The Empress · Season 1 · Episode 1 · 29 September 2022
S1E1 Episode 1
THE MOMENT Elisabeth's first formal court appearance - the collision between her instincts and the institution's expectations laid out in a single sequence.
The premiere establishes Elisabeth's world in Bavaria before dropping her into Vienna's court machinery. The tonal register - romantic period drama with real political bite - is set immediately. The contrast between her natural behaviour and Habsburg protocol drives the episode's best scenes.
Full episode analysis below. Spoiler-light verdict above.
Updated
The Empress Season 1 Episode 1 aired September 29, 2022 on Netflix as the premiere of the six-episode first season. Rotten Tomatoes holds the season at 83 percent from 6 critics; IMDb audiences scored it 7.8. The series became Netflix's second-most watched series worldwide across its opening two weeks, accumulating over 150 million hours viewed. Collider praised Devrim Lingnau as 'a breath of fresh air as Elisabeth, playing her with nuance.' The premiere establishes the series' tonal contract: romantic period drama with genuine political bite, set in Bavaria before dropping Elisabeth into Vienna's Habsburg court machinery. The contrast between her natural instincts and court protocol drives the episode, and the premiere earns its premise by trusting Lingnau to make the historical figure feel immediate rather than iconic. The register is clear immediately - this is not a reverent costume drama.