Terra Nullius
- Episode aired Nov 15, 2020
- TV-MA
- 54m
On a tour of Australia, Diana struggles to balance motherhood with her royal duties while both she and Charles cope with their marriage difficulties.On a tour of Australia, Diana struggles to balance motherhood with her royal duties while both she and Charles cope with their marriage difficulties.On a tour of Australia, Diana struggles to balance motherhood with her royal duties while both she and Charles cope with their marriage difficulties.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe song that plays at the end credits, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, is a cover version sung by the cast of The Crown.
- GoofsIt is strongly implied that the Queen had not visited Australia herself since 1954, and nostalgically watches newsreels of that visit. In fact, prior to the Charles and Diana visit depicted on 1983, the Queen had been in Australia in 1963, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1981 and 1982.
- Quotes
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: Diana...
[sighs]
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother: ... is an immature little girl, who, in time, will give up her struggles, give up her fight, and bend, as Philip did. As they all do. And when she bends, she will fit.
Queen Elizabeth II: And if she doesn't bend, what then?
Princess Margaret: She will break.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards (2021)
"Terra Nullius" details Charles and Diana's Australia trip and we see fully how complicated their marriage was. Regardless of whether it's true to the facts or not, which was never going to be an issue actually as somebody who always judges something on their own merits (always have and always will do), "Terra Nullius" is a wonderful episode on its own in pretty much every area. It is much better than the uneven previous episode "Fagan" and one of the best episodes of an up and down but still worth watching Season 4.
Occasionally the pace could have been a little tighter, but that was not a major issue for me.
Not when everything else was so good. Emma Corrin is an emotional powerhouse as Diana, very poignant performance. Josh O'Connor continues to shine as Charles, bringing out Charles' conflict of choosing royal duty or following his heart with a lot of nuance and in a way where his point of view is understood. Their chemistry is sheer magic and they succeed brilliantly at showing Diana and Charles as complicated, damaged people and that their marriage is likewise.
Furthermore, 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, uncompromising yet sensitive in its handling of this subject without descending into melodrama.
Also doing well in showing more than one point of view and in a way where all are understandable. The storytelling continues to advance and while deliberate it is also very absorbing and emotional. The second half did break my heart emotionally and it was hard not to sympathise with Diana, without feeling like you had to do so.
In conclusion, wonderful. 9/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 17, 2023
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime54 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.00 : 1