When The Crown's showrunner Peter Morgan first announced that the cast of the famed series would change every two years to stay true to the timeline of the Royal Family's portrayal, it seemed like an absurd idea. I mean after watching Claire Foy own this role for two seasons, it almost seemed like there couldn't be anyone else who would do the same. On board for the third season as Queen Elizabeth II is the Academy Award-winning actress Olivia Colman and probably the best successor we could have to got to Foy's Queen. The Crown Season 3 Trailer: Olivia Colman's Queen Elizabeth Finds Britain in Crisis, Prince Charles Deals With a Complicated Romance in the New Season.

The third season sets itself apart from the previous two because it's here that we see the Royal Family being at its vulnerable best.  The first episode titled 'Olding' rightly shows us of how the Queen and the rest of the family is dealing not only ageing personally but also as a monarchy. Britain is waking up to fresh socialist ideas and as we see Her Majesty staring down at the new portraits, showing her in a young and an older profile but her true worry is becoming obsolete as an entity. Colman's ability to never express too much or too less as Queen Elizabeth II is far too amazing. She probably seems dull but it is this unflattering bit that she pulls off the best. She even manages to get that small blush very well after a scene where Prince Philip kisses her.

At first, it will be best to get yourself acquainted to the new cast. Season 3 introduces Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and after seeing Matt Smith and his twitchy smile, the new actor brings a good amount of depth to the new phase that the Prince is in. Helena Bonham Carter is undoubtedly the perfect fit for Princess Margaret, as someone who thrives on drama, without ever making it look caricaturish. Jason Watkins is seen as the new Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, Britain's first Labour PM, whose equation with the Royal family is abstruse. Charles Dance also makes an impressive debut in the series as Lord Mountbatten. (Yes I still can't get over his Tywin Lannister image)

Coming to the plot, the third season truly finds itself scratching below the surface. It's not about the cutlery and the greetings anymore, it is all about staying relevant not just towards the public but also personally as each member faces their own truths. The ten-episode long season has a lot to offer in terms of the changing political climate of Britain and how it affected the inner workings of the Royal family.

Princess Margaret at one point in the series tells her sister, "Having no role, having nothing to do is soul-destroying" and it is this and the burden of the crushing reveleation made to her as a child that she'll always remain in the stands as a supporter to the Queen that has driven her to alcoholism. She may light up a room full of Americans with naughty limericks but her crushed self-worth haunts her in loneliness and even her pillowcase reads, "It's not easy being a princess."

As for the Queen, she's still testing waters for the new Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, who rumours suggest is a KGB spy.  Wilson's introductory scene with Queen after being appointed Prime Minister is spot on and Watkins' body language in their first meeting and the ones after that have so much to say. For someone who has always been a intrigued with the Britain's history and monarchy in general, I am quite happy with the way the writers have inserted crucial  bits of history such as  the investiture of Prince Charles as the Prince of Wales, the Aberfan disaster that killed nearly 116 children, the controversial documentary about the Royal Family and an important one being Princess Margaret's meeting with US President Lyndon B. Johnson.

The episode titled "Aberfan" which revolves around the Aberfan disaster of 1966, which saw a spoil tip suddenly slide downhill, causing a landslide that killed 144 people out of which 116 were children is probably one of the best of this season. In this episode, we hear the Queen revealing to Prime Minister Wilson that she has trouble expressing emotion. We also learn that not reaching out to the people of Aberfan sooner than she did remains to be one of the biggest regrets of her life. Apart from the new season also touches upon Winston Churchill's death, Princess Alice's (Mother of Prince Phillip) return to England. 'The Crown' Star Olivia Colman Wants to Have a Role in New James Bond Movie.

Another shining spark of season 3 is without a doubt Josh O'Connor's Prince Charles. He manages to make you feel for him as he's struggling to keep his identity separate from the one that the Royal family wants him to have. Prince Charle's investiture as Prince of Wales makes for a brilliant episode where we see him learning Welsh and in turn also about the history of Wales. His conversation with the Queen about letting him have a voice is a finely written piece. It is during this scene that she makes it clear to him that no one wants to hear his voice, not the country, not his family and that as an heir, he will be forced to make such sacrifices. Well, I certainly can't wait to see more of Charles' story in the next season as this one is only the start.

Given Britain's current climate with Brexit looming over its head for a while now, the series touching upon UK's accession to the European Economic Community seems an important reminder of the past. Queen Elizabeth II during her speech says, "L'union fait la force" (unity makes strength) and I can't help but wonder what pro-Brexit leaders have to say to that.

Check Out the Trailer of The Crown Season 3:

Benjamin Caron who directed the Season 2 finale,  directs the crucial first four episodes of the new season. He sets tone perfect for the rest of the series and I particularly loved his framing of Helena Bonham Carter's Princess Margaret in the second episode Margaretology with the perfect close-ups and wide shots that compliment her personality and convey her vivacity. Director Christian Schwochow does a fine job for the episode "Tywysog Cymru" which is about Charle's investiture. From the lighting in Charle's room at the Wales university to the tracking shot that shows him visiting his Welsh professor, the thoughtful direction in this one is evident.

On the disappointing fronts, the writers do miss out on some crucial bits of the 60s such as the 1966 FIFA World Cup held in England which also happens to be the country's first World Cup win.  Also, the show slumps a bit into its eighth episode, 'The Dangling Man' as Derek Jacobi brings us the self-absorbed Duke of Windsor.  The dying old relic's saga with a rather unconvincing act by Geraldine Chaplin as Wallis Simpson is not the best bit from the show. It also seems like season 3's ending may be a bit dreary in parts only because season 4 will take things to another level with the introduction of two key characters, Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana.

Final Verdict:

The Crown's Season 3 has all the elements that make it worth the wait. If you had any doubts as to how a new cast would maintain the show's high standards, I believe you won't be disappointed. In some ways, this season is also dedicated to the 'second-in-commands' and their struggles, the natural No 1s and their tragedies of having been born a No. 2 (Princess Anne, Princess Margaret). All I am happy about is that the ten-episode show rarely gets tedious and offers a lot of interesting information for those uninitiated with the ways of the Royal family and Britain's politics. Colman may have cemented her Emmy win with this one.

Rating:4.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2019 11:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).