The third season of The Crown served as a really nice refresh for a series that is not built to settle into a distinct groove for too long. The introduction of a slightly older, more mature Queen Elizabeth II in the form of Oscar-winner Olivia Colman along with the ascension of Prince Charles as a major player in this historical narrative allowed the series to delve into the family more as human beings rather than just figures from history. Yet, as strong as this season was, we all knew that it was just table setting for the fireworks that were soon to come with the arrival of the fourth season. The latest season covers history from 1979 to 1990, a period more concisely referred to as the reign (of terror) of Margaret Thatcher as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. As we get to more recent history, audiences will feel more acutely invested in the particulars of certain events due to our proximity to them. The series has always been great, but this is the time when we are getting to the really good stuff. Just ask the Emmys; this was the season the show needed to finally clinch the Best Drama series for the first time.
In a season where Elizabeth arguably gets her strongest character work to date, it seems almost wrong to say that this season is stolen away from her by two others. Yet, these are the two through lines of the season that satiate the viewers in very different ways. One is the aforementioned Margaret Thatcher, played without prosthetics but with an uncompromising steeliness by the one and only Gillian Anderson (The X-Files). This ferocious woman is at first underestimated and dismissed, yet she is not content to just be another in the ever-growing line of people to enter the revolving door of the Prime Minister position. She almost gains your admiration in the way she demolishes gender barriers and flaunts her contempt for those who take up residence in Buckingham Palace until you remind yourself that she was on the wrong side of nearly every important social issue facing the UK at this time. She proves to be an invaluable sparring partner to Elizabeth, acidic but polite while poking at each other’s prejudices and social blindspots in an attempt to gain understanding of each other. Every scene she occupies is electric.
The other major storyline of the season is the debut of “The People’s Princess” herself, Diana (newcomer Emma Corrin, Pennyworth). From her memorable “chance” introduction to Charles (Josh O’Connor, Emma.), we see a young girl who is desperate to be a part of the Windsors despite some red flags that the man she loves may not lead her down a path to marital bliss. Corrin plays Diana like this beautiful snowflake floating above the uninhabitable fires of the royal family. It is not unreasonable that she might want a faithful husband who cares for her, but such clean lines are not meant for a family who put more stock on public appearance rather than genuine emotions. The depths of loneliness she feels radiates out of the screen in really impactful ways, leaving her at times to float like a specter through the halls of her new home. A highlight of the season is a dinner she has with the woman her husband truly loves, the deliciously callous Camilla Parker-Bowles (recent Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman). She is a figure who grows in power throughout the season but never loses the tenderness that makes it so easy to care for her.
One of the greatest gifts that The Crown offers is its ability to condense history into dramatically satisfying bites that not only fit into the arc of an episode, but do so while fleshing out these real-life “characters” into someone we cannot understand from a simple Wikipedia dive. As previously mentioned, Elizabeth is allowed to have more personal illumination than ever before this season. While typically psychologically impregnable, Elizabeth finds herself more humanized in between these two titanic debut figures this season. She is starkly out of step with modern sensibilities, and the ways in which she has become sheltered from the world shows the weakness in her steely armor. She has all of the power, but also none of it, really. It’s a delicate tightrope that Colman navigates perfectly. Within these major storylines, the entire ensemble rises together to deliver some of the strongest work that they have displayed on screen. The Crown has always been appointment television, but this latest season just works on a level it has not been privy to before.
Video Quality
The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with a sumptuous AVC encoded 1080p transfer. The cinematography on display will often take your breath away with its immense beauty, and it is rendered perfectly here. The series remains pristine with a lovely, cooler color palette revealing vibrant colors within the various settings. The whites of the show are luminous and avoid any blooming in this presentation. Black levels are nice and deep, giving way to an immense amount of detail in darker scenes. This transfer reveals a lot of fine detail within the costumes and intricate production design. Skin tones appear very natural throughout the presentation, and compression artifacts and noise are nearly nonexistent. The Blu-Ray presentation is stunning and represents a marvelous achievement from Sony.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a dynamic DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that brings to life the soundscape of this world without error. Dialogue is the driving force of the show, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. The music on the show is often sweeping and enveloping in the best way. The score is very spacious and lush with a deft handling of both the more intensive moments as well as the subtle touches. There is not too much in the way of action on this show, but the environmental sounds of the world engage the surround speakers in a really pleasing way. Whether the din of crowded interiors or the pleasingly dynamic rural environments, this track truly delivers. Ambient sounds are precisely placed in the rear channels. The audio track serves as a top-notch presentation for the fans of the series.
Special Features
- Triumph & Tragedy – Diana & Charles: A six-minute featurette which delves into the real-life story of the royal couple, how the writers went about adapting this for the series, the performances, the complex relationship dynamics and more.
- Three Groundbreaking Women: A nearly seven-minute piece which explores Diana, Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth and the part they played in history, what went into bringing their story to life in an even-handed way, the dynamics they had amongst one another and more.
- Research, Costumes & More – The Making Of Season 4: A nine-minute look at the more technical side of the series including the immense amount of historical research undertaken by the creative team, the care put into the lighting and set design, the extremely talented figures working with hair, makeup and costumes, and more that brings this series to life.
- Photo Gallery: A series of images are provided with real-life historical photos shown in comparison to how they executed similar shots in the series. This feature helps reveal the level of care the creative team takes to make this series authentic.
Final Thoughts
The Crown is a show that expertly pares down history into moments that will have you glued to the screen without feeling like there are obvious bits being omitted. The creative team takes great care to service the story of these figures with respect while mining great drama for the audience. The addition of Diana and Margaret Thatcher elevates an already-great series to the creative heights reserved for the very best shows. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top-notch A/V presentation and a few decent supplemental features. This is the strongest season thus far, so fans of the series should be thrilled to pick this one up. Highly Recommended
The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
