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‘The Crown’ Spoilers: Why You Can Still Spoil a True Story

Listen, we all know what's going to happen with Elizabeth II, but there's an art to storytelling that still can be spoiled.
The Crown Season 1 Netflix Ben Miles Vanessa Kirby
Alex Bailey/Netflix

No doubt Winston Churchill would scoff at our ignorance, but we still believe a historical drama, like Netflix‘s “The Crown,” can be spoiled.

It’s that we’re worried about learning what will happen to Elizabeth II or whether or not Princess Margaret ever married Peter Townsend, but…OK, yeah, we kind of are wondering about the latter point. And the reason why we’re so curious is because of how well Peter Morgan has told the story of the United Kingdom’s royal family. No matter the reason why we remain unaware of exactly what happened to the central figures of this story, Morgan has weaved such a compelling yarn we’d rather let him finish it than read what happened online.

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This line of reasoning is similar to why anyone who’s fallen behind on “Westworld” or “Game of Thrones” doesn’t simply read brief recaps online to catch up quickly: They want to let the series inform them because, after all, this is still entertainment. And great television is great storytelling, so why let it go to waste?

Of course, there are differences between spoiling “The Crown” (or any other tale based in fact) and giving away the secrets behind a work of fiction. To guide us through the finer points, we turn to IndieWire’s Very Good TV Podcast. Hosted by TV Editor Liz Shannon Miller and TV Critic Ben Travers, this week’s episode breaks down the many different opinions viewers hold in regard to spoilers, as well as why we watch TV shows in which we know the ending going in.

Don’t forget to subscribe via Soundcloud or iTunes, and follow IndieWire on Twitter and Facebook for all your pertinent TV news. Check out Liz and Ben’s Twitter feeds for more, more, more. Plus, don’t forget to listen to IndieWire’s other podcastsScreen Talk with Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson, as well as Michael Schneider’s new podcast, Turn It On, which spotlights the most important TV of each week.

Related News and Articles:

  • Ben reviewed “The Crown” and found it too perfect to actually be perfect. Feel free to tell him that makes little to no sense.
  • Liz interviewed “The Crown” creator Peter Morgan, and he’s got quite an interesting take on the relevancy and ridiculousness of the royal family.
  • “Atlanta” wrapped one of the best debut seasons in recent memory last week. IndieWire Senior Editor Hanh Nguyen reviewed it for us, so make sure you read and watch.
  • “People of Earth” is just another great new show that you should be watching. How long is that list of yours looking?
  • You’re watching “Divorce,” though, right? I mean, you’ve gotta be watching “Divorce.” Let Thomas Haden Church explain why, even if you find it distressing, HBO’s new black comedy is worth it.

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