Review | Despite Lukewarm Reviews, ‘The Crown’s’ Final Season is Up for Numerous Emmy Awards

For seven years, Peter Morgan’s hit Netflix series The Crown has dramatized the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the lives of those at the center of the British monarchy. With each season jumping forward in time,The Crown has guided viewers through over six decades worth of politics and scandal involving the British royal family.

The sixth, and final, season of The Crown was released in late 2023, bringing the timeline almost up to the present day. Dropped on November 16, the first four episodes of season six primarily focus on Diana, wrapping up with her tragic death and its immediate aftermath. The last six episodes, rolled out on December 14, center Elizabeth in her old age and embrace a more pensive mood, one that seriously contemplates the fate of the monarchy as the new millennium nears.

Similar to season five, though, this most recent season has been received unenthusiastically. The ending was undeniably lackluster and an anticlimactic conclusion to such a beloved show. Disappointingly, these last 10 episodes were unable to recapture the magic that defined the show’s initial four seasons. The drama surrounding Diana and Charles takes up practically all the focus and screen time, leaving the remaining characters to fade into the background and make do with superficial and underbaked storylines. Morgan’s writing lacks the subtlety that was the hallmark of the earlier seasons, instead leaning on the same predictable and tired tropes that have dominated biopics and the tabloids for years. The trajectory of season six is, ultimately, deeply unoriginal and boring.

The sharpness of Morgan’s writing, too, is completely absent these last two seasons. During the first four seasons, the success of The Crown had to do with how Morgan integrated critical conversations about the monarchy and its purpose. He didn’t shy away from exposing the nonsensical contradiction and suffering that make up the British monarchy. Members of the royal family were rendered flawed, real, and oftentimes even victims of this brutal institution. Consequently, the first four seasons of The Crown are not only entertaining, but also incredibly thought-provoking. The last two seasons, on the other hand, seem to go to painstaking lengths to avoid offending the monarchy, depicting the royal family in a jarringly blameless light and refusing to subject the status quo to any sort of scrutiny. To finish on such a complacent note is aggravating and makes the whole show feel like a twisted project to promote the infallibility of the British monarchy.

None of this takes away from the season’s beautiful costuming, elegant cinematography, and strong performances. This year The Crown has amassed an impressive 18 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Casting, Outstanding Writing, and Outstanding Cinematography. The cast, too, is being recognized, with Imelda Staunton, who played Queen Elizabeth, being nominated for Best Lead Actress. Elizabeth Debick and Lesley Manville, Princess Diana and Princess Margaret respectively, have both been nominated for Best Supporting Actress. And Jonathan Pryce, who portrayed Prince Charles, has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor.