Summary

• The cancellation of The Great after three seasons has raised questions about Hulu's reasons for axing the show.
• The Great received positive reviews and awards attention, but it likely had weak ratings on Hulu compared to other original series on the platform.
• Season 4 of The Great would have struggled without Nicholas Hoult's character, Peter, but the show could have explored Catherine the Great's life after Peter's death.

Hulu's alternate history series The Great wasn't always historically accurate, its biting satire was usually on the mark. The plots and schemes Catherine and her advisors devised were endlessly fun to watch. The Great was a fan-favorite streaming series and received positive reviews, which made its cancellation all the more surprising.

Throughout its run, The Great received positive The Great's cast proved a joy to watch. It's surprising that a high-quality, well-liked show met an untimely end, but Hulu's reasons for canceling The Great are likely more pragmatic than anything else.

The Great Season 3 Likely Had Weak Ratings On Hulu

Hulu didn't give an official reason pulling the plug on The Great, but it was most likely canceled due to low ratings. Like other streaming services, Hulu doesn't release information about its viewership numbers. However, it's safe to say that The Great wasn't pulling in enough viewers to satisfy the streamer. The Great never reached the levels of popularity that Hulu original series like The Handmaid's Tale or What We Do in the Shadows achieved. While critical acclaim and awards season love benefited The Great, that probably wasn't enough for Hulu to give the show a season 4.

The cancellation of The Great is a good example of how viewership is important to streaming services. It's crucial to have shows that can bring in big numbers, and while The Great was loved by general audiences, it most likely didn't have the high ratings that Hulu would've preferred. It's fortunate that the plug wasn't pulled on The Great after its first season, as is the case with a lot of streaming series, and the show was able to grow and become better in its second and third seasons. Still, it's a shame that low ratings are the most likely reason why The Great didn't get the chance to properly end its story.

The Great Season 4 Would Have Struggled Without Nicholas Hoult's Peter

Although The Great was, for lack of a better word, great, season 4 would have struggled without Hoult's Peter. Peter's death in The Great season 3 was necessary for the story and Catherine's character development. However, he was a fan-favorite character, thanks to Hoult's hilarious and vulnerable performance and his great chemistry with Fanning's Catherine. The show would have had a different feel without Peter around, and it's hard to say if The Great would recover from the loss of such an iconic character. Tony McNamara's sharp writing could no doubt find a way to keep The Great entertaining, but no one could truly replace Peter.

To be fair, The Great could have brought Peter back in some capacity. Peter could have appeared in Catherine's flashbacks or visions. However, these glimpses wouldn't be the same as having the character alive and well. Shows have struggled in the past after major characters departed, and The Great might have suffered the same fate. Still, it's a shame that viewers won't get to see Catherine truly move on and thrive in a post-Peter world. The Great took a big (though historically accurate) risk by killing off Peter, and it would've been interesting to see how the show would have moved on without him.

The Great Season 4's Story: What Happened Next In Real Life

While The Great season 3 left unanswered questions, real-life history reveals what happened to Catherine the Great. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Catherine reigned on behalf of Peter's heir apparent, the couple's son Paul, and did not plan to step down after the boy came of age. Catherine gained a reputation as an enlightened ruler who enriched culture in Russia, though her aggressive military campaigns and efforts to expand Russia's empire became an unsavory part of her legacy. On November 16, 1796, Catherine suffered a stroke and died the next day.

Since The Great played very loosely with historical details, it would have been interesting to see how The Great season 4 would have explored Catherine's life after Peter's death. It would be especially intriguing if the series had the new head of the army, Petrov, become Catherine's lover, as army officer Grigory Potemkin became Catherine's greatest love in real life. The history of Catherine the Great, as well as The Great's season 3 finale, set up the groundwork for what could have been a fascinating fourth season. While the show's cancelation is unfortunate, it's a good thing that The Great was able to thrive for three excellent outings.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Smithsonian Magazine