In the 'Marie Antoinette' Series Premiere, the Famous French Queen Is a Teen With Big Dreams

Even though she was born over 250 years ago, our modern-day popular culture is still obsessed with Marie Antoinette. Last of the French queens, overthrown and ultimately beheaded by her own subjects, her story is one of almost unimaginable highs and unbelievably tragic lows. Yet, most recountings of her life tend to remember her badly, usually as some flavor of vacuous airhead, elitist clotheshorse, or self-involved bitch, whether or not those depictions are fair to the woman she was. (Look, the woman most likely never even said, "let them eat cake!" okay!!)

This is probably why PBS's latest period drama Marie Antoinette feels like such a breath of fresh air. Yes, the series premiere is full of the same gorgeous gowns, sumptuous sets, and political scheming that we've come to expect from any story set in this particular time and place. However, it also embraces many elements we don't: Humor, a dash of grotesque honesty about various facts of life during the 18th century, and a unique narrative perspective that focuses on its titular leading lady at the very beginning of her time in France.

We first meet the young Archduchess when she is barely a teenager herself — the real Marie Antoinette was just 14 when she came to France — a playful, sparkling girl who understands the ridiculousness of the elaborate lessons in French etiquette she's being forced to endure (her sly "is that good enough for Versailles" has definite shades of Meghan Markle to it). But she doesn't recognize the true horror of what she'll have to lose to serve her family's ambition until her carriage pulls out of her drive, and she is completely, irrevocably alone.