The Greatness of ‘The Great’: An Occasionally True Story

It’s Satirical, dramatic, angsty, & romantic. The Great is everything that you might want in a show.

Taking inspiration from the life of Catherine the Great or Catherine II the former Empress of Russia & her husband, Peter III. The show takes on a humorous and bizarre route towards the rule of the former empress. Catherine, being played by Elle Fanning, breathed life into the character by her wits and passion to rule Russia. Nicholas Holt, who plays Emperor Peter, also gave a stellar representation of the character’s absurdity and humor.

Where the greatness all begins

The premise starts off as Catherine gets shipped off to Russia to get married to the emperor, Peter III. As she enters society with her innocence and optimism, her presumptions get crushed as the court is not the fairytale she thought it was.

The Empress consort got exposed to more of a circus environment where people’s absurdity reaches the roof. Emperor Peter, her husband, is also not the kind of person she thought he was.

Catherine had the expectation of a soft and loving husband before her arrival. It was replaced by a king doing nothing but hunting, killing, and making-his-war-general-do-a-silly-dance-in-front-of-him type of person.

Seeing the comical situation of Russia, Catherine is determined to tame the kingdom down into a more logic based and sound minded empire.

Historical… inaccuracy?

The show thrives on the fact that it does not follow most historical accounts of the Russian rule. But occasionally, they do, which gives it more freedom to be unhinged as it gets.

Unlike more period dramas that are formulated to have slower, dissected plots, The Great prides itself with fast paced conversations that it wouldn’t let you breathe from one joke to another. But the show also holds its plot steady amidst its satire. The drama scenes are well placed and the story itself takes you into an emotional roller coaster you wouldn’t expect what happens next.

Take note before watching the show!

The Great also handles a ton of profanity and is not shy when it comes to dark jokes and adult topics. It’s a great mix of moments and the characters feel so well crafted and are hilarious in their own right.