Duchess Helene (Elisa Schlott), the daughter of a Bavarian Duke, is set to marry her cousin and Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph (Philip Froissant). However, Franz falls in love with her 16-year-old sister, the free-spirited and rebellious Elisabeth (Devrim Lingnau) instead. Franz weds Sisi but she is unprepared for the demanding role of an Empress and finds herself constantly challenging the rigid statutes of the 19th-century Viennese Court. Meanwhile, Franz finds his leadership threatened by his own brother Maximilian (Johannes Nussbaum) even as a revolt is in the offing against his reign.
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Elisabeth aka Sisi is the black sheep of the family. Unlike her contemporaries, she spends her days riding her horse or writing poetry, and has no interest in marrying anyone but her ‘true soulmate’. Being an empress was never on her bucket list but when she does become one, she finds herself torn between her own individuality, and the expectations to conform to royal protocol and etiquette. Her frustration and despair are effectively captured by Lingnau who gets under the skin of the character and makes you empathise with Sisi.
Franz, although smitten by Elisabeth, has his own set of problems. He finds himself facing an impending foreign invasion, and a revolution brewing at home. Moreover, his overbearing mother and scheming brother make him second-guess his worthiness to rule. Although his attitude towards Elisabeth changes as the series progresses, you understand where the change stems from. Froissant makes for a remarkably restrained Franz.
Melika Foroutan as Franz's mother Sophie evokes both dislike and sympathy. She is harsh towards Elisabeth, but occasionally we see her at her most vulnerable, especially when she talks about her dead daughter. Similarly, Johannes Nussbaum delivers a stand-out performance as Archduke Maximilian, who tries to get out of his mother and brother's shadows and make a name for himself, even if it means betraying his family.
One of the highlights of the series is the palpable chemistry between Lingnau and Froissant. But The Empress is not a love story, as the multiple high-stakes sub-plots unravel as the narrative progresses. At no time do these hamper the pace of the storytelling.
The expense and attention to detail expended on The Empress' production and costume design is evident. The sets transport you to the Viennese court even as the cinematography captures Sisi's claustrophobia within the vast palace. The dramatic background music underscores the heightening tension of the narrative.
Where The Empress falters is in its cliffhanger ending, which seems out of place as the conclusion of a limited series. Perhaps this leaves room for a second season, but regardless of the possibility of a continuation, The Empress is a must-watch, for Sisi's story deserves to be told.
