriage in season five, as well as the emergence of a jaw-dropping new romance. This season Harrison succeeds Erin Doherty as Princess Anne. Most recently, she played Dr Aveling in Human.
James Murray plays Prince Andrew
This will be the first time Prince Andrew has appeared in The Crown, where his marriage to Sarah Ferguson broke down in season five. Murray played this less coveted role, having starred in the sci-fi dramas "Primordial" and "Resistance", and he also appeared in Russell J. In Russell T Davies' play Cucumber.
News sources: CNN, Den of Geek, Hello Magazine, Daily Express, Daily Telegraph, image from the Internet
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