The review embargo of Netflix’s The Crown Season 5 is no longer active. It means that several prominent critics have started flooding the internet with their reviews about the latest “royal” entry. If you enjoyed watching the last four seasons of the show, then prepare yourself to get disappointed this time.
The majority of the critics have agreed that Season 5 is the worst instalment in The Crown so far. Debuted in 2016, the popular historical drama series serves as a dramatisation of the life of Queen Elizabeth II. Claire Foy portrayed the character in the first two seasons. Then, we witnessed Oscar-winning actress, Olivia Colman, leading the last two instalments. Now, Professor Umbridge (cough), sorry, Imelda Staunton, has taken up the role.
The upcoming season will cover the events that plagued the royal family, including the high-profile divorce between Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and Princess Diana, during the 1990s.
Despite the mixed-to-negative critical reception, Elizabeth Debicki’s performance as Diana has received universal acclaim. The rest of the cast has done a good job too. However, the critics have Season 5’s storytelling. According to them, it is very slow and haphazard. Plus, the slow pacing has made things worse for the forthcoming season.
Check out some of the reviews below!
Kristen Baldwin (from EW):
“We cannot expect The Crown to be an exhaustive record of the royal family’s (fictionalized) life, but Morgan’s regular detours prohibit any one storyline from gaining momentum.”
Angie Han (from THR):
“The Crown‘s fifth season makes the case that it’s a conversation worth having — not by condemning the royals as incomprehensible monsters, but by offering them the grace of seeing them as simply human.”
Ben Travers (from IndieWire):
“Despite scripts that toil through the pulpy details of a very public divorce, strong design work on every level, and enlivening portrayals from the fresh ensemble (Lesley Manville is so good in her criminally truncated time as Princess Margaret), “The Crown” Season 5 suffers from a narrowed point of view.”
Kayleigh Donaldson (from The Wrap):
“Its biggest weaknesses continue to be moments of clunky exposition to explain historical details or side characters for American viewers and non-royal buffs. Names and tidbits are shoved into conversation with the subtlety of a Wikipedia entry.”
The Crown Season 5: What went wrong?
The fifth season has been under fire since its announcement in 2020. And the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II ended up adding more fuel to the fire. Several royal family insiders and many popular figures have verbally attacked the showrunners for using Diana’s divorce and death as major storylines for Season 5.
Also, many celebrities, including Dame Judi Dench, have strongly criticised the show for the incorrect portrayal of the late and former Queen of the United Kingdom. These controversial scenarios forced Netflix to release a statement, mentioning that Season 5 was nothing more than a dramatisation.
What does it mean for Season 6?
Undoubtedly, the highly divided response to the fifth season will make things hard for the final instalment. It will be challenging for Peter Morgan and his team to mend the show’s shattered prestige after commencing Season 6’s production.
The Crown Season 5 will release on Netflix on November 9. Stay tuned for more updates.
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
