The Crown Season 6’s Ending Makes Sense For Now (But A Revival May Be Inevitable)

Summary

• Despite ending in 2005, The Crown leaves room for a potential reboot to cover the royal scandals and surprises of the past two decades.
• Ending the show in 2005 allows for a powerful sendoff for Queen Elizabeth and avoids potentially tasteless portrayals of recent events, like her death or Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure.
• While there are no plans for a revival, the show’s popularity and timeline could prompt a return in 20 years, meaning fans may have to wait until 2041 for new episodes. #TheCrown #Netflix

Netflix’s The Crown, which has been streaming since 2016, came to its emotional conclusion after season 6 — but there may still be potential for a reboot. Season 6’s finale takes place in 2005, and showrunner Peter Morgan was firm about his decision to keep the show in the past rather than time-skipping up to the present day for the final episode. Though this decision is a sensible one, the Royal Family has seen plenty of TV-worthy moments in the eighteen years since 2005.

The Crown ends with Queen Elizabeth deciding to stay on the throne, after considering an abdication in favor of her son Charles. Despite concerns that the monarchy is becoming obsolete, alongside the fact of her own mortality, the Queen ultimately decides that she will honor her decades-long commitment to the throne. This ending gives the character a powerful sendoff and foreshadows the real-life passing of the Queen while remaining respectful. Still, the decision to end the show in 2005 leaves almost two decades of royal scandals and surprises untold. If The Crown ever resumes its story, there will be plenty of material for showrunners to work with.

The Crown’s Ending Place Makes Sense For Now (But It Still Has More To Cover)

Peter Morgan ending The Crown with season 6 has been explained, with the showrunner believing that the show would feel too journalistic if it were to cover modern events. In an interview with THR, the showrunner said that he was “completely committed to not coming up to the present day.” This was the right choice for the show. Revisiting bygone events (such as Prince Charles’s marriages and Princess Diana’s death) allows The Crown’s audience to reflect on the past; it also introduces younger viewers to events they may not know much about. In contrast, if the show covered current events, it might feel like it was simply rehashing the news.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death, for example, may still be too fresh in viewers’ minds for an onscreen portrayal. Season 6’s finale alludes to her funeral with a stirring scene of the Queen at Westminster Abbey, reflecting on her reign and its inevitable end. Compared to this, a direct portrayal of her passing could feel tasteless, as if showrunners were exploiting her death for views. Other recent developments (such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s famous departure, which has already gained a Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan) have been discussed so widely that an appearance on The Crown could simply feel redundant. However, after some time has passed, there may be an opportunity for a revival of the show.

While The Crown is his most recent work, Peter Morgan has served as a screenwriter for numerous works focusing on the British royal family, notably The Queen (2006) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

A Revival Of The Crown May Be Inevitable In 20 Years

As of now, there are no plans for a revival of The Crown. Queen Elizabeth actor Imelda Staunton has gone on record to say she doesn’t think Peter Morgan will make a seventh season, and Peter Morgan’s comments on his chances of returning echo that sentiment, though he does leave the door open for a potential revival or prequel. If nothing else, the show’s popularity may prompt Netflix to bring it back. However, since the events of the final episode take place eighteen years before said episode’s air date, following that timeline, a season covering today’s events would premiere in 2041 — meaning fans may be in for a long wait.

The Crown is streaming on Netflix.