This season has been one episode more excellent than the last, but I dreaded this particular episode. Knowing what it was about, I expected endless scenes of bullying and child abuse. Leave it to The Crown, however, to craft something as un-melodramatic as it gets, something not only original, but beautiful, moving, and tragic. It avoids absolutely all cliches, and the cinematography, exquisite so far in the series, is simply out of this world in this episode.
All of this serves to give a clear understanding of how the Scottish boarding school Gordonstoun represented something totally different to Prince Phillip than to Prince Charles. It's hard to understand why Phillip insisted on such a brutal school for his son - while not excusing it, this goes some way to explain it.
The scenes with Teen Philip are especially good, but I found the most poignant one to be one of the few featuring the Queen herself.
It's the closing scene, but doesn't really contain spoilers: Elizabeth watches Charles arrive home from Gordonstoun on holiday - from a window. She sees him being greeted and hugged (by a nanny, presumably) but stays away herself. Even when he comes inside, she doesn't go to meet him, but walks in a different direction.
You expect the episode to be about Charles' relationship with his father, and it is, but this one wordless scene spoke volumes about the relationship with his mother. It's been puzzling that the children have played such small parts in the series so far, and that almost every time we've actually seen them, the Queen is shown viewing them from a distance. Now I realize this hasn't been a coincidence. It hasn't been because of bad child actors or because other stories have been preferred. It's reflected the kids' actual relative part in Elizabeth's life. And who knows what's more damaging for children - bullying, a harsh father, or a cold, distant mother?
14 Reviews
Fantastic episode
maquimk-512-17377524 August 2018
The best episode in this season. Especially a boy who played young Phillip was great. It was emotional, touching, hard, sad, we are able to see various difficulty and suffer from all characters.
Great storyline and cinematography too, personally I'm very interested in the actor (young Phillip), he's just 16 and hope to see his success career worldwide from now on.
Great storyline and cinematography too, personally I'm very interested in the actor (young Phillip), he's just 16 and hope to see his success career worldwide from now on.
Great Performance
alshammariabdullah1 March 2021
Very sad episode
nina_samothrake17 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Scenery and music were chosen well. This episode was very personal. It showed the tragic youth of Prince Philipp and the difficult childhood of his son, Prince Charles. Prince Philipp hopes that the school he went to would help Charles to develope in a way that it has helped himself. But what every parent has to (or should) realize: what worked for you doesn't necessarily work for your children. The final scene was just heart breaking, even though I am full aware that it is fictional. Charles returns home. But instead of being greeted by his parents (Philipp only pays attention to Anne, the Queen stays inside and watches from the window), the only persons showing affection towards him are the nanny of prince Charles and his butler.
Sins of the Father
Hitchcoc22 December 2017
This is a fascinating episode. Is this series an accurate portrayal of events. I have to admit to knowing little about Prince Philip. If we are to believe this, he managed, because of his family position, to escape a horror show. He ends up in Scotland at a harsh, "character-building," school. At first he is pompous and condescending. This just gets him beaten up and hated. But a family tragedy causes him to face the realities of the world. When he goes home for the funerals of many of his family, he is despised, as he walks down the streets of a Nazi infested world. Our other focus is the young Charles who is small and weak. He has been bullied at his previous school and Elizabeth wants him to go to Eton. But Philip insists on his attending his school because he knows Charles's propensities and thinks the harsh environment will make a man out of him. The results are very interesting.
A tough topic, handled well.
TouchTheGarlicProduction12 December 2017
In this episode, Phillip sends his son Charles to the same boarding school he attended as a child. Charles' experience is horrible, and it would be easy to hate Phillip for it, but the episode does a good job of also showing things from his perspective so that we are not sure how to feel. Only at the very end does the episode appear to pick a side, and it's one I agree with.
Up to this point, the royal children have been little more than props, with no distinguishing traits and very few appearances. Given the span of time this series is set to cover, they're going to have to start treating them as characters eventually. I was expecting this to be the episode in which that happens, but it isn't really. We do learn a little bit about Charles, but the episode's primary focus is on Phillip.
Over half of the episode consists of flashbacks to Phillip's time at the boarding school. The actor who plays Young Phillip is fantastic, and his character arc is very emotional, but I would have preferred to have spent a little less time in the past and a little more time in present day developing Charles.
In conclusion, his episode tackles a tough topic (boarding schools) with pathos for all involved and a very emotional but perhaps overly dominant flashback plot.
