The Great: Season 1

2020
Trailer
Poster for The Great: Season 1

Elle Fanning is Catherine the Great, Russia's longest-reigning female ruler, in this anti-historical satire series from the Oscar-nominated co-writer of The... More

Where to watch The Great: Season 1

The Great: Season 1 is available to stream in Australia... More now on Stan and Google Play and Apple TV Store and Foxtel.

The Great: Season 1 episodes

Episode 1.1

The Great

In 1761, Catherine travels to Russia and becomes the Empress... More by marrying the Emperor of Russia, Peter.

Episode 1.2

The Beard

Catherine takes her first steps toward a coup. Taking advice... More from Marial, she attempts to seduce and recruit palace intellectual Count Orlo. It’s a disaster.

Episode 1.3

And you Sir, are no Peter the Great

Catherine, Orlo and Marial continue their coup planning. They try... More to recruit an unhappy military general, Velementov, for their cause during palace celebrations honoring Peter’s late father, Peter the Great.

Episode 1.4

Moscow Mule

Catherine tries to manage her reputation at court and her... More relationship with Leo, both of which distract her from the coup.

EPISODE 1.5

War and Vomit

As the war with Sweden continues to rage, Catherine and... More Aunt Elizabeth visit the military at the Russian front. Seeing the soldiers reminds Catherine of her goal to rule Russia differently.

EPISODE 1.6

Parachute

Peter has a new lease on life after his near-death... More experience. He is open to Catherine’s progressive ideas of introducing art and science to court and wants to focus on an heir.

EPISODE 1.7

A Pox on Hope

Catherine feels optimistic about peaceful coexistence with Peter and ... More their increasing chemistry. When smallpox breaks out in the servant’s quarters, however, Peter reverts to his old ways.

EPISODE 1.8

Meatballs at the Dacha

Catherine’s political abilities are tested when she’s given an ... More opportunity to travel abroad with Peter and Velementov to discuss ending the war with Swedish king.

EPISODE 1.9

Love Hurts

Tensions mount as Catherine, Orlo, Velementov, Leo, and Marial try... More to get regional counts on board with the coup.

EPISODE 1.10

The Beaver’s Nose

Catherine’s decides to move forward with the coup on her... More birthday. Peter isn’t so easily overcome and holds Leo hostage as collateral. In exchange for a return to her status, Marial betrays Catherine to Peter and tells him that she is pregnant. Catherine realizes that the only chance for a greater Russia is to fight, without Leo. The battle begins.

The Great: Season 1 | Ratings & Reviews

"If only “The Great” were as great as “The Great” seems to think “The Great” is, it’d be pretty great. But this 10-part limited series from Hulu is more tiresome then clever, more sadistically off-putting than wickedly funny, more overwrought than impactful."

Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-Times

"My favorite portrayals of groundbreaking women are, like The Favourite, Marie Antoinette and now The Great, at least partially humorous."

Time MagazineTime Magazine

"Reality is rarely as funny as this sparkling period satire. ... Throughout, I sensed Fanning — along with the rest of the cast — savoring McNamara’s brilliant script, with its carefully arranged layers of intention and its divine insults."

Boston GlobeBoston Globe

"Despite stellar performances by Fanning and Hoult, The Great, by sticking a pure-hearted heroine in a world where heroism seems impossible, never quite adds up to a coherent whole. As an acidic confection, it's a lemon tart topped with moose lips."

Hollywood ReporterHollywood Reporter

"The Great is instead concerned with showing what drove the German-born Catherine to fall so in love with her new homeland that she felt the need to rescue it from her sadistic frat-bro husband (played by Nicholas Hoult). And on that level, both the series and its leading lady live up to the title."

Rolling StoneRolling Stone

"For as good as the cast and production is, the series’ backbone is Fanning’s increasingly confident empress."

VarietyVariety

"Even when making pit stops for absurdity (the odd dance number, say) it feels purposeful and lively, and even when the violence spikes, the writing and Fanning’s performance ensure that “The Great” never fixates on the darkness. There’s simply too much to do."

RogerEbert.comRogerEbert.com

"At its best, The Great plays like the slickest of TikTok historical summaries, distilling the story of a young woman radicalized by cruelty into a snappy, vibrant female protagonist for the modern reader."

The GuardianThe Guardian

"It isn’t quite the perfectly paced masterpiece that [The Favourite] was; some episodes drag, including a smallpox romp that’s more tiresome than timely. Still, its witty dialogue and lively performances yield a sharp, fun dramedy."

Time MagazineTime Magazine

The Great: Season 1 | Details

Genre
Comedy
Country of origin
Australia, UK

The Great: Season 1 | Trailers