Catherine’s reign is nigh, and we could not be more excited for it. Ranked 3rd in our list of the Best TV Shows of 2020, The Great is an absolute delight. Written and created by Tony McNamara, the series is a wonderful balance of wit and vulgarity that moves at an exceptional pace. Chronicling the rise of Catherine (Elle Fanning) as she spars with her spoiled husband Peter (Nicholas Hoult) for control of the Russian throne, The Great crackles with the kind of verve and mirth that makes it a truly essential watch.
Season 2 picks up right where the show’s chaotic Season 1 finale left off: namely, Catherine having cornered Peter as she’s ready to take power from him. According to a press release from Hulu, “Catherine finally takes the Russian throne for her own—but if she thought coup-ing her husband was difficult, it’s nothing compared to the realities of liberating a country that doesn’t want to be. She’ll battle her court, her team, even her own mother (played by guest star Gillian Anderson) in a bid to bring the Enlightenment to Russia. Meanwhile, she’ll also battle her heart as Peter slowly transitions from a much-hated husband to a prisoner? Ally? Lover? Ultimately, Catherine will learn that to change a country, you must let it change you, that there is a fine line between idealism and delusion, and that becoming ‘Great’ will ask more of her than she could have imagined. ”
The series, which also stars Phoebe Fox, Adam Godley, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Douglas Hodge, Sacha Dhawan, Bayo Gbadamosi and Belinda Bromilow, will return to Hulu on Friday, November 19th. Check out the teaser trailer below:
Allison Keene is the TV Editor of Paste Magazine. For more television talk, pop culture chat and general japery, you can follow her @keeneTV
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