The Great, Hulu's extravagant, bawdy, triumphantly irreverent series about the reign of Catherine the Great, never promised us historical accuracy. After all, each episode begins with the disclaimer "occasionally a true story" and most characters are either amalgamations of different real-life courtiers or just entirely made up. As the hit series approaches Season 3, showrunner Tony McNamara appears to be gleefully jettisoning even more facts for some far more entertaining fiction. Chief among these dramatic changes is the blossoming romance between Empress Catherine (Elle Fanning) and her husband, Peter III (Nicholas Hoult). Though the crude, spoiled and entitled Peter initially seemed to be the series antagonist, things changed quickly in Season 2 when he fell in love with his wife. Even more surprisingly (and ahistorically) Catherine returns his feelings. In reality, Peter III and Catherine the Great had a loveless, miserable marriage for 16 years before he took the throne--and just six more months afterward before Catherine banished her husband and became Empress in her own name. Soon after, Peter III was dead of mysterious causes

But who cares? Fanning and Hoult have great chemistry and Peter's struggle to transform from a myopically spoiled man-boy to a devoted husband and doting father is remarkably moving. So with all 10 episodes of Season 3 airing on May 12, will these two crazy kids--each guilty of trying to kill the other at least once--finally find the happiness that their real-life counterparts never had? Here's a guide to the cast and characters you'll see in Season 3 of The Great.

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Elle Fanning as Catherine the Great

Empress Catherine, as played by Fanning, has retained two things during all the challenges of ruling Russia: her rosy cheeks and her relentless, extremely naive optimism. That second trait took quite a beating in Season 2 of The Great. After removing her irresponsible, insensitive playboy husband Peter from the throne, Catherine set out to win the hearts of her court and the populace–only to be continually stymied by Russia’s hidebound customs and suspicion of outsiders and women. Even more shocking is that Peter fell in love with his wife and set out to win her heart, eventually succeeding, But leopards can’t always change their spots: Peter not only slept with Catherine’s mother but accidentally killed her by pushing her out of the window. A vengeful Catherine stabbed her husband before crumbling in remorse. Luckily, she only killed Peter’s lookalike and the two tearfully reunited. But judging from the trailer, Catherine is still (barely) suppressing a lot of rage toward Peter. Not only that but her attempts to bond with the peasant population and improve their lives are met with equal suspicion; unused to any aristocrat treating them kindly, the peasants believe Catherine is a witch. Between compromising her dreams of progress, raising her son Paul and trying to mend her marriage to Peter, Catherine will have her hands full in Season 3. Let’s hope all her travails don’t make her unrecognizably cynical.

Former child actress Elle Fanning is the younger sister of Dakota Fanning and is Emmy-nominated for her role in The Great. She's probably most recognizable for starring in the Maleficent movies with Angelina Jolie as well as movies like The Neon Demon and The Beguiled. Last year she starred in the Hulu Limited Series The Girl From Plainville.

Nicholas Hoult as Peter III

In the beginning, it was almost impossible to see Peter III, the Emperor of Russia, as anything but a spoiled, incompetent, overgrown child. He sleeps with anyone, including his best friend’s wife, burns down Catherine’s school for women, and kills people on a whim–all the while chatting pompously about empty trivialities. Yet, just as he grows on Catherine, Peter is quickly becoming a fan favorite. His inability to hide his thoughts (or be ashamed of them) provides many of the show’s funnier moments. His sudden admiration and devotion to his ambitious wife was a turning point for the show. What could have been a stereotypical exercise in historical chauvinism has, thanks to Hoult’s talent and charm, is a complicated character trying to be a better man–even if he doesn’t quite know how to go about it. In Season 3, Peter is clearly committed to mending his marriage, despite the fact that Catherine has imprisoned all his allies and tried recently to kill him. While his wife struggles with ruling the country, Peter often finds himself at loose ends. He takes up many hobbies, but with too much time on his hands, will his boredom (not to mention court machinations) turn him against the woman he loves?

Also, a former child actor, Hoult made his feature film debut alongside Hugh Grant in About a Boy and appeared in the X-Men movies as Hank McCoy and as Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road. His most recent films include the horror-comedies The Menu and Renfield.

