The Great Feminism

@Smithsonian

Normally I shy away from period dramas, but Hulu’s newest dramedy, The Great, spearheaded by The Favourite’s Tom McNamara, is truly a must watch. The series is “an occasionally true story” about Russia's rulers Peter III and Catherine the Great, played by Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning. 

I was immediately drawn to the satirical spin on the history of the Russian monarchs, but I ended up finishing the series due to its captivating portrayal of 16th century feminism. Peter III rules his court aggressively, complete with bloody torturing, science “experiments,” and casual lovers, while Fanning's Catherine the Great wants to bring Russia into a new period of greatness and will stop at nothing to fulfill it.

The most captivating aspect of the show is its female cast members. Uncommon for the time period depicted, The Great’s female characters represent ambitious, intelligent, and resilient women. The female leads in the show include Catherine the Great (played by Elle Fanning), her maid Marial (played by Phoebe Fox), and Peter III’s aunt Lady Elizabeth (played by Belinda Bromilow). These women make fools out of the ego driven men with their courage, determination, and intellect. 

As the name of the show suggests, Catherine the Great has the most fulfilling story arc on the show. The young girl arrives in Russia naive and desperately looking for love. In the beginning, she romanticizes her courtship with Peter, but soon realizes that she cannot live out her destiny in her voiceless position. Not only does the empress grow to have true patriotism for her new nation, but she also uses the compelling musings of writers like Voltaire to inspire free thinking. Catherine is able to push her risky agenda by planting seeds of hope in others and becoming a person that people look up too. In the end, it did not matter whether she was a man or woman, just that she had an influential voice to push her progressive aspirations that would improve the quality of life in Russia. 

Catherine’s courage is refreshing to see. She is proactive and makes change when she wants to see one. Her bold behavior is something that should be admired and adapted.

I also admired the show’s portrayal of fluid sexaulity. This can be seen through many of the characters, but very prominently in Bromilow’s Lady Elizabeth. Lady Elizabeth could be seen as the show’s LGBTQIA+ representation, as she is seen unapologetically showing her affections for both sexes. In a period drama like The Great, I believe this representation is very powerful because it is unexpected from the show’s genre. This nice surprise, showing characters loving who they want to love, can really impact an audience and remind them to be themselves.

While obviously, many of the relationships within the show are fictionalized to further the plot, I think that Hulu’s writers really showcased the badass women characters by allowing them to be more than their gender—the way all women should be. So grab a snack and get ready for a ten hour binge throughout which you’ll be rooting for Catherine’s Russian takeover. 

By Madi Esmailbeigi