The Great: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 46 Ratings

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The Great: Season 1

Now Playing: The Great: Season 1

Season Details & Credits

HULU | Season Premiere Date: May 15, 2020

Summary: The comedy series created and written by Tony McNamara follows Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) as she marries Peter III of Russia (Nicholas Hoult) and rises in power.

Creator: Tony McNamara

Genre(s): Drama, Movie/Mini-Series

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. The Beaver's Nose
Air Date: May 15, 2020
tbd
S1:E10. The Beaver's Nose
Air Date: May 15, 2020
tbd
S1:E9. Love Hurts
Air Date: May 15, 2020

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Allison Keene

May 1, 2020

It’s strange and wonderful and a fantastically funny ride. But it will also leave you pondering the nature of sacrifice and real change, and the courage it takes to overthrow a despot. Huzzah. Read full review

Matthew Gilbert

May 13, 2020

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. Read full review

Rob Owen

May 14, 2020

From its title to its tone to its production design and look, “The Great” mirrors “The Favourite” quite a bit. “The Great” is at its, uh, greatest when Fanning and Hoult spark off one another with McNamara’s rat-a-tat-tat dialogue. Read full review

Caroline Framke

May 8, 2020

“The Great” straddles the line between period drama and slapstick comedy with acrobatic ease. ... The cast is uniformly strong, and the series’ brisk and deliberate pacing makes sure to let each central actor show it (and luxuriate in McNamara’s uniquely spiky dialogue, besides). Read full review

John Anderson

May 14, 2020

Juggling wit, depravity and political intrigue is not easy, and “The Great” doesn’t always succeed at it. ... For all its royal silliness, and a sometimes appalling affrontery, “The Great” is redeemed at the end of its 10-episode season (a second has yet to be announced) by a dose of realpolitik that few will see coming. Read full review

The Telegraph Anita Singh

Jan 3, 2021

The Great would have worked well in tart half-hour bites but its hour-long episodes feel a bit much, packed as they are with intrigue, indulgence and sleaze. The tone switches in a second from gleeful farce to unpleasant. Read full review

Joel Keller

Jun 24, 2020

The Great tries to be irreverent and funny but fails on both accounts. In fact, some of what passes for jokes on this show is downright painful to watch because it’s so dark and mean-spirited. Read full review

SEE ALL 33 REVIEWS

User Score

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7.2

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User Reviews

Katherinethegre

May 19, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Show was amazing. Couldn't stop watching. Season ended with ultimate cliffhanger. Season 2 couldn't come soon enough… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

Shiftyeyeddog

Jun 20, 2020

Maybe the most fun I've had watching a TV show ever, this show is just a blast from beginning to end. Great writing and comic performances, especially from the two leads Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Definitely worth a re-watch.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

klbdemelo

May 18, 2020

Huzzah! This tv show is surprisingly very good, definitely not expected. A must watch!

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

kirkender

May 28, 2020

The Great is GREAT. All the performances are absolutely stellar. The story arc is super satisfying. It's funny and dramatic and full of delicious sets and costumes to gawk at. The strict historical accuracy is pretty bad, but it does claim to only be true some of the time. It doesn't matterThe Great is GREAT. All the performances are absolutely stellar. The story arc is super satisfying. It's funny and dramatic and full of delicious sets and costumes to gawk at. The strict historical accuracy is pretty bad, but it does claim to only be true some of the time. It doesn't matter how *true* it is, it's quite good and should be watched.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

OlivierPiel

May 20, 2020

Critics compare it to "The Favourite" by Lanthimos because of the -seemingly- similar irreverence to the apparent classicism of 18th period pieces (Barry Lyndon and all). They fail to understand that Lanthimos was actually ultra-realistic in a way, reminding us that the 18th century was anCritics compare it to "The Favourite" by Lanthimos because of the -seemingly- similar irreverence to the apparent classicism of 18th period pieces (Barry Lyndon and all). They fail to understand that Lanthimos was actually ultra-realistic in a way, reminding us that the 18th century was an age of "libertinage", extreme sexuality, "effeminate" decadence, rococo, where women such as Pompadour ruled over style, as well as an explosion of ideas amongst this degenerate nobility...while at the same time drawing parallels with our current times, where a degenerate elite is falling to narcissism, nihilism, relativism and laziness. This is why it was so compelling!

This show is doing the opposite! It's forcing modern tropes on the past. And is therefore as laughable as it is incongruous and useless.… Expand

5 of 14 users found this helpful59

Seasons & Episodes

78

Series Overview
Season 3

87
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: May 12, 2023
Season 2

85
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: November 19, 2021
Season 1

74
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E10. The Beaver's Nose
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E10. The Beaver's Nose
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E9. Love Hurts
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E9. Love Hurts
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E8. Meatballs at the Dacha
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E8. Meatballs at the Dacha
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E7. A Pox on Hope
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E7. A Pox on Hope
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E6. Parachute
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E6. Parachute
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E5. War and Vomit
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E5. War and Vomit
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E4. Moscow Mule
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E4. Moscow Mule
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E3. And you Sir, are no Peter the Great
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E3. And you Sir, are no Peter the Great
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E2. The Beard
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E2. A Fake Beard
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E1. The Great
  Air Date: May 15, 2020
- tbd
  S1:E1. The Great
  Air Date: May 15, 2020