015. Reign (Season 1)

4 April 2015

Reign tells the story of young Mary, the Queen of Scotts, as she returns back to French Court when an assassination attempt is made on her life. Betrothed to the future king of France - Francis, Mary must attempt to secure an alliance with the nation before Scotland falls into the hands of war and the English. 

If you liked Gossip Girl and have a soft spot for period dramas like Downton Abbey, this show is so for you. Reign has the most enchanting historical elements, alongside some pretty gossip like events. It's so gripping. I literally have consumed every single episode, so curious to find out what would happen next. I see so much future potential for this show, and I can't wait to see what Season Two has to offer. 

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Highlights 
It's been a while since I've seen something so historic, and gosh it was so wonderful to watch. I was just in such awe of it all - the set design, the costumes and dialogue. It was very enchanting and enticing. Reign has this element of old school Gossip Girl, where romance and everyday life experiences are central, but yet there is a political conflict thrown into the fold. Mary and Francis - the main leads of the show - are constantly obligated to fulfil their duties to their respective countries (England and France), which complicates things for their personal love lives and the decisions they make. I found the political aspects of this show so intriguing. I don't think I've seen a show full of such heightened emotion, depicting what it could have been like to be a royal historically before the age of democracy took over.

Now I'll admit Reign probably isn't the most authentic show around, and it also takes quite a few liberalities with the events history, but that's what I enjoy about it. It leaves room for exploration beyond history. I can only hope the producers of the show don't abuse that freedom too much in the next coming seasons.

Shortcomings 
The first half of Season One was definitely the strongest part of Reign. It established the show very well, and gave it so many dimensions to progress and evolve. But as the episodes continued on, the producers focused way too much on certain romantic relationships more than they should have. I wished they'd paid more attention in those episodes to more - like the political power relationship between each character, and the English threat. There was so many dynamics that I felt didn't reach their true potential. It was definitely a lost opportunity.

Conclusion 
I really enjoyed Reign. I fell in love with the historical elements of the show, and the complexity of relationships between characters - especially between Mary and Francis, when their political duties to their own countries came into play in their lives. I'm excited to see the next step this show takes as it continues to develop!

So what did you think of Reign: Season One? Hit or Miss?
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