DISCLAIMER: This recap of The Great season finale episode “Wedding” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Huzzah! The Great‘s season finale, “Wedding,” takes the tension between Catherine and Peter to a boiling point now that Joanna’s death is out in the open. What transpires is a game of murder chess, complete with vivid hallucinations, stabbings, death, and a wedding between an adult woman and an eight-year-old boy. It’s a quintessential episode of The Great.
“Wedding” might feel quieter compared to Season One’s guns-blazing finale, but it’s difficult to top a coup.
Instead, the outing probes Catherine and Peter’s psyches, artfully pushing the boundaries of forgiveness. Does love conquer all? Elle Fanning is, as usual, a revelation, delivering a swirling hurricane of a performance. Nicholas Hoult imbues Peter with intriguing dimensions, adding comedic relief when needed.
That said, Hoult’s Peter is more introspective in this episode, and it’s lovely to see how he’s grown over the season.
Ready to delve into “Wedding”? Let’s get to it.
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We open with Catherine (Fanning) and Peter (Hoult) doing the beast with two backs. Aunt Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow) watches from afar, and it’s not weird at all.
Catherine and Peter seem more than content, wrapped in each other’s embrace and finally showcasing their love.
After Peter departs, Archie (Adam Godley) emerges. The Patriarch fell asleep in a drunken haze the night before, so he stayed put when he heard the couple having sex. Everybody likes to watch them get it on!
Hugo (Freddie Fox) asks for assistance with invading Sweden to reclaim his country, and, once again, Catherine rejects his request. Instead, she offers him a macaroon, which she plans to dole out to the troops when she visits them. A pitiful consolation prize, indeed.
Peter carries Paul around the palace with him. Fatherhood seems to suit him well. It mortifies Hugo and Agnes (Grace Molony) to see him physically interacting with his child. Who does that? That’s what servants do!
Grigor (Gwilym Lee) tries to persuade Marial (Phoebe Fox) to keep mum about Joanna. What Catherine doesn’t know won’t hurt her.
Of course, Catherine is Marial’s bestie, so she divulges the secret to the empress. Fanning’s acting is incredible here. We see Catherine wander out to the gravesites and sob, knowing her last interaction with her mother was a full-fledged argument.
Later, Peter attempts to convince Catherine to let him and Paul accompany her to the frontlines and meet the Ottoman Sultan. Catherine almost looks frozen in shock.
Next, Elizabeth tags along on Catherine’s visit with the troops. Catherine slaps Elizabeth, knowing her aunt helped Peter dispose of Joanna’s body and withheld the secret.
Then, Catherine ridicules Velementov (Douglas Hodge) for failing to win the war and tosses his plans into the fire. She demands he joins her when she meets with the Sultan the following morning. They’re going to try on diplomacy for size.
Meanwhile, Marial and Grigor have intercourse, but something’s amiss. Marial seems preoccupied with potential regret, and Grigor feels remorse for disclosing Peter’s secret. After his tumble with Marial, Georgina (Charity Wakefield) prods Grigor to reveal what’s bothering him.
Finally, when Peter barges into Grigor’s quarters wanting to go hunting, the truth comes out. Catherine knows Peter shagged and inadvertently killed her mother.
Next, Arkady (Bayo Gbadamosi), Tatyana (Florence Keith-Roach), Hugo, Agnes, Grigor and Georgina help Peter form a game plan. What if they tossed Joanna’s corpse into a carriage and made it look like she had an accident? Georgina persuades Peter to murder Catherine first before she murders him.
Meanwhile, Catherine visits the beach, wherein she hallucinates Peter eating whale innards. She knows how peckish he gets! Catherine reveals to Figment Peter that she must kill him; he can’t keep “eating” everything. After the pair smooches, Figment Peter vanishes.
Peter also hallucinates Catherine, and Figment Catherine feasts on a heart, ever the epitome of royalty chic. She tells him of her plan to kill him slowly. He asks Figment Catherine to show him mercy, that every marriage has its ups and downs.
I love the continuous mirror scenes and parallels between these two.
The following day, Catherine reveals what she knows about Peter to Elizabeth while auntie dearest forks a soldier. Catherine finds Velementov sitting with Orlo (Sacha Dhawan) outside a tent. The empress asks Velementov to accompany her, but the general stays put. Orlo warns her to ensure the Sultan doesn’t stare at her ears because he relishes cutting them off.
After that interaction, Orlo urges Catherine not to attend the meeting with the Sultan, citing it’s too dangerous. But Catherine was born to do scary things, make waves and change the political landscape.
So, Catherine enlists the aid of a Russian soldier to stand guard while she chats with the Sultan (Billy Postlethwaite). She notices the golden chain of ears strung around his neck. The formidable Sultan looks as if he could snap at any moment. Catherine demands they share the region and maintain peace between the two countries.
When Catherine believes things might be going well, the Sultan stares at her ears. Suddenly, Catherine yells at her guard, but he’s shot before he can save her. The Sultan swiftly stabs her hand and reveals he’ll utilize a different blade to remove her ears. Catherine stabs him in the neck, and after the Sultan keels over, his guard brandishes a pistol at Catherine’s head.
