The Crown (season 2)

The second season of The Crown follows the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. It consists of ten episodes and was released on Netflix on December 8, 2017.

The Crown
Season 2
Promotional poster
Starring
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom[1]
  • United States[2]
No. of episodes10
Release
Original networkNetflix
Original releaseDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Season chronology

Claire Foy stars as Elizabeth, along with main cast members Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Jeremy Northam, Anton Lesser, Greg Wise, Victoria Hamilton, Matthew Goode, Alex Jennings, and Lia Williams. Original main cast members Jared Harris, John Lithgow, and Ben Miles also return in cameo appearances.

Premise

The Crown traces the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 through to the present day.[3] Season two covers the time period between 1956 and 1964. Claire Foy continues to portray the Queen in the earlier part of her reign, and the season covers the Suez Crisis in 1956, the retirement of the Queen's third Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 following the Profumo affair political scandal, and the births of Prince Andrew in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964.[4][5][6] The season also introduces John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy and Lord Altrincham.[7][8]

Cast
Main article: List of The Crown characters

Main

The below actors are credited in the opening titles of single episodes in which they play a significant role.

Recurring

Guest

Episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
111"Misadventure"Philip MartinPeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
In February 1957, Elizabeth and Philip discuss the state of their marriage while onboard the HMY Britannia in Lisbon, Portugal, with both acknowledging that divorce is not an option. Five months earlier, as Philip prepares to embark on his royal tour, Elizabeth becomes convinced he is having an affair after finding a photograph of eminent Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova in his briefcase. At 10 Downing Street, Chancellor of the Exchequer Harold Macmillan challenges Eden's solution to Egypt's takeover of the Suez Canal but ultimately agrees to military intervention. Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten, warns Elizabeth about the plan, about which she confronts Eden after learning that Israel has invaded the Sinai Peninsula. Eden reveals the planned invasion is part of a secret agreement between the Israeli, French and British governments to reclaim the canal without approval from Parliament or the United Nations. Elizabeth reluctantly gives her support, and goes to see Ulanova perform as British forces begin moving into Egypt.
122"A Company of Men"Philip MartinPeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
After international political pressure forces him to withdraw all British forces from Egypt and damages his reputation, Eden travels to Jamaica with his wife. Philip continues his tour, punctuated by an interview which he abandons when the reporter asks about his family history. At Christmas, Philip delivers a heartfelt radio address, prompting Elizabeth to let him know his family is waiting for him as part of her own Christmas address. Meanwhile, Eileen Parker, the wife of Philip's private secretary Michael, initiates divorce proceedings on infidelity grounds. Charteris warns Adeane that the possible fallout could cause the press to start asking questions about Elizabeth and Philip's own marriage.
133"Lisbon"Philip MartinPeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Eden returns from Jamaica only to realize that the Cabinet and the Conservative Party, who blame him for the Suez Crisis fallout, have turned against him. As he resigns and Macmillan becomes Prime Minister, Adeane works with Lascelles to change Eileen's mind about her divorce. They fail, however, and Elizabeth, Philip, and Michael learn about the proceedings. Elizabeth's attempt to speak to Eileen also fails and Philip forces Michael to resign when the story about the divorce becomes public knowledge. Elizabeth brings the royal tour to an end before meeting the Britannia in Lisbon, Portugal and privately talking with Philip about their marriage. Philip makes it clear he resents Charles outranking him and wants more respect from both the courtiers and the palace staff. On February 22, 1957, Philip is made a Prince of the United Kingdom, with the style "His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh".
144"Beryl"Benjamin CaronAmy Jenkins and Peter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Still recovering from her decision not to marry Townsend, Margaret accepts a proposal from close friend Billy Wallace and, after gaining Elizabeth's blessing, plans to announce the union during a gala celebrating Elizabeth and Philip's tenth wedding anniversary. On the night of the announcement, however, Margaret breaks off the engagement after finding a drunk Wallace recovering from wounds he received during a duel. The following evening, after a discussion with the Queen Mother about her birthday portrait, Margaret meets photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones at a party and agrees to let him take her picture. Sometime later, she sneaks out to Tony's studio for a sitting. He takes several photographs, after which Margaret asks him to send one to the newspapers. The next day, the picture, in which Margaret appears to be nude, is published to great shock. Macmillan, meanwhile, presses his wife into ending her affair but later realizes she is still seeing her lover after overhearing them on the telephone.
155"Marionettes"Philippa LowthorpePeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
