If Bridgerton drank too much vodka, it might become The Great, a farcical look at Catherine the Great’s political rise through the ranks of Peter III’s Russian court to become the country’s longest –and most progressive- ruler. With its mile-a-minute wit and wonderful wordplay, it makes the existential nihilism of Russia in the 18th century positively delightful.
The modern dialogue and delivery ensure that life is breathed into historical figures, turning them into vibrant humans. Whether Catherine is waxing about philosophy, Leo is spouting depressing poetry, or Marial is firing off another well-aimed barb, The Great has some of the best quotes in a period series today.
“Huzzah!”
by the end of the first episode, fans may be shouting “Huzzah!” at the screen, and by the end of the season, at any achievement in life. By far the most ubiquitous quote in the series, it signifies the glory of self-actualization and is usually accompanied by Emperor Peter and Co. throwing a glass directly to the floor.
The phrase encapsulates the sense of whimsy that characterizes the series, which is as much a farce as a drama. Random outbursts accompanied by melodramatic theatrics infuse it with an energy that makes even its most hatable characters likable, despite it being set in Russia during a particularly dark time. Huzzah!
“She Gave Me A Twig.”
Catherine’s ideas about marriage are youthfully romantic, and when she’s presented to Peter as his bride, she believes that giving him the branch of a spruce tree will ensure that their love is evergreen. Peter doesn’t see it that way and mocks her gesture to all of his attendants, going so far as to wonder aloud about her mental state.
As Catherine will learn, there will be an evergreen aspect of their marriage, but it won’t be caring and affection — it will be her constant consternation at his willful obstinance. The “twig” represents the constant misfiring of their ideas and their communication.
“If Anyone Ever Invents Something Easier Than Buttons, We Are All In Trouble.”
Life with Peter III is not all that Catherine hopes for, and soon she is anxious to try to escape. She confronts him about his treatment of her, but he continues to pressure her for intimacy and dismisses her concerns at court. Like many women, she’s seen as a means to pleasure the man in her life without voicing concerns of her own.
Referencing all the time it takes for men to undo buttons (a sign of historical accuracy in the period costumes), it’s as though Catherine is acknowledging that they act as a barrier from being violated as men soon lose interest. At the time, women held little power beyond what they could merit from being sexualized objects, and little asides like this one are a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fact that the problems Catherine’s experiencing still go on today.
“Thank You, Husband. You Were Right After All, With Your Impeccable Fudgement, Good Socks, And Massive Clock. Is That It?”
After a while, Peter decides to procure Catherine a lover, something she’s revolted by on principle but learns to accept when Leo wins her over with his intellectualism and his mental maturity. Catherine craves mental stimulation far more than physical satisfaction, but when Peter asks Catherine for thanks over breakfast, she mangles his words so as to not inflate his ego.
The series has a lot of fun with plays on words, and the exchanges between Catherine and Peter are no exception. Most of the time, she’s trying to perform mental gymnastics by making some of her best ideas seem like his so that Russia might progress, so it goes without saying that she wouldn’t deign to let him have a good idea of his own.
“The Empress Is So Smart, And Book Readingly, That I’m Sure Her Judgment Is Sound.”
Marial is equal parts the devil on Catherine’s shoulder and her guardian angel. Once a lady of court herself, she made one false move and was demoted to being a servant, becoming a cautionary tale for all about the precariousness of Peter’s affections.
That Marial should mock Catherine for being educated and reasonable is ironic, given that she reads a great deal herself, with her level of education often shining through the monosyllabic speech she’s supposed to use as a servant in the palace.
“Most Women Die With An Unsaid Better Idea In Their Hearts.”
Aunt Elizabeth may not appear to be the sanest member of Peter’s court, but she’s certainly the wisest. Her facade of mental fragility belies a sharp mind, which Catherine avails herself of in an effort to learn the politics of Peter’s inner circle.
She knows all too well the pressure Catherine faces as Peter’s new wife who’s expected to produce an heir, despite the fact that she’d rather help produce smart, capable Russian subjects with educational reforms. With this simple statement, she lets Catherine know that she’s aware, and empathizes with, her struggle.
“People Underestimate The Joy In Suffering.”
The archbishop is both the reason Catherine is brought to Peter III and for her vexation because he holds an incredible amount of political power, not the least which comes from being in control of the country’s printing press and anything it prints to disseminate to the citizens.
When he perceives her as unhappy in her life at the palace, he tries to entreat her with fatalistic lines like this, which operate almost like religious satire. Just because the priest is unhappy in his own life, deprived of the joys of art and literature, doesn’t mean everyone else should be. While suffering is part of Catherine’s existence for the moment, she never projects her pain –nor takes out her frustrations– on others as he does.
“We Are Always Not Quite As Good As We Wish. As Capable, As Bright. It Is The Human Way To Fall Short Of Ourselves.”
Leo, one of many charming men Catherine could end up with, proves he’s not just a pretty face when he assuaged her fears about being good enough. After bumbling with an important moment at court, she laments not being the person she aspires to be, and he gently explains that few people can be in an effort to make her feel better.
Like a true Russian poet, he goes on, “For our thoughts can be untouched by a hard reality, whereas our bodies and souls must bump against the world, and the world will even up the equation over who we are.” Amidst his waxing about the inevitability of the corporeal realm’s expectations never quite satisfying the mind’s capacity for imagination, he seems to imply there’s a comfort in the equal inevitability of the human spirit to outgrow its cage.
“You Can Cut A Man’s Head Off, Or You Can Change What’s In A Man’s Head.”
It doesn’t take long for Catherine to realize that she’s going to have to make dissuading bloodshed a regular part of her duties. With Peter’s violent proclivities and inferiority complex, every perceived slight to himself is a cause for punishment. She introduces art and education as a means to both distract Peter and to proliferate ideas in the kingdom.
Catherine constantly urges Peter to be an Emperor who changes hearts and minds, rather than one who cuts the head off of anyone who so much as looks at him funny. Cutting someone’s head off robs them of the chance to be, as Catherine puts it, “a warrior for a cause”, and is instead the final act of a petty tyrant.
“My Father Used To Say When A Woman Wants To Kill You, You’re In Business.”
When Peter tries to do something nice for Catherine on her 21st birthday, it backfires in the usual way, because once again it’s more focused on his needs than hers. She wants to wring his neck for his take on “birthday surprises” and he tries to weasel out of his responsibilities by locking her in her room.
When he jokingly says this line, he doesn’t know how apropos it is. It, like many other lines in the series, makes two things true at once, and in this case the more Peter falls in love with Catherine because of her fiery spirit, the more she wants to kill him, and his repeated attempts to fan the flames only serve to ensure he’ll be incinerated.
