#reigniacs

This is it. My final Reign recap. Reigniacs, I am so sad to see my show end. I've said it before...I have never been as attached to a show and its characters as Reign. There is a chemistry between the actors that made this show very, very special to a lot of us. Just not enough of us to save it from cancellation.  

Let's recap one last time.

Scotland. Mary's son is still missing and Bothwell and the palace guard are conducting a massive search, Mary is helpless as she waits for news with Greer.  Darnley, poor sick Darnley, has taken to the woods with his son and Kiera.  He is clearly disoriented and confused. The baby won't stop crying. Kiera tells Darnley that the baby needs rest and tells him to set the baby down. Darnley leaves his son lying in the woods and stumbles off with Kiera

But help is one the way!  James has returned and wastes no time joining the search.  He has his own ideas on where the baby might be.and heads tot he village James asks the villagers if anyone has seen Darnley and the baby. One man says that he hasn't seen them but knows that there was an infant boy left by a farmer at the church. James triumphantly returns to court with Mary's missing son!  Mary is overjoyed and announces that the baby will be named James. 

The baby is safe at home and Mary will not leave his side. Bothwell tells Mary that Darnley is still going after stewardship of their son and it is very possible that he will get it even after what has just happened. Bothwell believes Darnley must die.  It's the only way to save Mary from losing her son.  Reluctantly, Mary agrees and she and Bothwell make a plan.  Mary must have a very stong and public alibi so that she is not implicated and plans a gathering to welcome all the new privy council members. 

Darnley is in hiding at his family home when his mother arrives. You would think she'd be worried about her son who is obviously very sick but she's just interested in keeping her son in power.  She leaves Darnley to get him some provisions promising to return the next day. 

Bothwell and his men wait outside until dark and prepare to blow up the mansion with Darnley inside.  The fuse doesn't seem to be working so Bothwell goes to check it. Just then the house blows up with Bothwell inside!  Bothwell is fine and so is Darnley. Darnley stumbles outside and sees one of the guards standing outside the home and recognizes him.  Because the bomb didn't kill Darnley, Bothwell kills Darnley. 

Bothwell returns to Mary with the news that her husband is dead and that he killed him.  Just then John Knox and the privy council storm in and the guard that Darnley recognized has turned Bothwell in. Knox calls for his arrest. But Knox isn't done.  Mary has been implicated as well!  She hands the baby to James and asks him to raise her son as his own. James promises to do so and Mary is taken away. 

In England, Elizabeth learns that Narcisse was behind Gideon's death and that Jane worked with him. Elizabeth confronts Jane and it turns out that she hates all royals because her grandfather died at the hands of Henry VIII.  Elizabeth is enraged and swings a club at Jane's head. Jane falls to the floor. Dead. 

Later, the Archduke, comes to Elizabeth with an amended marriage contract. Spain is on its way to war with England and if Elizabeth signs the contract, he will take care of Spain. Elizabeth does not agree but will consider his offer. Mary's letter to Elizabeth arrives. Empowered by Mary's promise that she will never to go after England, Elizabeth tells the Archduke that they will not marry and that he needs to leave. 

Elizabeth suits up in full armor and heads off to fight Spain alongside her army

In France, Narcisse has returned. It doesn't look like he is going to tell Catherine what he did in Scotland.  Catherine fills Narcisse in on what's been happening in his absence. Henri is holed up with Nicole and Charles is furious. Henri thinks the Spanish armada is still coming to make him king and Catherine is unable to get word to him that it's over. Spain's not coming. Unfortunately for Nicole, Catherine (with help from the witch) takes matters into her own hands and poisons Nicole aboard the ship. Nicole dies in Henri's arms.  Looks like he truly did love her.  Henri returns to court carrying Nicole's body! Catherine watches as her sons go after each other.  Catherine steps in and convinces the brothers that Spain is the enemy and that they must work together to stop them and avenge Nicole's death.  The boys forgive each other. 

Catherine, Narcisse and the witch? I think this was a bizarre side story that was to have been told if there were a season 5.  Catherine and Narcisse meet with the witch to see what she wants from them in return for getting rid of Nicole.  She drugs them and all of a sudden there's a threesome! In bed, Catherine realizes that the witch is trying to get pregnant with the Devil's baby and puts a stop to the ritual and repeatedly stabs the witch.  Witch just laughs. Creepy. 

