‘The Crown’ Season 5 takes dramatic threats, but this is where they focus into history.

 A turbulent House of Windsor is at a crossroads between a traditionalist past and a progressive future in the fifth and penultimate season of The Crown, the first new season to air since the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The monarchy is at its weakest position since Edward VIII’s abdication. Couples have grown apart, parents don’t understand why their kids are the way they are, and the public is growing increasingly irritated with the costly costs of upholding a scandal-riddled royal family that is often regarded as out of touch. There is nothing less at stake than the monarchy’s continued existence. Remorse and vengeance take centre stage. The Crown Season 5 has a lot to balance when you add in a number of significant historical moments and the introduction of a whole new primary cast. But don’t worry; Peter Morgan, the show’s creator, and their crew pull it off with the poise, gravity, and deliberation we’ve come to expect from Netflix’s beloved awards contender.

The entire season has a sombre undertone, and not just because it premieres two months after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The collapse of Charles and Diana’s marriage, the decommissioning of the Royal Yacht Britannia, the end of British colonial control in Hong Kong, and the Windsor Castle fire are all examples of how finality and change are ever-present. While the older age sees their successors as unprepared and feckless, the younger generation believes their time has arrived to shine. The BBC, the Al-Fayed family, and the royal family are all affected by this generational split. At times, the symbolism surrounding this theme is a little too obvious. The show’s self-awareness runs the risk of detracting from the experience when the Queen says in one episode that even televisions are now metaphors.

Between Charles and Elizabeth, on a number of fronts—from his desire for a divorce from Diana to his more forceful push for the monarchy to modernise and better reflect the Britain of the 1990s—the subject of the past vs. the future plays out most dramatically. The Queen, on the other hand, is unwavering in her lifelong commitment to protect the monarchy’s customs and place in British culture. Both parties appear unwilling to compromise. Unfortunately, Elizabeth is powerless to stop the course of events, and she reluctantly agrees to Charles and Diana’s divorce despite it going against everything she believes in as a wife, mother, monarch, and head of the Church of England. She finds herself in a world she no longer recognises and is under increasing pressure to change from authorities, the media, the populace, and even—in the most divisive creative decision of the season—the Prince of Wales. As he is portrayed, Charles is clearly ambitious but he is also dissatisfied with the gilded purgatory that has become his middle-aged life. His mother is getting in the way of his desire to create a life with meaning and love, which makes him restless.

As Elizabeth and Charles, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West both give complex and poignant performances. Since Elizabeth is now a sweet old grandmother and Charles is a disappointed and unsuccessful husband, but not a monster, viewers will definitely feel pity for Elizabeth. Although West doesn’t resemble the actual Charles at all, his portrayal and the screenplay give the character life and make him relatable. The Charles of Season 5 alternates between being a terrible spouse to his first wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles (Olivia Williams), his potential second wife, and a fervent supporter of social causes. So don’t be concerned if you think Season 5 is a smear campaign against the current King Charles III.

It also lacks any hagiographic overtones. Charles from Season 5 thinks that the monarchy ought to represent the disarray and divorce that its modern citizens are accustomed to. Princess Diana is always portrayed as a sympathetic and vulnerable character who just desperately wants the love and companionship Charles was never going to be able to give since Camilla was always the woman he loved and wanted to marry. However, Season 5 isn’t entirely on Princess Diana’s side either as her own mistakes in judgement come into play. (Marrying for love instead of duty is a significant theme this season, from Charles to Princess Anne, his sister, to Princess Margaret’s reunion with Peter Townsend, her former husband.)

The statuesque Elizabeth Debicki stands out among such a strong cast, her Diana looming both literally and metaphorically over the royal family she feels never acknowledged her. Compared to many previous actresses who have represented her, Debicki more closely resembles the genuine Princess of Wales in terms of voice and facial gestures. Like West’s Charles, her Diana is a complex, flawed person who can respond in a variety of ways depending on the situation. She can be sassy and clever to ease the tension or upset and contemptuous when insulted. She is a well-known public figure who demonstrates genuine and profound sympathy for the ill and the destitute. She is a dedicated, if overly open, mother. This scene shows Diana’s brief romance with heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan, although Debicki and Humayun Saeed don’t have a lot of chemistry together, which may be on purpose. Diana overwhelms this accomplished but average man because she is so desperate to find a loving companion, and after Diana’s infamous BBC interview airs, he begins to wonder what he has gotten himself into. (More to follow on that.)

One of the best of the 10 episodes this season, Episode 3 titled “Mou Mou,” introduces Mohamed Al-Fayed (Salim Daw) and his son Dodi (Khalid Abdalla). This is a man who wants the world to admire him; notably, the white British world of his home Egypt’s conquerors. Mohamed’s climb to power and money is soon established. In order to get a seat at the table, he will haggle and pay whatever is necessary (or, in this case, The Royal Windsor Horse Show). For his part, Dodi seeks to earn his father’s respect and realise his own goals, which he momentarily succeeds in doing by directing Chariots of Fire, which won the Best Picture Oscar.

In this third episode, colonialism, institutionalised racism, and classism are all present, but the sweet friendship between Mohamed and his valet Sydney Johnson (Jude Akuwudike), who had previously long served as Edward VIII’s personal valet after his abdication, stands out as the episode’s high point. As soon as Mohamed finds out about Sydney’s previous profession, his initial bias toward Sydney, who is Black, lessens. Mohamed learns how to “become a British gentleman” with Sydney serving as his instructor and valet in an effort to (he hopes) obtain acceptance and respect from the white establishment. Here, the intriguing Sydney Johnson, who made a brief appearance in Season 3, finally receives his due.

Prince Philip is portrayed by Jonathan Pryce as an elderly man who is both crotchety and fiercely curious. Even though he now desires to travel in carriages with his godson’s gorgeous wife, Penny, he has accepted his status and is absolutely committed to his wife and the monarchy. In one episode, his connections to the murdered Romanov royal family of Russia are highlighted, along with how Philip’s DNA put an end to the long-running mystery and brought up old grievances he had against his loving wife. This season, each important character gets a stand-alone episode to shine, and this one highlighted the Duke of Edinburgh’s complex relationship with The System (as he refers to it to Diana).