In response to a speech given by Elizabeth at a car factory, Lord Altrincham pens a scathing article that criticizes her style of public speaking and her court's upper-class attitude. Both the general public and the press are initially against Altrincham but start supporting him after he argues that the monarchy must adapt to the post-war society during a television appearance. After Macmillan reminds her of the trend of nations to abolish their monarchies, Elizabeth arranges a meeting with Altrincham, during which she agrees to televise the upcoming Royal Christmas Message and open the Debutante Ball to her subjects. Six months later, the Queen Mother expresses embarrassment over the monarchy's loss of authority while hosting a garden party.
166"Vergangenheit"Philippa LowthorpePeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Thuringian Forest, Germany, 1945. A German officer leads American soldiers to a box of top-secret documents previously belonging to Hitler's personal translator. After British translators report their content, Churchill informs King George, who charges him to keep the documents unpublished. In 1958, while preparing to meet American evangelist Billy Graham, Elizabeth receives a request from the Duke of Windsor to re-enter the country: it is part of his secret plan to find an influential role in Britain’s affairs. On arrival he starts convincing former sycophants to support his return. Meanwhile historians unearth the suppressed documents, now titled The Marburg Files. Adeane and the Queen Mother bring the matter before Elizabeth, and reveal some of the Duke's relationship with Nazi High Command. Elizabeth meets the Duke; he asks for a role, but she is torn between what she knows and her Christian beliefs, which suggest forgiveness. Elizabeth approaches Lascelles and learns the full truth about the relationship. She refuses the Duke’s request for a role and, when he insults her, berates him for betraying his country. She seeks spiritual counsel from Revd. Graham, who advises her to pray for those she can’t forgive.
177"Matrimonium"Benjamin CaronPeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
After learning that Townsend is engaged to a woman who is much younger than him, Margaret presses Tony into proposing marriage. Because Elizabeth is pregnant with her third child, however, protocol prevents her from announcing the engagement. Adeane and Lascelles learn Tony has been engaged in a series of sexual relationships, one with a woman presumably pregnant with his child. On February 19, 1960, after giving birth to son Prince Andrew, Elizabeth decides against telling Margaret. Eight months later, Margaret and Tony get married at Westminster Abbey.
188"Dear Mrs. Kennedy"Stephen DaldryPeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Elizabeth invites visiting John F. and Jackie Kennedy to Buckingham Palace for dinner, during which she finds common ground with the First Lady. The next day, she discovers Jackie insulted her and the Palace at a party. Feeling challenged, Elizabeth travels to Ghana and meets with President Kwame Nkrumah, whose ties with the Soviet Union has caused concern throughout the British government. She convinces him to cut all ties with the Soviet Union and realign Ghana with the United Kingdom after dancing the foxtrot. Sometime later, a visiting Jackie sits down with Elizabeth at Windsor Castle and apologizes for her previous behavior, explaining she was under the influence of "substances" at the time. Elizabeth confides in Philip, asking if she should have responded in a personal way. On November 22, 1963, after watching coverage of John F. Kennedy's assassination, Elizabeth arranges for a week of mourning to be observed within the household and for the bells at Westminster Abbey to be rung before writing Jackie a letter not shown to the audience.
199"Paterfamilias"Stephen DaldryTom Edge and Peter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
Philip arranges for Charles to attend Gordonstoun in Moray, Scotland despite protests from Elizabeth and Louis, both of whom recommend Eton College. Philip, however, gets his way after using his deal with Elizabeth to compel her to back him. While taking Charles to the school, Philip recalls his time at Gordonstoun as well as the death of his older sister Cecile and her family, for which his father Prince Andrew blamed him. Charles struggles with Gordonstoun's rigorous curriculum and, on the day of a school event, disappears only for his security detail to find him crying. Philip takes Charles home soon after, admonishing him for being "bloody weak" after an attempt to give him a pep talk fails.
2010"Mystery Man"Benjamin CaronPeter MorganDecember 8, 2017 (2017-12-08)
In March 1963, a sexual relationship between Secretary of State for War John Profumo and model Christine Keeler becomes public knowledge, throwing the government into chaos. As the press speculates about a "mystery man" in a photograph taken at a party hosted by London osteopath Stephen Ward, who is charged with immorality offences, Margaret and Tony notice similarities he and Philip share. Ward later commits suicide by overdose, after which the police search through his belongings and find a hand-drawn portrait of Philip. Macmillan resigns on health grounds and is succeeded by Alec Douglas-Home, whose close relationship with the Royal Family makes the appointment controversial. Elizabeth asks Philip if he is the mystery man and confronts him with Ulanova's photograph. Philip admits to knowing Ward in a minor capacity, having visited his clinic the previous year after injuring his neck, but denies attending his parties before reaffirming his love and support for Elizabeth. The following year, Elizabeth gives birth to her fourth child.