Up to this point, the royal children have been little more than props, with no distinguishing traits and very few appearances. Given the span of time this series is set to cover, they're going to have to start treating them as characters eventually. I was expecting this to be the episode in which that happens, but it isn't really. We do learn a little bit about Charles, but the episode's primary focus is on Phillip.
Over half of the episode consists of flashbacks to Phillip's time at the boarding school. The actor who plays Young Phillip is fantastic, and his character arc is very emotional, but I would have preferred to have spent a little less time in the past and a little more time in present day developing Charles.
In conclusion, his episode tackles a tough topic (boarding schools) with pathos for all involved and a very emotional but perhaps overly dominant flashback plot.
Father of the family
TheLittleSongbird14 September 2021
"Paterfamilias" is the penultimate episode of an on the whole very good Season 2 of what was one of Netflix's best shows in its prime (Seasons 3 and 4 aren't as consistent). The premise immediately intrigued me, as it does deal with a tough topic and it was a look at Prince Phillip in his youth. Was hoping though that it wouldn't be too melodramatic, would handle the subject in good taste and that it would develop Phillip better than "Lisbon" earlier in the season did.
It certainly does thankfully and absolutely brilliantly. It is an illuminating, harrowing and poignant episode and definitely one of the best episodes of Season 2, a season where even its weakest episode "Lisbon" was still good. Along with "Marionettes" and "Vergangenheit". Not just that, "Paterfamilias" is up there with one of the best episodes of 'The Crown' and demonstrates what it is all about and stands for. If one is wondering whether the hype is deserved, look at this for example and it will be easy to see the appeal.
Visually "Paterfamilias" is faultless. The expense really does show in the classy, sumptuous period detail and the atmospheric and elegant way it's shot. The music for me wasn't too intrusive or low-key and was beautiful scoring on its own. The main theme is not easy to forget.
Writing probes a lot of thought and is never less than intriguing and emotionally investable, it never veers into soap-opera land and doesn't sound too modern. The retrospective structure is always clear and never jumpy, the past never dulling the episode's pace. What young Phillip goes through is not an easy watch, but while it pulls no punches it doesn't become too heavy. Emotionally a lot of poignancy can be found.
The episode contains some of the best character writing of the season and of 'The Crown', young Phillip's character writing and development is illuminating, very insightful and helps one understand how he came to be the way he became when he became Elizabeth's husband and Duke of Edinburgh. The acting is top class all round, with top honours going to an outstanding and often moving Finn Elliot (one of the best and most layered performances of the season).
All in all, brilliant. 10/10.
It certainly does thankfully and absolutely brilliantly. It is an illuminating, harrowing and poignant episode and definitely one of the best episodes of Season 2, a season where even its weakest episode "Lisbon" was still good. Along with "Marionettes" and "Vergangenheit". Not just that, "Paterfamilias" is up there with one of the best episodes of 'The Crown' and demonstrates what it is all about and stands for. If one is wondering whether the hype is deserved, look at this for example and it will be easy to see the appeal.
Visually "Paterfamilias" is faultless. The expense really does show in the classy, sumptuous period detail and the atmospheric and elegant way it's shot. The music for me wasn't too intrusive or low-key and was beautiful scoring on its own. The main theme is not easy to forget.
Writing probes a lot of thought and is never less than intriguing and emotionally investable, it never veers into soap-opera land and doesn't sound too modern. The retrospective structure is always clear and never jumpy, the past never dulling the episode's pace. What young Phillip goes through is not an easy watch, but while it pulls no punches it doesn't become too heavy. Emotionally a lot of poignancy can be found.
The episode contains some of the best character writing of the season and of 'The Crown', young Phillip's character writing and development is illuminating, very insightful and helps one understand how he came to be the way he became when he became Elizabeth's husband and Duke of Edinburgh. The acting is top class all round, with top honours going to an outstanding and often moving Finn Elliot (one of the best and most layered performances of the season).
All in all, brilliant. 10/10.
Poor Poor Prince Charles
La_Tallchief30 April 2021
I watched this series in anticipation of Prince Phillip crying poverty and begging for a rise in the Royal Family's allowance from the taxpayers. Was surprised to discover that both Prince Phillip and Prince Chuck were abused by their own fathers. It made me sick, this history. Boarding School is difficult enough when your parents support you. It must be brutal when they don't. Such cruel, cruel fathers. Happy to know Prince Chuck put an end to this tradition.
