Editor’s Note: The following are major spoilers for Season 3 of The Great.original Hulu Show, Great, is in an ever-growing list of historical dramas about ruling women. But unlike Crown or Victoria, Great don’t bother with accuracy too much. This simple distinction allows the show to do whatever it pleases. Tony McNamara enjoys. Great not quite like other shows in the genre, approaching the story with a satirical twist. It actively claims to be true only “sometimes”. As part of that, it messes up the timeline and even changes the lifespan of some characters. Although some events are too important to change.
Catherine (Elle Fanning) husband, Peter III (Nicholas Hoult), plays an important role in the series, as their marriage brings the main character to Russia and gives her the right to the throne. While a lot has changed, Peter’s character is supposed to stay the same. A real man is often described as narcissistic and cruel, as in the series. However, unlike the show, Katherine and Peter were not in love. Despite many deviations in the history of Catherine and Peter, Great follows the most general points. They got married, they had an heir, and Catherine staged a coup against her husband. Since all of these plot points appeared in seasons 1 and 2, there was only one thing left for season 3: the end. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to people familiar with the story that in the show, Peter is killed shortly after the coup, as it’s true. But the events around him are far from the same.
Peter’s death in The Great Season 3
Since the coup happened quite early in the second season, Peter’s death was inevitable, although he lasted longer in the series. In fact, the couple had found a good place and Peter had given up on his desire to rule, but he was still eager to help. The recently deposed King Hugo of Sweden (Freddie Fox), twists this desire for his own purposes, convincing Peter to steal the army along with him and Velementov (Douglas Hodge) to return Sweden and give Catherine a military victory. Hugo’s plan is aided by Peter’s ever-present reputation as a father and a fear of not living up to the family heritage, often causing Peter to take rash actions, especially when it comes to battle. Knowing that his friend is acting on a bad idea, faithful Grigor (Gwilim Lee) goes to Catherine with the truth. Katherine and Grigor pursue them to stop their mission.
When the two groups cross paths, Peter is happy to see Katherine and happily crosses the frozen lake to talk to her despite Hugo and Velementov’s advice, naively believing that his loving wife won’t try to stop him. However, he is wrong. Peter tries to prove that taking over Sweden is something they need to do together to strengthen their marriage. But Catherine cannot be persuaded, just like Peter. He returns to his plan despite Katherine being threatened with expulsion. Peter is determined to create a legacy that his son will be proud of, but as he crosses the frozen lake back to his fellow conspirators, the ice cracks. Peter and his horse fail. Grigor tries to save him, but it’s too late. Peter drowns, leaving Katherine and Grigor in despair and self-flagellation.
How did Peter III die in real life?
There is no historical evidence that Peter stole an army to recapture Sweden on a drunken whim, where he died on the ice. But the death of Peter III was mysterious. The historical figure died just eight days after his wife took over Russia while imprisoned away from court. Bye Great showed a character in a long prison where he helped raise his son and hoped to find a way back to power, but this is not the case. It certainly makes him more dramatic to give him a chance to speak up to reclaim the throne, but maybe not a good strategy in a real setting.
Peter III, of course, did not live long after he was deposed, but the events surrounding his death are unclear. An autopsy revealed that he died of hemorrhoidal colic, a diagnosis that makes no sense. Some historians suggest that this was often used as the cause of death to cover up the murder. However, this is not the only reason for the spread. Many sources claim that he was killed by one of the Orlovs, brothers of the man who inspired Sasha DhawanOrlo. These brothers provoked his capture and were fierce allies of Catherine. However, not all rumors agree on whether they were acting on Katherine’s orders. And yet she benefited from the death of her husband. According to another version, there was a drunken fight. Sometimes people say that he committed suicide after losing his throne. While no one seems to agree on how he dies, the fact is that he somehow died.
“Great tribute to historical events”
Although it takes its own path to the fact that Katherine outlived her husband, the show gives a slight hint of the ambiguity of Peter’s death. As Catherine tries to secure her rule, she comes up with a plan. Fearing that people will rise up if they believe she killed Peter, Katherine spreads rumors about his death so no one can be sure what happened. Ekaterina sends Velementov on a trip around the country to tell about the real death of Peter. Meanwhile, she has Marial (Phoebe Fox) circulate claims of various stories, including his death from hemorrhoids, smallpox, and while fighting an uprising. Undoubtedly, Catherine’s murder would have joined them, but the ambiguity makes it difficult to accuse, thus preventing a collective uprising in the name of Peter. While the show certainly didn’t follow the story of the event, the rumors are a delightful nod to reality, proving that the creators were aware of what really happened, even if they chose a different path for their story. And since the show doesn’t claim to be accurate, that’s more than enough.
While it’s a shame to lose a strangely cute character, Peter’s death was inevitable. Although the death of a historical figure is shrouded in mystery, Great The third season showed this event very vividly. But instead of choosing one of the many rumored deaths, they made it an easily preventable, almost pathetic death that fits the tone of the series and the character they designed. While Peter Holt will be missed, he opens up new opportunities for Katherine herself as she continues her reign.
All three seasons of the series Great available for streaming on Hulu.
Source: Collider
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