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Best in Show - Francis: I will admit, I fell in love with Francis during the Pilot. From the moment he came strutting across the lawn and locked eyes with Mary, to their almost kiss at the end of the episode, I knew I was going to fall in love with these two. What I didn’t expect was that I would fall so hard for Francis by the end of season one.
It was obvious from the start that Francis had a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He was a little arrogant and used to being coveted by pretty much every woman at court. He was taught to put his country first, and his feelings second, and for the first few episodes of the season, he worked overtime to push Mary aside. It was not out of any real indifference or desire to hurt her, but because he was actually trying to protect them both.
What made him so interesting from the beginning was that underneath all of this obvious front, you could see he was a really good guy. In a few fleeting scenes, his true nature became glaringly apparent. The way he expressed his concern for Bash after he was gravely injured in Kissed, or how he tried to get King Henry to release Mary from their engagement in Snakes in the Garden. Even that wonderful scene in the same episode where Catherine asks him if the pull towards Mary is so strong and he responds, “Yes. Yes it is. But it doesn’t matter. Mary came here in good faith.” He felt a very strong pull towards her, yet he was willing to let her go if it was right thing for France.
More than just the compassion and concern he showed for others, Francis’ connection and pull towards Mary was incredible. All of his early interactions with her were so powerful. I loved how he was so taken aback by this very direct and bold young woman. As Catherine said in Fated, “She’s his equal in every way.” Mary throws him off completely just by being herself and he is totally smitten with her from the start. It seemed that the harder he tried to deny his feelings for Mary, the faster the walls he built up to protect his heart began to crumble.
For all of us, the journey to adulthood is marked by mistakes and missteps. Often times we are trying to be something for others rather than staying true to ourselves. What some people seemed to read as Francis being a total asshole, I saw as a young man trying to find his way in the world. Even his sexual dalliances seemed like teenage rebellion or a simple human desire to feel an emotional connection to someone, especially since was taught to keep his feelings at bay in an effort to put his country first. He said it himself in Snakes in Garden, ““I hope to be a good King some day. Which is why I will never put anything. Any love, ahead of the love for my country.” I think he spent his entire life trying to bury his true nature as a loving and kind man in order to become the kind of king his father wanted him to be, but it didn’t work.
By mid-season, when Mary had ripped everything from him in an attempt to save his life because of the prophecy, his entire character changed. I like to think of this as a major turning point for him. Those moments when he lost everything (and WE lost everything with his absence on screen for a few dark episodes) seemed like the moments he really and truly reconciled the kind of man he wanted to become. When he returned in the second half of the season, he was clearly a changed person. He is grateful, honored and humbled to have Mary, a woman he loves and adores, as his wife. While he understands his responsibilities to his nation, he’s clearly made it a priority to be a dutiful and loving as a husband as well.
For me, Francis is hands down the best character on the entire show for two reasons. First, he is the most well-developed. There are so many facets to his character and so much complexity regarding his relationships with others. It’s not just about his journey with Mary, but also his relationships with family members. I love all the tension they illustrated between Francis and Henry all season and the contrast between the kind of men they were. Francis’ desire to be the antithesis of Henry, to be a better King and husband than his own father. I loved his relationship with Catherine as well. He both seeks her counsel and respects her intellect and ability, but is aware that he needs to be wary of her motives at times. Even with Bash and their relationship, you could tell his biggest disappointment with Bash was not his pursuit of Mary, but that he was blindsided by the betrayal of a brother he trusted, respected and loved. His journey navigating the complexity of these relationships and his emotional journey as a character, make him so interesting to watch.