A very groggy Catherine stumbles in to the throne room as Henri and Charles are plotting their revenge on Spain.  They think mom's just had a few too many. Something or someone catches Catherine's eye and she sees the witch definitely not dead, waiting for her.  She tells Catherine that her sons are in danger and that Charles will not rule for long unless she has her daughter, Princess Margot at her side.  We meet Margot but this is a cliffhanger that we will never get the chance to explore. Spinoff???

Fast forward 21 years.  Mary is 40 and she is about to lose her head after being held captive in England for many years.  Mary waits to hear from her son, James, whom she has not seen since she handed him to her brother all those years ago. She has written to her son with the hope that he will stop her execution. 

A grown upJames stands before Elizabeth, trying to convince her to let his mother live. Elizabeth asks James if he wants to be named her heir. Elizabeth leaves the decision about his mother to him. The execution will happen. Mary will lose her head. She prays as she kneels and the ax comes down. Thankfully they did not show it like they did Lola. 

Mary opens her eyes and is in bed with FRANCIS!  I am one of many, many Reign fans who dreamed that somehow she would be reunited with Francis and we were not disappointed. Francis tells her that he's been waiting for her. Heavy sign. Ugly cry face! It was a beautiful scene and wonderfully done by the amazing Reign writers. Reign, my favorite show of all time, ends with a montage of Mary's life. More ugly crying! 

I love, love, loved the finale episode! That being said, it would have been even better if it hadn't been so rushed. But, The CW only gave them 16 episodes to finish the story instead of the 24 - 26 episodes which is the norm. An extended 2-hour finale would have helped too.  What I really wanted was a season 5. 

It's been so much fun sharing my #Reign obsession with all of you!  Adelaide Kane, Toby Regbo, Torrance Coombs, Megan Follows, Dan Jeannotte, Craig Parker...the entire cast of Reign...you have made me a lifelong fan and I am so excited to see where you go from here! 

The story of Romeo and Juliet is a classic. We all know it. A forbidden love and secret marriage between a Montague and a Capulet - a violent feud that divides the city of Verona.  William Shakespeare's story ends with Romeo and Juliet's death. Still Star Crossed tells the tale of all those left behind in the aftermath.  Welcome to Still Star Crossed. 

The story begins with the marriage of Romeo Montague and his true love, Juliet Capulet. Rosaline, Juliet's cousin and Romeo's cousin, Benvolio stand with them but they are very much against this marriage. After the ceremony, Romeo and Juliet must part but promise each other that they will each inform their fathers.  

Verona's Prince Escalus is traveling home to be with his dying father.  His sister, Princess Isabella is already there.  It is his father's dying wish that Escalus follow his order that if a Montague or Capulet sheds the blood of the other, they will immediately be put to death. No matter the circumstance. Escalus promises that he will honor his father's wishes and put Verona first. Escalus is now the ruler of Verona. 

Romeo returns home with Mercutio and Benvolio. His father, Lord Montague comes to greet them. He sends Romeo and Mercutio to breakfast, leaving Benvilio behind. Lord Montague is angry with Benvolio  because he refused to marry the Minola family's daughter. Benvolio says he did not love the girl, but Montague doesn't care about that. It is a good match that will unite two powerful families. 

At the Capulet's house, there's an argument between Lord and Lady Capulet. There is a ball for Prince Escalus and they are arguing about whether Rosaline and Livia, her sister will be allowed to attend the ball. Both Rosaline and Livia are the daughters of Lord Capulet's brother. The Capulets took them in when their parent's died but as servants, not family. Lady Capulet hates the sisters and resents their presence in their lives.  But Lord Capulet demands that they be allowed to attend the ball and Lady Capulet gives in.  As Lady Capulet tells the girls they can go, Juliet interrupts them saying she is too tired to attend the ball and is going to to bed to rest. As she leaves, Juliet whispers to Rosaline that she'll tell her parent's later. 

While everyone is at the Prince's Ball, Romeo and Juliet can finally have their wedding night. Fireworks light up the sky and Juliet opens her balcony door for Romeo who climbs up to her window.  This will consummate their marriage but it will be the only night they spend together. 

