Monday, June 15, 2020

What I’m Watching: The Great


The Great: Season 1, Episode 5 “War and Vomit” (B+)

This was definitely the least comedy-centered episode so far, focusing instead on the very real implications of what might happen if Catherine ascended to the throne far earlier than she expected. Delivering macaroons to the wounded soldiers on the front lines was quite harrowing, and the freshness of the desserts stood out very starkly from the horrors of the battlefield. It turns out that, however popular he might be with those who want the palace to be like a party, Peter is more than capable of making enemies, including his best friend, who was spurred to poison him after seeing his wife come home to him bruised and battered. Leave it to Peter to find joy in having experienced multiple bodily functions that don’t often go together at the same time, though at least he was more tolerable than usual while unconscious for the majority of the episode. Catherine’s lackluster delivery of “huzzah” after she went through her entire plan demonstrated the disconnect between the reforms she thought she could easily achieve and what the people actually want. Going to try to talk to Ivan and see if he could be convinced to side with her seemed to be productive, especially when he asked the right questions, but she couldn’t stop Elizabeth from killing him to make sure he wouldn’t pose a threat. Leo also got on Catherine’s bad side when he showed no empathy for her feeling bad that she was a princess, and she’s rapidly losing all of the close confidantes she desperately needs right now.

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