Ekaterina

I'm not sure what some reviewers are complaining about here. No this is not some historical masterpiece but it is an enjoyable historical drama nonetheless with great costumes and scenery and the show portrays the characters with shades of light and dark so that they are not all good or all bad. I disagree with a previous reviewer who says the show portrays Peter III as only incompetent. If the reviewer had bothered to watch the full first series they would see that Peter is shown as trying to be a good emperor eventhough his judgement was misguided in some fatal aspects. It also shows the ruthless streak that Catherine herself had, which she needed to have in order to survive.

Apart from the first episode where the narrator is giving a historical overview of Russia at the time and says that Russia is feared by its weak neighbours, this show much less state propaganda than say a show like Madame Secretary (which I also enjoy) where America always saves the day and seems to have only a wholly altruistic foreign policy, which we all know not to be true. But as it's a tv show, and we should be discerning enough not to believe everything a tv program tells us, one can take it with a grain of salt and an eye roll.

The period of Catherine the great and her rise is very interesting and it is incredible how she managed to survive the odds against her and rise to be an empress, so I would definitely recommend this show. Oh and I am neither Russian or American so this is review is coming from a neutral territory!

Many negative reviews have nothing to do with the series but with hatred of Russians per say. As a native Russian speaker and a fluent English speaker, I can tell you that a lot of words in Russian can not be translated into English with the presice translation, for a mere reason that they don't exist in English. The series being set in Saint Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1711, and while being one of the youngest European capitals is still older then the whole country of United States of America. So before giving negative comments and low scores, read the history of Russian empire, and perhaps then you will comprehend the series.

Its basic gift - it is different. And use the differences in smart manner episode by episode. It is not a pledge but a precise and realistic portrait. The acting is solide, the atmosphere is seductive, the familiar manicheism is absent. A film about power and about a young woman leaning to obtain and manage it. For the admirers of Russian historical series from the last decade - nothing surprising. For the other- beautiful nuances of portraits and the vulnerability of characters. Short, an admirable work.

I found this easy to dive into and become addicted to. There are soulful details here and there, a piece of acting, a reply that add depth to the storytelling without adding weight. It moves along sprightly and makes sense psychologically, historically and even in the context of today, politically. The intimate players of the Russian court are shown in a swath of their lives which included periods of boredom, sadness, ambition, fear, powerlessness and also enormous power.

Unbelievable great! Fascinating,the details,the costumes,the action...and Ecaterina is HUGE! Thank You Russia for this amazing series!