Romeo reluctantly leaves Juliet to attend the Ball with his cousin, Benvolio.  Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, picks a fight with Romeo and Benvolio but they do not engage.  But Tybalt is bent on revenge on the Montegues for burning down Capulet fields. Romeo tells Tybalt he will not fight because they are now family. Tybalt just thinks Romeo is afraid to fight.  He charges Romeo. Mercutio, who is Romeo's best friend but he is also a blood relative of Prince Escalus and Count Paris. Mercutio may be the only person in Verona who is welcome at the House of Capulet and the House of Montegue. Back to the fight - Mercutio jumps in to protect Romeo and is stabbed. As Mercutio lay dying, Romeo vows to Tybalt that he will kill him for what he's done. Romeo kills Tybalt. Mercutio's last words are "A plague on both your houses. Ask for me tomorrow and you will find a grave man."

The next day, Count Paris is meeting with Lord Capulet to negotiate a marriage between he and Juliet.  Capulet gives his consent and Juliet's parents inform Juliet that she is to marry the Count. Juliet begs her parents not to make her marry the Count. She hasn't told her family that she and Romeo are married. Just then, Lord and Lady Capulet learn that Romeo has killed Tybalt and that he is on the run and will be killed when he is found. 

Word of the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio reaches Prince Escalus and his sister, Princess Isabella. The two argue about how Romeo's punishment. Their late father's wish that any blood shed between a Montegue and a Capulet result in death was clear.  Isabella wants Escalus wants Romeo to be put to death but Escalus wants to handle it diplomatically and asks that Romeo be brought to him.  

In a panic, Juliet turns to Rosaline to help her save Romeo. Rosaline tries to convince Juliet to marry Count Paris. But A panicking Juliet, pleads with Rosaline for help. Rosaline tries to convince her to marry Count Paris but Juliet tells her that she is no longer a virgin and it would be a sin to be wed to two men.  

This is the part of the story that we all know.  Rosaline and Juliet head to see the Friar who married Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet must flee Verona.  The Friar gives Juliet a potion that will put her into a deep sleep. She will appear dead but the potion will wear off and she will wake.  Juliet takes the potion and collapses. Rosaline hides the potion and screams for help. 

Unaware of the plan, Romeo runs into Count Paris at the Capulet crypt.  Count Paris tells him that Juliet is dead and he is mourning his lost fiance.  Romeo tells Paris that he is Juliet's husband. A sword fight ensues and Romeo stabs Count Paris.  Thinking he has lost Juliet, he swallows poison and dies.  Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead and takes the rest of the poison. 

At the funeral, Prince Escalus states that now that both houses have lost their heirs, it is his wish that this will be the end of the war between the two families.  The Montague's unveil a statue given to the Capulets in honor of Juliet.  When the cover is removed, the word "harlot" has been painted in red across it.  Lady Capulet screams "a curse on the house of Montegue" and a fight erupts. 

During the fight, Rosaline and her sister, Livia are separated.  Rosaline is in the midst of the mob and is pulled to safety by Prince Escalus.  It is immediately apparent that there is history between the two. 

The fighting has ceased and Rosaline is returned safely home.  Rosaline fears Lady Capulet and wants to flee Verona with Livia, her sister.  Livia is angry when she learns that Rosaline was a witness to Romeo and Juliet's wedding.  Livia tells Rosaline that she will not leave. 

Rosaline is summoned to the palace but they are attacked and all the guards accompanying her are killed. A man pretends to be rescuing her but he pulls Rosaline into an alley and attacks her.  She tries to get away from the man who is choking her.  Benvolio swoops in and saves her. Instead of being grateful, she is annoyed that is was Benvolio that saved her but she thanks him anyway. 

Back at the House of Capulet, Livia is walking through the halls and hears screaming. Following the screams, she finds a secret room and sees an injured Count Paris being cared for by Lady Capulet and a nurse.  She is asked to leave but tells Lady Capulet that she knows how to treat him. Lady Capulet agrees to let her help. 

As Rosaline enters the castle, she is greeted by Prince Escalus, Isabella and Lord Capulet. Is she loyal to the Capulet's and Verona, they ask?  She is. Just then she sees that Benvolio is there as well.  She asks Lord Capulet what is going on. Escalus is trying to find a way for the feuding families to end their aggression. Escalus then orders the marriage of Rosaline to Benvolio! She refuses and leaves. 

The Prince chases after her. She asks Escalus why he would do this. Escalus tries to explain that its for the good of Verona. Escalus wants to get her back to the nobility as she was before her parent's died. Rosaline doesn't care about that and won't marry someone she does not love.  

This is when we learn that there is indeed history between Escalus and Rosaline. She asks the Prince why he left years ago without saying goodbye. He tried but his father would not let him. Silently she moves toward Escalus and they kiss.  But they are not alone, Benvolio has seen them. 

