Content & Trigger Warnings for The Great (2020)

Religious authority figures clash with Catherine's modernizing reforms

Religious conflicts intensify as Catherine pushes Enlightenment reforms against the Orthodox church

The death of children is referenced in discussions about royal succession and political violence.

Catherine's son loses his father, and the impact on the child is explored

Peter's death creates a complex grief arc for Catherine in the final season

Catherine's pregnancy becomes a high-stakes political concern with threats to its safety

Pregnancy complications and threats to Catherine's child create tension

Pregnancy loss occurs as part of the storyline involving Catherine's attempts to produce an heir.

Characters express suicidal thoughts or despair at certain low points in the series.

Catherine's arranged marriage to Emperor Peter is a central plot element, depicting the powerlessness of her situation.

Peter manipulates Catherine and the court through lies, threats, and psychological cruelty

Political manipulation intensifies as Catherine consolidates power through the coup

Court politics reach fever pitch with elaborate deceptions and power plays

Peter sleeps with numerous women openly while married to Catherine, and Catherine eventually reciprocates

Catherine and Peter both engage in extramarital affairs that drive major plot conflicts

Continued extramarital affairs and complicated romantic entanglements at court

Military conflicts and battle sequences related to Russian imperial wars

The coup and its military dimensions bring significant combat sequences

Military conflicts and wars feature prominently in Catherine's imperial ambitions

Bloody violence in battle scenes and court executions shown comedically

Blood from combat, assassination attempts, and violent court politics

Bloody violence in political conflicts and military action

Frequent blood shown in assassination attempts, duels, coups, and violent court intrigue scenes.

Frequent sexual content including nudity and explicit scenes between characters

Explicit sexual content continues as Catherine explores relationships beyond Peter

Explicit sexual content as Catherine and other characters pursue various relationships

Explicit sexual content including nudity and sex scenes throughout the series, central to character relationships.

Power dynamics within the royal marriage create coercive sexual situations

Power-imbalanced sexual situations within the volatile royal relationship

Sexual coercion within the arranged royal marriage is a recurring element of Catherine and Peter's relationship.

Heavy drinking is pervasive at the Russian court, with characters frequently intoxicated.

Casual violence toward animals played for shock comedy in the Russian court setting

Continued casual animal violence as part of the show's dark comedic tone

The show's signature casual animal violence continues for dark comedy

Peter's casual cruelty to animals is depicted, including harm to pets, as a character trait showing his sociopathy.

Peter is physically and emotionally abusive toward Catherine, though often framed within dark comedy

The toxic dynamic between Catherine and Peter continues with physical and emotional violence

The Catherine-Peter dynamic continues though Peter is somewhat reformed in the final season

Graphic violence played for dark comedy including beheadings, stabbings, and bloody court intrigue

Continued dark comedic violence including executions and bloody confrontations

Dark comedic violence continues with executions and bloody political machinations

Graphic violence played for dark comedy including stabbings, poisonings, and bloody combat throughout.

Period firearms used in some combat and execution scenes

Period-appropriate firearms are used in duels and military encounters.

Marital rape and sexual coercion within Catherine's forced marriage to Peter are depicted.

Serfdom and the treatment of servants as property is depicted as part of the Russian imperial setting.

Court punishments and torture depicted with dark comedic framing

Prisoners and political enemies subjected to torture in the power struggle

Political enemies face torture and harsh punishment

Torture is depicted as a routine tool of the Russian court, sometimes played for dark comedy.