Reign: Slaughter Of Innocence
May 19, 2014 8:57 AM - Season 1, Episode 22 - Subscribe
Bash and Nostradamus go looking for the Darkness, Mary and and Francis plot, a baby is coming, a brand new love triangle is introduced, and King Henry makes everyone uncomfortable.
Um, I'm watching. I have thought about quitting every single week but the fact is that when it's on, I have a good time watching it. Even the bad parts are fun - i.e., why does Nostradamus talk in that weird whisper 100% of the time?
My favorite thing about the way the season wrapped up was the development of Bash & Kinna's relationship. I like those two.
I'm interested to see what happens going forward given that Francis was only king for a couple of years before he died. Will they write him out if the show lasts that long?
posted by something something at 9:44 AM on May 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
My favorite thing about the way the season wrapped up was the development of Bash & Kinna's relationship. I like those two.
I'm interested to see what happens going forward given that Francis was only king for a couple of years before he died. Will they write him out if the show lasts that long?
posted by something something at 9:44 AM on May 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'll be watching at least as long as Megan Follows is on. This show was not how I would have anticipated Anne of Green Gables being back in my life, but she's so much fun in the role.
I don't think this show is nearly committed enough to historical accuracy to write Francis out anytime soon. But I am hoping to be wrong.
posted by Stacey at 10:38 AM on May 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I don't think this show is nearly committed enough to historical accuracy to write Francis out anytime soon. But I am hoping to be wrong.
posted by Stacey at 10:38 AM on May 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I quit after about episode 17 when I had too much stuff going on and Henri threw the German girl (I think) out the window. It was sillier than the similar plot in Downton S1. But the darkness in the forest was the plot I was most interested in (also the older ladies are awesome--who cares about the kids, tbh?). So was the forest plot resolved? Was it interesting? Should I binge-watch the rest of the show? Don't worry about spoiling me! If I didn't want to be spoiled, I wouldn't be reading this thread.
posted by immlass at 4:13 PM on May 19, 2014
posted by immlass at 4:13 PM on May 19, 2014
The Darkness plotline is more or less resolved. It is not that interesting. A summary follows:
If you stopped after the king sexes the girl out the window, wikipedia says that's episode 14, not 17. That's the same episode when Bash meets the pagan girl Rowan, and finds Francis's former lover Olivia in the woods with bite marks all over her.
When she wakes up, it turns out that after we last saw her panicking in the catacombs, she got captured by the Darkness and was fed on by it. She escaped and Bash found her. She exits that plot line here, in favor of developing a romance with Nostradamus.
Bash hangs out with Rowan and her family, and her family gets chosen to make a sacrifice to the Darkness. Bash tries get them to fight it, but they won't and tie him up. The Darkness shows up, who it turns out is basically dude shaped but we don't get a good look at him. He kills a goat and picks Rowan, then leaves with her. This begins the "Bash is searching for the Darkness" part of the plotline. At some point he is out with Francis looking, and finds Rown's hand on the snow on top of a frozen lake, but it's a trap and Francis falls through the ice and Bash has to save him.
That's episode 16. The Darkness plotline doesn't come back until episode 21, when Bash finds a kid in the woods. The kid turns out to be the son of the Cultist who Bash killed way back in episode 6, protecting Mary from being sacrificed. While Kenna looks after the kid, Bash and Nostradamus team up to go searching for the Darkness.
They find a place they believe to be his base of operations, and a room full of dead bodies with depictions of various natural disasters on the walls. Most of these have occurred in the area recently, one depicting falling stars has not. They find a poem on the walls ties to the kid from the woods. Cut to Kenna and the kid being attacked by the Darkness. They barricade themselves in a closet, and hold out long enough for Bash and Nostradamus to get there.
The Darkness is a guy in a mask, with teeth filled to points (boring). He's been training the kid from the woods as his protege and future replacement. He warns that if he is killed without a replacement and the sacrifices stop, then a plague will come. Bash kill him. Late in the episode, some characters see the falling stars that were depicted on the walls of the Darkness's place earlier, and in the morning they get word that plague has come to France. End season (more or less).
Most of the back half of the season is taken up by King Henry's increasingly erratic behavior, instability, and all around insanity. If you are into the show for the pagan nonsense rather than the King fucked a girl out a window and liked it nonsense, you'll probably be disappointed. He hallucinates his dead brother. He forces Bash and Kenna to marry each other, and it's actually one of the best pairings the show attempts. He installs a servant girl as Queen and Catherine struggles to regain control of the situation, which is a great couple episodes if you're into Catherine which everyone is. He talks about how much God likes him a lot. There's a lot more there, and it's pretty great! And so, so silly.