That's my recap from the pilot episode. Stay tuned for my recap of last week's episode and a preview of Monday's new episode.

Yes, there's news in France and England but in Scotland, Mary's enemies are closing in!  John Knox has Darnley wrapped around his little finger with the promise of power and has paid off the privy council to Darnley's side as well.  The pieces are almost in place to strip Mary of her power and grant Lord Darnley the crown matrimonial.  Knox tells Darnley that once he has the crown matrimonial and Mary is gone, Darnley will be Scotland's king.  

But, as the men plot and plan, they have forgotten one important thing - you should never underestimate Mary.  She learns of the alliance between her husband and John Knox and has a plan of her own.  It's time to announce her pregnancy and, much to Darnley's surprise, she proclaims it to the entire Scottish court!  It's an ingenious plan and it works perfectly!  An heir with a legitimate blood claim to the throne in Scotland and England! The nobles are thrilled about an heir and Darnley loves the attention that comes with impending fatherhood.  But Knox is livid!  He has to make Darnley see that, now more than ever, their plan has to move forward! 

Rizzio informs Mary that the announcement of an heir was a success and she has won the nobles's allegiance. Well, all except one, the Lord Treasurer. Mary asks him to check the books to see if there is anything that they can use to "convince" him to support Mary. Rizzio agrees, of course.  Mary tells Rizzio how much his friendship means to her and that she treasures him. Rizzio's investigation proves that the Treasurer has indeed been skimming funds but when confronted by Mary, he refuses to be intimidated.  Rizzio has another trick up his sleeve. He confronts the Lord Treasurer and threatens to "out" him.  You see, Rizzio knows that the Lord Treasurer prefers men because Rizzio does too.  The threat of being outed is enough to force the treasurer to side with Mary.  

Konx is enraged that Mary has, once again, outwitted he and Darnley.  He tells Darnley that Mary must die.  Lord Darnley doesn't want her dead and suggests that all they need to do is accuse Mary of having an affair with Lord Bothwell.  All they need to do is catch the two of them together. Mary will have no choice to abdicate her throne.  She'll be imprisoned or banished and Darnley will be king.  

Bothwell and Rizzio have gotten wind of the plan and rush to Mary's chambers.  Darnley is coming to destroy her. Mary pushes Bothwell out of her chambers through a secret passage and she and Rizzio sit by the fire as if they have been playing cards all evening.  Darnley and his mob, including the Lord Treasurer, are not pleased to find only Rizzio and Darnley demands to see Bothwell.  Mary accuses the men of treason but the men won't be stopped. Mary may not have been found with Bothwell, but she is alone in her chambers with Rizzio and that will have to do. Mary is restrained by Darnley as she is forced to watch the mob murder Rizzio - her best friend!  

Mary is devastated by Rizzio's death but she can't afford to let her grief control her.  She must keep a clear head and come up with a plan.  She will not let anyone take her throne!  Feigning a problem with the baby, she calls for Lord Darnley.  Darnley rushes to Mary's side. Mary convinces her not-so-bright King Consort that he is not safe from the nobles. Does he really believe that the Scottish Lords will let an Englishman stay on the throne in Scotland?  No, they will kill him.  Darnley believes her and the pair flee the castle on horseback.  Halfway into their journey, Darnley knows that he's also a dead man if Bothwell finds him.  He rides off to hide and leaves Mary to continue on her own. Seriously, he leaves his pregnant wife alone in the woods? Of course, Mary can take care of herself and reaches Bothwell at a safe house.  Bothwell has men at the ready to take back the castle. Mary is furious and intends to kill all of the men in her home who think they can take her crown!  Go Mary!!! 

In France, Henri overhears a conversation between Catherine and Narcisse in which Narcisse tells Catherine how annoying it is spending time with Nicole and how he hates pretending to be in love with her.  Henri heads right to Nicole and he manages to plant a seed of doubt in Nicole's mind whether Narcisse truly loves her.  She places a gift for Narcisse in his chambers and she and Henri hide and wait for Narcisse to return to his room.  

Moments later, Catherine and Narcisse enter the room and Stephan finds the gift from Nicole. He is annoyed by yet another gift and Nicole overhears him telling Catherine that it is exactly as Henri said, Narcisse does not love her.  To make matters worse, Nicole sees Catherine and Narcisse rekindling their romance!  Henri is right there to comfort her and they end up in bed together.  Good thing Henri has a pretty face, cuz he ain't got no scruples! 

