Hulu’s original seriesThe Great,starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, recently released its third season. The dramedy, loosely based on the story of historical figures, Russian Emperor Peter III and his wife Empress Catherine (also known as Catherine the Great), has been widely popular and well-received. Now that season three has concluded, however, many fans are left wondering if there will bemore to the series.
Besides the possibility of a renewal, there is also the question regarding the season finale. Now that a main character is dead, what is left to tell in the story of Catherine the Great? Does the season three finale sets up events for a fourth season? What could be in store for the remainder of the show? Or has the series, which began in 2020, finallycome to a natural conclusion?
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Will The Great Be Renewed for Season 4?
Currently, the show hasnot yet been renewed by Hulu; neither has it been canceled. One of the show’s executive producers, Marian Macgowan, revealed that six seasons had been outlined when the series was pitched. This suggests a strong possibility that the show will be renewed for a fourth season and maybe more.
Since the real Catherine the Great ruled for over thirty years after the death of her husband, there is plenty more of her story to tell. However, this is still not guaranteed if the show is not received well. Luckily, the show has been well-received by audiences and critics alike, making the chances of a fourth season much more likely.
Star of the show, Elle Fanning, stated in an interview that she would beexcited to come back for another seasonand continue to explore the ways in which her character will continue to grow and develop. However, things would certainly be different on set without her co-star Nicholas Hoult.
Fanning expressed that she would have to find a way to fill the void and absence of Hoult (and his character Peter) since he was such a big part of it. Likely we won’t see a new season until 2024 or 2025, given the typical time frame between seasons, but in the meantime, we eagerly await official news about the show’s status.
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What Might Be in Store for Season 4?
Just as in real life, Catherine must find a way to move on from Peter’s death and lead her country. It could be a chance for us to watch herevolve as a leader without Peterundermining her power and authority. We watched in season three how she unraveled when Peter died, but finally, after a period of grief, she accepted his death and took back her throne before Elizabeth took it for herself.
The authority she demonstrated in the final episode shows that she is already a force to be reckoned with in Peter’s absence and will be a fearsome and respected ruler in the fourth season.
While some might argue that the finale presented a natural conclusion for the show, with Catherine finally coming out victorious in her pursuit of the Russian throne, plenty of plot lines remain open-ended for a continuation into a fourth season, such as the fact that Georgina is now in possession of Catherine’s infant son Paul (the heir to the throne) and has married him. Grigor is left devastated after the death of his best friend and the betrayal of Georgina and has a falling out with his new lover Marial, which leaves us questioning where his loyalties will lie in the next season.
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Even Marial’s fate is in question as she goes against Catherine’s wishes for Archie’s punishment and digs him out of the ground before he suffocates. With Marial already on thin ice, Catherine will call into question Marial’s loyalties, and we will likely seeCatherine’s inner circle continue to diminishas the people she trusts continues to decline.
Then there will be the imminent threat of Georgina, who plots against Catherine. Although her end goal has not been clearly stated, it seems that she wishes to take the throne for herself.
A fourth season certainly has a lot of potential for Catherine’s story, and while the season three finale seemed to wrap things up nicely for Catherine’s ascension, there is plenty more story left to tell. And very likely, many more twists and turns and threats for Catherine to face. But she is, after all, Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, and she will stop at nothing to accomplish her goals of bringing enlightenment to Russia.
With three seasons released so far,The Greatis currently available to stream on Hulu.