The second reason I think he is the best character on the show, is because of his incredible portrayal by Toby Regbo. God bless the casting genius who had the smarts to hire this guy! I have heard it echoed over and over again from many a Toby fan, but he is just so talented. There is so much realism and honesty to his portrayal of Francis’ internal struggle. The compassion, vulnerably and emotional range he brings to the character continues to amaze me week after week. Stop for a moment and think about everything he has portrayed so convincingly on screen this year…..the arrogance, flirtation, sadness, anger, leadership, jealousy, love, adoration, passion….I’ve felt every heartbreak and triumph right along with him thanks to his skill as a performer. I just can’t wait to see more of Francis’ journey next season. At this point, I’ll take any plot they want to throw at us, and you know why? Because Toby Regbo will make it shine that’s why. He is quite simply brilliant and it is such a treat to be able to watch him on screen.
It was obvious from the start that Francis had a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He was a little arrogant and used to being coveted by pretty much every woman at court. He was taught to put his country first, and his feelings second, and for the first few episodes of the season, he worked overtime to push Mary aside. It was not out of any real indifference or desire to hurt her, but because he was actually trying to protect them both.
What made him so interesting from the beginning was that underneath all of this obvious front, you could see he was a really good guy. In a few fleeting scenes, his true nature became glaringly apparent. The way he expressed his concern for Bash after he was gravely injured in Kissed, or how he tried to get King Henry to release Mary from their engagement in Snakes in the Garden. Even that wonderful scene in the same episode where Catherine asks him if the pull towards Mary is so strong and he responds, “Yes. Yes it is. But it doesn’t matter. Mary came here in good faith.” He felt a very strong pull towards her, yet he was willing to let her go if it was right thing for France.
More than just the compassion and concern he showed for others, Francis’ connection and pull towards Mary was incredible. All of his early interactions with her were so powerful. I loved how he was so taken aback by this very direct and bold young woman. As Catherine said in Fated, “She’s his equal in every way.” Mary throws him off completely just by being herself and he is totally smitten with her from the start. It seemed that the harder he tried to deny his feelings for Mary, the faster the walls he built up to protect his heart began to crumble.
For all of us, the journey to adulthood is marked by mistakes and missteps. Often times we are trying to be something for others rather than staying true to ourselves. What some people seemed to read as Francis being a total asshole, I saw as a young man trying to find his way in the world. Even his sexual dalliances seemed like teenage rebellion or a simple human desire to feel an emotional connection to someone, especially since was taught to keep his feelings at bay in an effort to put his country first. He said it himself in Snakes in Garden, ““I hope to be a good King some day. Which is why I will never put anything. Any love, ahead of the love for my country.” I think he spent his entire life trying to bury his true nature as a loving and kind man in order to become the kind of king his father wanted him to be, but it didn’t work.
By mid-season, when Mary had ripped everything from him in an attempt to save his life because of the prophecy, his entire character changed. I like to think of this as a major turning point for him. Those moments when he lost everything (and WE lost everything with his absence on screen for a few dark episodes) seemed like the moments he really and truly reconciled the kind of man he wanted to become. When he returned in the second half of the season, he was clearly a changed person. He is grateful, honored and humbled to have Mary, a woman he loves and adores, as his wife. While he understands his responsibilities to his nation, he’s clearly made it a priority to be a dutiful and loving as a husband as well.
For me, Francis is hands down the best character on the entire show for two reasons. First, he is the most well-developed. There are so many facets to his character and so much complexity regarding his relationships with others. It’s not just about his journey with Mary, but also his relationships with family members. I love all the tension they illustrated between Francis and Henry all season and the contrast between the kind of men they were. Francis’ desire to be the antithesis of Henry, to be a better King and husband than his own father. I loved his relationship with Catherine as well. He both seeks her counsel and respects her intellect and ability, but is aware that he needs to be wary of her motives at times. Even with Bash and their relationship, you could tell his biggest disappointment with Bash was not his pursuit of Mary, but that he was blindsided by the betrayal of a brother he trusted, respected and loved. His journey navigating the complexity of these relationships and his emotional journey as a character, make him so interesting to watch.
