“Hang on to your orbs and prepare once more for the spectre of the poisoned sceptre,” said Jan Moir in the Daily Mail: “The Crown is back.” Starring a whole new cast, the fifth season of the Netflix hit covers the years 1992 to 1997; and though the show seems determined to depict the Windsors “as the most appalling family in the history of history”, I must admit I loved every minute.
Elizabeth Debicki “burns up every scene” as Diana, nailing not only her voice and mannerisms but also “something of her eldritch blend of strength and fragility”. And she is well-matched by Dominic West, who is a great, and quite “hot”, Charles. Imelda Staunton’s “late life Queen”, meanwhile, is envisaged “as a kind of seaside landlady” who “worries about postmenopausal weight gain”. Admittedly, much of it is not in “the best possible taste”, but fans of this “sprawling soapy epic” are quite used to that.
The new season does offer several guilty pleasures, said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph, including the “hilarious” casting of 1990s heartthrob Jonny Lee Miller as John Major. But for the most part, it “suffers from being really quite boring”, and weighed down with clunky metaphors.
The first three episodes are “ditchwater dull”, agreed Carol Midgley in The Times, but after that the actors settle into their roles and the drama “takes off”. Yes, it is true that “The Crown takes liberties with real people’s lives, but by the end [of this season] it feels more a fond, prolonged stroke than a hatchet job.”
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelagoThe Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
Diane Keaton: the Oscar-winning star of Annie HallIn the Spotlight Something’s Gotta Give actor dies from pneumonia at the age of 79
-
Heirs and Graces: an ‘enthralling’ deep dive into the decline of nobilityThe Week Recommends Eleanor Doughty explores the ‘bizarre fascination’ with the British aristocracy
-
6 sporty homes with tennis courtsFeature Featuring a clay tennis court in New York and a viewing deck in California
-
Critics’ choice: Seafood in the spotlightFeature An experimental chef, a newspaper-worthy newcomer, and a dining titan’s fresh spin-off
-
Taylor Swift’s Showgirl: Much glitter, little goldFeature Swift’s new album has broken records, but critics say she may have gotten herself creatively stuck
-
Theater review: Masquerade218 W. 57th St., New York City 218 W. 57th St., New York City
-
Film reviews: Roofman and Kiss of the Spider WomanFeature An escaped felon’s heart threatens to give him away and a prisoner escapes into daydreams of J.Lo.
