by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Since my focus has shifted from movies to television, there are only a handful of shows that I regret missing out on when they premiered. This isn’t a golden age of television where there are prestige shows everywhere you go; instead, this is a golden age of television choices. There’s so much to try and watch, and only a finite amount of time to fit everything in. I usually try to catch up on almost everything, and unfortunately, with the writer’s strike dragging on, I may get a chance to catch up on more stuff as production slows down.
The Great is probably at the top of the list of shows I regret not watching from the start. Yes, I concede I’m super late to the party.
Following Catherine (Elle Fanning) after her marriage to then-Russian emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult), Hulu’s breakout series has racked up Emmy nominations along with critical praise. A lot of what people love about The Great is still here, even in Season Three: the snappy, Sorkin-esque dialogue, the asterisk at the beginning of the opening credits indicating it’s a mostly true story, and the crude humor that would even make anyone who appreciates toilet humor blush.
After two seasons of infighting and ruling growing pains, the biggest thing that struck me is how dispensable some of the prominent members of Catherine’s original coup team are. The seeds of a decreased role for several people are planted throughout Season Two, but Season Three tosses many people off to the side. Characters like Marial (Phoebe Fox) and General Velementov (Douglas Hodge) are relegated to the back of the supporting team to make way for newer characters to shine. At least Velementov has something of note this season, dealing with his new role within the military. Marial struggles with her new position in society, but it at least makes for some interesting comedy. Orlo (Sacha Dhawan) is perhaps done the worst. Catherine and Orlo are amazing together in Season One, but as his role diminishes in Season Two, Season Three does him few favors.
Season Three manages to do a lot of what makes the other two seasons so awesome. They keep the humor intact, and even incorporate baby Paul into the mix with some funny moments. The scheming is still there as well. We’re not talking Game of Thrones-level scheming, but it’s all around, from Catherine, to Peter, to the rest of the court. Some individuals are much better at scheming than others, while some are too stupid and constantly get in their own way.
The real difference between Season Three and the others is that Season Three is split between two different stories. For a large portion of the first half of the season, Catherine is figuring out how to be Empress of Russia — she’s trying to balance being beloved and progressive with the will of the people. Catherine realizes pretty quickly that sometimes being beloved and a ruler don’t mesh together. Her attempts to rule are thwarted by her typical frenemies, mainly the Archbishop (Adam Godley) and Georgina (Charity Wakefield). Catherine and Peter’s relationship is a rollercoaster, but they have managed to make it work all these years. Catherine also deals with foreign governments wanting Russia’s support in wars, which is a nice change of pace from the typical Russian politics we are accustomed to.
Season Three takes a drastic (and unfortunately necessary) turn a little more than halfway through the season. The three-episode run of Episodes Six, Seven, and Eight will go down as some of the best The Great has to offer. This trio is an excellent exploration of sudden and unexpected grief, dealing with trauma and how to pick yourself. Many of the actors give amazing performances during this three-episode stretch, starting with Fanning and Hoult. They are both electric, particularly Fanning. Her evolution as a performer throughout The Great is one of the best parts of the series. This is not only career-defining work, but it’s also an awards-worthy performance.
The two others who do outstanding work during this stretch are the characters of Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow) and Grigor (Gwilym Lee). Elizabeth has been the steady, if not slightly boundaries-bending, aunt of Peter. She’s also been a free spirit — respectful of the past, but no slave to tradition — and cares very much about Catherine and Peter. Her character has certainly been a calming presence and a source of comedy. During this three-episode stretch, though, she is a force and someone anybody going through a crisis needs to get back on track. Grigor, one of the members of the court, and one of Peter and Catherine’s friends, is someone who required a more robust storyline. He might be the most affected and the most changed by the events of this season. Lee has never been better as Grigor, and I’m rooting for him to make it to the other side.
Season Three of The Great is one of 2023’s best seasons. It was already an outstanding show, but Season Three levels up the series, performances, and story. I don’t know what Season Four has in store, or if it’s even in the cards, but hat I do know is The Great is among the most underrated shows on television right now that demand more eyeballs on them immediately.
The Great is currently streaming on Hulu
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