Critic Reviews

It is so assuredly in the groove. Every scene, every line of Tony McNamara’s script carries its own wicked hedonism: there is always something to enjoy that’s ruder, sillier or sharper than other shows would dare to include.

What ultimately makes The Great's latest season so, well... great is how it manages to feel like the natural next evolution for the series as a whole, with shake-ups that are bold and potentially thrilling for what lies ahead.

This is bawdy, anarchic fun, still as smart as it is wilfully anachronistic. Huzzah!

It’s strange and wonderful and a fantastically funny ride. But it will also leave you pondering the nature of sacrifice and real change, and the courage it takes to overthrow a despot. Huzzah.

Despite its flaws, The Great Season 3 is darker and emotionally richer than much of what has come before. It’s still loud and bombastic, full of ridiculous Russian traditions and sly anachronistic jokes. But it’s also sadder and more complicated, with a keener understanding of its own sharp edges.

Beautifully made and complex, and unflinching when it needs to be, The Great at times feels like a light meal, but then reveals its surprising density. It’s a show that’s easy to underestimate, but promises to be unforgettable.

Complex characters, witty dialogue, a precarious play for power and just the right touches of humor make for riveting television.

The series is a strange, funny, ridiculous, trundling carnival of ideas, genres, and characters. It is great in both size and quality—ambitious, reckless, and always a joy.

This new state of power only reinforces how impressive Fanning and Hoult are in these roles.

The important thing, of course, is that it feels real. As with McNamara’s justly celebrated screenplay for “The Favourite,” it’s the emotional honesty of “The Great” that allows the comedy to land so viciously. Like that lauded cast, this one maintains that precarious balance with apparent ease.