“Aberfan” might be one of the most perfectly structured episodes of The Crown.
The children singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” at the opening brings tears to my eyes before the episode even properly starts. It’s such a beautiful, innocent hymn, and placing it right before the tragedy of Aberfan makes the whole episode feel like a punch in the gut.
I also think Harold Wilson is one of the best PM portrayals in the series. His emotional intelligence and his dynamic with the Queen, especially around her inability to cry, is so revealing and tender.
It’s a terrifying realization that sometimes people expect emotion from you that you genuinely don’t know how to access. And when Philip comes back from the memorial service and talks about the voices in the church, he says that their singing was the grief. Crying through the hymns. Highlights the stark differences between a community who has comparatively so little, materially, to the BRF but are rich beyond measure in the depths of their love and collective grief.
One of the best episodes of the entire series, IMO. Those poor babies. That poor community.