User Reviews

For me, this episode is the best one since "Assassins" from the first season. It follows a new character, a newspaperman and lord, in his very public and vocal criticisms of the monarchy. These criticisms expose a greater sense of unease in the country, and eventually force Elizabeth to make some fundamental changes to her approach. In many ways, this episode is a microcosm of the show's central theme; an exploration of the value of and problems with a monarchy in the modern age.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this episode is the way that it manages to not only flesh out a completely new character in a short period of time, but to make me root for him despite the fact that he is creating nothing but trouble for our usual protagonists. John Heffernan plays him as a paragon of reason and modernity, and I agree with everything he says in the episode.

And yet, despite the fact that I agree with everything Lord Altrincham says, I also can't help but feel bad for Elizabeth. She's put in a very difficult and painful position in this episode, and though I do believe that modernization was both inevitable and for the better, the episode does also show the enormous toll that it took on Elizabeth and her mother. She doesn't want to reveal her true self, but she is forced to.

In short, this is a fantastic episode which sums up everything The Crown is about, offers the origin of the Queen's famous Christmas address, and features a fantastic showdown between Claire Foy and John Heffernan.

Since I started watching The Crown just out of curiosity I have been (smartphone at hand) fact checking the stories, the people, the circumstances. I have been very pleased (I am not historian, just a curious person) the series seems to keep overblown stories at bay. But this episode in particular was astonishing. I have to admit I knew nothing about Lord Altrincham but it is amazing how one person, one action can have such a profound impact in history without us knowing.

The storyline was clean, to the point, and even dramatic. The acting was superb, from the actor portraying Lord Altrincham showing someone humble but capable of sitting down and (successfully) argument his ideas in front of the Queen, to The Queen showing the duality of knowing he was right while trying to keep her dignity, to the Queen Mother who is not convinced but clearly proud of her daughter as she is delivering the Christmas message, to the always amusing Prince Phillip who just plays with Elizabeth knowing exactly what buttons to push (the whole conversation in the train about the hair style is one for a comedy show. I laughed non stop).

I would not hesitate to use this episode if I were a history teacher to illustrate my students about a critical turning point on the history of the British Monarchy.

Whoever chose 'The train and the river' by Jimmy Giuffre outdid themselves

It was great to see more development to Elizabeth, after seeing previous Season 2 episodes focusing on other characters (for instance Phillip, which could have been done better, and Margaret, which showed a vast improvement over how she was written the previous season). It was also great to see a supporting character so fully fleshed out in so little time in a way not done this well before in the previous episodes of 'The Crown'.

"Marionettes" is a fantastic episode. One of the best of a mostly very fine Season 2, and do agree too that it is the best episode of 'The Crown' since "Assassins." It does so well at making a complicated subject accessible and rootable, progressing characters and events while introducing new developments. Elizabeth's character writing and how she handles this very difficult dilemma in "Marionettes" is going to divide, and has divided, people, that did leave me pondering after watching.

So much is done brilliantly in "Marionettes." Visually, the episode is faultless. The expense really does show in the classy, sumptuous period detail and the atmospheric and elegant way it's shot. 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.

Writing probes a lot of thought and is never less than intriguing and emotionally investable, it never veers into soapiness or sound too contemporary, while also not being old-fashioned. It is especially good in the showdown between Elizabeth and Altrincham, which was incredibly thought-provoking and suspenseful, and the conversation between Elizabeth and the Queen Mother (which provides the context of the episode title).

Loved the storytelling too, it's deliberate but not overly so and has subtle tension and intrigue. The situation is a complex one but never felt confusing with the way it unfolds. The conflict is handled beautifully and it was interesting to see an episode of anything where the opposition is the character that makes the most sense and did find myself being completely on their side. The character writing has a lot of meat, managing to never be too perfect or over the top unlikeable (apart from one bit with Phillip, though that was nothing compared to how he was written in "Lisbon").

Altrincham is the revelation in this case, his opposing point of view being the most fleshed out and the easiest to get behind. He's not a character who is over-the-top villainous or anything but instead somebody who speaks a lot of sense despite it being a different viewpoint. Can totally understand why Elizabeth's character writing has induced a mix of frustration towards her and sympathy for her. She struck me here as somebody caught in an incredibly difficult situation that she is completely at sea at understandably and having to deal with making such big changes going forward, but her way of handling it all is very flawed as is how she takes advice. Of the sterling cast, Claire Foy's nuanced Elizabeth and John Heffernan's well reasoned Altrincham hold things together brilliantly and there is some great support from Victoria Hamilton.

Concluding, outstanding. 10/10.

Got really anxious while watching this. Every single element of filmmaking is used exceptionally to bring forth a narrative that is not only relevent to the times but also potent. Anyways, love this ep and I hope it gets better from here.

Such a beautifully and well done episode. The music, the acting, the storyline, the suspense, the entire episode was seriously the best of The Crown. Claire Foy should have been nominated for every under the sun for just that episode alone. So well done. I could only think about how it would be an actors dream to be setting foot on that scene with the televised Christmas special. The quality of the show is breathtaking and made most relevant in those moments.

I was most impressed with the actor who portrayed the Lord. He had such a great way of delivering his message. I think what takes this episode to truly another level is the fact that it was all historical. I learned a lot about his contribution to England. And the writers made sure to make him a lovable character at that. Perhaps also the sweet satisfaction of the audience joining in on a collective, "I told you so!" to the Queen's private security and his egregious and arrogant way of brushing off criticism when he had the chance.

This is 1958 and the monarchy is beginning to become passe. Elizabeth takes a canned speech to a Jaguar plant and insults the workers with her condescension. A journalist who read the speech ahead of time, suggested changes and is ignored. He then goes rogue. He writes a negative article about the Queen and receives angry responses, but when he appears on an interview show, he regains his credibility. The Queen takes his comments to heart but is not happy. There are some really interesting developments as things roll along. Excellent episode.