The Crown
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If this episode ofThe Crownhad aired three years ago, it might have looked very different.
I expected their meeting to be a nice, welcome, tonal departure from the rigidity of the palace.
And there were elements of that!
But a few too many clumsy, perplexing pieces of dialogue pulled me out of moments Id otherwise enjoy.
(And not just them!)
This could be true, but Diana traveleda lot was his the only country that inspired such a thought?
Diana also manages to squeeze in a few backhanded compliments with Hasnat that are hard to ignore.
She says a prince broke her heart, so now she wants a frog to make her happy.
Make it make sense!
Throughout their conversation, she keeps emphasizing his cultural background.
Its as if shestryingto not mention it, so naturallyallshe does is talk about it.
The number of times she says Pakistan(i) is bonkers.
Plus, loving someones culture doesnt instantly correlate to an emotional connection.
The Crownis constantly highlighting parallels, but Im not sure what this one is supposed to signify.
That Pakistanis can be good or bad just like … other people?
That Diana felt a kinship with that nation?
The next time Diana meets Bashir, its in secret at night in a parking garage.
Then he quotes an Urdu proverb a language he admitted to not speaking earlier in the episode.
(Seriously?!)
It can be both, but his deliberate use of Urdu suggests its more of the latter.
Bashirs forging and bold-faced lying are sinister enough.
DoesThe Crownreally need to bring his heritage and ethnicity into it?
Since her death, the princess has become something of a martyr.
Recent depictions focus on her trauma and paint her almost exclusively as a victim.
Elizabeth Debickis Diana is far more complicated.
But shes also prone to making bad calls (sometimes literally oversharing on the phone with William).
Dianas flaws are more apparent and she has more overt agency over them.
She seems tired of feeling like a victim.
This Diana is more driven to assert control.
She cloaks herself in a red puffer jacket and baseball cap.
The tops up on her cabriolet, and overzealous photo-takers cause her to slide her windows up, too.
She hops in her car, wearing an easy, thin sweatshirt and bike shorts.
Edwyn Collinss A Girl Like You sizzles on the radio and the smallest smile plays on her lips.
This time the cars top stays down as cameras flash around her.
Shes on the offensive now.
Royal Diary
Diana silently getting hot and bothered the first time she sees Hasnat is mad cute.
She instantly turned into a lovesick teen.
Williams visits with the queen are a cross-generational breath of fresh air!
Who knew that Mazzy Star and heart surgery simulations would go so well together?
Interestingly enough, this is Puwanarajahs second time playing Martin Bashir!
