Summary
- The Great, a witty black comedy, turned the history of the Russian monarchy into a gripping and vivid spectacle, deviating from accuracy intentionally.
- Despite its popularity and Emmy-winning status, Hulu has decided to cancel The Great after three seasons, leaving viewers disappointed.
- If another network picks up the show for season 4, it is likely that main characters like Catherine and supporting characters will return to explore Catherine's rise to power and the dangers she faces.
The Hulu original series The Great turned the real-life history of the Russian monarchy into a witty black comedy, but could there be The Great season 4? Debuting in 2020 to rave reviews, the show chronicles the rise of Catherine the Great as Empress of Russia (Elle Fanning) and dramatizes her strained relationship with her husband, Peter III (Nicholas Hoult). Often praised for its clever writing and brilliant performances, The Great presents history as a spectacle and often plays fast and loose with accuracy. Nevertheless, the show's humor has always been its most potent weapon, and it presents the character of Catherine the Great like she's never been seen before.
The streaming service Hulu threw its hat in the original content ring with hit shows like The Handmaid's Tale, but The Great was unique among the deluge of original streaming content because of its tone. Eschewing the typical stuffiness of other historical series, The Great instead chose to tell the story in a much more vivid way which made it a gripping ride from start to finish. Though there are aspects of The Great that are historically accurate, the series intentionally positioned itself as "anti-historical" which has allowed for fascinating deviations from the real story.
The Great Season 4 Latest News
The most recent The Great season 4 news is as shocking as it is disappointing as Hulu has canceled The Great after three seasons. While Elle Fanning had previously talked about where the show could go next, Hulu decided to end it with the death of her co-head Peter III, played by Nicholas Hoult. The series is an Emmy winner, so it is unclear why Hulu canceled it, and the streaming service has declined to comment. However, while Peter's death played a huge role in Catherine's life, the season ended with her gaining control of the court.
When asked about what Catherine the Great could have gone through if there could have been a season 4, including finding her own autonomy, Fanning had a few ideas. She said that when Catherine was pregnant in season 2, it was protection because no one would kill her when she was pregnant with the heir. However, now that Paul has been born, Catherine sees the baby as her enemy. These were all enticing ideas that made viewers helpful for another season of The Great, as there's clearly more mileage in Catherine's story. Sadly, now that The Great season 4 has been canceled, this next chapter of her life won't be explored.
The Great Season 4 Has Been Canceled
Despite the overwhelming popularity of the series, Hulu chose to cancel The Great season 4. Like most other streamers, Hulu remains pretty tight-lipped about its viewership numbers, but the fact that the series has earned three seasons speaks to its popularity. Unfortunately, it didn't likely take long to hear the fate of the series after season 3. The Great season 1 aired in May 2020, and Hulu announced the renewal for season 2 just a few months later in July of that year. The Great season 3 was released on May 12, 2023, with the news that season 4 wouldn't be happening arriving at the end of August. There is always a chance another network could pick up The Great, but there's been no news so far to suggest HBO have an interested buyer (or if the property is even up for sale).
The Great Season 4 Release Date
Unlike network programs that follow a stricter yearly schedule, streaming shows like The Great have the luxury of extending their productions for the sake of improving the quality, but that might mean season 4 takes a while to arrive. Based on the production schedule of previous seasons, it is highly unlikely that The Great season 4 will arrive at the same time of year that season 3 did. Instead, it is more plausible that the release will mirror season 2 which arrived well over a year after season 1. Based on that extrapolation, if The Great is picked up by another network, the earliest The Great season 4 could air is late 2024.
The Great Season 4 Cast
If The Great season 4 is picked up by another network, the only character who is guaranteed to return for The Great season 4 is Catherine herself. Since the show hinges more on the relationship between Catherine and Peter than it does on historical accuracy, it was surprising to learn that Hoult will not return as Peter III after his character died in the last season. Not only that, but Hoult played more than one character, and his second character — Yemelyan Pugachev — died as well. Sacha Dhawan as Orlo will also not return, as he died as well.
It is highly likely that series mainstays like Phoebe Fox as Mariel, Gwilym Lee as Grigor, Adam Godley as Archie, Belinda Bromilow as Aunt Elizabeth, and Douglas Hodge as General Velementov will all reprise their roles in The Great season 4 cast. Charity Wakefield will also be back as Georgina, who is still plotting to take over the throne, after making it clear she wanted to marry Catherine's baby boy to ensure her spot and overthrow Catherine to rule Russia herself. Also returning should be Bayo Gbadamosi as Arkady and Florence Keith-Roach as Tatyana.
The Great Season 4 Story Details
With the actual history of Catherine the Great's life largely discarded by this series, the possibilities for what could have happened in The Great season 4 are somewhat limitless. In real life, Catherine's husband Peter died shortly after they were married and that will be explored in season 4, as season 3 killed off the beloved Hoult from the series. The real Peter's death was under somewhat mysterious circumstances, but on the show, he was crossing the frozen lake on his horse, but the ice cracked, and he fell through with his horse, drowning. This puts Catherine in a tough spot if there ever is The Great season 4.
The Great season 4 could see Catherine showing her power, and that started at the end of season 3. That means this season will start to show how she established herself as one of the most effective rulers in Russia's history. She also has to face the fact her son is her heir, and this puts her life in danger — especially with people like Georgina always plotting to take over. Catherine also has an enemy in Archie, who she orders to be buried alive for his betrayal, only to have Marial secretly save him. As with previous seasons, The Great season 4 would revolve around Catherine herself, especially her complicated legacy and relationship with her fellow nobles.