The second reason I think he is the best character on the show, is because of his incredible portrayal by Toby Regbo. God bless the casting genius who had the smarts to hire this guy! I have heard it echoed over and over again from many a Toby fan, but he is just so talented. There is so much realism and honesty to his portrayal of Francis’ internal struggle. The compassion, vulnerably and emotional range he brings to the character continues to amaze me week after week. Stop for a moment and think about everything he has portrayed so convincingly on screen this year…..the arrogance, flirtation, sadness, anger, leadership, jealousy, love, adoration, passion….I’ve felt every heartbreak and triumph right along with him thanks to his skill as a performer. I just can’t wait to see more of Francis’ journey next season. At this point, I’ll take any plot they want to throw at us, and you know why? Because Toby Regbo will make it shine that’s why. He is quite simply brilliant and it is such a treat to be able to watch him on screen.
Best in Show, Runner Up - Mary: Much like Francis, I fell in love with Mary in the Pilot. I loved the mix of innocence and confidence contained within her character. As a young Queen, she has an unbelievable amount of responsibility placed on her young shoulders. At the same time, she is a young woman, with hopes and desires, learning to navigate the world like the rest of us. She wishes to be loved and be in a loving relationship with her husband. She understands her responsibilities to her nation and proves her loyalties to Scotland time and time again. She demonstrates an incredible amount of compassion for those around her, including her ladies when they continue to make mistakes and missteps around her. She felt like a heroine we could both relate to and root for as a strong, independent young woman.
In the beginning of this season, I felt like this was Mary’s story. The world and characters existed around her and the audience’s perception of this murky place known as French court was understood through her eyes. Even though she made mistakes, we were hoping for her to win. I loved that she was so bold, impatient, and direct. She was forthcoming with her thoughts, unafraid to tell Francis of her feelings and completely unfazed by going head-to-head with King Henry. Even when she willingly threw away her happiness by sacrificing her engagement to save Francis’s life, I completely understood her intentions. I was sympathetic to her and her desire to save the man she loved at all cost, even if it was very painful to watch.
Around mid-season, beginning during those dark episodes without Francis, I started to become confused by Mary. It was unfathomable to me, as a viewer, that a woman who just gave up the man that she loved more than anything in the world, would suddenly make no mention of him at all. It was both poorly written and poorly executed. To make matters worse, her chemistry with Bash was non-existent. She appeared bland most times on screen and I felt depressed and frustrated watching. The girl I loved and rooted for was gone entirely and I spent most of the time wondering where our heroine went. When Francis finally did make his triumphant return in The Consummation , there was that moment when they first saw each other in the castle hallways (an incredible scene by the way), and it felt like someone finally breathed life into Mary again.
Ever since all of that happened I’ve felt like I love Mary, but I want to love her more. During the second half of the season it started to feel like Francis became the hero and heart of the show and Mary’s story became secondary to that. Maybe that’s because he is portrayed as having an actual heart on the show and Mary’s heart seems to have dried and hardened. Perhaps I’m just a sucker for the characters who wear their heart on their sleeve, but her actions the whole second half of the season just left me confused and angry.
I will admit, Mary had moments where I really loved her during the second half of the season. Liege Lord comes to mind and some of the scenes portraying her struggle to keep Lola’s baby a secret. Even some of the fleeting moments she allowed herself to be loved and comforted by her husband. What I could never understand was why she so often shut Francis out, a man who clearly adores her, respects her has a leader, and would do anything to please her. After she fought so hard to protect him from the prophecy and chose him at all cost, it seemed like she was indifferent towards him half of the time. The fact that she chose him for love over duty was clearly stated in The Consummation, so we know she loves him more than anything, but they rarely show this side of her character anymore. More often than not, she was manipulating things behind his back, or flinging cruel words at him with no attempts to make amends. (“Our marriage was an awful mistake” - I will never get over that, it’s just SO AWFUL!) I believe the writers intent was to make us think that she was becoming a woman hardened by learning to navigate the burdens of leadership. Instead it made me feel that she was undeserving of this caring and incredible man she is fortunate to be able to call her husband.
