Who said becoming the mother of Russia would be easy?
In the first teaser for season two of The Great, which premieres November 19 on Hulu, a very pregnant Empress Catherine (Elle Fanning) is still dealing with the coup she started against husband Emperor Peter III (Nicholas Hoult) at the end of season one. And, as Catherine quickly learns, Peter is not giving up his throne without a fight.
An eerily chipper Peter starts off the clip, "My dearest wife, how have you been?"
Dropping the pleasantries, Catherine retorts, "How have I been? At war with you, that's how I've been."
While Peter calls the chaos "great," Catherine seems less than pleased with the current situation, even begging her husband, "You need to give in. We need to stop this bloodshed over the throne."
Yet, as Peter reminds his wife, he doesn't mind the bloodshed one bit. "I mean, you honestly can't think you can run Russia without bloodshed," he further notes.
Determined to be a different kind of leader, Catherine remains resolved in her mission to overthrow Peter. Hilariously, the Emperor tries to convince Catherine to abandon her quest by promising sex.
She coolly rebuffs him, saying, "I'd rather choke to death on this tiny chicken."
Of course, the marital strife isn't the only thing to look forward to as the teaser gives a glimpse of Gillian Anderson in her new role. In May, the streaming service revealed Anderson had joined the season two cast as Catherine's mother, Joanna.
"Joanna is a glamorous socialite from Germany, sometimes also known as the 'maestro of marriage' for her abilities to arrange high profile partnerships for her daughters," Hulu's description teased at the time. "She has heard rumors of her daughter's coup and come to Russia to see it for herself. Though the apple of Catherine's eye and a doting mother, it soon becomes clear Joanna has more sinister intentions to save her family's reputation."
Hopefully the next trailer will show more of this, as, in the latest visual, we only spot Anderson in one blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene.
Watch the entertaining new teaser for yourself above.
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The Great season two premieres Friday, November 19 on Hulu.