Thankfully, before the guard fires, Elizabeth shoots him in the back of the head. Catherine vomits after the event.
Georgina and Tatyana visit Archie, informing him the church must throw its support behind Peter. Peter’s going to dethrone Catherine, but Archie’s too busy ogling their breasts to respond.
Orlo and Velementov approach Catherine after she kills the Sultan. Orlo wishes to be a voice for Catherine, to have a more active role in changing Russia. He chastises Elizabeth for sway over the empress. Then, the men learn about Peter’s heinous act involving her mother, and Catherine divulges that, yes, Peter burrowed himself in her heart, but now she must dislodge him by killing him.
Orlo races for a carriage, while Velementov apologizes for not being by Catherine’s side when meeting with the Sultan.
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Meanwhile, Peter, Paul, Georgina and Tatyana pack a carriage bound for France. Grigor sees them off and stays put for Marial. He urges Marial to run away with him.
However, Peter quickly turns around when he realizes he doesn’t want to take Paul from Catherine. But he also admits he doesn’t want to stay away from his son. Peter rebukes Catherine for not loving him as he is.
Hugo finds Peter and broaches the idea of him reclaiming the throne from Catherine and killing her, as one does. Of course, this act serves a twofold purpose, notably Hugo gaining the support of the Russians to overtake Sweden, which Peter mulls over.
Elizabeth attempts to convince Catherine not to kill her nephew, citing that people do messed-up things all the time. Forgiveness and mercy are what’s in style.
Later, Catherine chats with Archie, who still hasn’t reunited with God. Even though Archie struggles with who to support, Catherine or Peter, he ultimately throws his weight behind the empress. I love the evolution of the relationship between Catherine and Archie — it’s sweet.
Georgina and Tatyana hide firearms and weapons underneath the banquet table. It’s the night of Marial and Maxim’s wedding, and everyone will attend the reception. Peter orders Grigor to ensure nobody acts until he gives the signal. We see Catherine, Orlo, Velementov and Elizabeth make their way toward the banquet hall.
After Catherine and her entourage arrive, Velementov places his pistol on the table (not a euphemism) to notify the masses that he’s not forking around. Maxim (Henry Meredith) delivers a rousing speech not so much about Marial, his bride, but cake and ice cream.
Peter gives a speech, with Paul fastened to his chest (probably as protection). He mainly directs it toward Catherine. Peter further delves into what happened between him and Joanna and how resisting her was futile. Additionally, he talks about marital forgiveness. It’s touching, in a peculiar “Peter” way.
Catherine retorts that he screwed her mother, repeating it for emphasis. We see Peter’s crew surreptitiously reaching for their weaponry. Queen Agnes ponders whether she and Hugo should side with Catherine instead.
Catherine discusses her revelations: perhaps a “perfect” love, much like a “perfect” country, is a flawed one. Nobody’s infallible.
Catherine strives for perfection at all times, mainly due to her lofty mother. This monologue might be one of the best I’ve ever seen. Fanning is astounding, brimming with vulnerability and truth.
The empress urges everyone to party it up — but the bride and groom must share their first dance. Catherine gives Peter a surprising smooch and takes Paul to bed, so Peter follows suit.
Amid all the dancing and fun, Velementov barges into the banquet hall with his guards, ordering them to arrest Arkady and Tatyana. He leaves Georgina alone but also seizes Grigor and Marial. Perhaps Velementov charges them for preparing an uprising against Catherine (even though Marial’s not involved with that)?
Catherine sneaks into Peter’s chambers with a knife poised at the ready. She stabs Peter in the back multiple times, and he keels over. Catherine sobs uncontrollably over his body.
However, Peter walks into the room, and we see Catherine stabbed Pugachev.
She embraces Peter, clearly regretting her decision to stab who she thought was her husband. Suddenly, Pugachev rises and limps out of the room, muttering about how much the stab wounds hurt. Catherine and Peter glance at each other, then stare out into nothingness. This last shot is reminiscent of that final scene in The Graduate.
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While the only genuine cliffhanger of the season finale is Velementov’s arrests, that singular act could open a can of worms for the palace. Marial will learn about Grigor’s desire to unseat Catherine in favor of Peter. Catherine might turn her back on Marial, and Georgina will be free to turn the court against Catherine.
Even though Catherine initially thinks she’s killed Peter, she looks relieved when she discovers he’s alive. Catherine’s time at the palace has molded her into an ambitious, ruthless woman. If Peter murdered her mother in Season One, Catherine would’ve strived to kill him. It’s intriguing to see how she’s changed.
Nicholas Hoult deftly showcases Peter’s growth during Season Two, injecting nuance and mining the uncharted depths of the seemingly blithe playboy. Both he and Elle Fanning deserve accolades for their work.
Season Two of The Great proves to be an interesting character study filled with Catherine and Peter’s ever-entertaining witty rapport and their battle of wits. Its biting humor, blistering dialogue and bold performances make it one of the most intelligent comedies out there. And those lavish, to-die-for costumes!
I hope we get a third season, and I’ll be counting down the days till we do.
All episodes of The Great are now streaming on Hulu.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
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