We need to see that Mary has a heart in order to believe in her and want her to succeed. We need to see that she loves her husband very much. This is a story about a real life woman who loved this man so deeply that she mourned him for the rest of her life. In order to root for them as a couple we have to feel like Mary loves Francis more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, it is starting to feel impossible that two people could ever overcome such incredible obstacles and still care for one another. There are ways to show the burdens of leadership without it coming at a cost of their love for one another.
In one of their last scenes together in Slaughter of Innocence, Mary says to Francis “I can feel myself changing and not for the better. Every choice I have made to protect France, and Scotland, even you, for all of them there is a reckoning. And it’s always the woman who must bow to the queen. I feel like I’m killing part of myself. That I’m ignoring my heart until it becomes blind and deaf. I can feel myself growing harder. And I worry that I…that I’m becoming someone you will not love.” This was not only a great moment between them as a couple, but it really gave me hope for the coming season. I believe that all the talk of slowing down the time jumps in season two will really allow us more insight into Mary’s internal struggle. I hope that we find Mary learning to balance love and duty in season two. I also hope we get to see Mary and Francis, if not working together, at least confiding in one another and sharing their burdens together.
Mary is the second best character on this show for me not only because I enjoy her very regal portrayal by Adelaide Kane, but also because she is one half of an incredible love story that made me fall in love with this show. The romance between Mary and Francis is the main reason I went from regular watcher to straight up fangirl! Believe it or not, I never heard the words fandom, OTP, or “ship” before I became obsessed with Reign! I’m placing her in the runner-up category, because while she is one half of my ultimate OTP, she wavered a bit toward the end of the season. Let’s hope that we get to see a lot more of Mary’s emotional side in season two.
In the beginning of this season, I felt like this was Mary’s story. The world and characters existed around her and the audience’s perception of this murky place known as French court was understood through her eyes. Even though she made mistakes, we were hoping for her to win. I loved that she was so bold, impatient, and direct. She was forthcoming with her thoughts, unafraid to tell Francis of her feelings and completely unfazed by going head-to-head with King Henry. Even when she willingly threw away her happiness by sacrificing her engagement to save Francis’s life, I completely understood her intentions. I was sympathetic to her and her desire to save the man she loved at all cost, even if it was very painful to watch.
Around mid-season, beginning during those dark episodes without Francis, I started to become confused by Mary. It was unfathomable to me, as a viewer, that a woman who just gave up the man that she loved more than anything in the world, would suddenly make no mention of him at all. It was both poorly written and poorly executed. To make matters worse, her chemistry with Bash was non-existent. She appeared bland most times on screen and I felt depressed and frustrated watching. The girl I loved and rooted for was gone entirely and I spent most of the time wondering where our heroine went. When Francis finally did make his triumphant return in The Consummation , there was that moment when they first saw each other in the castle hallways (an incredible scene by the way), and it felt like someone finally breathed life into Mary again.
Ever since all of that happened I’ve felt like I love Mary, but I want to love her more. During the second half of the season it started to feel like Francis became the hero and heart of the show and Mary’s story became secondary to that. Maybe that’s because he is portrayed as having an actual heart on the show and Mary’s heart seems to have dried and hardened. Perhaps I’m just a sucker for the characters who wear their heart on their sleeve, but her actions the whole second half of the season just left me confused and angry.
I will admit, Mary had moments where I really loved her during the second half of the season. Liege Lord comes to mind and some of the scenes portraying her struggle to keep Lola’s baby a secret. Even some of the fleeting moments she allowed herself to be loved and comforted by her husband. What I could never understand was why she so often shut Francis out, a man who clearly adores her, respects her has a leader, and would do anything to please her. After she fought so hard to protect him from the prophecy and chose him at all cost, it seemed like she was indifferent towards him half of the time. The fact that she chose him for love over duty was clearly stated in The Consummation, so we know she loves him more than anything, but they rarely show this side of her character anymore. More often than not, she was manipulating things behind his back, or flinging cruel words at him with no attempts to make amends. (“Our marriage was an awful mistake” - I will never get over that, it’s just SO AWFUL!) I believe the writers intent was to make us think that she was becoming a woman hardened by learning to navigate the burdens of leadership. Instead it made me feel that she was undeserving of this caring and incredible man she is fortunate to be able to call her husband.
