Like you all, the actual British Royal Family is leaving a bad taste in my mouth of late. That has, however, done nothing to diminish my excitement for season three of The Crown, which will air November 17. Also fueling my enthusiasm are the trailers Netflix is dropping to stoke our interest. Remember the beautifully edited succinct teaser they gave us to introduce Her Majesty Olivia Colman? Well, we have a full trailer now and it’s good with a capital G:

As we’ve been saying, this new season is going to deal more with Elizabeth II’s relationship with her country than her interpersonal relationships that served as the foundation of seasons one and two. Right behind the BRF dynamic, one and two showed EII’s unwavering devotion to upholding the Crown and tradition as she believed was her duty. It looks like in season three, we see where that got her, which appears to be not very far. Confronted with turmoil and tragedy, the queen’s voiceovers suggest she’s failed her people. We should get some good cinematic sparring between her and PM Harold Wilson (played by Jason Watkins), too.

As for the cast, you know how excited I am about them. Even with only a few glances, I’m really warming up to Tobias Menzies as Phillip. However, the standout in the trailer, for me, was Charles, played by Josh O’Connor. He really has that hangdog expression down, doesn’t he? We know who Charles is by now, thanks to season two. So season three will look at Charles being groomed the way EII was in season one. My favorite part in the trailer is at the 1:29 mark when Charles is told to “watch out for your family.” The tableau shown during the voiceover and the final line suggesting his family does not mean well is quite powerful and I’m eager to see what they do with Charles now (that may be the first time I’ve ever said those words). But that’s what The Crown does so well, especially in their trailers, suggest so much with a visual. Like the Jubilee Day line with EII’s line acknowledging her as she passes, from Charles looking down to Edward (?) looking away to Helena Bonham Carter’s Margaret curtseying while her face refuses to acknowledge the hierarchy. Speaking of Margaret, my parents have always spoken of her with more excitement than they did with EII. It looks like this season will address why.

The funeral featured in the trailer is Winston Churchill’s. That will prove a dramatic backdrop for all these characters to play against. (Man, I hope we get a John Lithgow cameo, even if it’s just him lying in state.) As shown, Charles Dance takes over the role of Lord Mountbatten and I think we can all agree he will be marvelous. Season three is rumored to only go to 1976, so his assassination won’t happen until season four, at least we get a full season with him, which will be critical if this season focuses on Charles’s development. I just have one question that has yet to be addressed: Derek Jacobi was rumored to play the Duke of Windsor and IMDb claimed it was confirmed. However, he doesn’t appear on the show’s page nor does the show on his. No new Duke of Windsor is listed, only Alex Jennings who played him in one and two. So what’s going on there? Maybe the role was left on the cutting room floor? Nobody cuts Derek Jacobi, surely.

God's Own Country Part 2 🌈👑#TheCrown #JoshOConnor pic.twitter.com/DDfSEpuApW

— Slayvid Opie 🎃 (@DavidOpie) October 21, 2019

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