S01e03 — The Great

Reviewers from Ready Steady Cut and Vulture note that the show’s "occasionally true" approach to history allows it to focus on contemporary-feeling character arcs. However, some critics from the Chicago Sun-Times find Peter's cruelty hard to stomach as comedy, suggesting that while the satire is sharp, the "machinations of the plot" can feel tedious for those wanting a faster pace.

: Peter experiments with different titles, including "Peter the Fun," "the Masterful," and even just "the Me," while struggling to give a speech in front of a bear statue honoring his father. The Great s01e03

Season 1, Episode 3, titled " And You Sir, Are No Peter the Great ," marks a pivotal shift in the series, deepening the psychological stakes of Catherine’s coup and Peter’s fragile ego. While the previous episodes established the "backward" world of the Russian court, this installment begins to peel back the layers of its main characters, offering a rare glimpse of vulnerability in Nicholas Hoult’s otherwise monstrous Peter. Recruitment and Romance Reviewers from Ready Steady Cut and Vulture note