Come, gather round people! The times, they are a-changin’!
Clearly somebody in the Netflix office was reading the headlines a few weeks ago surrounding Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and said, “it’s time.”
And with that we finally received extended footage of the new season of The Crown. I wonder if it was always going to have that line about the family. Chilling.
With season 3 mere days away, the countdown is on. As we wait, let’s breakdown the trailer to see what we can expect:
The trailer begins with the clear ticking of a clock. Time marches on! Season 2 concluded with the birth and christening of Queen Elizabeth’s fourth and final child, Prince Edward, in 1964. Season 3 will cover 1964-1977. We get teasing glimpses of our new queen, Olivia Coleman. If there was anyone we could possibly welcome with open arms after the stunning work of Claire Foy in seasons 1 and 2, it is, of course, Olivia Coleman. We don’t even mind that she looks so little like Claire or QEII.
We hear an announcement about “Jubilee Day.” Queen Elizabeth’s “Silver Jubilee” in 1977 celebrated 25 years of her reign which would mean it must occur at the end of the season.
“The Times They Are A-Changin” begins playing. Is the trend of slowing down a popular song over a trailer for ominous effect getting a little tired? Sure. But all is forgiven because this is THE CROWN.
“Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call…”
This is the “Wilson Era” of 1964-1976, and while it is not the annus horribilis of 1992, it appears to be a rather shaky time for the monarchy publicly as well as the royal family personally. Harold Wilson will be the first Prime Minister of the “Labour” (more left-leaning) party during Elizabeth’s reign. Clearly we’ll be seeing a miner’s strike and issues over trade unions. There is also a small shot at the end of the trailer showing the Queen visiting Aberfan, the site of the “Aberfan Disaster,” a tragic event I had not heard of prior to reading about the show, but I am sure it is well remembered in the UK. That episode is certain to be painful.
And then, in case you had any doubt over who THIS was, we have some heavy-handed lyrics:
“Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command…”
It seems Prince Charles will figure prominently in this season. Seeds of his struggle were planted last season in that painful episode Paterfamilias in which Philip sends him to the boarding school he attended and loved but Charles detested. At first I thought Josh O’Connor’s performance was a little too much of a caricature, but after watching it over a few times, I think it’s really going to be a treat to watch. And I’ll tell you, I’ve been reading a biography of Charles and it has been a pleasant surprise to discover what an interesting and multi-faceted character he is. I’m very much looking forward to seeing his storyline portrayed in the next few seasons.
We see glimpses of his official investiture ceremony as well as that haunting exchange between him and Wallis Simpson in which she tells him his family does not, in fact, mean well. We also get a very quick shot of Camilla! I have read that Camilla secretly watches and loves The Crown, and oh my what she must be thinking ahead of season 3’s release date.
Also, it will be interesting to see what we learn of Anne, the Princess Royal. With her allegedly having more of Prince Philip’s temperament, I am sure her she will be portrayed as a foil to Charles. I do know that Charles is not the only Windsor to have had a romantic relationship with a Parker-Bowles.
Another major storyline this season will be the breakdown of the marriage between Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones. While the new casting seems superb, I do wish we could have seen Vanessa Kirby and Matthew Goode portray those heated arguments. We also get snippets of the relationship between Margaret and Elizabeth that continues to be complex.
At the conclusion of season 2, Prince Philip makes a turn. He is settled into his role and seemingly committed to it for the long haul. Still, there is a moment in the trailer when a voice (maybe Margaret’s?) says, “frustrations and resentments can build up from a life as a support act.” Cue: Philip’s troubled face.
Elizabeth’s voice speaks over flashes of escalating moments:
“We have all made sacrifices and suppressed who are. it is not a choice; it is a duty.”
And therein lies the crux of the central conflict. Elizabeth seems to be the only member of her family who can truly resist “self” over duty. However, the trailer does begin with her questioning what she has achieved in her years on the throne. In the midst of civil, political, and personal unrest, will the crown’s “best course of action” still be to “do nothing”?
Season 3 releases at midnight November 17th. That’s 3 AM eastern time, so even this ardent fan won’t be staying up that late, but I can’t wait to watch it Sunday. Obviously I don’t receive screeners, and the whole season releases at once, so we’ll see how the timing goes with the recaps, but I hope to have them up within the week. Thanks for reading!
If you missed my recaps of Seasons 1 and 2, you can find them here:
https://maggiechism.video.blog
https://maggiechism.video.blog/top-moments-of-the-crown-season-2/
Update: Episode 1 Recap is up! https://maggiechism.video.blog/2019/11/02/example-post/
MGC 