If you want to just read some recaps, I'd recommend Genevive Valentine's, which are quite funny: http://www.genevievevalentine.com/category/reign/
posted by vibratory manner of working at 6:50 PM on May 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
If you stopped after the king sexes the girl out the window, wikipedia says that's episode 14, not 17. That's the same episode when Bash meets the pagan girl Rowan, and finds Francis's former lover Olivia in the woods with bite marks all over her.
When she wakes up, it turns out that after we last saw her panicking in the catacombs, she got captured by the Darkness and was fed on by it. She escaped and Bash found her. She exits that plot line here, in favor of developing a romance with Nostradamus.
Bash hangs out with Rowan and her family, and her family gets chosen to make a sacrifice to the Darkness. Bash tries get them to fight it, but they won't and tie him up. The Darkness shows up, who it turns out is basically dude shaped but we don't get a good look at him. He kills a goat and picks Rowan, then leaves with her. This begins the "Bash is searching for the Darkness" part of the plotline. At some point he is out with Francis looking, and finds Rown's hand on the snow on top of a frozen lake, but it's a trap and Francis falls through the ice and Bash has to save him.
That's episode 16. The Darkness plotline doesn't come back until episode 21, when Bash finds a kid in the woods. The kid turns out to be the son of the Cultist who Bash killed way back in episode 6, protecting Mary from being sacrificed. While Kenna looks after the kid, Bash and Nostradamus team up to go searching for the Darkness.
They find a place they believe to be his base of operations, and a room full of dead bodies with depictions of various natural disasters on the walls. Most of these have occurred in the area recently, one depicting falling stars has not. They find a poem on the walls ties to the kid from the woods. Cut to Kenna and the kid being attacked by the Darkness. They barricade themselves in a closet, and hold out long enough for Bash and Nostradamus to get there.
The Darkness is a guy in a mask, with teeth filled to points (boring). He's been training the kid from the woods as his protege and future replacement. He warns that if he is killed without a replacement and the sacrifices stop, then a plague will come. Bash kill him. Late in the episode, some characters see the falling stars that were depicted on the walls of the Darkness's place earlier, and in the morning they get word that plague has come to France. End season (more or less).
Most of the back half of the season is taken up by King Henry's increasingly erratic behavior, instability, and all around insanity. If you are into the show for the pagan nonsense rather than the King fucked a girl out a window and liked it nonsense, you'll probably be disappointed. He hallucinates his dead brother. He forces Bash and Kenna to marry each other, and it's actually one of the best pairings the show attempts. He installs a servant girl as Queen and Catherine struggles to regain control of the situation, which is a great couple episodes if you're into Catherine which everyone is. He talks about how much God likes him a lot. There's a lot more there, and it's pretty great! And so, so silly.
If you want to just read some recaps, I'd recommend Genevive Valentine's, which are quite funny: http://www.genevievevalentine.com/category/reign/
posted by vibratory manner of working at 6:50 PM on May 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
You also probably missed out on Catherine's squad of ladies she dispatches to go sleep with powerful men and subtly pump them for information. I don't think they show up until later, and they're pretty great in a of course Catherine has a squad of ladies trained for this purpose, why wouldn't she sort of way.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 6:53 PM on May 19, 2014
posted by vibratory manner of working at 6:53 PM on May 19, 2014
Interesting thing I just read which explains a lot about the structure of the season- the show was originally given an order of 13 episodes, and then an extension of 9. Having just looked over quick summaries of each episode in writing that last bit, that makes a lot of sense. Episode 13 has the appearance of Mary's mother, Francis and Mary actually getting married, and Bash disappearing into the woods after an attempt on his life. Episodes 1-13 is the arc of the Mary-Francis-Bash triangle. It would have been a good season finale.
Episodes 14-22, then, is sort of season 2 of the show, and the arc is "King Henry is Mad".
posted by vibratory manner of working at 7:01 PM on May 19, 2014
Episodes 14-22, then, is sort of season 2 of the show, and the arc is "King Henry is Mad".
posted by vibratory manner of working at 7:01 PM on May 19, 2014
Thanks for the summary. As much as the idea of Bash and Kenna pleases me, I was not down with Crazy Henri. I'll have to check the recaps, but I suspect I'm not up for season two. I'm disappointed, because I enjoyed the first half of the season--the triangle arc--quite a bit.
posted by immlass at 9:34 PM on May 19, 2014
posted by immlass at 9:34 PM on May 19, 2014
Ah, I grinned when I saw Reign on here now as a topic. I'm glad to know I'm not the only MeFite with a guilty secret addiction to this show. It's just too perfect...the Hot Topic court gowns, Megan Follows as the nefarious Queen Catherine (!), BDSM-Henry...! It's like the TV version of a perfect brainless summer beach read. :)
It's been interesting to see Mary develop her ruthless streak in recent episodes, under Catherine's shining example.
