Hulu’s Critically Acclaimed Historical Drama Masterpiece

Hulu’s critically acclaimed historical drama, The Great, is a perfectly executed series that deserves its critical acclaim. Debuting in 2020, The Great stars Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter III while Elle Fanning takes on the role of Catherine the Great. It has been hailed as one of the best shows on Hulu, and it’s easy to see why.

With a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, The Great has been praised for its combination of history and dark humor. Unlike some TV shows that begin to fall off as they go on, the historical series has no such issues. Although Hulu sadly canceled The Great after three seasons, the good news is that each of the show’s installment are perfectly written, acted, and directed.

The Great Is One Of Hulu’s Best Original Shows

Peter (Nicholas Hoult) and Catherine (Elle Fanning) about to kiss in a woodland in The Great. — Peter (Nicholas Hoult) and Catherine (Elle Fanning) in The Great

Netflix currently dominates the streaming world, but Hulu also has incredible shows that have left their mark on the small screen, and The Great is at the top of that list. The dark comedy centers around Fanning’s Catherine the Great, a young woman who marries Russia’s tyrannical leader, Emperor Peter III, with the goal of improving her new country.

The Great gets everything right, starting with its cast. Fanning and Hoult are absolutely incredible together in the historical drama. Catherine’s naivety and hope are perfectly brought to life by the actor. Hoult’s performance as Emperor Peter III is also one of his best. He managed to balance showing his character’s cruel side while adding a hint of humor that made it easy to forget he was a villain.

The Great is a brilliantly written series, with witty dialogue, quirky and morally gray characters, and stunning costumes and cinematography. Perhaps the Hulu show’s biggest strength is its ability to be funny but also insightful. Among the dark and disturbing scenes lies a story about a young woman who played a huge role in the progression of human rights and a better life for her people.

The Great Is Unlike Any Other Historical Drama

Elle Fanning as Catherine standing with her hands on her hips in full court finery while looking at someone in confusion in The Great — elle fanning standing with her hands on her hips in full court finery while looking at someone in confusion in the great

Many historical dramas are usually based on real people or events, and The Great is the same in that regard. While Catherine the Great and Emperor Peter III did exist, the Hulu series doesn’t spend too much time trying to get every historical detail about their lives right.

However, that’s not to say that the series is always historically wrong. The Great does include some accurate historical information, which it combines with fiction. But at its core, the series is a comedy, as proven by its larger-than-life characters who constantly engaged in insane antics like going bear hunting or doing anything their emperor asked of them, no matter how dangerous it was.

Why The Great Was Canceled After 3 Seasons

Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult Catherine and Peter in a snowy field in The Great

The Great was canceled after airing for three seasons, to the surprise of fans of the show. The historical drama had several good things going for it and was a critical and audience success, so the fact that Hulu decided not to continue with the series was unwelcome news.

The streaming platform didn’t explain why the show was canceled, but it might have been due to a decline in viewership numbers, especially for its third season. Given that a major character died at the end of The Great season 3, there was obviously the worry that their absence would affect how the next installment of the show would be received.

While it’s disappointing that The Great didn’t run for more seasons, as it’s undoubtedly an incredible series, it’s also a good thing because several shows struggle to be successful after the death of a major character. The series fortunately ended on a high note and didn’t leave any cliffhangers, which would have made its abrupt cancellation even more frustrating.