If you haven’t seen The Great on Hulu, now is the time to catch up with this fun (loosely) historically-based series. In the last year, it may be one of my most recommended shows to friends as family. It follows the life and reign of Catherine the Great of Russia, from the time she marries Emperor Peter son of Peter The Great to when she attempts to overthrow the throne and take control herself.
The show is filled with sex, death, battles, humor, and a crazy king. Sure, it’s most likely not historically accurate, but even the show acknowledges that with a tag line “A sometimes historically accurate show”. There’s just enough of a kernel of truth in the series that makes it appealing, but the show is written for entertainment and it doesn’t hide from that. Characters are over the top, moments could have happened this way (we won’t ever know for sure), but it sure does look good for the show, and don’t forget those outfits!
Being a huge fan of historical fiction in books, movies, and shows (Reign and Tudors included), you have to give the shows a bit of space to explore what could have happened. And when The Great was initially announced, I was intrigued and went into the series cautiously. After all, how could Elle Fanning – Princess Aurora portray a ruthless queen who went down in history for “relations” with a horse?
The easiest answer – She does it flawlessly. Her range of acting is one that we didn’t see coming, and while a much more grownup role than we’re used to seeing her in – there is no doubt she embodies Catherine. From the girl who came from Poland to become the Empress of Russia, Fanning goes all-in with every emotion Catherine would have experienced. From love, hate, rage, and happiness. The series features all the good and bad of the royal’s stories, including a possible explanation for the rumor that haunts Catherine centuries after her death.
Season 2 of The Great picks up months after the first season. Catherine and Peter are still fighting for the throne, and inside the palace with the war happening on different floors at different times. Catherine, heavily pregnant, is determined to win the war against her husband and take her place as the leader of Russia. There is no denying this show is going to take you for a ride.
The show is returning strong, and will instantly hook you in when you start watching it. So be ready to sit and watch all ten episodes in a day or two. The Great is probably one of the most entertaining and hooking shows we’ve seen over the last couple of years, and one that we wish would have more episodes or we wouldn’t have to wait so long between seasons. It brings with it everything fans are looking for, wrapped up in an interesting historical package.
Season two premieres with all ten episodes on November 19 on Hulu, so you have time to catch up with the last season before binge-watching all ten of the new episodes. Be sure to put The Great on your “to watch” list this fall.
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About The Great – Season 2:
In season two of “The Great,” Catherine finally takes the Russian throne for her own — but if she thought coup-ing her husband was difficult, it’s nothing compared to the realities of ‘liberating’ a country that doesn’t want to be. She’ll battle her court, her team, even her own mother in a bid to bring the enlightenment to Russia. Meanwhile she’ll also battle her heart as Peter slowly transitions from much-hated husband, to prisoner? Ally? Lover? Ultimately Catherine will learn that to change a country, you must let it change you, that there is a fine line between idealism and delusion, and that becoming ‘Great’, will ask more of her than she could have imagined.
“The Great” is created, written and executive produced by Tony McNamara and executive produced by Marian Macgowan, Mark Winemaker, Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, Thruline’s Josh Kesselman and Ron West, and Matt Shakman. The project is produced by Civic Center Media in association with MRC Television.
Cast: The series stars Elle Fanning as Catherine, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Bayo Gbadamosi and Belinda Bromilow.
