The Great's Catherine: A Dysfunctional Heroine You Can't Help But Root For

Catherine the Great. The name conjures images of a powerful, enlightened empress who modernized Russia. But in Hulu's hit series "The Great," we meet a different Catherine (played by the ever-charming Elle Fanning) – a young woman thrust into a barbaric court, yearning for love and a purpose beyond being a trophy wife to the childish and cruel Peter (Nicholas Hoult).

This Catherine is a frustrating, fascinating mess. She's intelligent, witty, and idealistic. She dreams of a progressive Russia, filled with libraries and enlightened minds. But the court she's landed in is a viper's nest of backstabbing, misogyny, and enough bodily fluids to make you want to scrub your brain. Catherine's natural kindness and empathy constantly clash with the brutal reality of court life.

Here's the kicker: becoming "great" seems to require burying those good parts. Catherine has to play the game – manipulate, scheme, even consider (gasp!) regicide – to survive and achieve her dreams. Is this the price of progress? Is she becoming the very monster she despises? "The Great" revels in this internal struggle, making us root for Catherine even as she contemplates increasingly dark paths.

But there's a glimmer of hope (or is it just Stockholm Syndrome?). Peter, the immature man-child, seems to respond (in his own, twisted way) to Catherine's intelligence and ambition. There are moments where a flicker of something decent shines through his drunken stupor. Could her fight for a better Russia awaken something good in him too? Or is she just fooling herself, clinging to a fantasy to avoid the chilling truth – that maybe some people are beyond redemption?

"The Great" doesn't shy away from showing the uncomfortable parallels between Catherine's struggles and the societal issues we still grapple with today. Navigating a system designed to silence women, fighting against entrenched ignorance, and questioning the very definition of "power" – these are all battles we're still fighting, albeit in different costumes.

So, is Catherine a hero? A villain? The answer, like the show itself, is gloriously messy. But one thing's for sure: you won't be able to look away.