WAR, huh. What is this episode is good for? Absolutely...something. I’m extremely split on this finale to the 4th season, and it boils down to the two new players of PM THATCHER and PRINCESS DIANA.
I really liked the Thatcher story, it ending on a rather high note as the Iron Lady’s era ends, we see her at her lowest emotional moment, and she has her final audience with the ELIZABETH. It was a very effective exit and makes me think about future PM stories in the next two seasons. I also do wonder about its overall accuracy, as I understand that Thatcher is a controversial, usually-vilified figure. Regardless, I really enjoyed this as a closure to Thatcher.
Less enjoyable is Diana’s story. I do not doubt that the massive discomfort of her, CHARLES and CAMILLA PARKER-BOWLES could be accurate to history, but Diana being such a major focus while the royals are reviled/seen in a negative light breaks one of my earlier praises of this show. To me, The Crown is at its best challenging its audience to be objective on the subject of the royal family and its events, how to see both sides in the matters and arguments in the episodes. Lately though it seems as if the show is telling, borderline shouting at its audience to side with Diana.
This unfortunately overshadows the moments in the episode I do like, such as the NYC trip and PHILIP’S talk with Diana at the end, a very powerful & effective bookend to this season and era of the show as we bid farewell to this cast. In the end for me, this is a well produced, acted episode & finale that is undermined by its writing. I do like its strong half, but overall am highly critical of it for its other half.
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