The Great: Elle Fanning’s Bold Take on an Empire and a Woman’s Rise

In a world where period dramas often play it safe, The Great on Hulu breaks every rule and then toasts with champagne. Described as “an occasionally true story,” this sharp, satirical take on Catherine the Great’s rise to power is anything but conventional. Starring Elle Fanning in a career-defining role, The Great is witty, wicked, beautifully styled, and refreshingly feminist.

If you haven’t pressed play yet, here’s why The Great deserves a royal spot on your watchlist.

Elle Fanning’s Masterpiece Performance

Elle Fanning’s Catherine is not your typical historical heroine. She begins the series as a naive, hopeful girl thrown into the debauched Russian court but quickly evolves into a sharp, cunning, and resilient leader with dreams of Enlightenment. Fanning balances wide-eyed optimism with cold-blooded strategy, giving us a layered portrayal of a woman learning to wield power in a man’s world.

Her performance is at once comedic and commanding, full of grace, grit, and dry wit.

A Satirical Twist on History

The Great is not your average period drama it’s a bold, stylized dramedy. The show gleefully distorts history to serve a deeper truth: how young women must often fight through absurdity, violence, and patriarchy to be heard. It’s Shakespeare meets Mean Girls, with a heavy pour of Russian vodka and political rebellion.

While it may not stick to the facts, it captures something truer: the emotional and psychological landscape of a woman rewriting her destiny.

A Fiercely Feminist Narrative

At its heart, The Great is about female ambition and autonomy. Catherine is intelligent, sexually empowered, and unwilling to remain a puppet queen. The show doesn’t romanticize her journey; it shows the blood, betrayal, and bravery it takes for a woman to rise in a system designed to break her.

In every scene, Catherine is battling centuries of oppression with sharp intellect, sardonic humor, and yes some explosive chaos.

Nicholas Hoult’s Unhinged Emperor

Opposite Fanning is Nicholas Hoult as Peter III a vain, cruel, hilariously narcissistic emperor whose ignorance is both infuriating and oddly charming. His performance walks the tightrope between satire and danger. Watching Catherine outmaneuver him and occasionally connect with him adds richness and tension to the plot.

Their relationship is a chaotic mix of mind games, misfires, and shifting power dynamics that keeps you guessing every episode.

Visuals that Pop and Dialogue that Bites

From brocade gowns and baroque halls to flaming bear pits and absurd court rituals, The Great is a visual feast. But what truly sets it apart is the writing razor-sharp, laugh-out-loud funny, and emotionally incisive. Characters toss around modern profanity, philosophical debates, and deadpan insults like weaponry.

It’s not just a show you watch, it's one you savor, quote, and maybe even scream at.

It’s About Growth Not Just Greatness

Unlike typical historical portrayals that rush to the crown, The Great slows down to show Catherine’s transformation. It's not about her being “great” yet it’s about how she becomes her own version of greatness. That’s what makes the story so personal and compelling.

This isn’t just Catherine’s story, it's a reflection of every woman who’s ever been underestimated, silenced, or told to stay in her place.

The Great is a bold, irreverent, and brilliant reimagining of history. It’s whip-smart, stylish, and driven by one of the most dynamic young actresses of our time. Elle Fanning's Catherine is the modern heroine we didn’t know we needed flawed, brilliant, ambitious, and gloriously complex.

Whether you're here for the fashion, the politics, the satire, or the slow-burning revolution The Great delivers, and then some.

Huzzah!