The Great Episode 1 immediately dives into the marriage of Peter the III and Catherine the soon-to-be Great, just don’t expect any historical accuracy here.
Hulu‘s new satirical historical drama is nothing short of brilliant. It’s hilarious and the performances are fantastic. The Great Episode 1 wastes no time in getting into the meat of the story by shuffling Catherine (Elle Fanning) off to become the empress consort to the hedonistic craven that is Peter the III (Nicholas Hoult).
If you were anticipating a backstory then you’re watching the wrong show. The Great is more interested in focusing on hardening Catherine from porcelain to steel to prepare her for the vigilant ruler history remembers her as.
The following list details the 5 things we loved most in The Great Episode 1.
5. Everything about Nicholas Hoult’s portrayal.
More from Hulu
- Goosebumps season 1, episode 6 recap: “Night of the Living Dummy”
- Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (December 4, 2023)
- Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (November 27, 2023)
- Show Snob’s Premiere Review: Watch, Pass, Wait and See (November 20, 2023)
- Goosebumps season 1, episode 5 recap: “Reader Beware”
It’s hard to pinpoint just one excellent portrayal in this show because Fanning and Hoult are both exceptional, as is scene-stealer Phoebe Fox (who plays Mariel). But Hoult’s performance is truly impeccable as he introduces us all to his horrible incarnation of Peter the III.
As someone who doesn’t know all the ins and outs of Catherine’s real story, I can’t tell you how much of his characterization is true-to-life, but Hoult is very adept at playing a charming a**hole.
He veer dangerously close to sociopathic territory and yet something about the way Peter cheerily introduces Catherine to his mummified mother in a glass display case or retells his jokes to his men to ensure he gets a laugh is endearing.
It’s not that we like Peter but we really love watching Hoult portray him — he is clearly having the time of his life in the role.
4. Everything about Marial and Catherine’s budding friendship.
Marial instantly proves herself to be one of the few sane people running around the court and one of the few real friends Catherine has in her new home. We learn early in the episode that Marial was formerly part of the aristocracy but her family got on Peter’s bad side.
To humiliate them, Peter demoted them all to servants, making Marial a lady-in-waiting. It ends up being to Catherine’s benefit since Marial is intelligent and astute. It is Marial that stops Catherine from committing suicide at the end of the episode by advising she alter her love story.
Maybe the bear with a heart engulfed in flame wasn’t about Catherine’s love for Peter, but her love for Russia. She also slips Catherine’s valuable intel about the Russian hierarchy. If Peter dies and has no heir, then Catherine will take over, as Russia does not follow the rules of blood lineage.
3. The ladies of the court.
Catherine soon learns the women she’s surrounded by do not read, at all. They instead spend their days rolling balls across the lawn and trying to keep up with the latest hats from Paris, which are actually just ill-fitted wigs.
They gossip and sit around chattering about who’s cheating on who and the like. Catherine quickly realizes that she can hardly bear spending a moment with them without feeling all of her brain cells die. It’s torturous for poor Catherine but hilarious to the audience. The hat-wigs is one of my favorite gags of the episode.
2. The lush production value on the series.
I knew this show would look gorgeous but I’m impressed by just how gorgeous. From the sets to the costumes to the small details, everything is dripping grandeur and opulence, it’s beautiful.
I hope The Great can earn at least a few Emmy nods for the costumes, makeup, and production value alone because it certainly deserves them. One of the main reasons I love period dramas so much is because oftentimes, no expense is spared, and that seems to be the case with The Great.
Even if The Great was bad and only half as entertaining, I’d still be inclined to watch just to stare at the visuals.
1. Catherine hits rock bottom.
It is not that we want to see Catherine suffer, but she has to have her romanticized vision of life married to Peter shattered for her to become the woman who will eventually become one of Russia’s greatest rulers. The Great Episode 1 does a great job at breaking Catherine all the way down.
In the beginning, she’s a fresh-faced young girl with dreams of living a grandiose life of intrigue and influence and by the end, she’s realized she is married to a madman that she hates and is desperate to break free by whatever means necessary. From the dull ladies at the court to Peter’s hideous version of lovemaking, Catherine’s armor is continuously chipped away until she is left with nothing.
I thought the final straw would be Peter burning down Catherine’s small school the second he learned that she planned to make it a girls’ school. Then I thought it would be when he shot her bear in the middle of a party, but then he punches her in the stomach and I thought that was the lowest point.
Finally, she tries to escape and Peter drowns her to make a point. Catherine is driven to self-harm until Marial steps in. Catherine, brimming with renewed vigor after Marial’s pep talk, drops the knife into the bucket and whispers, “Huzzah!” as her path forward, and to be rid of Peter, becomes clear.
What did you think about The Great Episode 1? Are you looking forward to seeing how Catherine begins to adapt to life in the court? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Season 1 of The Great is now streaming on Hulu.