Since the new season of The Crown just dropped, I thought now would be the perfect time to do a little perusal into this increasingly controversial show and what makes it so addicting to watch. When I first heard about it I thought it looked a bit dull and was turned off by the historical drama aspect of it. But usually, once I get invested in a show and its characters it’s easy to immerse myself in their world. This show in particular does a great job of sucking in the viewer and giving them characters to root for, to hate, to love-everything in between. The characters are of course, based on the real-life royal family, many of which are still alive today and have made statements about the show in the past.
The Crown is the antithesis of what usually gets me interested in shows these days. It’s slow-paced, the episodes are long, and the story doesn’t have much action. It’s almost entirely character driven and therefore fully invests itself in making you care about the characters, or at the very least curious about seeing what happens with them. They are not always good people. They’re royals-of course they’re out of touch and act like rich snobs at times. Sometimes they are truly terrible to the people around them (specifically other members of their family) and they make decisions we know they’ll regret because we know what actually happened. The show’s tether to real life gives it an edge that better connects with the audience as it bypasses the tediousness of a documentary while still making you feel like you’re getting an inside look at history. The cinematography, the acting, the pomp, and the scandal all transport you to the rich and lavish life of royalty; of the Queen of England.
It’s the life behind the fairytale that little kids dream of, not knowing they would never truly want it if they knew the reality. Complex storylines of the different members, how they’re all personally affected by being a royal, and the humanity and lack thereof behind each of their actions shine through. The audience gets a personal look at a life that will always be out of reach for them while being glad that it’s not truly their life. The spectacle of royalty, the parallels of the past to the current state of the royal family, and the draw of watching real-life events play out through a dramatized lens makes the monotony of everyday life a good escape.