Ranking of "THE EMPRESS" Season One (2022) Episodes

 

Below is my ranking of the Season One episodes from the Netflix streaming series, "THE EMPRESS", German historical drama based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Created by Katharina Eyssen and Lena Stahl, the series stars Devrim Lingnau and Philip Froissant as Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria:

RANKING OF "THE EMPRESS" SEASON ONE (2022) EPISODES

1.  (1.05) “Shoes” – Archduke Maximilian gathers support for a plan to overthrow his older brother, Emperor Franz Joseph I, while Empress Elisabeth’s well-intended gesture with a crowd backfires, leading her to befriend the dubious lady-in-waiting, Countess Leontine von Apafi.

2. (1.06) “The God Who Us Has Freedom Sent” – In the season finale, Elisabeth spends her time partying with Maximilian while Franz is desperate to reconcile with her. Leontine gets herself into a precarious situation.

3. (1.01) “One’s Place in the World” – In the series premiere, Elisabeth (then Duchess of Bavaria) and her older sister Duchess Helene of Bavaria travel to meet Emperor Franz, who is expected to ask for the latter’s hand. He stuns everyone with a surprise decision at an engagement party.

4. (1.03) “The Wedding” – Elisabeth marries Franz, and the Austrian Imperial Family gets a taste of her rising popularity. The former lover of Archduchess Sophie, Franz’s mother, attends the wedding and discovers a secret.

5. (1.04) “The Hunt” – Sophie and the Imperial cabinet push for military action against Russia, but Franz refuses to engage. Elisabeth upsets Grand Duke Alexander Nikolayevich, the Russian czar’s heir, during a royal hunt, leading to severe political consequences.

6. (1.02) “The Arrival” – Elisabeth arrives in Vienna for her wedding. Soon, she faces palace intrigue, while Franz attempts to prevent his country from taking sides during the Crimean War.