The hit Netflix series The Crown follows England's Queen Elizabeth II from her marriage to Phillip, her ascent to the throne following her father's early death, and the drama that has plagued her relatives and the country they call home. As Elizabeth and her family members age and grow, so does the country, and the monarchy must adapt in order to stay relevant and continue to maintain respect.
The cast is remarkable, with entirely new faces replacing the old (or, rather, young) every two seasons to show the passage of time. Recently the fourth season was released on Netflix, providing fans with more great episodes and stories.
Hyde Park Corner (Season 1, Episode 2)
King George's illness prevents him from traveling, so he sends Phillip and Elizabeth to tour the commonwealth countries in his place. Claire Foy's performance amplifies the magnitude of the change Elizabeth goes through when she becomes queen, showing her as a young, somewhat shy and unsure newlywed on the tour, almost entirely unprepared for what's about to happen.
George spends some quality time with Margaret as it becomes increasingly clear how aware he is of what little time he has left. When his death comes, The Crown plays the ensuing moments with all the gravity and grandeur one might expect from a series detailing one of the last remaining modern monarchies.
Scienta Potentia Est (Season 1, Episode 7)
Tired of feeling clueless about matters unrelated to the constitution or her various pastimes, Elizabeth requests a tutor. Meanwhile, Winston Churchill has suffered two strokes, neither of which Elizabeth has been made aware of. Churchill plans to keep her in the dark about his health issues, but she finds out.
She's furious and offended over the lies and goes to her new tutor for advice, who tells her that she ought to give Churchill and the men involved a lecture on honesty and responsibility, as well as how the British government ought to function. Many of season one's best moments come from situations like this, where we get to see the young queen find her footing and assert her authority.
Assassins (Season 1, Episode 9)
"Assassins" follow two storylines. The first is the impending 80th birthday of Winston Churchill. A portrait has been commissioned as a gift for him, and he's quite nervous about his age showing. He's horrified by the result, which is a portrait of himself, an 80-year-old man. He finally tenders his resignation from the office of Prime Minister, and Elizabeth shares a quietly touching goodbye with her first P.M.
The other story is yet another focus on the state of the marriage between Phillip and Elizabeth. Phillip is jealous of Elizabeth's closeness with her old friend Porchey, which is of course ironic as it's been strongly hinted that Phillip has had many extramarital dalliances, while Elizabeth and Porchey's relationship is entirely above board.
Marionettes (Season 2, Episode 5)
A condescending and classist speech given by the Queen sparks a strong response from a journalist who is very critical of the old-fashioned and out-of-touch qualities the British monarchy possesses. He writes a rather harsh attack of the monarchy's current state, as well as of Elizabeth herself. His wish is to push the monarchy into the modern era in order for it to survive.
Claire Foy wonderfully portrays the pain and frustration Elizabeth feels at being critiqued for not being enough of a natural showman. As much as the series sympathizes with her, it also remembers to critique the nasty edge of privilege she and her family cling to. This episode of The Crown is heavily grounded in truth, with speculation filling in the gaps of interactions that may or may not have happened, as Elizabeth's critic really did lead to the modernization of the British royal family.
Vergangenheit (Season 2, Episode 6)
This episode deals with what may be the darkest stain on the current British royal family. The former king's Nazi associations, once the subject of gossip and rumor, become known by Elizabeth and, shortly thereafter, her people. These revelations come whilst she is reevaluating her Christian faith, which preaches forgiveness of all things.
When the question of forgiving her uncle is broached, Phillip refers Elizabeth to Tommy Lascelles, who informs her of the awful business that occurred between the former king, his wife, and the Nazi party. These horrifically close relations lead Elizabeth to reject forgiveness, and request that David leave the country for good.
Dear Mrs. Kennedy (Season 2, Episode 8)
National leaders in Africa make moves to transition away from British rule in favor of a Russian-backed socialist economy. Elizabeth's attention is more focused on the Kennedys' impending visit to Buckingham Palace. She experiences every shy person's nightmare when, after meeting Mrs. Kennedy and thinking that things went well, only to hear that Jackie later trashed the entire experience to a crowd at dinner.
Elizabeth is inspired to handle the situation in Ghana herself, making a surprisingly political move that pays off for her and for England. The episode concludes with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, with a focus on the palace's, and mainly Elizabeth's, reactions to his tragic death.
Aberfan (Season 3, Episode 3)
Aberfan follows the tragedy that hit a small town in Wales when a coal mining accident resulted in a massive landslide that took the lives of many people, most of whom were children. This also happens to be a dark spot on Queen Elizabeth II's reign (now being portrayed by the brilliant Olivia Colman), as her initial lack of response was deemed callous and unfeeling by those affected by the horrific tragedy.
Margaret's husband Tony heads straight to Aberfan to see things for himself and offer what help he can. After continued pressure, the Queen sends Phillip to pay his respects. This episode manages to do justice to the painful experience had by the small community while giving Olivia Colman a chance to give a truly remarkable performance.
Tywysog Cymru (Season 3, Episode 6)
Charles is forced to leave Cambridge, where he is enjoying himself, in order to attend school in Wales to help quell political unrest. He's to study Welsh in order to show the Welsh people that he is one of them, but his teacher is a staunch anti-imperialist who resents British rule.
After spending some time learning from this man, Charles wishes to use his speech as an opportunity to speak for himself and the citizens of Wales, straying from the speech that was pre-written for him with the occasion in mind. This results in a nasty argument with his mother, who tells him that when it comes to his individual beliefs, no one really wants to hear it.
Fairytale (Season 4, Episode 3)
Fairytale starts on a happy note for everyone (except Charles, that is) following Charles' proposal to Diana. Aptly named, the episode tells the story of a 19-year-old whose dreams appear to be coming true as she learns that marrying a Prince won't be a fairytale.
She moves to Buckingham Palace in an attempt to avoid the paparazzi that are already plaguing her. Once the engagement is announced, Charles leaves for an extended trip that will keep the couple apart until the day before their wedding. Diana is left with fan mail, royal etiquette lessons, and a rather nasty treatment from Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Terra Nullius (Season 4, Episode 6)
There's an added pressure on Charles and Diana's upcoming trip to Australia due to a newly elected Australian prime minister that is against British rule. There's pressure behind the scenes as well, as Diana's unhappy marriage is taking its toll on her health.
Surprisingly, Charles and his mommy issues don't respond well to Diana insisting on mothering their son, despite all the show has done to show us how deeply hurt Charles has been by his own mother's distant approach to parenting. They do have a brief breakthrough in their relationship while on tour. Diana's popularity proves to be too much for Charles' ego, however, placing her in the company of many women who can't win whether they play the part of wallflower or princess.
War (Season 4, Episode 10)
A betrayal leads to Margaret Thatcher's resignation. Charles still hates Diana for ever accepting his marriage proposal, and he's especially envious of her popularity. He spends the episode mocking Diana's mental health and berating her in other ways.
Things come to a head at the family Christmas celebration, where Diana and Charles are given lectures from Phillip and Elizabeth on the need to toughen up. The season of Charles and Diana ends on a sour note for all involved, and those familiar with what happened know that things will only get worse in season five.