...one thing that's bugging me is how they keep explaining the empress' changes with drugs and alcohol.
The way duke Fez wondered if the dose today wasn't enough implies that she was addicted, maybe even fed drugs without knowing.
But with MC, we see nothing of it.
I'm not saying this should be the hard road of an addict and alcoholic getting clean, but right now it only seems to be an excuse for old Julia's behaviour.
Without affecting current Julia at all.
I don't know too much about that stuff, but at some point I'd expect there to be a physical reaction of withdrawal or something.
Right now, we're just one day into the story though, and I don't know at what point it would/should show.