Breaking Nicole's heart isn't the only thing keeping Henri busy.  He's commandeered a British ship docked in France and confiscated the ships cargo when he learns that its salt peter, one of the main ingredients in gunpowder. Henri intends to sent it to Spain but when Narcisse hears of this, he is quick to remind Henri that he is supposed to be supporting France not Spain  When England hears of this, Elizabeth sends Gideon to get the ships back, cash for the Englishmen that were beheaded and a big, fat apology from France!  When Gideon arrives in France, Narcisse tells Gideon he will get none of those things.  Gideon realizes that for Narcisse, this is personal. Gideon tells Stephan that he knows loss and that the bitterness inside will destroy him.  His words get through to Narcisse and he shares the whole story of Henri's ambition and the France/Spain situation. He suggests that Gideon have a word with King Charles. Narcisse thinks that Charles will very likely work with Gideon to resolve the issue and indeed he is; the ships are returned to England. 

A seemingly strong King Charles confronts his brother and informs him about the ships and reminds Henri that he IS king and intends for it to stay that way!  Go Charles! 

Finally in England, as Elizabeth send Gideon to France, he tells her to write down her thoughts and desires and he will do his best to accommodate her when he returns.  She does but unfortunately her fiance, happens upon the letters and Elizabeth tells him that she was writing of her desires for him.  The fiance buys it and he tells Elizabeth that there is no reason for them to wait until their wedding night to "consummate" their marriage. The Queen has to through with it and she does. 

Later, she and her the Archduke are having lunch and he tells her that he knows that she wrote those letters for Gideon, not him.  He tells Elizabeth that he believes that the two of them could have a good life together and when Elizabeth does not deny it.  He says that the only way he will stay with Elizabeth is if she banishes Gideon from court.  Because Elizabeth knows that now that Mary is pregnant, she must marry. Elizabeth agrees to send Gideon away. 

Three episodes to go...

Reign returns on June 2nd and from this point forward, I am going to stay away from any scoops and spoilers because I want to be a total fan geek until the end.  

In "Dead of Night" Mary's plans for England begin to unfold and will result in the fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. Let's recap...

In last week's episode, Mary was forced to banish James from Scotland and Greer put the blame on Mary for sacrificing another person for the good of the crown.  After having some time to think, Greer apologizes to Mary.  As the two friends chat, Mary confides in Greer that although Darnley has been behaving since his coronation, she will never have feelings for him. And speak of the devil - I mean Darnley, he interrupts the conversation with news from England.  

Darnley informs Mary that Elizabeth will wed marry Archduke Ferdinand, who is Catholic. Elizabeth believes that by marrying a Catholic it will take away Mary's advantage in the war for her throne and she's right. If Elizabeth marries a Catholic,  the Vatican could pull their support for her claim to the English throne. Mary realizes that if she wants England, she has to make her move now. So, Darnley offers Mary the use of his English pals including his best friend, Lord Barrett. Darnley's plan is to take Elizabeth hostage in England and in return, Mary promises the full force of the Scottish army, wealth and her royal seal. Sending her seal with the men is risky because if the soldiers are found with her seal, it is confirmation that Mary supports the plan. But if the plan fails and Elizabeth finds Mary's seal, Mary will face Elizabeth's wrath.  The decision is made, however, and Mary and Darnley stand together as they watch the men head out. It looks like the two of them have found a way to work together. 

Have I said how much I love the Bothwell/Mary relationship?  He's not my Francis but he clearly cares for Mary.  Bothwell has returned to court at Mary's request and when Darnley finds out, he is furious. He orders Bothwell to bow to him as King. But, Darnley's English and Bothwell will never bow to an Englishman. An irate Darnley banishes Bothwell and Mary pleads with Bothwell to leave court as a show of support for her husband. 

After giving Mary the use of his men to go to England, Darnley now feels that Mary owes him something and he demands that she agree to the crown matrimonial! If she refuses, Darnley threatens Mary's demise. If the current England plan fails and Elizabeth finds Mary's seal, Darnley will make sure that Elizabeth knows that Mary was behind the attack.  