One of the best episodes of the series
wrxsti545 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Having watched the whole series I'd have to say that this episode is one of the best. It explores the complex relationship between Charles and Philip told via the experiences each had at austere Scottish boarding school Gordontoun. It's hard to know how much of the tension portrayed between Elizabeth and Philip over the decision to send Charles there is true nor how much he really struggled. The meatiest parts are the extensive recollections of Phillip's early time at Gordontoun fabulously portrayed by 14 year old Finn Elliot. The cruelty meted out to a high profile royal of controversial European heritage was on full display. One of the highlights was the dramatic scenes of the 1937 funeral of his older sister Cecile in Darmstadt Germany where the teenaged Phillip had to walk through the streets surrounded by Nazi uniforms, salutes and memorabilia! Elliot puts in a powerful, moving and physically challenging performance of Phillip grappling with the death of so many of his family against the backdrop of his struggles at the school.
Good, but inaccurate
smith-cwarren13 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It was a very enjoyable, emotional episode on it's own.
Unfortunately, in the end the writers chose to mislead us to sell their narrative. They cherry pick statements from Charles to make it appears as if to an adult looking back it was a brutish experience where he was bullied and scared.
The reality is that real life, adult Charles claims that his experiences were formative and challenging in precisely the stereotypical way that was are led to believe motivated Philip to send him there.
The episode was so compelling that it made me want to study the history around this situation more, unfortunately on doing so, I found that I was intentionally misled and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
If you want to fully enjoy the episode, don't look into the history behind it. And don't read this review.
Unfortunately, in the end the writers chose to mislead us to sell their narrative. They cherry pick statements from Charles to make it appears as if to an adult looking back it was a brutish experience where he was bullied and scared.
The reality is that real life, adult Charles claims that his experiences were formative and challenging in precisely the stereotypical way that was are led to believe motivated Philip to send him there.
The episode was so compelling that it made me want to study the history around this situation more, unfortunately on doing so, I found that I was intentionally misled and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
If you want to fully enjoy the episode, don't look into the history behind it. And don't read this review.
Highly inaccurate, but high emotional drama
charleshp11 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode makes Philip responsible for a chain of events that culminates in his sister being killed in an air crash. His father then rejects him as responsible for the death of his "favourite daughter."
However, his sister taking that flight had nothing to do with Philip. She did die in an air accident as the pilot tried to land urgently in bad weather because she went into early labour. However, she was on the flight to attend a wedding. Her travel had nothing to do with Philip or his invented misbehaviour at Gordonstoun.
As one historian wrote, "There was no fight, almost certainly no half term, and Prince Philip would not have gone to Germany anyway. His sister was always coming to the wedding. Yes, the plane crashed and she, her husband, her two boys, and her widowed mother-in-law were all killed along with the others on board: pilot, lady-in-waiting, et cetera, ... Prince Philip had nothing to do with the accident at all."
Philip also did not build the school gates. Nor is there any such event as the Gordonstoun Challenge.
However, his sister taking that flight had nothing to do with Philip. She did die in an air accident as the pilot tried to land urgently in bad weather because she went into early labour. However, she was on the flight to attend a wedding. Her travel had nothing to do with Philip or his invented misbehaviour at Gordonstoun.
As one historian wrote, "There was no fight, almost certainly no half term, and Prince Philip would not have gone to Germany anyway. His sister was always coming to the wedding. Yes, the plane crashed and she, her husband, her two boys, and her widowed mother-in-law were all killed along with the others on board: pilot, lady-in-waiting, et cetera, ... Prince Philip had nothing to do with the accident at all."
Philip also did not build the school gates. Nor is there any such event as the Gordonstoun Challenge.
Paterfamilias
bobcobb30114 December 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Did they reach for some of the drama here and rewrite history a bit for entertainment purposes? Sure, but they produced a solid hour of TV by having Phillip's past serve as a parallel between the young Charles and their difficult experiences while away at school.
It didn't feel like an episode of The Crown, but it was surely a good episode of TV.
It didn't feel like an episode of The Crown, but it was surely a good episode of TV.
Whole series went not so bad...
jaskier-1716117 December 2020
But this episode was so unbelievably unwatchable to me. Trully whoever make scenario to this is just stupid men. Filp for so wierd reason start to behaving like crazy lunatic etc. Whole story is just stupid af. And if u reading this before you watched it just skip and don't waste your time.
A good episode, with some difficult scenes
lauraeleanorhayes6 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Overall, the episode was of standard quality for the show, that is to say, excellent. However, there are some scenes that were very emotionally difficult to watch, including borderline-abusive behaviour by fathers and several scenes featuring nazis and swasticas clearly visible.
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