We need to see that Mary has a heart in order to believe in her and want her to succeed. We need to see that she loves her husband very much. This is a story about a real life woman who loved this man so deeply that she mourned him for the rest of her life. In order to root for them as a couple we have to feel like Mary loves Francis more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, it is starting to feel impossible that two people could ever overcome such incredible obstacles and still care for one another. There are ways to show the burdens of leadership without it coming at a cost of their love for one another.
In one of their last scenes together in Slaughter of Innocence, Mary says to Francis “I can feel myself changing and not for the better. Every choice I have made to protect France, and Scotland, even you, for all of them there is a reckoning. And it’s always the woman who must bow to the queen. I feel like I’m killing part of myself. That I’m ignoring my heart until it becomes blind and deaf. I can feel myself growing harder. And I worry that I…that I’m becoming someone you will not love.” This was not only a great moment between them as a couple, but it really gave me hope for the coming season. I believe that all the talk of slowing down the time jumps in season two will really allow us more insight into Mary’s internal struggle. I hope that we find Mary learning to balance love and duty in season two. I also hope we get to see Mary and Francis, if not working together, at least confiding in one another and sharing their burdens together.
Mary is the second best character on this show for me not only because I enjoy her very regal portrayal by Adelaide Kane, but also because she is one half of an incredible love story that made me fall in love with this show. The romance between Mary and Francis is the main reason I went from regular watcher to straight up fangirl! Believe it or not, I never heard the words fandom, OTP, or “ship” before I became obsessed with Reign! I’m placing her in the runner-up category, because while she is one half of my ultimate OTP, she wavered a bit toward the end of the season. Let’s hope that we get to see a lot more of Mary’s emotional side in season two.
Biggest Surprise - King Henry: King Henry is the guy on the show that took me most aback during the course of season one. When we found him in the beginning of the season, he was pretty much a side character who was hanging around banging women. He was the typical King portrayed on this type of show, one who lauded his power and used it for his own gain. He took what he wanted, when he wanted, and because of his God-given power pretty much no one could argue with him. This was shown time and time again through both his sexual and non-sexual liaisons. The way he toys with Francis in early episodes, promising him things one moment and taking them away the next in order to teach him a lesson. The way he makes Bash believe he is his favorite son and later, quickly and easily, turns against him by ordering his assassination. The way he treats Mary, a Queen and therefore someone who should sort be of his equal, as a pawn who exists to provide him with a way to gain England. The way he uses Kenna, Diane, other random ladies at court for his carnal pleasure. I really and truly thought that was where his character would stay all season; the jerk who does whatever he wants and gets away with it because he can.
All of a sudden, mid-season and before I knew it, we had that glorious comedic episode, Dirty Laundry, where he was eliciting Catherine to help him get rid of the body of that lady from Bohemia. Then there was that run of episodes where he became creepily obsessed with the Bean Queen. Soon he was seeing the ghost of his dead brother and sitting around muttering to himself. He forced an out of the blue marriage between his part-time mistress and his bastard son. My all time favorite was in Toy Soldiers when he was plotting the strategy to take Calais and came walking around the table wearing no pants as Catherine and Francis looked on completely flabbergasted. I also enjoyed that wonderful scene with Francis, in Long Live the King, where he shared the tragic story of his childhood. It was an incredibly touching moment and yet a few scenes later he was maniacally plotting to kill Francis and wed Queen Mary.
I can’t say enough about how brilliant Alan Van Sprang was this year and how much he will be missed. He brought so many different levels of creepy to the character and it was so great to watch. He was truly remarkable the second half of the season and continued to both surprise and impress with all of the crazy, scary, touching and beautiful moments he put on screen. I really thought he did a brilliant job portraying Henry’s increasing insanity. While I am sad that he is not going to be a part of the second season, I really applaud the writers for not dragging out Henry’s death for another year. It really felt like time for his conclusion on screen, and what a glorious run it was!
