Wolferton Splash

Episode aired Nov 4, 2016
TV-MA
56m

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

7.4K

YOUR RATING

Jared Harris and Claire Foy in The Crown (2016)

Biography Drama History

A young Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip. As King George VI's health worsens, Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister for the second time.A young Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip. As King George VI's health worsens, Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister for the second time.A young Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip. As King George VI's health worsens, Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister for the second time.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.2/10

7.4K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
It is explained that the woman dressed as a nun, Princess Alice of Battenberg, is the mother of the Duke of Edinburgh. What is not explained is why she dressed that way: during the early 1930s, after going into exile and poverty with her family, she converted to Greek Orthodoxy, suffered a breakdown, was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and was institutionalized in a sanatorium. After her release she was separated or estranged from most of her family for many years. During World War II she hid a Jewish family from the Nazis (and was eventually posthumously named one of the 'Righteous Among the Nations' for her actions), and after the war she founded and joined an order of Greek Orthodox nuns, the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary.

Goofs
Elizabeth asks Philip to stop smoking, as she hated it. The real Elizabeth was not averse to smoking. She used to smoke herself, but only in private.

Quotes
Peter Townsend: It was a young lady named Sally / Who enjoyed the occasional dally / She sat on the lap / Of a well-endowed chap, / And cried: "Sir, you're right up my alley!"
King George VI: There was an old countess of Bray, / - And you may think it odd when I say - / That despite her high station, / Rank, and education, / She always spelled "cunt" with a K.

Soundtracks
I Vow To Thee, My Country
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Cecil Spring-Rice
Music by Gustav Holst

User reviews12

Featured review

8/10

A very smooth start.

A heavy burden falls on the first episode of a series, particularly a complex slow-burn character drama like this one. My main worry with this series was that it would be difficult to get into; that learning about all the people would be a chore and that it wouldn't do enough to hook me. This episode allayed my fears. On a surface level, there isn't a whole lot that happens in it. But the acting and writing ooze subtext and convey a full and compelling arc about denial and mortality. It may not have many huge "events", yet it is great television. I hope the rest of the season continues the marvellous subtlety and casually gripping quality of the first episode.

The show opens with King George in a bathroom coughing up blood. He is told that it's "just the cold weather". These opening moments convey the story of the entire episode; the King's health is declining yet he and others are in denial about it. The importance of an opening scene is often underestimated, yet here it is used perfectly, conveying the overall message of the entire episode.

A few other things I appreciated were the performances (particularly John Lithgow as Churchill), the attention to detail in costume and set, the cinematography, and the score. All the elements came together really well in the episode.