by Anura Guruge
on November 14, 2022
I definitely ENJOYED it — & that, alas, is part of the problem.
It is so well scripted & produced that you easily lose fact that 70% of what is being shown is SPECULATION! Yes, based on what happened — but imagined … fictionalized. We will never know what actually was said behind those walls. That is the problem. Just even take something simple: the private conversations between the Queen & then Prime Minister ‘John Major’. Of course they took place. That is a fact. Yes, they must have discussed the issues portrayed by Netflix. The problem is that we don’t know what was really said. What is shown is MADE UP. But, it is so cleverly done that you can easily lose sight of that.
This applies to everything. Yes, we have all heard the ‘Tampongate’ tape. But, all the talk that went before that & after — is all make believe. YIKES. That is the problem. I not really complaining. Just concerned that too many of us may have got lulled into thinking that all this dialogue is based on reality.
I don’t know how to fix that.
I am a HUGE fan of the series. Of that there is no debate.
I have learned a LOT from the Series — & for that I am grateful.
This was also the case with Season 5. I knew very little about the ‘Fayed’ family. Also the details of the ‘Martin Bashir’ deception! Wow. I knew the broad-brush version of the events, but not the EXTENT of the fraud. I was shocked & disappointed. Not worthy of MY BBC!
I loved the portrayal of P.M. ‘John Major‘. I always liked John. I think he got star billing.
So, the bottom line is that I loved Season 5, but am concerned that too much ‘faction‘ got woven in, very cleverly, as fact rather than possible fiction.
