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| The series will air December 27th and 28th in Austria |
We've been waiting for almost two years and now it is finally here: the second season of historical mini series
MARIA THERESA: A WOMAN AT WAR on (in)famous Austrian empress from the turbulent 18th century. If you remember (if you don't you can still find
the first, two episode long, season over at You Tube with English subtitles at the channel from the trailer below) the first season, which saw her marry Grand Duke Franz (
Vojtech Kotek) and ascend the throne after her father's sudden death, was an international project, and even though the writing was mostly monotonous and acting silly, the series had an unusual doze of humour which gave it a certain freshness.
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| Stefanie Reinsperger takes on the lead role in the second season |
The second season, which our favourite
Beta Film did as co production between Austrian, Czech, Slovakian and Hungarian broadcasters, will air its two, feature length, episodes during New Year and Christmas Holidays later
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| The second season consists of two, two hours long, episodes. |
this month in Austria. As you can see from the trailer below, most of the cast is the same, they've only changed the lead actress as the empress is now older and visibly fatter.
Stefanie Reinsperger will, no doubt, ad even more
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| The series is produced by Beta Film |
comedy to the role as the new empress Maria Theresa. Her acting, at least the one visible in the trailer, does give the whole series a very cheap, almost comical, tone.
In The Second Season
Maria Theresa has hopes for ending the war with Prussia, but her position as a powerful woman still draws the ire of many, even her mother in law, who sends her other son to spy on the Hapsburg military strategies. No wonder
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| The second season sees Maria taking a stronger role in politics |
Maria feels like she is fighting a lone fight. Even her husband betrays her, keeping a mistress and trading with the enemy. In a desperate gesture, Maria
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| Maria Theresa and her flimsy husband Grand Duke Franz |
hires a mercenary army and the tides turn. But this will come at a price. And when Maria has an affair with serious consequences, her situation worsens –
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| The new season will see Maria hiring a mercenary army and going to war |
now she's vulnerable to blackmail as well. Facing increasing pressures from all sides, including her own family, Maria has no choice but to address head-on both, the issues of the state and those of her marriage.
