This costume drama is now on Netflix and it's insanely fun

Are you completely done with those serious costume dramas? Okay, okay, the story of Anne Boleyn is really interesting, but sometimes you just want something different. I want to see beautiful costumes AND laugh. Isn't there a story from history that is just fun to watch? One where you don't have to survive ten seasons before there’s a happy ending? Let me tell you something fun... There is one. You have of course Bridgerton and Emma, but I didn't exactly fall off my chair laughing at that. That happened with The Great. Yes, it’s finally here: the funniest costume drama is now on Netflix – and this is why you absolutely have to see it.

What is The Great about?

In this Hulu series, we follow Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning), who moves to Russia to marry her cousin, Emperor Peter (Nicholas Hoult). The romantic and idealistic Catherine soon discovers that life in the Russian Empire is not as great as she thought. But she knows one thing for sure: she is meant to do something big. She said it in the very first episode: “My whole life, I’ve felt that my greatest things are yet to come. A grand life. As if God spat me out onto this land to transform the earth.” And she is definitely going to do big things, because what is her goal? To take over the empire. Now that’s a feminist twist I really didn’t see coming.

What makes this series so good?

The dark humor. Every scene is a delightful interaction, really. Additionally, the series has an incredibly nice pace: everything moves quickly, sharply, and totally shamelessly, making you sometimes realize only afterward how clever the writers are. Under every joke, there’s some satire. And The Great it’s not just about serious matters, but also about all the ‘ordinary’ things they experience at court. It easily switches between a difficult marriage, brutal violence, bears on leashes, and crazy sex scenes. Because yes: although they are cousins, Catherine and Peter have a crazy relationship. Do they hate each other or are they in love?

Another fantastic aspect is the dialogues. Where possible, a curse word is thrown in, and they almost speak as if they are half in the 18th century and half living in a modern, chaotic group chat. That contrast is very enjoyable, keeping you watching. And the things that happen? They are really insane: from doing drugs together to the fact that Peter keeps his dead mother like a mummy – this series is truly wild. And that’s exactly why this is your new obsession.

In my eyes, this is the perfect combination of great sets, beautiful costumes that could come straight from the rococo period, and comedy. All those hilarious scenes are just ten times funnier when people are walking around in pastel wigs and exaggerated costumes. Because let’s be honest: have you ever heard a woman curse in such a dress? Or have you ever seen an emperor throw a dog out the window ‘in the name of science’? Nope. And I haven’t even mentioned the great acting of Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. First of all, the chemistry just radiates off the screen. Whether they are arguing or falling for each other, these two characters are a real match. Especially due to their attraction, but Catherine ‘matches’ Peter’s ‘Freak’. For those who don’t live online like I do and don’t know this TikTok phrase, it means she is just as crazy as he is.

Is this like the real story of Catherine II of Russia?

If you thought that The Great is a history lesson, then you are very mistaken. This is not a historically accurate story, trust me. We are not just watching boring dance routines and courtly accepted behavior, but modern things that were not openly done back then. It’s precisely the concept that everything is not quite right that draws attention. Like the fact that the real Catherine only became the leader of Russia after being married to Peter for 20 years. Not right after their wedding, so that doesn’t add up. And whether she, just like Catherine in the series, was really behind Peter’s murder? We never found out. It’s also true that her flame Leo never existed (she did have many affairs). The feminist edge is of course based on how Catherine led Russia as empress for 35 years after her husband’s death. So however you look at it: Catherine was a bad ass. You’ll keep watching.

So, do you want to enjoy a smart and funny main character who does everything to become the empress of Russia? Then you absolutely have to start watching The Great.