The Great Season 2 Episode 1 Ending: Does Catherine Win the Throne? Is the Coup Successful?

Grigor Grows Angry When He Sees Peter and Georgina Continuing to Engage in Sexual Acts. the Next Morning, Catherine Makes Peter’s Chef Cook Delicious Dishes, Using Their Mouth-Watering Scent to Lure Him Out. Overwhelmed by Hunger, Peter Agrees to Talk Terms. He States That He Will Abdicate the Throne If Catherine Allows Him 20 Minutes a Day with Her and Paul. the Husband and Wife Then Debate the Terms of His House Arrest.

Is Leo Voronsky Dead?

Throughout the Episode, Everyone Is Convinced That Leo Is Dead Even Though His Body Remains Unfound. When Peter Gives Catherine Leo’s Mummified Head in a Bloody Sack, She Does Not Open It to Check the Head’s Identity, Too Fraught with Grief. Although It Is Possible That Leo Was Killed by Peter’s Guards After Catherine Decided to Choose Russia over His Life, the Fact That His Body Is Not Shown Even Once Is an Indication That Perhaps He May Be in Hiding Somewhere. However, After Seeing the Sack, Everyone Now Believes That Leo Is Truly Dead.

What Are the Terms of Peter’s House Arrest?

Peter and Catherine Heatedly Debate the Terms of His Confinement After His Loss of Power. Whilst Catherine Wants Him to Move Away from the Palace, Peter Suggests a House Arrest Within It. He Tells Her She Can Run Russia as Long as He Gets to Spend Time with Her and His Son. He Asks for Regular Sex as Well, but the Empress Refuses. Finally, She Agrees to the Palace House Arrest and Grants Him 20 Minutes a Day with Her and Paul During Breakfast. She Also Gives Him His Chef.

What’s Going on Between Peter, Grigor, and Georgina?

Grigor Makes Peter Promise to Stop Sleeping with His Wife, Georgina, and the Emperor Agrees to Do It Only Twice a Year. However, When Grigor Sees Them Together Again, He Loses His Temper. He Has Been Upset About Their Affair for Year's but Loves Them Both Too Much to Oppose It Outrightly. Meanwhile, Georgina Gets Angry at Grigor’s Feelings, Stating That She Will Sleep with Either of Them Whenever She Wants To. Additionally, We Know That Georgina Is Using Peter to Maintain Her Social Status in Court.

Why Does Aunt Elizabeth Want to Keep Peter Alive? Who Is She Loyal to?

Aunt Elizabeth Wishes to Keep Peter Alive Because She Promised His Parents That She Would. Additionally, She Loves Him Like a Mother and Is Able to See the Troubled Heart Behind His Veil of Hedonism and Cruelty. Although She Is Loyal to Catherine and Genuinely Wishes for Her Well-Being, She Believes in Preserving the Royal Bloodline and Thus Is Unwilling to Dispose of Peter. She Also Tells Catherine About Peter’s Traumatic Childhood and Her Own Drowned Son, Igor. Clearly, She Does Not Wish to Lose Another Loved One and Believes That Catherine Should Control Peter Because He Loves Her.

The Great Season 2 Episode 1 Recap and Ending, Explained

Q: The Great Season 2 Episode 1 Recap

The Episode Opens with Catherine, Orlo, and Velementov Searching for Leo in the Forest. However, Even Though His Body Is Missing, Orlo and Velementov Believe That He Is Dead. Later, We Discover That the Bloody Coup Has Been Ongoing for Four Months, with Peter and His Supporters Trapped in the East Wing of the Damaged Palace.

By David Miller

• Oct 8, 2026 • 7 min read

The Great Season 2 Episode 1 Recap and Ending, Explained

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Hulu’s ‘The Great’ Dives Deep into the Chaotic, Inspiring, and Mildly Scandalous Life of Catherine the Great, Empress of All Russia. a Historical Comedy-Drama Created by Tony Mcnamara, It Follows the Series of Events That Unfold When Catherine, with the Help of Supporters, Tries to Take the Throne from Her Ruthless and Idiotic Husband, Peter Iii.

David Miller

Executive Financial & Market Analyst

David Miller brings 15 years of experience in global economics, personal finance strategy, and market dynamics. He specializes in turning complex economic trends into actionable insights for everyday readers.

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