Reign (TV series)
A romantic drama set in the 16th-century French court.
Reign, a historical romantic drama for The CW, was created by Laurie McCarthy and Stephanie SenGupta. The series follows Mary, Queen of Scots, as she navigates the French court in the late 1500s.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Historical drama; Romantic drama
- Creator
- Laurie McCarthy; Stephanie SenGupta
- Opening theme
- "Scotland" by The Lumineers
- Composer
- Trevor Morris
- Country
- United States; Canada
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 4
- Episodes
- 78
Facts from the source article.
Premise
There, she prepares to marry fifteen-year-old Crown Prince Francis, her betrothed since they were both six. Mary must navigate shifting political alliances and power struggles, all while developing feelings for Francis’ illegitimate half-brother, Bash. Francis’ mother, Catherine de’ Medici, secretly works to stop the wedding after Nostradamus privately warns her that the marriage will cause Francis’ death. Meanwhile, Mary’s Scottish handmaidens—Lady Kenna Livingston, Lady Aylee Seton, Lady Lola Fleming, and Lady Greer Norwood—pursue noble husbands at the French court. After King Henry II dies, the second season follows Francis and Mary as they become King and Queen of France and Scotland. They must balance their marriage with their royal duties, confront rising tensions between Catholics and Protestants, and fend off the ambitions of the rival House of Bourbon for the French throne. In the third season, Francis’ health deteriorates, and he dies partway through, leaving Mary a widow uncertain of her future now that she is no longer tied to France. Francis’ younger brother Charles is crowned king while still underage, with Queen Catherine acting as regent. This season also introduces the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, who schemes against her distant cousin Mary, avoids marriage proposals, and carries on a secret romance with Lord Robert Dudley. Mary returns to Scotland as its rightful queen and struggles to reclaim power. She manages allies like her older half-brother James Stewart and the outspoken Lord Bothwell, while facing enemies such as the Protestant preacher John Knox. Tensions between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth escalate. Mary marries Lord Darnley, an English Catholic claimant to the English throne, hoping to seize England. In France, Catherine protects her mentally unstable son, King Charles IX, from the schemes of her eldest daughter, Queen Leeza of Spain, and their cunning teenage youngest son, Crown Prince Henry.
Production
Before the premiere, McCarthy said the show intentionally plays with history, prioritizing entertainment over accuracy. Actress Anna Popplewell called it "fantasy history," exploring characters in hypothetical scenarios. Megan Follows described it as "24 for the pre-Renaissance," since the show stretches historical events over longer periods. McCarthy noted the series aims to appeal to contemporary audiences, so viewers unfamiliar with history can still relate. Creative choices include a modern music soundtrack and costumes by Meredith Markworth-Pollack, who worked on Hart of Dixie and Gossip Girl. She designed distinct looks for Mary and her ladies to reflect their personalities. The ladies—Lola, Kenna, Greer, and Aylee—are loosely based on Mary Beaton, Mary Seton, Mary Fleming, and Mary Livingston, real-life attendants to Mary, Queen of Scots.
Broadcasts
In Canada, it debuted a day earlier on M3, also simulcasting on CTV Two with The CW, and later aired in reruns on E! Canada. Starting with its third season, the show moved entirely to that second network. In Ireland, RTÉ2 broadcasts the series in the early morning hours each Thursday at 02:15. Netflix offered the first two seasons for streaming in the UK and Ireland. From season three onward, new episodes appeared weekly on Netflix in the UK as the exclusive broadcaster, just hours after their US airing.
Critical response
Critics gave the show a mixed reception, often noting its preference for romance and teenage drama over historical accuracy. Many compared it to Gossip Girl, pointing to a shared focus on fashion, melodrama, and soap opera elements. The New York Times review of the pilot called it a strong candidate for a "camp classic," describing it as fun while acknowledging its historical liberties. The A.V. Club reviewer went further, calling it "alternate-universe fanfiction" rather than anything approaching history, but still found it campy and enjoyable. The Miami Herald found the opening episodes "surprisingly entertaining," praising Adelaide Kane's portrayal of Mary as a teenager learning that her royal whims can lead to grim consequences, offering a fresh take on the coming-of-age story. Flavorwire labeled it "fantastical princess wish-fulfilment" and a guilty pleasure, arguing that its historical inaccuracy actually helps by giving the story a needed lightness, since dead seriousness does not suit the current moment. Community Voices saw it as an interesting shift for The CW but felt the show got stuck in a rut, struggling to sustain itself on a binary premise of Mary and Francis either coming together or drifting apart. A Los Angeles Times critic was harsher, calling it a "sexed-up version of high school with horses" that does not deserve its main character, described as a "The Princess Diaries knock-off," though the critic acknowledged the show is self-aware about being a guilty pleasure. USA Today also criticized it as anachronistic, accusing it of dumbing down history for entertainment.
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