Mary believes Darnley's threat and knows that somehow she must abort the mission and get her seal back. She turns to Bothwell who agrees to help even when Mary says that if he is caught, she will have to deny any knowledge of the attack.  So off to England goes Bothwell and Rizzio. Mary tells the men to find Gideon; he will help. Of course, Mary has no way of knowing of the relationship between he and Elizabeth. Once in England, the men see Gideon and he helps them find Barrett's whereabouts. Bothwell and Rizzio are able to stop Barrett in time and reclaim Mary' seal but Gideon follows them. When the men discover Gideon, Bothwell wants to kill him but Rizzio stops him and the men bring Gideon back to Scotland and Mary. She and Gideon meet again and she easily gets Gideon to agree not to tell Elizabeth that she was behind the mission.  Gideon agrees and when he returns to Elizabeth he tells her about the failed coup but leaves out the part about Mary's involvement.  Gideon tells Elizabeth that her marriage to the Archduke is more important than ever. Though she loves Gideon, Elizabeth knows that her life is in danger if she does not marry. 

Back at Scottish court, Darnley is still attempting to threaten Mary into granting him the crown matrimonial.  He even has the document prepared and presents it to Mary as if our Mary would ever back down.  Not only does she refuse, she tears up the document in front of Darnley and throws it into the fire!  More threats from Darnley but Mary knows that thanks to Bothwell and Rizzio, the plan was stopped and Mary has her seal. Darnley's threats mean nothing. 

Now that Mary has stopped her military mission and thanks to Gideon, Elizabeth remains unaware, it's time to deal with Darnley.  Having earned her trust and gratitude, Mary appoints Bothwell and Rizzio as her most trusted advisors. Darnley is summoned and arrives in the throne room to see Mary surrounded by both men.  Darnley is informed that Mary has her seal back and that his threats will not be tolerated.  But Darnley has one last, bold threat. He will tell everyone that the baby Mary is carrying is not his - a threat that an accusation of adultry could ruin Mary and would mean that her child would never inherit the throne.  Mary believes him. Darnley is now a threat to her life and her rule. Darnley must go. 

Not all of the drama has been in Scotland and England.  In France, Catherine and Narcisse have a real problem on their hands.  Henri is determined to replace Charles and oust him from the throne.  He intends to show the people that Charles is weak and that Henri will be the better king.  So he challenges Charles to a game of tennis and breaks Charles' nose with the tennis ball.  Narcisse discovers that the ball Henri used is filled with rocks and informs Catherine. 

Catherine confronts Henri and demands that he apologize to his brother.  If he doesn't she will tell Leesa about the book of witchcraft that Henri brought back from his war with the Turks. Henri agrees to apologize at family dinner but instead Henri picks a fight with Charles and Charles attacks Henri. A frustrated Catherine turns to Narcisse but it seems that Narcisse actually believes that Henri may actually be the better king. Catherine is furious and seeing no other way, she turns to witchcraft and open the spell book and begins a spell to make Charles stronger.  Oh dear - this is going to end badly. 

That's it for "Dead of Night."  Regniacs! Only 6 episodes remain until the series finale and I am not ready!  I wish the network had given them a season 5 so that they could wrap up Mary's story without having to rush through history!  

Wow! So many things happened In "Playing with Fire" that I don't know whether to start in France, England, or Scotland!  

France, I think as that is where the episode begins. Two boys playing in the woods stumble upon Erica, the missing girl last seen with Charles. Clearly traumatized but  alive. As the truth of what happened to the girl spreads, Catherine and Narcisse are desperate to squelch the rumors and from Leeza.  Catherine and Narcisse confront Charles, trying but it is clear that Charles is lost and Catherine fears the destruction of the Valois.  Enter Leeza whom I dislike more and more each week.  Leeza's focus is currently on Claude having learned that Claude is "seeing" a married man.  When Claude is caught in the act, Leeza is prepared to ship her off to a convent. In steps Lord Chancellor Narcisse, who offers to speak with Leeza (I would love to have seen that conversation).  He returns to Catherine with an alternative solution for Claude. She is to marry Narcisse's son, Luc!  Privately, Catherine convinces Claude to marry Luc (played by Steve Lund) telling her that all Claude has to do is say the word and Catherine will make Claude a widow.  Claude agrees and she and Luc marry.  Luc assures Claude that he will be good to her and it appears that they will consummate their marriage.  After the ceremony, Catherine encounters Charles walking through the halls with blood all over his face!  For a moment, it looks like a scene from Twilight. Catherine confronts him again but Charles has heard enough from his mother and pushes Catherine to the ground.  Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for is he or isn't he? Someone has entered the great hall just after the wedding. He appears to be struggling to walk and is clearly in pain. LEITH!  He is alive and in a scene ripped right out of a soap opera, he arrives just a moment too late!  Unfortunately for Leith, It is Narcisse who first sees him enter the castle. Narcisse tells him that Claude is married.  Hopeful that he still has time to find Claude before the marriage is "official" Leith heads off to find Claude. But Narcisse will not let that happen so his men grab Leith and take him away.  Poor Leith just can't catch a break!  