VMW: thanks for the link to the reviews, they're great. I loved the line about how they're giving Castleroy the GQ treatment. And this gem:
posted by cardinality at 9:54 PM on May 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's been interesting to see Mary develop her ruthless streak in recent episodes, under Catherine's shining example.
VMW: thanks for the link to the reviews, they're great. I loved the line about how they're giving Castleroy the GQ treatment. And this gem:
"...there’s a nice moment where Bash arrives from his subplot moments too late to say goodbye to the father who hasn’t interacted with him in several episodes, but Francis is super glad to see him because he’s having some feelings."*snort*
posted by cardinality at 9:54 PM on May 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
VMW: Thanks for the rundown of the episodes, because now I know that episode 13 was the last one I watched. I'm glad, because the other arc doesn't really sound like my thing and I'm pleased to have seen 1-13 as a nice little standalone package.
posted by aclevername at 5:20 AM on May 21, 2014
posted by aclevername at 5:20 AM on May 21, 2014
Um, I MISSED THIS THREAD SOMEHOW BUT THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW ON TELEVISION.
Every time you think, "Man, this can't get any crazier," SOMEONE FALLS OUT A WINDOW DURING SEX.
vibratory: "I don't think they show up until later, and they're pretty great in a of course Catherine has a squad of ladies trained for this purpose, why wouldn't she sort of way."
I was like, "Come on, this is the most ridiculous plotline yet" but it turns out THIS IS ACTUALLY A THING THAT HAPPENED, and they were actually called "The Flying Squadron" which is a stupid name for a bunch of hooker-spies.
My husband and I were watching the other night and I was like, "Man, nobody's been murdered in like 20 minutes, I hope this scene escalates rapidly --" and BAM, as I'm talking, that dude gets stabbed to death through the neck by tripping into the fireplace hook. I LOVE THIS SHOW.
I don't really even care what the plot is, it's just so fantastic and Megan Follows is AN INTERNATIONAL FUCKING TREASURE.
Is there a thing bigger than capslock? Because I need it to express my love for this show.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:57 AM on May 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
Every time you think, "Man, this can't get any crazier," SOMEONE FALLS OUT A WINDOW DURING SEX.
vibratory: "I don't think they show up until later, and they're pretty great in a of course Catherine has a squad of ladies trained for this purpose, why wouldn't she sort of way."
I was like, "Come on, this is the most ridiculous plotline yet" but it turns out THIS IS ACTUALLY A THING THAT HAPPENED, and they were actually called "The Flying Squadron" which is a stupid name for a bunch of hooker-spies.
My husband and I were watching the other night and I was like, "Man, nobody's been murdered in like 20 minutes, I hope this scene escalates rapidly --" and BAM, as I'm talking, that dude gets stabbed to death through the neck by tripping into the fireplace hook. I LOVE THIS SHOW.
I don't really even care what the plot is, it's just so fantastic and Megan Follows is AN INTERNATIONAL FUCKING TREASURE.
Is there a thing bigger than capslock? Because I need it to express my love for this show.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:57 AM on May 23, 2014 [3 favorites]
cardinality: "the Hot Topic court gowns"
When people ask me what the show is, I explain it as "Ren Faire fan fic, as dressed by Hot Topic."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:58 AM on May 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
When people ask me what the show is, I explain it as "Ren Faire fan fic, as dressed by Hot Topic."
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:58 AM on May 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Hot topic isn't quite it though. Actual interview with the costume designer:
I knew from the beginning that I'd have an easy time weaving in contemporary accessories. It's funny how tiaras and hair pieces are everywhere right now, and it's incredibly helpful. We've also used quite a bit of Free People for the girls' everyday looks. They have such a strong and cohesive story with their bohemian romantic look, it's really worked in our favor. On the pilot we used an incredible Basil Soda gown and we've continued using a couple gowns of theirs on Mary. I've rented a couple McQueen gowns as well. We shop quite a bit of vintage here in Toronto, but I'm also constantly scouring the web. Net-a-Porter, The Outnet, and BHLDN are my go-tos.posted by vibratory manner of working at 3:20 PM on May 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's Free People, literally. She thinks she's doing a good job here.
whoops, forgot to close the blockquote there didn't I.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 6:20 PM on May 23, 2014
posted by vibratory manner of working at 6:20 PM on May 23, 2014
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Leith is dumber this episode than I thought he was.
posted by vibratory manner of working at 9:17 AM on May 19, 2014 [2 favorites]