Ekaterina/Catherine S2x1-2
Overall: GOOD START.
(Gotta say, though, the CGI landscapes are awful, tbh :/)
Panin, from his very first scene, just SLAYS. I was prepared to dislike him but he is AWESOME! (Also, his little speech about Russia needing to focus inward is so fitting for contemporary political commentary that I almost have to wonder if one of the writers is a ~liberal opositionalist lol.) Also, some good foreshadowing there for Paul’s policies, given that Paul respected Panin and his thinking, even if they disagreed on some fundamental things like autocracy vs. constitutional monarchy.
The Orlovs are still goons. God, I hate them so much, especially Grigory.
POROSHIN!!! I wasn’t expecting you! SO. HAPPY. (Though here he’s giving Paul a language lesson when he was actually his math tutor, if I’m not mistaken.) The timeline is skewed a bit, though - this is 1768, and Poroshin was removed from court in 1766. But, you know what, whatever, I’m really happy to see him :D Also, looks like they’re going to give credit to the “official” reason for Poroshin’s removal (his courtship of Anna Sheremetyeva). This annoys me mildly, but I’m not surprised.
Andrei Razumovsky was mentioned! Catherine wants Paul to be friends with the Razumovsky children. I really hope we might get some onscreen Paul & Andrei friendship after all!
PAUL!!! Paul is ADORABLE in this omg <3 Just absolutely adorable. I mean, fuck, just look at his face:
- The way Catherine treats him is abominable and edging toward emotional abuse (though not quite there yet). She’s plotting to have her other son (from Orlov) take the throne, which fuck you, Catherine, tbh. Apparently, she won’t even allow him to call her “mother.” (I’m…I don’t think this particular bit is historically accurate but still. These ARE show notes, after all.)
- She thinks he’s too much like Peter because…he likes swords and daring bravery (like every teenage boy ever) and he doesn’t want to learn a silly looking Russian folk dance? FFS.
- Also some of her ideas are kinda… I mean, like she’s annoyed that he’s into brash bravery but thinks it’s cool that he may be lusting after an older girl/woman? HE’S FOURTEEN. Also, her idea of good friends for him are boys who don’t ~think too much~ but are roudy and ~sporty. Like…ok. And, seriously, the fact that his health problems annoy instead of concern her is definitely a warning flag. Agh.
- But, really, Paul’s such a sweetheart - the way he gets along with his tutors, the fact that he offers to help Poroshin in his courtship, the fact that he wants to know about his father, how he feels a bit snubbed by his mother but still hopes she will come see him.
- The only thing is that he’s not crazy about going to see his younger half-brother, but a) he’s a teenager and Alexei is like 7 I think and b) if he knows about Alexei he surely knows he’s Orlov’s and historical Paul knew full well who was responsible for his father’s death so there’s no reason to think show!Paul doesn’t. He doesn’t want to hang out with the son of his father’s murderer, wow, how shitty of him /sarcasm. (Not the official reason he gives, but it’s not like he can say THAT to Catherine’s face or, even, admit it to Poroshin.)
Catherine’s glee over Peter’s death is in character but so infuriating. Especially jarring is the flashback they use of Peter saying he’s going to execute/try everyone who put him down when he becomes Emperor but…he never did? Not historically, not even in the show. I know in the show the way they played it Catherine felt/was threatened but, otherwise… Peter left everyone be for the most part.
Speaking of flashbacks - the couple of Peter flashbacks we got made me sad. I miss him :/(No actual new footage, btw, just cuts from last season.)
Poniatowski is back. He brought a chamberlain this time. This makes his re-appearance a lot more acceptable to me xD ;)
Potemkin was there, but there hasn’t really been enough of him to form any kind of real impression.