THE CROWN Reviews: Season 4, Episode 2: THE BALMORAL TEST

After the introduction to the newcomers and reacquaintance to the veterans last time, Episode 2 ups the ante with the often seen & visited Balmoral Castle in THE BALMORAL TEST. This royal retreat of rest & relaxation becomes a mental battleground as PM Thatcher and Lady Diana ingratiate themselves into the royal family.

I said previously that I wasn’t quite feeling Gillian Anderson (Thatcher). I’m confident to say that this has been realized, that I watch Anderson’s performance and I no longer see an elder Agent Scully. We clearly see how Thatcher is such an outlier, humoring the royals with their protocol & procedures and disapproving every step. Her final conversation with Elizabeth is particularly chilling, how she aims to fundamentally change the institution from top to bottom, even if that means earning the enmity of the Queen herself. I’m not too familiar with the real Thatcher beyond the basics, but it makes for some great political drama that was not there with previous PMs in the show, not even Churchill.

Emma Corrin (Diana) was similarly given time to shine at Balmoral, and in stark contrast to Thatcher, shatters expectations & becomes a darling to them. With this episode we got to know her more and see her interplay with Charles, undoubtedly a taste of what will happen down the line. The final scene as the paparazzi's begins to hound her is well done and disheartening as a harbinger of things to come. I felt much more invested in Corrin’s performance, but also hope to see more improvement as history will unfold and Diana will be thrust into the limelight.

What I especially love about this episode is how Thatcher and Diana serve as audience surrogates when it comes to the Windsors, from their attitude to their bright clothes amidst a sea of muted colors. This episode challenges your opinion and perception on them, if you side with Thatcher and see them as boorish & backwards, or if you are like Diana and fit with them like you knew them your whole life? While the show has had this gray area before, in my opinion it has never been as gray as this. Do you get swept up in the pomp and history of the Windsors as unfillable deities, always see their feet of clay, or are in the middle? It’s up to the viewer to decide. 

Add in some good small moments from Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles) & Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret), and some absolutely gorgeous shots of what I assume are the Scottish highlands, and you got quite an episode. The only real nitpick I would give is how this seeming “test” was never brought up before. Otherwise, I loved this one more than the first, and I await to see what Episode 3 will bring.