Release

The second season was released on Netflix worldwide in its entirety on December 8, 2017.[15] Season 2 was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2018 and worldwide on November 13, 2018.[16][17]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes reported a 89% approval rating for the second season based on 83 reviews, with an average rating of 8.35/10. The website's critical consensus read "The Crown continues its reign with a self-assured sophomore season that indulges in high drama and sumptuous costumes."[18] On Metacritic, the second season holds a score of 87 out of 100, based on 27 critics, retaining the first season's indication of "universal acclaim".[19]

Foy and Smith both earned significant praise from critics. Chancellor Agard of Entertainment Weekly wrote "As always, Claire Foy turns in an amazingly restrained performance."[20] Reviewing the first episode, Gabriel Tate of The Daily Telegraph wrote that Foy and Smith have "seldom been better".[21] Hugo Rifkind of The Times said "While ardent monarchists might bristle at the way this is going, for the rest of us it's getting better and better."[22]

Alison Keene of Collider said "each new episode makes its mark and tells its own complete story... It's another exceptionally strong season of television, full of compelling drama and sweeping grandeur."[23] Krutika Malikarjuna of TV Guide argued that the public is attracted to the royals' celebrity and star power, and said: "The brilliance of this framing becomes clear as the show evolves into The Real Housewives of Buckingham."[24] Sophie Gilbert wrote for The Atlantic that the portrayal of a monarch who "would rather be living any other life" is "riveting", and that it is "gorgeously shot, with flawless re-creations of everything from the Throne Room in Buckingham Palace to a 1950s hospital ward. And it's surprisingly funny."[25]

The Wall Street Journal critic John Anderson said "The Crown attains genuine sexiness without sex. Margaret, à la Ms. Kirby's interpretation, smolders, as does Elizabeth, at least on occasion."[26] Meghan O'Keefe of Decider wrote that the season "continues to romanticize the British royal family, but the romance comes from how they're normal, not divine".[27]

Less complimentary reviews saw the season criticised for what some regarded as failing to meet the emotional intensity of the first. John Doyle wrote for Globe and Mail that despite being "lavishly made" and "breathtaking", it "now leans toward a three-hanky weeper about marriage. It is less than it was, like the monarchy itself, and of interest to monarchy fans only."[28] Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx added "Many of the season's wounds are self-inflicted" and that Prince Philip "still comes across as a whiny man-child".[29] Phil Owen of The Wrap described the season as "trashy" and saw dry comedy in Northam's portrayal of Prime Minister Anthony Eden: "I'm assuming that creator Peter Morgan meant for it to be comedy. There's really no other explanation for why Jeremy Northam played Prime Minister Anthony Eden like he's having a nervous breakdown in every scene."[30]

References
  1. "Netflix plans original UK drama about the Queen". BBC News Online. May 23, 2014.
  2. Brown, Mick (November 3, 2016). "The Crown: Claire Foy and Matt Smith on the making of the £100m Netflix series". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  3. Singh, Anita (August 19, 2015). "£100m Netflix Series Recreates Royal Wedding". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 22, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  4. Sandwell, Ian (January 23, 2017). "Downton Abbey's Matthew Goode is joining the cast of Netflix's The Crown". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  5. Tartaglione, Nancy (February 9, 2017). "'The Crown' Adds Michael C Hall & Jodi Balfour As Jack & Jackie Kennedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  6. Maslow, Nick (January 20, 2018). "The Crown: Paul Bettany in talks to play Prince Philip". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  7. Miller, Julie (2017-12-08). "The Crown: What Really Happened When Queen Elizabeth Met John and Jackie Kennedy". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  8. "The Crown: Who was the real Lord Altrincham?". RadioTimes. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  9. Lloyd, Kenji (January 7, 2016). "The Crown trailer: First look at Peter Morgan's Netflix drama". Final Reel. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  10. Lee, Sarah (November 1, 2016). "Filming The Crown: on the set of the lavish Netflix series – in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  11. "The Crown Season Two: Representation vs Reality". Netflix. December 11, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  12. Thorpe, Vanessa (August 21, 2015). "Why Britain's psyche is gripped by a different kind of royal fever". The Guardian. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  13. Lacey, Robert. The Crown: The Inside History. London: Blink Publishing, 2017. 354.
  14. Gruccio, John (January 6, 2016). "The trailer for Netflix's royal drama series, "The Crown"". TMStash. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  15. Otterson, Joe (August 10, 2017). "'The Crown' Season 2 Sets Premiere Date, Releases First Trailer". Variety. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  16. "The Crown - Season 2 [DVD] [2018]". amazon.co.uk. September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  17. "The Crown (TV Series)". dvdsreleasedates.com. November 13, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  18. "The Crown:Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  19. "The Crown: Season 2". metacritic. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  20. "The Crown premiere recap: 'Misadventure'". Entertainment. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  21. "The Crown, season 2, episode 1 review: a glittering account of the Windsors in crisis". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  22. "TV review: Hugo Rifkind on The Grand Tour". The Times. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  23. "'The Crown' Season 2 Review: Another Exquisite, Compelling Portrait of Royal Life". Collider. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  24. "The Crown Season 2 Lightens the Weight of Colonialism with Karmic Comeuppance". TV Guide. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  25. "The Crown: Netflix's Best Superhero Show". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  26. "'The Crown' and 'Family Guy' Review: Messy Family Affair". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  27. "'The Crown' Season 2 Review: Claire Foy Still Reigns Supreme". Decider. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  28. "Review: Netflix's The Crown slips into silly escapist eye-catching candy". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  29. "'The Crown' Looks Tarnished By Too Much Philip in Season Two". Uproxx. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  30. "'The Crown' Season 2 Review: Just Trashy Enough to Work". TheWrap. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
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