The Crown is ending its reign after six seasons. The Netflix original series, which follows the life of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding until the 21st Century, has received praise from critics and viewers alike for its bold storytelling, awards-worthy performances, beautiful cinematography, and overall production design. Some viewers, however, have felt the historical inaccuracies outweigh the successes, and are not as big of fans of the show, going so far as to call it “an insult to the monarchy” (per The Guardian). Despite this criticism, The Crown has been nominated for over 60 Primetime Emmys, winning numerous, and has also won two Golden Globes for Best Television Series – Drama.

Created and written by Peter Morgan, The Crown is a diamond in the rough for fans of historical dramas and should be watched by anyone who enjoys the genre. With Season 6 scheduled to debut its first four episodes on November 16, 2023, and the final six episodes on December 14, 2023, fans are wondering why the series has essentially been canceled, especially when there are easily more stories to tell about the Royal Family.

Producer Suzanne Mackie explained that “Peter has said it very articulately, that he simply can’t write something unless there has been time to gain a proper perspective… And I think he’s always felt 10 years is the minimum amount of time that he can see something in a historical context, to allow him to really understand it. I don’t think he’ll deviate from that” (via Independent).

Though fans may be said to see the series go, here is why ending The Crown after Season 6 is a good decision.

Keeping The Crown Relevant in the Future

Creator Peter Morgan spoke about how he had originally planned to end the series upon the Queen’s death, but the timing didn’t line up. He told Entertainment Weekly, “It was the cutoff to keep it historical, not journalistic… I think by stopping almost 20 years before the present day, it’s dignified.” Many fans of The Crown also seem to think that if the show is brought too far into the modern day, it becomes more of an ongoing daily life adaptation rather than a historical drama.

The series needs to remain relevant in the future, and ending with Season 6 allows for room for future viewers to watch the series while keeping a more historical viewpoint. Others, however, feel that historical accuracy is the least of their worries and that as long as the series is good, the details shouldn’t matter.

Despite being based on true events and real people, The Crown is a fictionalized account of the events and should be taken as such. This allows room for the series to continue on even after it has ended, which is why making it too modern could harm the historical value of the show. In fact, Morgan did reveal that, if he were to return to the Royal Family’s story, it would be in the form of a prequel series, again, keeping in line with a historical perspective.

The Crown Deserves Quality Over Quantity

Having a set ending means there will be fewer loose ends that need tying up. Everyone can be sure The Crown goes out on a higher note, rather than with an ending that doesn’t fit. This means the show as a whole, and the final season, will be quality work that fans can appreciate for many more years to come. If a show goes on for too long, and drags out the story as far as possible, burn out happens more quickly, with both the show and its audience.

Paige Strout of The Insider noted that “when we look back at the entire runs of those shows, we’re reminded of plot lines and characters that added little to nothing to the stories,” when discussing shows like Game of Thrones and Friends. Strout also went on to explain that for The Crown specifically, “The show’s focus is Queen Elizabeth, and by continuing on, it runs the risk of becoming less about her.” The Crown ending after season six is the best possible choice for the series to maintain its caliber over the years to come.

Stream The Crown on Netflix