The Great is a British-American comedy "anti-historical" (as it is described by the releaser) TV series about the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. The series stars Elle Fanning as Empress Catherine II and Nicholas Hoult as Emperor Peter III.
Season 1 was released on Hulu streaming platform on May 15, 2020, and Season 2 on November 19, 2021. In January 2022, the third season was announced.
The following weapons were used in Season 2 of the television series The Great:
A large number of various Flintlock Pistols are used throughout the series. In most cases the exact model can be identified. Of course, the screen guns are modern replicas, many of those by Pedersoli. It should be noted that the majority of pistols used is of British or French origin which is historically inaccurate. For the Russian setting in this period, Russian or Germanic pistols would be more fitting.
British Heavy Dragoon Flintlock Pistol
General Velementov (Douglas Hodge) and Count Grigor Dymov (Gwilym Lee) hold British Heavy Dragoon Flintlock Pistols during the storming of Peter's chambers in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01). A highwayman (Tarik Badwan; credited as Bandit #2) holds a Heavy Dragoon pistol in "Walnut Season" (S02E09).
Colonel Svenska (Blake Harrison), the commander of the troops, loyal to Peter, holds a British Ketland Flintlock Trade Pistol during the storming of Peter's chambers in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01). Grigor Dymov (Gwilym Lee) holds a Ketland pistol during the rabbit hunt in "Animal Instincts" (S02E05) and during the confrontation with Orlo in "A Simple Jape" (S02E06). The Ketland pistol is anachronistic as these were made in the late 18th - early 19th century and were probably derived from the Pattern 1796 Flintlock Pistol.
In the opening scene in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01) that recalls the events of the final of Season 1, Peter III (Nicholas Hoult) holds a Tower Sea Service Pistol. Peter also holds a pair of Sea Service pistols in "A Simple Jape" (S02E06).
In the opening scene in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01) that recalls the events of the final of Season 1, Leo Voronsky (Sebastian De Souza) holds an anachronistic French Model 1763/66 Flintlock Pistol.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingFrench Model An IX Cavalry Flintlock Pistol - .69 cal. The Model 1763/66 is a direct predecessor for An IX and looks similar except it's slightly longer.Error creating thumbnail: File missingLeo Voronsky (at the left) holds a Model 1763/66 pistol during the hunt. The pistol has steel furniture that was used on some versions of Mle 1763/66 but never on An IX. Next to him Peter III holds a Tower Sea Service Pistol.Error creating thumbnail: File missingAnother view of Leo's pistol.
French Model An IX Cavalry Flintlock Pistol
Peter III (Nicholas Hoult) holds an anachronistic, Napoleonic era French Model An IX Cavalry Flintlock Pistol in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01) and "Wedding" (S02E10). Marial (Phoebe Fox), Catherine's confidante, obtains an An IX pistol from a Life Guards officer in "A Simple Jape" (S02E06). While similar to Mle 1763/66, the An IX is shorter, has a more curved grip and simplified muzzle cap.
General Velementov (Douglas Hodge) carries an anachronistic, Napoleonic era a Saint Etienne Model An XIII Cavalry Pistol throughtout the series. Tatyana (Florence Keith-Roach), the wife of Count Arkady, holds an An XIII pistol during the hunt in "Animal Instincts" (S02E05). What appears to be an An XIII pistol is seen in hands of Peter's double Pugachev (Nicholas Hoult) in "Stapler" (S06E07). The screen guns are probably replicas by Pedersoli.
During the storming of Peter's chambers in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01), Grigor Dymov (Gwilym Lee) holds a long flintlock pistol that is supposed to be a Prussian Potzdam Dragoon 1731 model, already seen in Season 1. Peter III (Nicholas Hoult) holds a pair of long flintlock pistols with brass decorations during the rabbit hunt in "Animal Instincts" (S02E05). These guns are non-firing replicas, called "Prussian M-1780 Flintlock Horse Pistol" (the manufacturer isn't found yet). The replica is inspired by such pistols as Potzdam Dragoon 1731, but no real 1780 model is known. A pair of such decorated pistols could be considered a gift to Peter from Fredrick II of Prussia (omitting the 1780 year in the name of the model, of course).
What appears to be some kind of a replica of Hadley of London 1760 Flintlock Pistol is used by General Velementov in a flashback scene in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing"1830" marked flintlock pistol non-firing replica by unknown Spanish manufacturer. Most likely Denix. It appears to be one of the many "Hadley of London 1760 Flintlock Pistol" replicas.Error creating thumbnail: File missingIn the opening scene in "Heads It’s Me" that recalls the events of the final of Season 1, General Velementov (Douglas Hodge) holds a Hadley of London 1760 pistol.
Queen Anne Flintlock Pistol
Count Orlo (Sacha Dhawan) holds a Queen Anne Flintlock Pistol in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01). A Queen Anne Pistol with brass barrel and furniture (a replica by Pedersoli) is used by Count Arkady (Bayo Gbadamosi) during the hunt in "Animal Instincts" (S02E05), and during the confrontation with Orlo in "A Simple Jape" (S02E06). Arkady's wife Tatyana (Florence Keith-Roach) also holds the same pistol in "Animal Instincts". The same "brass" replica is seen in hands of Aunt Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow) in "Wedding" (S02E10).
Several Flintlock Pistols of unclear models are used in various scenes.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingIn the opening scene in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01) that recalls the events of the final of Season 1, Count Arkady (Bayo Gbadamosi) fires at Leo Voronsky.Error creating thumbnail: File missingError creating thumbnail: File missingTatyana (Florence Keith-Roach) hides several pistols below the table in "Wedding". The shape of the grip of a pistol in her hands resembles several flintlock pistols like New Land Pattern or East India Company Pattern but all such pistols have metal heel on the grip, while the screen gun lacks it.
Long Guns
Charleville Flintlock Musket
Russian soldiers are armed with French Charleville Muskets. This is actually wrong as the design of Russian Army muskets in the 18th century was different and unique. The muskets should have been the Russian Model 1737 or earlier but since these are rare and obscure, Charleville Mle 1777 are seen instead.
During the pheasant hunting in "The Devil’s Lunch" (S02E04), Catherine (Elle Fanning) and the Ottoman ambassador Sunduk (Raphael Acloque) use modern replicas of Kentucky Flintlock Rifle.
Ab anachronistic Paget flintlock cavalry carbine, a very short gun of the British cavalry introduced in 1805, is used by the highwaywoman Manya (Toto Bruin) during the robbery of the Empress' carriage in "Walnut Season" (S02E09).
During the storming of Dymov's estate in "Heads It’s Me" (S02E01), the Cossacks, defending Peter, are armed with flintlock guns that look mostly like hunting rather than military weapons, with some resemblance with Pedersoli replicas of Trade Musket and Jaeger Rifle. A notable feature of these guns are braided colored cords used as gun slings, probably to make them look more exotic, "Cossack style".
