The Great

                         

The new Hulu series*, The Great, written by Tony McNamara, follows Empress Catherine of Russia as she takes on the challenges her nation, and herself, face. The Great is loosely (emphasis on loosely) based on the real "Catherine the Great" of Russia. Catherine (Elle Fanning) marries into the Russian monarchy, hoping to find a beautiful and progressive country that she will be able to put all her knowledge to use. However, when she gets to Russia, she finds an unloving husband, Peter the third (Nicholas Hoult), and a country that doesn't want to move forward. Putting her great mind to use, Catherine creates a coup that will give her the power she's looking for. With help from friends (played by, Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan, and Sebastian de Souza), watch as Catherine earns her title "The Great" and hopes to move Russia forward.

This show is definitely a dramatic-comedy that encompasses the tremulous ups and downs of Russia in the 18th century while playing fun at the seriousness of monarchies. You will learn to love pretty much every character, even if they're meant to be evil, and you will feel the impact of serious decisions Catherine and her husband Peter must make. Plus, there are so many comical scenes in this show that had me laughing so hard! If you're looking for an extremely accurate historical film, The Great is not the one you are looking for. Although many of the concepts and ideas are true, most of the events are definitely not and can be quite gory at times.

                  

I absolutely loved this show with all my heart! Catherine and Peter are such witty characters, in their own ways, and they contrast each other so well that they go together (I don't know if that makes sense, but once you watch this show, you will totally understand)! I really hope that there will be a season two because I want more deranged events and comical dialogue! 

The cast in The Great is so incredible! The development of these characters is extremely good; from the very beginning when the characters are all meeting one another for the first time and are extremely awkward, to the very end when they have gone through so many ups and downs together; the acting is perfect! The creative team could not have done a better job with casting! Elle Fanning plays the most perfect witty, wanna-be royal and Nicholas Hoult is the most malicious, loveable king I've ever seen! Not to mention, Pheobe Fox who plays the best chambermaid around, and Sacha Dhawan who has one of the best character arcs of the whole show! These actors and actresses are wonderful artists! 

                 

The cinematography and storyline of The Great are impeccable. I wouldn't have done anything differently, it's truly one of the most well-done shows! Oh, and the sets and costumes are extremely charming; they really take you back to 18th century Russia!

Please, check out this wonderful show! And for the record (don't worry, I'm not going to spoil anything), I just want to say that the last episode of season one is CRAZY! That's all I'm going to say.

There is no doubt in my mind that in a few months, everyone will be talking about The Great! So, go watch it so you can understand what all the fuss is about!

If you've seen The Great on Hulu, let me know in the comments what you thought! And if you have any other historical comedies you have seen, let me know, I would love to watch some more!






*I know this is tagged on my blog as a "mini-series", but there may be more seasons coming in the future!