All of a sudden, mid-season and before I knew it, we had that glorious comedic episode, Dirty Laundry, where he was eliciting Catherine to help him get rid of the body of that lady from Bohemia. Then there was that run of episodes where he became creepily obsessed with the Bean Queen. Soon he was seeing the ghost of his dead brother and sitting around muttering to himself. He forced an out of the blue marriage between his part-time mistress and his bastard son. My all time favorite was in Toy Soldiers when he was plotting the strategy to take Calais and came walking around the table wearing no pants as Catherine and Francis looked on completely flabbergasted. I also enjoyed that wonderful scene with Francis, in Long Live the King, where he shared the tragic story of his childhood. It was an incredibly touching moment and yet a few scenes later he was maniacally plotting to kill Francis and wed Queen Mary.
I can’t say enough about how brilliant Alan Van Sprang was this year and how much he will be missed. He brought so many different levels of creepy to the character and it was so great to watch. He was truly remarkable the second half of the season and continued to both surprise and impress with all of the crazy, scary, touching and beautiful moments he put on screen. I really thought he did a brilliant job portraying Henry’s increasing insanity. While I am sad that he is not going to be a part of the second season, I really applaud the writers for not dragging out Henry’s death for another year. It really felt like time for his conclusion on screen, and what a glorious run it was!
Participant - Bash: I feel like I have the potential to get a lot of shit for this, but I’m going for it anyway. You know how in school the sometimes give every kid an award so they don’t feel left out? That’s the award I’m giving Bash, the “participant” award. Bash seems to me like a totally ill-conceived character from the get-go.
First, let’s start with a major issue of season one, the love triangle. I’ve often wondered if the whole “love-triangle” trope was something the writers were forced into by virtue of being a CW show. It seems like a plot conceived to sell this show on a network targeted towards young girls. It’s insulting on a few levels, first, not the whole audience is made up of young teenagers, and second, young girls can appreciate something beyond a fucking love story. It’s a bit offensive to treat the audience like they are stupid, regardless of age.
From the beginning, I spent many a moment wondering why the hell they put this unnecessary plot in the show. Seriously, imagine Mary and Francis with the same tension and angst from the beginning. He’s afraid to fall in love with someone who might be taken away from him, and she just wants her future husband to love her. They still have the same issues of love vs. duty ahead of them as a couple, and the whole thing works without throwing Bash into the mix.
Obviously, I am hardcore a hardcore Frary shipper (see blog title), but to me Bash’s actions made him into a very unlikable person. If they went sans triangle, Bash wouldn’t have appeared like a total asshole for doing this to his brother. Who would openly fall in love with their brother’s betrothed? Even if you thought they were nice looking, wouldn’t you just dismiss it as a no-go zone? That’s messed up! How could you stab a sibling in the back like that? Also, how could Francis ever forgive or trust him again? For me, his actions make it very difficult for him to be a redeemable character. Sure, I liked it when Francis and Bash were working as a team early on as much as anyone else, but if I were Francis, I’d be giving Bash the side-eye from now on. And I sure as hell would never, ever, give him the same level of trust or respect as I did before.
What really sucks is we could have had a nice bromance develop between the brothers that wasn’t tarnished by this goofy and predictable plot line of two brothers falling in love with the same woman. Also, and most importantly, we wouldn’t have created all this fan drama with people lining up on #teambash or #teamfrancis, which just ends up making everyone pissed off. The problem with ALL love triangles is that the losing team usually loses interest in your show, very quickly.
