While Margaret Thatcher struggles with the disappearance of her favorite child, Elizabeth reexamines her relationships with her four children.While Margaret Thatcher struggles with the disappearance of her favorite child, Elizabeth reexamines her relationships with her four children.While Margaret Thatcher struggles with the disappearance of her favorite child, Elizabeth reexamines her relationships with her four children.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe American actress to whom Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew are referring to in their lunch meeting is Koo Stark (born Kathleen Norris Stark), who dated Prince Andrew for eighteen months, from February 1981 until 1983, and also starred in the film Emily (1976). In 1997, Prince Andrew became the godfather of Stark's daughter.
- GoofsThe events of Mark Thatcher's disappearance and the Argentina landing on South Georgia are portrayed as happening at exactly the same time. This is wrong. Thatcher's disappearance happened in January 1982 (9th January to the 14th January). The Argentinian scrap metal workers did land on South Georgia and raise the Argentina flag as portrayed, but this didn't happen until March 19th 1982, two months after Mark Thatcher's disappearance.
- Quotes
Carol Thatcher: You disregard me. You overlook me. And you favor Mark.
Margaret Thatcher: Because he's stronger. Like my father was stronger. Yes. You are right. I did struggle with my mother, but it had nothing to do with her sex. It had to do with her weakness. I could not bear how she was prepared to just be a housewife.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards (2021)
Season 4 did start off disappointingly, though not terribly, but did improve with the next two episodes. "Favourites" isn't as good as the very good previous episode "Fairytale", but it is on par with "The Balmoral Test" and better than "Gold Stick". Everything with Elizabeth and her children (with the viewer introduced here to Edward and Andrew) was fascinating, but for me it was less good with the Thatcher (generally have not liked her portrayal on 'The Crown') storyline.
"Favourites" has a lot of very good things. As ever the production values are superb. The production and costume design are both classy and sumptuous, but it's the photography that stands out in this regard. The music is not overbearing or low key. The scripting is thought provoking and intriguing and the character writing and dynamics with Elizabeth and her children intrigued and illuminated. Enough of the story compels.
Most of the acting is fine, Olivia Colman is more relaxed here than she was in the previous Season 4 episodes and Charles, Anne, Edward and Andrew are all strongly portrayed. Cannot rave about Josh O'Connor enough.
A lot less good sadly is Anderson. She ever properly disappears into Thatcher's character and it does come over as too much of a Thatcher caricature and Anderson trying too hard.
Her story also to me didn't come over as very interesting or investable, with the tense and nuanced character interactions in the Royal Family plot not being obvious in Thatcher's, and found some of the writing rather contrived at times. Do agree that the family scene was too cartoonish and like it was lifted from somewhere else.
Despite how that sounds, overall to me the episode was pretty good. Just not a favourite. 7/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Dec 2, 2022
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.00 : 1