Hulu’s hit series, The Great, starring Elle Fanning as the legendary Catherine the Great of Russia and Nicholas Hoult as her husband Peter returned last weekend and I was beyond excited. This season we follow a heavily pregnant Catherine and her quest to form a new Russia, one guided by diplomacy and reason. However, her continued distrust of her advisors threatens to derail her progress and puts her in a precarious position.
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The connection between religious and scientific reform is explored as is the conflict between the serfdom and the nobility. A conflict that would continue until the ultimate end of the Romanov dynasty. It should be noted that the show’s version of events is fantastical and almost entirely fabricated but then again, they’ve always made that very clear. Also depicted is the role of women in Russian society and how Catherine herself had a huge hand in shaping it.
The set design and production in The Great remains flawlessly stunning with rich, bold palettes and the costumes are of the highest quality. The transitions between scenes however, could use some work and Season 2 also came dangerously close to having its messages bogged down by the overt sillyness and raunch of it all.
Elle Fanning is both elegant and captivating in her role as Catherine while the guest appearance of the incomparable Gillian Anderson as her mother was colourful and snooty. Regardless, my favourite character is still Catherine’s best friend. The iron willed diva Marial, played by Phoebe Fox. Peter experiences the most character growth this season and he’s alot more subdued but at what cost to the overall entertainment? I’ve always found the show to be at it’s best when he and Catherine are at each other’s throats.
Nevertheless, we see a Peter that finally begins to process the highly dysfunctional relationship between him and his parents bringing a level of vulnerability to the character that was only hinted at before. To be very candid, I didn’t enjoy this season quite as much as last but it was devilishly entertaining all the same with many socio-political references that I appreciated.
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