The Great

The first episode tried to set the stage as an over the top quirky dark comedy. Unfortunately I never really felt the humor was lol funny. It's certainly comical, but more due to the ridiculous nature of the show than for actual jokes/humor. It also gets pretty serious at times and comes across more like a drama especially by the end of the first season. It's inconsistent in that respect.

The cast, characters, set design, are all engrossing and make the show well worth the watch though. Elle Fanning is amazing as usual, but Nicholas Hoult is the stand out here. He plays an incredibly stupid, arrogant emperor and his performance often comes very close to the Joaquin Phoenix level sense of evil. You never know what he's going to do next.

While not a perfect show, and very odd, I am looking forward to the next season. Just don't go in expecting a brilliant comedy, or a historically accurate drama and you'll probably enjoy it as well.

I love the history of Catherine the Great, and this isn't it. However it is hilarious, smart, sarcastic, and almost resembling her story.

I wanted to hate it, but I loved it. I hope they keep it going.

So just to get this out of the way: this show is anything but historically accurate. If you want one more like that, Russia-1's Ekaterina is like that.

But anyways, if you really want to find this show incredibly funny, read up on the history of Catherine the Great.

Also, to the person who did the editing for Season 1 Episode 8, why would you use "The Sacred War"?! I know historical accuracy wasn't on the table, but for gods sake don't intentionally mix up the eras (The Sacred War was written in 1941).

I've heard so many good things about The Great ever since it first came out a few years ago but I kept putting it off for some reason. I'm just finishing Season 2 now and I'm actually mad at myself for putting it off for so long. It's freaking hilarious! There's not a weak link on the entire cast but Nicholas Hoult and Belinda Bromilow are the ones that really make this series so good. Hoult & Elle Fanning were both nominated for Emmy's for their work here but Bromilow should've been too. It's obviously not historically accurate, it even says it in the beginning credits, but who cares? It's a comedy. If you want to laugh then go watch this.

The way how they play and remastering the history is genius! As being Russian, I find this show absurdly brilliant and funny. That's interesting to follow how the show is portraying current narratives with well known facts from 18 century, as it all together creates absolutely masterpiece satire Universe!