Warning: Reviews of The Crown season 6 will contain spoilers.

To my recollection – and I’m willing to be corrected if necessary – The Crown has never dipped into supernatural matters. There may have been some moments of unnatural coincidence or fabrication, but nothing comes to mind that was as explicit as what we see in Aftermath. I suppose that now is as good a time as any, when two central figures have passed away. But is it necessary? Could the show have conveyed what the spirits of Diana and Dodi are communicating otherwise, without them making appearances beyond the grave?

Mostly, the characters they appear to are seeking absolution. All but one notable exception, that is. There’s no easy way to pull off what Peter Morgan’s attempting in Aftermath, but he doesn’t completely fumble the message. In lesser hands, it could come off as borderline comedic. For a brief time, Diana was the soul and the conscience of England. It makes some sense that she should make a final appearance as the conscience of those that knew her best.

Aftermath is 52 minutes long and it’s surprising how little happens throughout those 52 minutes, especially considering it’s a pseudo season finale. Of course, there’s the business of the news breaking, and everyone within the royal family and Mohamed learning of it. The scenes of Mohamed and Charles arriving at the morgue are exceptionally acted, and impressively directed by Christian Schwochow. Funeral arrangements are never terribly interesting from a dramatic standpoint, and the one bit of contention comes from whether Diana deserves a state funeral.

Elizabeth and Philip especially come off as borderline evil in the proceedings, as he quickly points the finger at Charles for pushing Diana away and divorcing her. Meanwhile, Elizabeth remains steadfast in staying in Balmoral and keeping her distance from the whole affair, only persuaded to change after a visit from Diana. I wish that Elizabeth had someone else she could be candid with, but Morgan seems resolute at keeping her at arm’s length. Imelda Staunton plays into the Queen’s icy exterior quite well, but I need to understand her justifications on a deeper level.

So where do we go from here? Six episodes remain of the series, premiering in about a month, and Netflix has already teased the appearance of Kate Middleton, and the coming-of-age stories of William and Harry. While we’re on the subject, Rufus Kampa and Fflyn Edwards have been great this season as younger William and Harry, respectively. Kampa especially nailed William’s immediate, outward grief in contrast to his pubescent angst from earlier episodes. If these first four episodes are any indication, The Crown will continue to blend fact and fiction by taking the essences of these real people and crafting engaging stories around them. The Crown may not be the defining story of Princess Diana, and it assuredly won’t be the last. If anything has proven true in the years since her death, it’s that the world continues to be hungry for more, in a strange continuation of what contributed to her untimely demise.. The show’s biggest struggle going forward will be how it can redefine itself in the wake of one of the most monumental stories of our generation. Can the show make these characters interesting again, when they’re still living in the shadow of Princess Diana? I do not envy Peter Morgan.