Mystery Man

Season 2 was a very well done season on the whole and as good as the excellent first one. A season where even the weakest episode, to me "Lisbon", is still good despite some unbalanced character writing. And where its best episodes, "Marionettes", "Vergangenheit" and "Paterfamilias", are absolutely outstanding and among the best of 'The Crown'. In its prime, Seasons 1-2, 'The Crown' was absolutely fantastic and one of Netflix's best, and contrary to what has been said elsewhere it still has moments of real brilliance.

"Mystery Man" is a mostly very good end to Season 2, though to me it didn't end it on a bang and it was a slight let down after "Paterfamilias". A vast majority of what makes 'The Crown' so good is present in "Mystery Man" and while it is a long way from being one of the best episodes it is definitely worth watching. Also do give it some credit for addressing and portraying the very complicated event that the episode revolves around, though it doesn't come off perfectly.

The government scandal in question was a very complicated one and the sort that would have been portrayed better in a feature film rather than an episode of less than an hour long to flesh it out more. A better job could have been done making it easier to follow and more accessible, as there are viewers that are very likely to not have heard of what happens here.

It did feel slightly rushed at times.

However, "Mystery Man" hits a lot more than it misses and its good points are truly brilliant. Visually, it as ever for 'The Crown' couldn't be any more classy and sumptuous. The photography and production and costume design are evocative and a sight to behold. The music for me wasn't too intrusive or low-key and was beautiful scoring on its own. The main theme is not easy to forget.

Can't say anything bad about the writing either, which is intelligent and intrigues with no signs of rambling or melodramatic soap-opera. Although over-complicated and imperfectly paced, the story is very compelling and Elizabeth's pregnancy subplot for example is very rootable and movingly done (for me this was the better of the subplots). It definitely makes up want to look up and read about the scandal, which does have some nice tension in how it's written.

All the characters are written with no problem, Elizabeth is written with a lot of nuanced complexity and Phillip's character writing is some of his best for the season (if not quite "Paterfamilias" level). The acting is superb all round, particularly the subtly powerful turn of Claire Foy.

Very good final episode to a very well done season. Makes one excited for what's to come, although Season 3 was a slow starter and the re-casting took some getting used to for me it was actually much better than what has been said about it elsewhere. 8/10.

It was only after re-watching this episode that I appreciated how good it was and what a fitting end it was to season 2 of The Crown. We see a young Queen, almost 10 years into her reign, feel as if she's losing her grip and stability all around her. She takes Harold Macmillan's resignation personally and again is frustrated with Prince Phillip's other activities and wandering eye. This episode did not just focus on the events of the time but the complexities in the lives of the main figures.

To me, Claire Foy is the definitive Queen. Her acting and portrayal of the Queen is something to behold. In the final scene where she confronted Philip about his behaviour, her face showed a range of emotion. First it was gladness at showing him proof, then it slowly transitioned to deep hurt and then utter sadness.

I feel the first two seasons of The Crown were outstanding and cemented the show as a success. Bravo Claire Foy.

I know this isn't the end of the show, but it sure feels like it. The Crown is planned to last six seasons, but the entire cast will be changed up every second season. That means this is the last episode for Claire Foy, Matt Smith, and all the other actors. I'm sure the new cast will be equally fantastic, but for me so much of the atmosphere comes from these specific performances that it will undoubtedly feel like a completely different show. In certain ways, this episode even feels like a series finale (albeit a quiet and low-key one).

The main plot of the episode is a scandal that I frankly didn't understand, which has something to do with Phillip, a chiropractor, and a communist lady spy. I feel the episode could have done a much better job of explaining the situation, though it ultimately didn't matter that I was unable to follow the minutiae, as it was only really there to set up the final confrontation between Elizabeth and Phillip. Of all the actors in the show's first two seasons, they will be the most sorely missed. Their final scene together in this episode serves as a beautiful and surprising button to their time on the show.

On the whole, while this episode isn't all that eventful, it serves as a very fitting and bitter-sweet way of saying goodbye to a fantastic cast, with a particularly poignant final outing from Claire Foy and Matt Smith.

Very, very convoluted episode about some kind of scandal (yes it was famous in England, but not in America) that begins as if we're watching the second part of a two-part episode about... a very convoluted scandal that gets it's second "very" because everything is already in motion by the time the episode starts, about someone who works for the PM that we've either never met or isn't memorable, and a hooker...

It's yet another scandal where Prince Philip is guilty by association but pales to the first one featuring his best friend on the boat in the antarctic...

Some other things are more interesting, like seeing actors playing British geniuses Peter Cook and Dudley Moore (Bedazzled is one of the greatest British comedies ever)... but mostly it's a lot of worrying about... am still not completely sure, as the real mystery is the plotline...

What makes this episode famous in retrospect, or maybe infamous, is that the main actors we've watched struggle through two entire seasons are being replaced, which doesn't seem a very good idea... both Claire and Matt could have at least done one more season... Plus the fact they'll be having an overweight, over-aged British has-been actress taking over Margaret's role is confounding, but... haven't reached there yet so who'm I to judge that now?

The final episode of season two of The Crown is largely difficult to follow. It covers a slice of British history not typically covered in American schools, spends the vast majority of its screen time focusing on new and ancillary characters, and is frankly not terribly interesting as presented. (A 7 out of 10.)

Fast forward to the last 10 minutes - the spotlight is finally on the characters that drew the viewers to the series, the actors whose chemistry and exquisite performances have kept the viewers hooked - they are powerful, real, and mesmerizing. A look at not just a relationship that has captivated onlookers for over 60 years, not just a peek at the complexities of royal marriage; but a slice of the very essence of long-term marriage relationships and the nature of commitment. It is raw, honest, and nothing less than exquisite. The director lingers on one quiet camera shot just long enough to make the viewer feel that they are an unseen voyeur on an intimate moment. It is beautifully crafted. (An 11 out of 10...because for things this good, "These go to eleven".)

Watch the last 10 minutes of the final episode of season two multiple times - it just keeps getting better.