The Great could have stuck to the dynamic established in the first season, but thankfully it embraces the possibilities of the cliffhanger ending and pits Catherine against the world. There are even more egregious departures from history as she tries to modernize Russia and deal with the attention of Peter, who has genuinely fallen in love with her and isn’t even sure that he wants to rule Russia anymore.
Catherine (Elle Fanning) succeeds in her coup attempt after a few months when Peter (Nicholas Hoult) abdicates due to hunger. Once she assumes power, however, she discovers many obstacles, such as women refusing to send their daughters to school, General Velementov’s (Douglas Hodge) insistence on going to war, and even the appearance of a crocodile in the palace that people interpret as being an omen about Catherine being bad for Russia. Meanwhile, Peter conspires with his best friend, Grigor (Gwilym Lee) to take back his throne, but along the way, he loses his appetite for power. Even Catherine slowly starts to fall for him, until Peter screws things up in a dramatic fashion.
The humor is as ever-present and sharp as usual in the second season. The debauchery of the court and the various problems that Catherine has to deal with keep the show briskly paced. The supporting cast is also excellent, especially Belinda Bromilow’s Elizabeth. Later, we also get a delightful turn by Gillian Anderson as Catherine’s mother. Marial (Phoebe Fox) maneuvers herself back into Catherine’s good graces again.
As funny as the show is, it also touches on important subjects.
Catherine aims to free the serfs in one episode, and this leads to an uprising that she reluctantly has to put down. The visual of a progressively more pregnant Catherine going through the palace and making important decisions is also important, especially since she has to prove that she’s a capable ruler before she gives birth, which might be followed by another coup attempt.
The love story between Catherine and Peter is handled deftly with the appropriate amount of nuance.
Catherine hates him at first and even has him beaten by her guards. However, as he comes to genuinely care for her, she eventually thaws and gives in to his advances. The performances from both Fanning and Hoult are electric. They portray complex characters with real, understandable motivation and urges. They feel convincingly human, despite their wits
The Great continues to be one of the funniest satires on television. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and give this a chance. It’s criminally underrated, and hopefully, it will continue to grow from strength to strength in future seasons.