In Scotland, Mary is on holiday with Greer.  When their conversation moves to Castleroy and Rose returning to Scotland, Greer admits that Castleroy has changed since his time spent in prison and that they live separate lives. It seems uncertain whether Castleroy and Rose will return to Scotland.  Next we see Mary running with her dog enjoying her time alone.  But she's not alone, someone is standing there. It's Lord Darnley!  He has interrupted her holiday but she finds herself enjoying his company.  Just then, James approaches them and tells them of John Knox's plan to turn her catholic supporters against her by speaking to their village during a harvest festival.  James, Mary and Darnley head off to the festival to thwart Knox's plan.  They arrive bringing food for the entire village and Knox loses his control over the crowd.  A victory for Mary is not acceptable to Knox and his men start a fire in the village to turn their attention away from Mary.  It is Darnley's intention to flee with Mary, but Mary will stay to fight the fire as does James.  Darnley doesn't like it when the fire is out and the crowd praises Mary. Suddenly a second fire starts and this time it is Darnley who is the hero when he saves a child trapped inside.  Already suspicious of Darnley, James suspects that Darnley set the fire but Mary is unaware. After returning to the castle, Mary and Darnley discuss the terms of their marriage. She is surprised when Darnley requests the crown matrimonial.  That's a deal breaker for Mary so Darnley must back down. I already don't like him. Later, Greer and Mary are in her chambers and Mary tells Greer that there might be a chance at a real marriage for her and Darnley, not one made soley out of duty. They move to her desk where she finds an anonymous note.  James perhaps? The note accuses Darnley of starting the second fire.  Hopeful just moments ago, Mary is now concerned about the man she has agreed to marry.   

Finally to England, Elizabeth is not happy when Gideon is late to meet with her.  Gideon explains that his daughter, Agatha, is very ill.  Elizabeth is unsympathetic. She needs Gideon's help to prevent the Vatican from convincing England's catholic nobles to back the marriage of Mary and Darnley.  It is Elizabeth's first instinct to murder them but Gideon convinces Elizabeth to work with the nobleman, not kill them.  Elizabeth agrees and arranges a meeting with Lord Maxford, who once hunted with her father, King Henry the VIII.  The meeting does not go well until Elizabeth invites Maxford and all the nobles on a hunt.  While on hunt, the party approaches a stag and when Maxford steps on a twig startling the animal, Elizabeth kills it. Back at court, Elizabeth has won their respect but she goes one better.  She tells the men of her plan to expand England's navy.  She wants to purchase lumber from Lord Maxford if the catholic nobles will swear their loyalty to her and refuse to meet with the Vatican.  The men agree.  Elizabeth has the victory!  But, when Elizabeth shares the news with Gideon, he is clearly angry and upset with her.  It seems that while he was doing his queen's bidding, Agatha's condition worsened and she may not live.  Elizabeth promises Gideon she will do all she can to save Agatha.  

So, I give this episode a great big fat 10!  Please note that Reign does not return until March 17th because of the 2-hour series finale of The Vampire Diaries.  I'm a huge TVD fan as well and I'm sad that both my favorite shows are ending this year.  Anyway, don't miss my Reign news and scoops leading up the March 17th and make sure to subscribe to www.sueboohscorner.com for your updates on The Vampire DIaries and all your favorite shows. 

In an article found on www.justjaredjr.com, Adelaide Kane opens up about Reign Season 4 which premieres in just 4 days! 

“I think this is our best season,” I remarry, so we meet my second husband, and also my future third husband, he becomes a friend and confidant and helps me through a difficult period.”  She added, “I do not know if this is a spoiler or if people are already aware…It’s history anyway so I’ll pretend it was not a spoiler, but Mary gets pregnant and gives birth to a little boy, the future King James.”

Adelaide also dished on some actual spoilers: “Someone gets sick. Someone, in the new season, falls ill and goes mad, just like King Henry II… I can not tell you who [though]. I’m [as Mary] going to have problems, but someone gets crazy, really crazy.”

