‘The Great’ boldly states that it has no intention of maintaining historical accuracy or propriety. It is subtitled “occasionally true story.” So, it leans toward a witty, scandalous tone, filled with satirical observations about Catherine the Great and Emperor Peter III’s relationship in 18th-century Russia.
Hence, we can never hold the show accountable for historical misrepresentations. Yet it brilliantly encourages viewers to dig deeper into the real history themselves. So, here are the 10 biggest historical reimaginings in the Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult absurdist dark comedy.
10. Catherine Did Not Invent Bowling
In the show, we see that with no engaging pastime activities allowed, Catherine ends up inventing the sport of bowling. In reality, bowling has been one of humanity’s oldest games, with evidence tracing back to 5200 BCE.
By Catherine’s time, bowling was already a popular leisure activity in parts of Europe. The idea that she “invented” bowling is straight-up poking fun at the boring lifestyle forced upon her by court propriety.
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9. The Moscow Mule Wasn’t Born In Russia
In a particularly hilarious way, we see Catherine’s lover Leo accidentally inventing the Moscow Mule. When he watches Catherine riding away on a mule, the idea for the famous cocktail comes to him.
Leo pours ginger beer and vodka into his mouth, along with a lemon, and the Moscow Mule is invented. In reality, the Moscow Mule, like many other cocktails, was an invention that first emerged in 20th-century New York. The drink has no connection to imperial Russia at all.
8. Orlo Wasn’t Just A Political Ally
In the show, we see that Orlo is a key political conspirator behind the coup that replaced Peter with Catherine. The resemblance to actual history ends there. Because in reality, Grigory Orlov had an affair with Catherine.
But the show removes that part completely. There seemed to be nothing romantic going on between them, and Orlove had been turned into just a revolutionary aide.
7. Catherine’s Real Lover Wasn’t Leo
Peter arranges for Catherine to take a lover and assigns Leo Voronsky to her. In reality, Catherine did have extramarital affairs, but not with Leo. Her real lover was Sergei Saltykov. Saltykov was a married man when they started their affair.
The real Peter wasn’t so happy about it. It is said that he actually punished Sergei’s family when he discovered their affair. Catherine went on to have other notable affairs but never remarried anyone.
6. Catherine Wasn’t Alone
In the series, we see Catherine arriving alone in Russia. The fact that she is completely isolated is actually an important plot point. The tension remains high as we see a vulnerable Catherine navigating the hostile foreign court.
The truth? Catherine was accompanied by her mother, who was deeply involved in the court matter as well. Her mother’s influence was actually so much that it irritated the then-empress Elizabeth, who really liked Catherine but strongly disliked her mother.
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5. Aunt Elizabeth Was Erased
One of the striking omissions made by the show was Empress Elizabeth. Peter’s Aunt Elizabeth was actually the reigning empress when the show starts, and Catherine arrives.
Historically, she is the person who defined the political environment when Catherine entered the royal court. Her character’s omission was purely done to simplify the power structure for a vast audience. Moreover, it gave a chance for the writers to tap into Peter’s mommy issues.
4. Peter and Catherine Were Actually Cousins
The most memorable moment of the show is undeniably when Peter and Catherine meet for the first time. Catherine is shown to know nothing about the man she is going to marry.
But in the real world, Peter was her second cousin on her mother’s side. Catherine had already met Peter when she was 10 years old and strongly disliked him right away. Though the change in the show actually made their encounter quite hilarious.
3. The Wedding Didn’t Happen Overnight
Catherine’s marriage to Peter didn’t happen as quickly as we saw. On the show, their wedding happens on the same night Catherine arrives at the palace. This decision made the show fast-paced, raised the stakes and delivered an engaging twist.
But in reality, it was after a year from the time she entered the palace until the two were married. Moreover, they didn’t have such a difficult time conceiving, as shown in ‘The Great.’ The real Catherine and Peter had a son and a daughter before the coup was carried out, though there is much debate over who the biological father was.
2. Peter Didn’t Become The Emperor Of Russia So Soon
Just like their marriage, the show cut a lot of other historical development short. Peter wasn’t already the emperor of Russia when Catherine arrived and they got married. As mentioned earlier, the empress was Aunt Elizabeth.
It was after her death that Peter became an emperor, but that was 18 years after Catherine’s arrival. This was heavily fictionalized in the show. However, it was needed to handle issues like the characters staying the same age for crucial plot points.
1. The Coup Took 20 Years
The infamous coup actually took two long decades to happen. That was when Peter was replaced by Catherine as emperor. Moreover, during this time, the real Catherine and Peter were already living separately.
In the show, this gets reduced to only a year. The coup happens the same year Catherine arrives in Russia. And we also witness Peter and Catherine living together during this tumultuous phase. Once again, the change heightened the plot, especially keeping the plan hidden.
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