Last time on Reign, we said a sad goodbye to Francis. He dodged a bullet with his health, but he couldn’t withstand the sword. Reign is always about queens, so we know that Mary is no longer officially Queen of France. Will she move her Reign to Scotland? Will she remarry?
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Is France in Trouble?
There’s always a problem in a kingdom when a child wears the crown. Enter Charles with Nash, who have a brotherly talk in this episode, “Fight or Flight.” Excuse me. Lord Grenier reminds us that it is Sebastian (Nash) and he has no power. Instead, the Privy Council has sent Charles a gift: a dog. Hmm! I wonder about this choice of a gift. This is a gift for a child, not a teen.
Meanwhile, Mary and her women are disposing of Francis’ clothes. (Well, it had to be done.) Mary does keep one of his coats but admits to Greer that she feels like the outsider she is. What can change this? Enter Nash, who needs her help with Catherine, who is in a funk. Her son is dead and she can’t get through the grief. Hey, Catherine! You’re losing the regency. Take control or France is lost!
Well, someone got through to Catherine because she barges in on Grenier plotting with the Council. Mary goes with her (for moral support?) and tells Grenier that someone is supposed to represent Charles. By the way, where is Narcisse when power and control are being discussed? He’s telling Lola to become the aggressor in their relationship. What happened here, writers? You know he desires power.
As if things can’t get worse, Mary learns that Elizabeth has staged a coup and gotten control of one of her cities in Scotland. She better get used to ruling Scotland again because Catherine is going to pull France’s support sometime. I doubt that Grenier will want the French involved in a petty war across the Channel. Charles wants peace but also wants to help Mary. At least Charles will scheme with Mary. They’re looking into the money. That’s always a good trail to follow!
Catherine seems to be sad, but wait a minute. After seeing one of the valet of the chamber having fun with a maid, she reprimands both. Wow! That look she gives him seems to imply that the grief is gone. Maybe now she will seize control of the Council. Meanwhile, Mary has learned of Grenier’s little sexual secret from Greer. Mary’s quick little mind decides that the wife needs to be given all information on her husband. Between Catherine’s decision to wake up and Mary’s knowledge, Grenier doesn’t stand a chance.
Sure enough, Mary and Catherine make their move. They attack and use their paper trail against him. Not only has he amassed a large mercenary army to control France with, but he has failed to pay his fair share of his misbegotten gains to France. Of course, he has. He had to buy Charles that fancy dog. He does have one piece of news for Catherine. She may have gotten rid of him, but many hate her and hate the soldiers in France. In a heart-to-heart, Catherine tells Mary that she’ll leave troops in Scotland because of Francis’ request. Mary wants her to pull them to retain the regency.
Mary and Catherine meet with the Privy Council, and Mary announces that France is relieved of their duty to Scotland. Council will decide the regency the next day as Mary signs the agreement. Charles is asked about her mother as regent, and Charles agrees. After thanking Mary for her help, he worries about what will happen to her. As Mary tells Catherine, never having lived in Scotland, she must find a way to save her country, and if that means marrying Don Carlos, so be it.
Meanwhile, Catherine visits Narcisse and learns that he’s the deciding vote on the regency. Catherine will use her knowledge against Narcisse to be regent. After being with Narcisse, Catherine turns to her valet for (cough) companionship. Meanwhile, Charles talks to Mary about an alliance. He doesn’t want her to go to Scotland and promises France’s protection. Mary doesn’t listen and sends her portrait to Don Carlos.
And in true Reign tradition, we have to have filler. For this episode, it is Claude and her village boy. They teach the others the ways of their world and Claude admits her jealousy of other women with him.
Elizabeth Schemes
In this episode, we learn what women will do for love. Elizabeth sends Don Carlos on his way, attacks Scotland and demands the return of Lord Robert Dudley. To get him back, she not only issues orders but offers his wife, Amy, the position of Lady of the Swans. I think Amy agrees with me. Something rotten smells at the lake.
Amy is a schemer too and brings in an “R” rated performance with her doctor. She is diagnosed with melancholy, but she uses her feminine wiles to get him to change the diagnosis to anxiety. The only cure, the doctor tells Dudley, is to leave London (and Elizabeth). Of course, Dudley buys it and tells Elizabeth that they must leave immediately. This doesn’t set well with Elizabeth because she loses her boy-toy (or is that man-toy since they’re about the same age?).
When Elizabeth learns that the French troops are leaving Scotland, she concocts a new plan for her dear cousin, Mary. If that means releasing one of her sister’s biggest allies from the Tower, she will. Of course, she’ll hold his daughter as a bargaining chip. Visiting the villain, Blackburn, in his cell, Elizabeth offers him his freedom if he will make Mary fall in love with him. Wait, I thought Mary of Scotland married Lord Darnley?
Next Time on Reign
Will this be the final farewell to France for Mary? What dangers lie ahead?
Reign airs Fridays at 8pm on The CW.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
