'The Crown' Season 6: A reunion of the queens
Spoilers ahead. The second part of the final season of the Netflix series The Crown was dropped on Thursday. While the season finale has been receiving rave reviews, what's stayed the most with the viewers is the special appearance of Olivia Colman and Claire Foy, along with Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II. Directed by Stephen Daldry, the finale episode, Sleep, Dearie Sleep, centers on the queen's preparations for Operation London Bridge, a code name for her death and funeral.
Younger selves to offer wisdom in an emotional scene
In a poignant scene from the final episode, Staunton's Elizabeth contemplates abdicating and is visited by visions of her younger selves. Colman and Foy reprise their roles to offer advice to the older queen on whether to abdicate or pass on the throne to Charles before the series ends with the three queens standing together in Westminster Abbey. The Crown's executive producer Andy Harries told Deadline that the finale ranks "among his favorite episodes from the six seasons."
Twitter called it the 'Queen's alternate universe'
While Harries called the episode a "tremendous homage to the monarch," it is the viewers who have been left astonished the most. "Last week, #doctorwho introduced bigeneration. Not to be outdone, this week #TheCrown will feature the first-ever trigeneration," wrote a user on X (formerly Twitter). Another user called it "Queen Elizabeth: No Way Home," referring to Spider-Man: No Way Home where all three Spider-Mans appeared together.
The three queens and the meme
Staunton on filming after real queen's funeral
Staunton, who plays Elizabeth in the final season, discussed her experience of filming scenes following the late queen's funeral. In a BBC Radio 4 interview, Staunton said, "I filmed the next day after her funeral and I think it was very strange for the other people looking at me, seeing that figure, that shape. We were thrown off our axis, there's no doubt about it."
Final episodes focus on princes, William and Harry
Apart from dealing with tough decisions that the late monarch had to make, the last five episodes of The Crown also shine light on Prince William and Prince Harry's teenage years. It goes to show William's blooming romance at St. Andrews University with Kate Middleton. The episodes feature King Charles III and Queen Camilla's royal wedding and the Queen's Golden Jubilee, too.