Phoebe Fox as Marial

From her first appearance in the series, Marial is the splash of cold water dousing Catherine’s over-romantic dreams. In Season 1, her cynical commentary was a perfect balance to Fanning’s sunny hopefulness and her loyalty is one thing that Catherine can count on. Marial is introduced as an impoverished maid to the queen, but in fact, her wealth and aristocratic status were revoked by Peter’s father. Now newly restored to aristocracy and married to her young nephew Maxim in an effort to regain her inheritance (though she’s still sleeping with Grigor), Marial is poised to be a key figure in Catherine’s court. Though she values her friendship with Catherine, she loathes Peter, so expect Marial to continue playing both sides to get ahead.

The Olivier-nominated Phoebe Fox played the role of Antonia in the 2019 survival drama The Aeronauts. Her credits also include Eye in the Sky, Black Mirror, and The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death.

Adam Godley as Archie

You know The Great’s priority is humor rather than historical accuracy when you realize that everyone calls the Archbishop of Russia “Archie.” The scheming but deeply traditional Archie is probably Catherine’s biggest nemesis, foiling her plans to modernize Russia and standing in the way of progress and science. As Catherine seeks to include input from peasants in how the country is run and make connections beyond Russia’s border, expect Archie to thwart her both publicly and behind the scenes. His longstanding alliance with the newly promoted Marial can only further his own cause.

Tony and Olivier Award nominee Adam Godley began acting at age 9 and is known for his West End Theater appearances in shows like Cabaret and The Importance of Being Earnest. Godley also had a recurring role as Elliott Schwartz in the hit series Breaking Bad and voiced Pogo in The Umbrella Academy.

Brenda Bromilow as Aunt Elizabeth

Fans of the show know not to be fooled by Peter’s eccentric and mercurial Aunt Elizabeth. She might talk to butterflies and be as openly promiscuous as her nephew, but, under her dotty exterior, Elizabeth is devoted to her role as a Russian noble and is ruthless enough to kill a child if it’s for the greater good. She loves her nephew but is intrigued enough by Catherine’s ambition to provide guidance and support (whether sought or not). Aunt Elizabeth is an unpredictable and entertaining personality who is never afraid to be cunning whenever necessary. In Season 3, expect her to get even more involved with Peter and Catherine’s relationship.

Australian actress Brenda Bromilow, married to The Great’s showrunner Tony McNamara, is best known for her many roles on Australian television, including Doctor Doctor, Happy Feet, and Talk To The Rafters.

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Sascha Dhawan as Orlo

Awkward, nervous, and intellectual, Count Orlo is back as Catherine’s most trusted advisor. He dislikes Peter but is loyal to Catherine and has supported her plans up until now. But though he’s hopeful about her schemes to improve the country, will her daring plans in Season 3 be too much for him?

Sascha Dhawan currently plays the Master on Doctor Who, and he played Davos on Netflix’s Iron Fist. He works as a voice actor on numerous video games. His other credits include The History Boys and 24: Live Another Day.

Gwilym Lee & Charity Wakefield as Grigor & Georgina

Peter's best friend Grigor is also married to his lover Georgina, which nearly pushed Grigor to murder in Season 1. Grigor’s friendship provides Peter with some ballast because he’s constantly trying to get his friend to be less, well, insane... So far, it hasn’t really taken, and Grigor has become more contemptuous of his friend. He also started a secret affair with Marial but remains devoted to his wife. Meanwhile, Georgina is the more practical of the two, willing to use her sexuality if it means rising in Peter’s court. So she thought she was one of the first to extend an olive branch to Catherine, Georgina will always put her own needs--and ambitions--first.

Grigor Lee is probably most recognizable from his role as Queen guitarist Brian May in the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Lee has also appeared in films such as The Tourist and The Last Witness. Charity Wakefield has had supporting turns in Sense and Sensibility and Serena as well as numerous British shows such as Wolf Hall, Doctor Who, Genius, and The Player.

Douglas Hodge as Velementov

General Velementov is a drunken boor who nonetheless triggers the audience's sympathy as he desperately tries to fight Peter’s wars with as few casualties as possible. Due to his attraction to Catherine, the aging general supported her coup against Peter and will likely continue to do so in Season 3 even while he remains baffled by her goals. His comical and frequent mishaps mean he’s often the butt of Peter’s insults.

Tony-award-winning British actor Douglas Hodge has worked in film, theater, and television. Hodge played Alfred Pennyworth in Joker and Leroy Brown in The Devil All The Time. Hodge has also appeared in numerous television shows including Black Mirror, Penny Dreadful, Lost in Space, and he played Richard Nixon in the series Watergate.