This article contains major spoilers for The Great season 3.
This article contains mentions of suicide and death.
The sometimes-based-on-a-true-story comedy The Great has finally released its third season, and it is by far the darkest and most shocking installment of the series. Loosely based on the real-life rise of Catherine the Great of Russia, the show follows young Catherine as she marries the brutal and idiotic Peter III and decides to overthrow him. With major character deaths, never-ending schemes, and a massive uprising, season 3 offered many questions and few answers.
The Great season 3 kicks off just after the events of The Great season 2 ending wherein Catherine attempted to kill Peter but instead stabbed his body double Pugachev. Despite this betrayal, the pair decide to reconcile and spend much of the season determining how they can coexist without ruining each other's lives. However, by episode 6, the series takes a major turn as Peter falls into an icy lake and dies. The remainder of the season sees Catherine grieving the loss of Peter and nearly losing her title because of it. Fortunately, by the end, she rises up again to take control of her disastrous court.
What Happens In The Great Season 3’s Ending?
Before the end of The Great season 3, Russia is in ruins due to Pugachev's season 2 survival and uprising and Catherine is close to losing her seat as Empress. She has lost the trust of the court by keeping Peter's death from them and has fallen into a depression that leaves her careless about Russia's fate. However, after miraculously saving her own life, she rises once again to save Russia. She does this by making several important decisions that quell the uprising and hold her peers accountable for their betrayals.
Catherine gathers her cabinet and makes three major decrees. First, she decides to send Maxim away to military school where he can hone his tendency towards violence and be trained to become Catherine's future head of the army. Then, she orders her current head of the army to attack Pugachev's headquarters with cannonballs, one being Pugachev's head. Finally, Catherine forces Archie to sign two bills: one states that the comet set to pass Russia is a heavenly sign of Catherine's rule and the second frees all of the church's serfs. Catherine then demands that Archie be beaten and buried alive for betraying her by working with Pugachev.
Will Catherine Still Lead Russia Without Peter?
Ultimately, a major question that arises during The Great season 3 is whether Catherine will continue to lead Russia without Peter. Although Peter was once a major obstacle to Catherine's power, his sudden death only worsens Catherine's ability to lead. Because of her grief and depression, the ideas she once cared deeply about have become pointless, and she even exhibits suicidal tendencies. Therefore, for many episodes, it is unclear whether Catherine will recover from losing Peter or allow Russia and herself to fall into disrepair.
The ending does answer this question though. After Catherine has defeated Pugachev and made Archie suffer for his betrayal, it seems that she is back in action as Empress of Russia. Though she is changed after Peter's death, particularly in the sense that she has a new edge to her, she can still return to her original goals of changing Russia for the better. Additionally, The Great season 3 and real-life history hint that there are plenty of issues Catherine still needs to fix. For example, Georgina, Hugo, and Agnes' plot still succeeded and Pugachev's uprising may not be entirely over as Arkady planned to take over his resistance.
What Does It Mean That Georgina Married Paul?
In the season finale of The Great season 3, Georgina marries Catherine and Peter's infant son, Paul. Although the ceremony was cut short by Hugo and Agnes, Archie did in fact say "Amen," meaning that the marriage is complete, and essentially, Georgina will have a direct line to the throne because Paul is Catherine's heir. This means that if Catherine is killed, Georgina would effectively be the empress of Russia until Paul comes of age.
This plan came as something of a surprise in The Great season 3, although Georgina's betrayal wasn't. Throughout the season, Georgina became close to Catherine, pretending to care deeply about the same causes Catherine cared about. However, it was clear to everyone that Georgina's new lifestyle wasn't genuine, and that a larger plan was at play. When Hugo laid out the marriage plan, Georgina finally made the villainous switch expected of her and likely this situation will continue into The Great season 4 as Catherine discovers the marriage and Hugo and Agnes try to get in on the power.
Will Catherine Find Out About Orlo’s Death?
Another major secret that Catherine may (or may not) find out about in later seasons is Orlo's death. In the very first episode of The Great season 3, Catherine and Peter are walking through the woods when Catherine hears a sound and shoots in that direction. Seeing nothing, the pair continue their stroll, however, in reality, Catherine shot and killed Orlo, who was sneaking through the forest in order to kill Peter. This turned out to be the first major shock of the season and a significant mystery for Catherine, although the audience is fully aware of the true situation.
It's unclear whether Catherine will ever find out that she killed Orlo. Although this is a massive plot point that would affect Catherine, there were no witnesses to Orlo's murder and his body was ultimately eaten by bears, leaving no evidence of how or where he died. This means that there's a chance Catherine will never find out what happened to Orlo, which begs the question of why the showrunners killed him in the first place. Perhaps Orlo and Catherine's relationship had come to an end and needed a permanent close or Orlo's death will in fact come back in later seasons.
Who Can Catherine Trust?
The biggest question that comes out of The Great season 3 is who can Catherine trust? Over the past three seasons, Catherine has had many alliances with The Great's main characters in her attempt to become empress and most have been tested or broken completely. Season 3 in particular saw Catherine's usual group of advisors, Velementov and Orlo, break apart in exchange for Elizabeth and Archie. Even with this change, Catherine's reign did not become easier and alliances continued to be dissolved.
As of the finale, Catherine's greatest allies are Elizabeth and Velementov. Although Elizabeth's priorities do not always align with Catherine's, she seems to care the most deeply about Catherine and is incredibly savvy when it comes to planning. Similarly, Velementov has struggled to remain by Catherine's side due to his drinking problem, however, he has genuine feelings for Catherine that make him loyal when he can be. On the other hand, Archie has proven himself untrustworthy, Georgiana has become a major villain of the series, and even Mariel's opinionated stances make her a questionable ally for Catherine.
What The Great Season 3’s Final Scene Means
The very last scene of The Great season 3 shows a new version of Catherine. Set to ACDC's "You Shook Me All Night Long," Catherine appears in a dark dress with her hair chopped into a bob. She begins dancing, melding the unique moves of Russian court with carefree, joyful jumping. The scene is startling not only because of Catherine's new appearance but also because of her new sense of freedom.
Despite everything she has gone through in season 3, Catherine has come out the other side a different but still strong woman. This final scene, though one of The Great's historical inaccuracies, shows that Catherine has changed considerably since the first season. It is likely that a new version of her, edgier and less innocent, will lead the rest of the series.
The Real Meaning Of The Great Season 3
Overall, The Great season 3 was a test of strength and will for Catherine. Although she made it to the throne and overcame her battles with Peter, there are still plenty of problems that must be overcome. Most importantly, this season forced Catherine to grow into an entirely new person. Without her greatest advisor Orlo and without her husband Peter, Catherine was forced to rely on others and herself rather than the idea of destiny or fate. In the end, The Great season 3 saw Catherine suffer to become the leader she must be if Russia is to accept her.
At this time, it is unclear whether The Great will continue with season 4 and beyond, however, considering the questions still lingering and Catherine's amazing comeback, it seems likely that the series will continue. Hopefully, later seasons can further explore storylines such as Georgina's marriage plan, Archie's possible redemption, and how Catherine will become beloved by Russia. In this way, The Great can continue telling the sometimes true story of Catherine the Great and expand beyond what the first three seasons provided.