10 Best Episodes Of The Crown
5. Hyde Park Corner (S1E2)
This is where the show really kicks off, the moment when a recently married 25 year old with a quiet demeanour started her reign as Queen. The episode begins with King George VI's inability to attend official duties due to ill health before he denies a request from the Deputy PM to ask Churchill to step down. Then the final moments of George's life arrives, with the focus switching to the whirlwind of emotions faced by his daughter, who was touring Ghana at the time.
The isolation of Africa adds a surreal element to Elizabeth's mourning, while her ability to mourn for her father is hindered by her anxiety of becoming Queen. Claire Foy and Matt Smith are wonderful again, Foy in her portrayal of a woman whose life is spinning out of control, Smith in bringing out the darker characteristics of Philip while also displaying him (for the time being) as a caring husband.
While the first episode did exude a sense of setting and background, one couldn't help but feel that this would have been a much better place to kick things off.