When asked if she had the power to bring one character back to the show, Adelaide didn’t hesitate one bit in spitting out Francis, played by Toby Regbo.

“Francis. Of course Francis! My new husband would not be here, he would disappear in a mysterious way!

I know this Reigniac couldn't agree more!  Bring back my Toby!

The good news is that we are just a little over 2 weeks away from the Reign S4 premiere!  The bad news is that this is also the beginning of the end. They have to cover a lot of ground to properly tell Mary's story in 16 episodes but word is that fans will be pleased with the way it ends. 

Ok, back to the recap of S3.  Episode 2 finds Catherine locked in the dungeon demanding to see Francis.  Mary tells Francis that she is not pregnant. In light of this, to secure Mary's future, protect the alliance with Scotland and for the future of France, Francis suggests that Mary wed Charles. She agrees.  It is now time for them to tell the rest of the family of Francis' illness and share the news with Charles that he is to wed Mary. 

In England, it is discovered that Elizabeth was harboring Catherine and English nobles threatened to rise against her. To cover her "you know what," Elizabeth enlists the help of a friend to say that Catherine was visiting her, not the queen. The plan backfires and Elizabeth's friend and her husband end up banished from Court and their lands taken .

Back in France, feelings are growing between Narcisse and Lola. As Lola bathes, she finds a dead rat in her bath! She assumes that it's Catherine's doing and she fears her growing relationship with Narcisse is a threat to Catherine and this was her attempt to scare Lola away.  Does it work? 

Francis tells Catherine that he is dying and she desperately tries to convince him of her love. Francis shares his plan for Charles and Mary to wed. Mary and Francis give Charles permission to meet with Catherine. Catherine tricks Charles into ordering death of the King of Navarre by delivering a secret message to an assassin in the village.  Francis and Mary intercept the message before the assassination is carried out and Charles learns what his mother is truly capable of and agrees to wed Mary.

Bash and Leith search for Delpine. Francis' illness is progressing.

More to follow!

As you know, I recently attended the 1st Reign Convention in Paris!  I brought back some insane memories and unfortunately a terrible cold!  I'm finally feeling fit and am ready to tell you about Paris!

Every member of the Reign cast is exactly how you hope they would be.  Right away, you can tell that they all care for and respect each other deeply. They are genuinely appreciative of their fans and were so excited to have the chance to meet us! There were only about 200 people attending so it was small enough that you could spend some quality time each actor. Here's just a few little tidbits that I learned from each cast member:

Adelaide Kane gets very emotional when talking about saying goodbye to Mary. She doesn't have anything lined up just yet but is looking forward to spending time with friends and family.

My dream come true...meeting Toby Regbo! He is hoping to do something more "modern" for his next project and is also thinking about making an album. If you hadn't guessed, Toby was the highlight of the weekend for me and it was awesome! His smile is amazing on-screen but when it's aimed at you...no words! 

Megan Follows swears like a sailor!  It's a problem, she says. She loves playing Catherine and is so sad to say goodbye. She and I both lost a parent this summer so we talked about that for a bit. 

Torrance Coombs' new show has finished filming but still has no official title or air date.  He is so excited about it though and promises that we will love it!  Oh and his eyes are mesmerizing!

Dan Jeanotte speaks fluent French and the rest of the cast made fun of him for it! He said James gets himself into trouble in S4 by playing both sides!

Rachel Skarsten is so cool!  She's Canadian and worries that her English accent isn't authentic.  I assured her that she is doing a great job.  Rachel was hoping they'd make it to Season 5 but said that she thinks we'll be happy with the way they've ended things. Craig Parker teases her relentlessly for cutting off Lola's head!

Anna Poppelwell has a great sense of humor. When I told her that she looked very good for someone who had lost their head she said, yes, the scars were healing nicely.  She and Craig Parker exchanged Narcisse/Lola banter all day long.

Craig Parker is one of the nicest guys I've ever met.  He is definitely the class clown!  I told him that it was going to be hard to hate Narcisse now that I know him.  He blames all of Narcisse's bad behavior on Catherine. An incredibly great person!

Rose Williams, I can't say enough nice things about Rose. She is the one that started the "Miss Michigan" thing!  She is beautiful both inside and out. 

Jonathan Keltz is super cute!  I tried to get him to tell me if Leith is alive but all he'd say is that "I don't know."  How could that be when the show has wrapped?