I just finished watching all ten episodes of the Great on all4 and, I have to say, its sheer ‘greatness’ has warranted the inordinate number of Coors Light and Arnold Clack adverts I endured. The series gained three Golden Globe nominations and, while it did not win those, it has won my heart! Think The Crown but throw the shred of historical accuracy out the window, more swearing, 18th century Russia and a pinch of Skins (*cough cough*: Tony Stonem making a guest appearance). So basically, not like The Crown at all.
It follows rise of Catherine the Great (before she was great) in her marriage to Peter III of Russia. In the first episode, Catherine (Elle Fanning) arrives in Russia a hopeful optimist with ideas of scientific advancement and enlightenment, which are swiftly subverted and begin to feel more and more delusional when put into the context of her new husband’s (Nicholas Hoult) chaotic, hedonistic court. The palace is a place of excess, infidelity and violence, most probably something the ‘anti-historical’ satire gets right. One of the key repeated moments is the smashing of plates and the courts shouting “Hazzah!” whenever Peter says something vaguely comic. Another highlighting the absurdity of the whole situation is Peter’s aunt Elizabeth who has pet butterflies whom she trains to spell out peoples’ names. Catherine, as a person ‘within her wits’, grows ever more frustrated with this Russia and feels resigned to her new status as Empress and child bearer with no power of her own. Until, at the close of the first episode, her maid Marial (Phoebe Fox) informs her that if the Emperor were to “unfortunately” die it would be her, not her child, that took his place. Now, we do not approve of spoilers in this house, but accompanied by a rudimentary knowledge of history, one can see where this is going…
As a dramedy (drama-comedy) it stands its ground as a fine blend of witty satire, some slapstick, and genuinely heart wrenching moments. It ties in the themes of enlightenment from the likes of Voltaire and their placement in the Russian court giving a social commentary political spin to something that may seem more “sitcomish” on the exterior. The more liberal bureaucrat Orlo (Sacha Dhawan) is invigorated by Catherine’s progressive stance whereas Archie the Patriarch (Adam Godley) detests her ideas and the science that she stands for in fear of it challenging the dominance of the Church. Velementov (the General) is some comic relief being the stock character of a drunk and lazy old man. Although, perhaps the phrase comic relief is misplaced, as all the characters to a degree are absurd parodies of what the real person would have been. Catherine is the new girl on the scene, initially naïve, then becomes accustomed to court life. She is the one the audience is meant to empathise with; though she makes some questionable choices, they are all for the good of Russia! She decides to play Peter at his own game and realises that when he goes low, she must go lower. Not to forget Peter, whom I’m sure I would detest if he weren’t played by Nicholas Hoult, is the absolute stand out. He is so fickle and ignorant and downright wicked, yet you cannot help but love him. Throughout the series, he shows glimmers of amending his ways and then reverts to being a selfish so and so. Hoult plays him with this infantile loveable quality where, though he is so powerful, he is simultaneously so vulnerable. Not to mention Catherine and Peter’s relationship—t is one of such fervent hatred that it borders on obsession and even love.
The lack of names, dates, and real events that I could investigate on Wikipedia initially plagued me, but the creative liberties are really what make it great! It allows more room to squeeze the very best story lines (some of my favourites being the printing press, the smallpox, and diplomatic relations with Sweden) into a mere ten episodes and to develop the characters without the constraints of accuracy. At its core, it is the battle between Catherine’s emerging new and Peter’s fixation on the past, and that remains unchanged with the presence of names and dates or indeed not.
So… If you’re looking for a comedy, watch the Great. If you’re looking for a drama, watch the Great. If you’re looking for something that could very tenuously (and I emphasise tenuously) border on history or politics consolidation work, watch the Great.
