Tony McNamara’s acid-tongued series The Great has certainly earned its name over the course of its past two seasons, boasting witty repartee, dazzling court intrigue, and a brilliant pair of central performances from Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Yet in Season 3, it somehow manages to kick all these elements up a notch.
This ahistorical take on the rise of Russian empress Catherine the Great (Fanning) gets substantially darker this season. With this darkness comes more daring storytelling choices, more opportunities for supporting characters to shine, and more chances for Fanning and Hoult to deliver their best work yet. Really, it’s a season of “more, more, more,” but in a Russian court full of beaver hunting, elaborate cuisine, and routine orgies, excess is the norm. However, there is still much fun to be had, including a slew of bawdy one-liners that you’ll just have to hear for yourselves.
Season 3 of The Great explores Catherine and Peter’s “great love.”
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh/Hulu
When we last saw Catherine and her husband, Emperor Peter (Hoult), the two were locked in a tight embrace. Of course, this embrace came after Catherine attempted to kill Peter (she stabbed his body double Pugachev instead) and after Peter killed Catherine’s mother (accidentally, while having sex with her). Clearly, these troubled lovebirds have a lot to work through, but after professing their twisted love for one another, they’re more than determined to work through their issues.
While couples counseling and “marriage science” are on the table, Catherine is still trying to run the country she won from her husband. Her attempts to bring the ideas of the Enlightenment to Russia are uphill battles, especially as Peter undermines her at court, and as the escaped Pugachev (also played by Hoult) poses as Peter to stir up discord among the serfs — the very people whom Catherine hopes to liberate. With all these challenges against her, this season sees Catherine dive deeper into Machiavellian politicking than she ever has before. Her naiveté has always gotten in her own way, but new allies like Archie (Adam Godley) and Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow) teach Catherine how to temper it — and how to better get what she wants.
Elsewhere, court members like Marial (Phoebe Fox), Grigor (Gwilym Lee), and Georgina (Charity Wakefield) try to get back in Catherine’s good graces. These are some particularly juicy plots, with each character struggling to make sense of their relationship with the now seemingly united Peter and Catherine. The only secondary character who truly struggles this season is Orlo (Sacha Dhawan), who gets cast to the side in a less-than-compelling way; this is an unfortunate move, given his importance to Catherine’s ambitions.
Despite all these turning cogs, the real spectacle of The Great Season 3 is, as always, the fraught dynamic between Catherine and Peter. We’ve heard plenty about “will they, won’t they” couples in film and TV, but here, the real question is “will they or won’t they kill each other?”
Every encounter between Catherine and Peter walks the high wire between love and hate, and Fanning and Hoult have never been better. The rhythm in their joint scenes is mesmerizing, as they make a meal out of The Great‘s clever, complex dialogue. If I could bottle their speaking cadence or their delivery of certain NSFW words, I would. Love or hate this pairing, you simply will not be able to look away from the emotional fireworks every time they speak.
The Great Season 3 ups the stakes for Catherine.
Credit: Christopher Raphael/Hulu
Speaking of emotional fireworks, this season is full of them. There are the highs and lows of Catherine and Peter’s love story, the looming threat of war, and some truly hysterical attempts by various nobles to one-up each other.
But it’s The Great‘s biggest risks that deliver the biggest payoffs. A major narrative shift halfway through the season forces Catherine to rethink her entire project and her relationship to Peter, giving Fanning the opportunity to do some of her most devastating, nuanced work yet. This season tests Catherine’s idealism like never before, further bringing out the shades of Peter she’s always had in her; watching Fanning play that balance is nothing short of electrifying.
The decision to give Pugachev a bigger role this season also proves to be an excellent choice, as it allows Hoult to wreak havoc on multiple fronts. As Peter, he is charming yet violent, with a paternal streak The Great has much fun exploring. If you’ve ever wanted to see the Emperor of Russia go hunting with his darling babe strapped to his chest, now’s your chance. But where Peter is a refined scoundrel — you should hear about his plans for his new invention of “lemon salt” — Pugachev is a slimy, grimy scoundrel who takes pleasure in causing chaos and looking out for himself. Most frightening is his uncanny ability to turn on what I can only describe as “Peter mode” at a moment’s notice. He’s a terrifying showman, as well as Catherine and Peter’s most fascinating opponent to date.
With all these elements in place, as well as a propulsive quality that Season 2 sometimes lacked, it’s no surprise that The Great Season 3 is such a success. McNamara, Fanning, and Hoult have once again proven that the “occasionally true story” of Catherine the Great is truly a delight — and that yes, it is possible to make a great show even greater.
All episodes of The Great Season 3 are now streaming on Hulu.
