The Great season 3 review: What has just happened?!

     One of my most beloved TV shows has just returned with a brand new season that left many (including me) scratching their heads. So, is the third season of Hulu's The Great worth watching or is it best to pretend it didn't happen? MAJOR SPOILERS!

    Short summary: The new season follows Catherine and Peter trying to rebuild their marriage and well, as always, they have ups and downs, especially after the events from the previous season. Things turn out to be relatively okay until some unexpected turns take place and the couple is forced to take some serious decisions that will change their life completely.

    Firstly, you must know that this new season is far darker and less comedic. The Great's original trademarks still remained though: the modern dialogue is there, the language is there and the topic is still there. 

    WARNING: The show is very much graphic and it includes strong language, see more here to understand what I'm talking about. So don't watch until 18, THANK YOU!

    When it comes to talking about the plot and reviewing it, it's a bit more complicated than the previous two seasons. That is mainly because the plot builds itself during each episode and there isn't a specific time when the action starts to take place and there are more events that help build up the climax of the story. In the previous seasons, for example, we learn from the exposition that Catherine wants to kill Peter (which she eventually doesn't). 

    Other than that, I think the narrative is great. It may not be as structured and logical as it was before, but it's fun, which is important. However, towards the end, it felt a bit repetitive and it didn't really advance with the story. But it's quite understandable since one of the main characters dies, which brings me to the characters.

    Catherine, now as the empress and the official head of the state, must get on and understand her people and she tries to, by encouraging them to speak freely. Peter, on the other hand, as a "stay-at-home" dad, must learn how to take proper care of Paul, his son and his apparent heir. They both have some character development, but I do think Peter's was slightly more interesting even if it was at his very end. After his death, Catherine goes through almost all stages of grief and well, at the end we see a brand new, short-haired and energetic empress that is still very vulnerable. 

Hulu

    What I do not like is that the emphasis lies a little too much on Hugo and Agnes, as the last few episodes are only about them regaining their country. I felt that they had much screen time, but I didn't mind it. That could mean something (if you know what I mean 👀).

    Other than that, I think the other characters are fine: Marial remained the same, Georgina also remained the great actress she is and Verlementov was drunk as always. However, I can't really say the same about Gregor. After Peter's death, he developed depression, and I'm not sure what's going to happen to his character, but I do hope he will come back. 

    As for historical accuracy, you know I can't talk much, but I do like the fact that they added Castrato singers  (they were a growing thing, originally from Italy and made popular by Handel). But other than that, I can't find any major accurate facts, only inaccuracies like the fact that Elizabeth took care of Paul, Russia did not try to invade Sweden, Catherine did not send soldiers to England or America, Halley's Comet didn't appear during Catherine's reign and of course, the fact that Peter did not die by falling through ice. These are just some, but if you watched the show, you know what I'm talking about.

    The costumes aren't very historically accurate, but they're beautiful. They also just fit with the theme of the show (*AHEM* not like The Empress).

    Now here are some questions to ask about the possible 4th season. Did Catherine just go mad? Will Pugachev's followers start a riot? What about Gregor and Marial? And most importantly, will we get the chance to see Nicolas Hoult as Peter ever again? The last one is obviously the most interesting question and well, I'm not sure what to say. I mean, Nicholas won't return as Peter, unless the writers add a major plot twist (very unlikely), that's for sure. However, we could expect to see him as a ghost, that's a possibility. 

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    Now here's also some news from me. It's hard for me to say it, but I'm not sure if I will continue to watch The Great. I feel like killing Peter also kills a great part of the show and I'm afraid it won't be the same (if there is going to be a 4th season). I mean it would interesting to see Catherine's story continue, but without Peter, it will be something else. I started by hating his character, but I ended up loving him more than anything else. We'll see.

    In the end, I give the third season of The Great a 7.5 out of 10 overall (simply because the story happened at the last moment and Hugo and Agnes were too important). And a 3.5 out of 10 for the historical accuracy.