Let’s just get straight to it: Gillian Anderson absolutely rules in The Crown season 4. Margaret Thatcher does not, but Gillian Anderson does. She is ridiculously good in it, it’s almost annoying. Like, I will eat my ass if Anderson doesn’t win all the awards for her portrayal of one of Britain’s most divisive prime ministers. She’s a shoo-in, she just is.
The Crown‘s fourth season chronicles Thatcher’s rise and fall from leadership over ten episodes, including her frosty visit to Balmoral Castle with her husband Denis Thatcher, her refusal to back sanctions against the apartheid in South Africa, and her difficult relationship with Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman).
Thatcher isn’t exactly likeable in The Crown, but Anderson’s portrayal of her is magnetic. You just can’t help but watch every single second of her performance… even if your skin crawls.
It is very conflicting for a number of reasons.
Gillian Anderson playing Margaret Thatcher https://t.co/2rg4cYc2d4
— Ciara (@Ciara87C) November 12, 2020
Watching season 4 of #TheCrown. Having a hard time separating my hatred of Margret Thatcher, to my hard crush of Gillian Anderson.
So confused pic.twitter.com/azveaSFMzb— Craig C-137 (@Sutto2606) November 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/stavvers/status/1328063817536966656
my crush on Gillian Anderson is not going to survive Margaret Thatcher
— Sarah Jones (@onesarahjones) November 15, 2020
If there’s one thing we can agree on it’s that Anderson is a huge contender for best supporting actress… at like all the award ceremonies. All of them.
Gillian Anderson playing Margaret Thatcher in The Crown deserves multiple awards. An outstanding performance! 👑 pic.twitter.com/9BzEbEkv0F
— Dean Franklin (@deanfranklinuk) November 15, 2020
gillian anderson. that’s all
— Lucia Keskin (@chiwithaC) November 15, 2020
20 minutes in… and already the decision to cast Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher is one of the best television has ever made. #TheCrown pic.twitter.com/sU0w84VAB4
— Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) November 15, 2020
Good lord Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher is terrifying
— G. Willow Wilson (@GWillowWilson) November 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/scllygibson/status/1328076816549031936
Netflix’s decision to cast Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher is undoubtedly one of the best TV decisions ever made. A true acting masterclass! 👌💙🇬🇧 #TheCrown pic.twitter.com/uaTjxPnZ7M
— Joe Porter 🇬🇧 (@JoePorterUK) November 15, 2020
https://twitter.com/blnchdubois/status/1328070334776569857
https://twitter.com/MikeLawson1985/status/1327912663322685440
Oh my god, Gillian Anderson is SO good in this role. #TheCrown
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) November 15, 2020
Thatcher aside, The Crown season 4 also introduces us to a young Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin, as she first meets and eventually marries Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor).
It is achingly sad, as is a lot of The Crown‘s fourth season, but none more than Princess Diana’s isolation within the royal family. I think the worst bit is that it doesn’t get any better – it’s just a continual downward spiral.
If you’re interested in learning more about Diana’s story, give Diana: In Her Own Words, a go if you haven’t already. It’s on Netflix too.
The documentary uses recordings of Diana’s secret interview with biographer Andrew Morton, in which she candidly opens up about her relationship with Charles.
The Crown season 4 is streaming now on Netflix.
The series costars Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip, Emerald Fennell as Camilla Parker Bowles, Erin Doherty as Princess Anne, and Marion Bailey as Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Charles Dance also briefly appears as Louis Mountbatten in the opening episode, but, well, you know.
