Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 1, 2021

Sony has released season four of the critically acclaimed Netflix series 'The Crown.' The Blu-ray delivers dazzling video and audio presentations as well as several bonus features, most all of which can be found on disc four. Newcomers should certainly begin with seasons one two, three, all of which are available on Blu-ray.

Official synopsis: As the 1970s are drawing to a close, Queen Elizabeth and her family find themselves preoccupied with safeguarding the line of succession by securing an appropriate bride for Prince Charles, who is still unmarried at 30. As the nation begins to feel the impact of divisive policies introduced by Britain's first female Prime Minster, Margaret Thatcher, tensions arise between her and the Queen which only grow worse as Thatcher leads the country into the Falklands War. While Charles' romance with a young Lady Diana Spencer provides a much-needed fairy tale to reunite the British people, behind closed doors, the Royal Family is becoming increasingly divided.

Season four launches two new primary characters into the story: Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Princess Diana. The season's narrative explores Diana's booming, and busting, relationship with her husband, Prince Charles, and her place in the royal family picture. Meanwhile, season four also focuses on Thatcher's role in government and the dynamics in her relationship with the Queen and the larger political power structure around her. All of the characters are superbly defined and proper care is taken to ensure not just historical accuracy but intimate authenticity; the story of British royalty and government come to life with an uncanny sense of realism where the show feels not just like a recreation but rather a window into the sociopolitical dynamics that defined the era. The intermixing of dense politics and intimate personal relationships make for constantly compelling and tightly focused story drama, supported by several larger-than-life performances that are at once detailed and deep as well as effortlessly exquisite. The show grounds every inch of it existence in historical reality, never holding back and taking painstaking care to present every last detail with seamless accuracy. From production to performances, The Crown's fourth season is a marvel of storytelling, production design, acting, and dramatic intrigue. This is near perfect television.

The following episodes comprise season four. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• Gold Stick: As Elizabeth welcomes Britain's first woman Prime Minister and Charles meets a young Dianna Spencer, an IRA attack brings tragedy to the Royal Family.
• The Balmoral Test: Margaret Thatcher visits Balmoral but has trouble fitting in with the Royal Family, while Charles finds himself torn between his heart and family duty.
• Fairytale: After Charles proposes, Diana moves into Buckingham Palace and finds her life filled with princess training, loneliness -- and Camilla Parker Bowles.

Disc Two:

• Favourites: While Margaret Thatcher struggles with the disappearance of her favorite child, Elizabeth reexamines her relationships with her four children.
• Fagan: As Thatcher's policies create rising unemployment, a desperate man breaks into the palace, where he finds Elizabeth's bedroom and awakens her for a talk.

Disc Three:

• Terra Nullius: On a tour of Australia, Diana struggles to balance motherhood with her royal duties while both she and Charles cope with their marriage difficulties.
• The Hereditary Principle: Grappling with mental health issues, Princess Margaret seeks help and discovers an appalling secret about estranged relatives of the Royal Family.
• 48:1: As many nations condemn apartheid in South Africa, tension mounts between Thatcher and Elizabeth over their clashing opinions on applying sanctions.

Disc Four:

• Avalanche: Charles is caught in a deadly avalanche, prompting both him and Diana to reevaluate their commitment to their troubled marriage.
• War: Amid a growing challenge to her power, Thatcher fights for her position. Charles grows more determined to separate from Diana as their marriage unravels.

The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Once again, a season of The Crown turns out to be Blu-ray royalty. Sony's 1080p transfer is practically above reproach. The picture is infinitely clear and very finely detailed, allowing precision definition to seize every frame, transporting the viewer into the various locales, most all of them plush and luxurious, exceptionally well appointed and with enough resolution might and muscle to bring out the very best in them, at least to this format's limits (no doubt a UHD presentation would offer an even sharper, more organic, more intrinsically complex picture). These four Blu-ray discs, and each episode on them, never want for superior facial detail, fine point hair and makeup visibility, and so on; the picture's innate sharpness and careful encoding result in an A-grade image. Noise is next to nonexistent and encode issues are virtually zero; some soupy artifacts are evident with the opening title sequence but that's the only serious drawback. Colors are rich and regal, popping with natural intensity and perfect contrast. Primaries are vivid, support tones are stable, whites are crisp, blacks are deep, and flesh tones are spot-on perfect. Fans couldn't ask for a significantly superior image.

The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Crown's season four DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is an exquisite example of finely tuned audio engineering. The track is equally capable of offering expressive sound dynamics in hushed interiors and raucous gatherings and high yield sound effects alike. Listeners will note the smallest sonic details in casual conversion and high yield detail when the track requires more aggressive output. Never is there a situation wanting for a more finely precise sound output. As the more intense elements go, spacing is always excellent, surround engagement balanced and true, and the low end is wonderfully balanced and complimentary. Environmental precision is remarkable, whether serene outdoor details or reverb in parliament. Musical output is excellent for definition and spacing alike while dialogue is true and clear as it flows from perfectly prioritized front-center localization. This is a wonderful soundtrack from Sony.

The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Crown: Season Four contains supplements primarily on disc four. Sony again continues to make matters too complicated by listing all of the extras on all four discs and prompting viewers to insert disc four when selecting them on discs one, two, or three. To make matters even more complicated, the photo gallery, the final supplement in the list, is actually included on disc one. And discs two, three, and four. It's the same collection of photos on every disc. No DVD or digital copies are included. The release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Triumph & Tragedy: Diana & Charles (1080p, 5:52): Exploring the true story behind the Charles and Diana marriage in the show, writing history, playing the parts, expressing the ebbs and flows of the relationship's dynamics, and more.
• Three Groundbreaking Women (1080p, 6:37): Exploring Princess Diana, Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth and their roles in history and on the show. Much of the piece explores the dynamics between Thatcher and the Queen.
• Research, Costumes & More: The Making of Season 4 (1080p, 8:40): A catch-all supplement that is less focused on the characters, as the previous two supplements are, and more so the technical details behind season four. This includes historical research and writing; costumes, hair, and makeup; lighting and set design; and more.
• Photo Gallery (1080p): Historical photos juxtaposed against their reproductions for the series.

The Crown: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Crown's fourth season explores recent history with an unprecedented eye for authenticity. It's not just the look but it's also the feel. The manner in which the show is captured -- from the technical end to the performances -- altogether yield an uncannily faithful glimpse into recent history in a way that is true yet accessible, complex yet completely engaging. There's not a lacking component in play; this is first-rate stuff and the stuff legendary television programs are made of. Sony's four-disc Blu-ray set is practically identical to last year's in terms of picture and sound quality as well the number and quality of extras. Highly recommended.