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Season 1 – The Great

Play trailer 2:02 Poster for Season 1 – The Great May 2020 History Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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90% Tomatometer 88 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th-century Russia following the wildly comedic rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great.
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The Great — Season 1

The Great — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Great can't quite live up to its namesake, but delicious performances from Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult and a wicked sense of humor make it a pretty good watch.

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Critics Reviews

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Cady Lang TIME Magazine 05/20/2024
The epic tale of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia gets a cheeky satirical revamp with The Great... Go to Full Review Megan McCluskey TIME Magazine 05/24/2023
A satirical black comedy that delivers an absurdist mashup of 18th century history... Go to Full Review Deborah Ross The Mail on Sunday (UK) 01/11/2021
5/5
The Great is a period romp based on the life of Catherine the Great, but it is not your average period romp as it is lavishly filthy, wonderfully funny, snappily paced, savagely witty and totally modern. The Great is great, in other words. Go to Full Review Tom Gliatto People Magazine 09/12/2022
Vividly absurd, occasionally disgusting, sometimes puzzling. Go to Full Review Sarah Ward Concrete Playground 06/25/2022
The Great serves up acerbic laughs from the outset, and doesn't let the mood drop. That means sharp, sly and thoroughly self-aware dialogue, an irreverent and cheeky tone, and having ample fun with real-life details. Go to Full Review Brian T. Carney Washington Blade 05/20/2022
An elegant and bawdy genre-busting history lesson...stuffed with equal parts witty banter, lofty ideals and brutal debauchery. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lorenzo T @Lorentz Jan 27 A very entertaining comedy. No history though (and little drama)! See more Francesco G @Ciccio Dec 23 The Great presents itself as a historical satire but retains little more than historical names, discarding accuracy to the point of irrelevance. The series relies heavily on relentless sexual innuendo and repetitive crude jokes, which replace meaningful storytelling and quickly become exhausting rather than provocative. Characters are consistently reduced to shallow caricatures, stripped of complexity for the sake of cheap humor. Its supposed feminism feels superficial and opportunistic, serving more as a marketing shield than a genuine reflection on female power, ultimately using sex to attract attention rather than to say anything substantial. See more W W @RT51423983 12/17/2024 Great show of the year unbelievable this knuckle head cancelled the show See more CHRIS M @ChrisMoore 11/24/2024 Kinda goofy. I expected satire, sex-tire more like it. I could only take the first five episodes of season 1. See more David W @RT50886524 08/09/2024 Foul, revolting, pointless, teenage humour, waste of costumes See more Mike T @RT81780018 06/11/2024 One of my favourite series of all time. Saddened it is over. Amazing cast and hilarious performances. 👑 See more Read all reviews
The Great — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Tony McNamara

Creator

Elle Fanning

Catherine

Nicholas Hoult

Peter

Phoebe Fox

Marial

Adam Godley

Archbishop

Gwilym Lee

Grigor

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 15, 2020 The Great Catherine travels to Russia and becomes the Empress by marrying the Emperor of Russia, Peter; Catherine soon realizes Peter is a selfish brat and feels hopeless until her servant, Marial, presents her with an alternative path -- to overthrow Peter. Details Episode 2 Aired May 15, 2020 The Beard Catherine takes her first steps toward a coup; she attempts to seduce and recruit palace intellectual Count Orlo; it's a disaster; however, after seeing Peter's brutal treatment of local nobles, the count decides to join Catherine's coup. Details Episode 3 Aired May 15, 2020 And You Sir, Are No Peter the Great Catherine, Orlo and Marial continue their coup planning; they try to recruit an unhappy military general, Velementov, for their cause; Peter, noting Catherine's unhappiness, gifts her with a sterile lover, Leo. Details Episode 4 Aired May 15, 2020 Moscow Mule Catherine tries to manage her reputation at court and her relationship with Leo, both of which distract her from the coup; the influential Patriarch of the church dies, and a new one must be chosen. Details Episode 5 Aired May 15, 2020 War and Vomit As the war with Sweden rages, Catherine and Aunt Elizabeth visit the Russian front; Grigor poisons Peter; Velementov, Orlo, and Marial try to influence Catherine's steps toward takeover, as Peter's life hangs in the balance. Details Episode 6 Aired May 15, 2020 Parachute Peter has a new lease on life after his near-death experience; he is open to Catherine's progressive ideas of introducing art and science to court and wants to focus on an heir; Orlo tries to figure out who poisoned Peter and faces demons of his own. Details Episode 7 Aired May 15, 2020 A Pox on Hope Catherine feels optimistic about peaceful coexistence with Peter and their increasing chemistry; when smallpox breaks out in the servant's quarters, Peter reverts to his old ways; Leo and Catherine's relationship suffers, and Georgina misses Peter. Details Episode 8 Aired May 15, 2020 Meatballs at the Dacha Catherine's political abilities are tested when she's given an opportunity to travel abroad with Peter and Velementov to discuss ending the war with the Swedish king; Velementov sees the potential of her leadership and decides to support the coup. Details Episode 9 Aired May 15, 2020 Love Hurts Tensions mount as Catherine, Orlo, Velementov, Leo, and Marial try to get regional counts on board with the coup; when a body is discovered, Peter decides to torture everyone to find the murderous traitors; Catherine realizes she is pregnant. Details Episode 10 Aired May 15, 2020 The Beaver's Nose Catherine decides to move forward with the coup on her birthday; Peter holds Leo hostage as collateral; Marial betrays Catherine to Peter; Catherine realizes that the only chance for a greater Russia is to fight, without Leo; the battle begins. Details

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The Great — Season 1

The Great: Season 1 Teaser - Date Announcement The Great: Season 1 Teaser - Date Announcement 0:29 The Great: Season 1 Trailer The Great: Season 1 Trailer 2:02 The Great: Season 1 Teaser The Great: Season 1 Teaser 1:41 View more videos
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The Great — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Colin Bucksey, Geeta Patel, Bert & Bertie, Ben Chessell, Matt Shakman
Creator
Tony McNamara
Executive Producer
Tony McNamara, Marian Macgowan, Josh Kesselman, Ron West, Brittany Kahan Ward, Doug Mankoff, Andrew Spaulding, Elle Fanning, Mark Winemaker, Matt Shakman
Screenwriter
Tony McNamara, Tess Morris, James Wood, Gretel Vella
Network
Hulu
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
History, Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
May 15, 2020