The Great

What ultimately makes The Great's latest season so, well... great is how it manages to feel like the natural next evolution for the series as a whole, with shake-ups that are bold and potentially thrilling for what lies ahead.

Despite its flaws, The Great Season 3 is darker and emotionally richer than much of what has come before. It’s still loud and bombastic, full of ridiculous Russian traditions and sly anachronistic jokes. But it’s also sadder and more complicated, with a keener understanding of its own sharp edges.

The Great hurtles along at a confidently zany pace, its attitude as finely honed as is its perspective on these alternately reprehensible and admirable individuals. ... Considering how sharp and delirious McNamara’s gem remains, one certainly hopes it’s the latter [a fresh start].

While the show is still primarily a triumphant and intense joyride, the 10 hourlong episodes do run the risk of being repetitive. Some storylines spin in exasperating circles. ... Fanning’s daring performance in the season finale is a stellar goodbye encapsulating why McNamara’s series works. It’s unhinged, potent, and charismatic while being laugh-out-loud funny.

The third instalment in the saga of The Great is history at its most horrible – and most enjoyable. As Peter himself might say after a large plate of pheasant in grape sauce: huzzah!

Fanning and Hoult are as winning as ever, and the series wastes no time diving back into its playful retelling of one of Russia’s most famous monarch couples.