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Katharina Eyssen's show, The Empress, premiered on Netflix on Thursday, September 29, 2022. Based on the life of the Austrian Empress Elisabeth of Bavaria, nicknamed Sisi, The Empress season 1 follows the story of a carefree and free-spirited girl.
The Empress is set in the backdrop of a conflicted Europe, still reeling from the effects of the French Revolution. Emperor Franz Joseph's family, also the relatives of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution, were not in the good books of the masses.
Antoinette is a renowned historical figure, not for being guillotined but for the words that led to her execution,
"If they can't eat bread, let them have cake."
It features actors Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth, Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph, Melika Foroutan as Sophia, mother of Emperor Franz Joseph, Johannes Nussbaum as Archduke Maximilian, Elisa Schlott as Helene, Elisabeth's older sister, and Almila Bagriacik as Ava alias Leontine, Countess of Apafi, among others.
Continue reading to find out if there is scope for a second season of the Netflix show.
The Empress takeaway: Is there scope for a sequel to this Netflix series?
A brief overview of the plot of The Empress
The Empress began with the marriage of a teenage Elisabeth to Emperor Franz Joseph. Franz Joseph was supposed to marry Elisabeth's elder sister Helene but fell for the younger one, who also agreed to the marriage.
Although Elisabeth married into royalty, she never actively sought recognition in the emperor's court. However, the baggage of being the empress crept up when she had to follow the rules and live by a code of conduct.
The restrictions kept Elisabeth at loggerheads with the palace and created obstacles in her marriage to Franz Joseph. As The Empress highlighted, Archduchess Sophia, Franz Joseph's mother, felt her influence over the emperor was waning away because of Elisabeth.
Meanwhile, war from three prongs knocked on the empire's door and compelled Franz Joseph to take a stand. From within the family, Franz Joseph's younger brother, Maximilian, conspired behind his brother's back to overthrow him and take his stead.
Elisabeth's journey amid people with vested interests forms the show's storyline.
Is there scope for a sequel to The Empress?
The show ended with Franz Joseph sending troops to hold the border against Russian forces. This proved detrimental for Maximilian, who lost out on the forces he gathered as well the confidence of his mother.
Elisabeth decided to leave the palace and return to her home in Bayern after Franz Joseph accused her of consorting with Maximilian and his plans to overthrow her husband. These thoughts arose as Maximilian planted lies in Franz Joseph's mind during a scuffle. During this period, Elisabeth found out she was pregnant for the second time and approached her husband to inform him, however, in vain.
At the palace gates, hundreds of commoners stood armed with marshals. Sisi walked toward them and announced her pregnancy just as Franz Joseph walked out of the gates.
This was just the beginning of Elisabeth's story. So far, the series had painted a strong and rosy picture of Elisabeth, which pushed her teenage self to the background.
Elisabeth and Franz Joseph gave birth to four children: Sophia, Gisela, Rudolf, and Marie Valerie. Sophia was the firstborn, who died when she was two years old. Sophia's death took a mental toll on Elisabeth, who became physically drained after four pregnancies and strayed from public life.
Elisabeth also had an eating disorder that could have stemmed from her obsession with her beauty.
Historically, her affinity for Hungary and its roots led Elisabeth to contribute to the dual-monarchy Austria-Hungary in 1867. She had also convinced her husband to pardon Italian rebels during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.
The Netflix show painted a picture of a strong-headed girl who traverses through the royal family's politics. It remains to be seen if the media company is willing to expand the show and reveal Elisabeth's inhibitions, in addition to her genuine contributions to the Habsburg empire.
All the episodes of The Empress are currently streaming on Netflix.
