Emmy Show: The Crown

The Crown: Season 1, Episode 1 “Wolferton Splash” (B-)

So I actually tried watching this show when it first started, and something about the first five minutes felt so uninteresting to me that I just turned it off. Obviously that was a mistake since it caught on like crazy and won a handful of awards, and is set to likely do so again come Emmy time. I think part of it is that this isn’t my kind of show, mainly because of its regal focus. That isn’t meant to make me sound uneducated or unsophisticated, but rather that I don’t often find that to be the most enticing environment or setting for a show. Clearly it’s very rooted in the history, with Winston Churchill returning to the peak of his career just as a young Elizabeth begins her ascent to the throne. This opening episode was very much about character development, painting King George as a sickly man completely out of touch with the severity of his condition, Churchill as an opinionated, stubborn politician, Philip as an affable, excitable young man who’s far more selfish and unprepared for his royal duties than initially meets the eye, and Elizabeth as a personality who won’t be easily stifled. The cinematography is certainly admirable, and this show has a style that works well, even if I found the time jumps to be a little unexpected since this first hour covered a good deal and fast-forwarded through some major life events. I’ll continue watching this show since it receives such widespread acclaim, but I am hoping to get into it more in the process.