On the CW’s Reign Season 2 Episode 9 Thursday night, Bash thought up a way for Francis to be able to extricate himself from the grip of Narcisse.
Narcisse and Catherine both displayed real humanity during the hour, while Greer and Castleroy unwittingly funded terrorism in a surprising plot twist.
But most memorably, Mary was the victim of a shocking assault.
After seeing Reign Season 2 Episode 9, it’s hard to focus on anything else besides Mary’s rape, a brutal scene that’s hard to talk about and harder to watch.
That was entirely the point of it, clearly. But wow. Just … wow.
Adelaide Kane proved what a talented young actress she is, selling this scene with the appropriate levels of both the physical and emotional turmoil.
This scene couldn’t work with a lesser star, and she delivered.
She’s the reason to watch Reign online, and perhaps this storyline was inevitable, as the show has clearly touched upon sexual violence in the past.
For those wondering if the real Mary Queen of Scots was raped in such fashion, that’s very difficult to say, and the series is clearly not tied to historical fact.
The producers and writers went there, and quite deliberately.
What we’re curious to see, after the shock value wears off, are the repercussions, both blatant and subtle, on a show with more plot nuance than most.
At least by CW standards, there’s a lot going on with Reign.
Why did this need to happen? Will it do more than create even more tension between Francis and Mary? How will she respond outwardly and internally?
Going down this dark road raises the stakes, and sets the bar high for the show to deliver something worthwhile. Can it live up to these high expectations?
We may be asking too much of a drama on the CW, but it’s always felt as if things happen for a reason on Reign, and consequences are never ignored.
Here’s hoping the writers, producers and cast all bring their A-game along with Kane, whose powerhouse performances can only go so far here.
To see the surprising scene and the rest of the episode in its entirety, steel yourselves for being put through the wringer and follow the above links …