S1, E2: Two years later, Potemkin returns to St. Petersburg, following the Russian army's resounding victory against the Ottoman Empire, but is frustrated to learn Catherine has taken up with a young officer, Alexander Vasilchikov. As Catherine and Potemkin flit around their feelings for another, Catherine's trusted confidante Countess Bruce puts aside her own desires to convince the Empress to give love a chance, leading to the beginning of what will become Catherine's greatest partnership. As a Cossack named Pugachev stirs discontent in the countryside, Catherine looks to Potemkin for advice and decisive action. Meanwhile, a newly-married Paul sees a future commanding the military, worrying his mother, who seeks to keep him in his place.