Second to all of that drama, let’s talk about how they use Bash’s character, and that is, rather poorly. With almost every other character on the show, I feel like I understand who they are as a person. Bash, I don’t understand at all. What kind of guy is he? His characterization has been all over the map this season and hastily crafted at best. People often say he is the noble one, but so are many of the men on the show (Francis, Leith, Castleroy). I found Bash really confusing over the course of the season. In the beginning they built up this reputation of a guy who sleeps around a lot and is a massive flirt. He’s shown to be kind of a sarcastic ass, but someone with the freedom to do what he wants because of his position as the bastard. When the legitimization plot was suddenly sprung on him by Mary, he didn’t appear to be at all upset by displacing his brother. After Mary eventually chose Francis for love, Bash didn’t really give up on his pursuit of her, despite her repeated rejections. Later on in the season he was portrayed as having this “savior” syndrome, wanting to protect people from “the Darkness.” Does that cover everything? Who is this guy? I don’t really have a clue because the writers have him all over the map. Is he a womanizer? Is he some kind of knight in shining armor? Does he really care about his brother? Is he still in love with Mary? Please, clarify who Bash is and what motivates him, because I honestly do not know.
I will admit that I think Torrance Coombs is one of the weaker performers on this show, but I will also acknowledge the whole thing is not entirely his fault. Bash gets the most awful and ridiculous storylines. It seems to me they use him to sweep up whatever story needs attention week after week. We need a roadblock for Mary and Francis? Let’s toss Bash into the mix! We need someone to tend to this Darkness storyline? Let’s make Bash chase after him. The poor guy gets stuck tying up loose ends for whatever story needs it time and time again. Leith and Lord Julien, who were on screen much less time, had more understandable and consistent story arcs for me, and Bash is rolled out in promotions as a main character on the show.
The best thing that happened to him all season was his marriage to Kenna. I did another post on those two a while back, but really, they are comedic gold and hope the writers continue to push that envelope with them next year. I hope that Bash gets an interesting storyline next season or that he gets way less time on screen. I don’t want to watch him chase some guy around again just to serve as time filler until we get back to other more interesting characters. I swear, I would rather they kill his character off at that point, because it’s just depressing and embarrassing to watch.
First, let’s start with a major issue of season one, the love triangle. I’ve often wondered if the whole “love-triangle” trope was something the writers were forced into by virtue of being a CW show. It seems like a plot conceived to sell this show on a network targeted towards young girls. It’s insulting on a few levels, first, not the whole audience is made up of young teenagers, and second, young girls can appreciate something beyond a fucking love story. It’s a bit offensive to treat the audience like they are stupid, regardless of age.
From the beginning, I spent many a moment wondering why the hell they put this unnecessary plot in the show. Seriously, imagine Mary and Francis with the same tension and angst from the beginning. He’s afraid to fall in love with someone who might be taken away from him, and she just wants her future husband to love her. They still have the same issues of love vs. duty ahead of them as a couple, and the whole thing works without throwing Bash into the mix.
Obviously, I am hardcore a hardcore Frary shipper (see blog title), but to me Bash’s actions made him into a very unlikable person. If they went sans triangle, Bash wouldn’t have appeared like a total asshole for doing this to his brother. Who would openly fall in love with their brother’s betrothed? Even if you thought they were nice looking, wouldn’t you just dismiss it as a no-go zone? That’s messed up! How could you stab a sibling in the back like that? Also, how could Francis ever forgive or trust him again? For me, his actions make it very difficult for him to be a redeemable character. Sure, I liked it when Francis and Bash were working as a team early on as much as anyone else, but if I were Francis, I’d be giving Bash the side-eye from now on. And I sure as hell would never, ever, give him the same level of trust or respect as I did before.
What really sucks is we could have had a nice bromance develop between the brothers that wasn’t tarnished by this goofy and predictable plot line of two brothers falling in love with the same woman. Also, and most importantly, we wouldn’t have created all this fan drama with people lining up on #teambash or #teamfrancis, which just ends up making everyone pissed off. The problem with ALL love triangles is that the losing team usually loses interest in your show, very quickly.
Second to all of that drama, let’s talk about how they use Bash’s character, and that is, rather poorly. With almost every other character on the show, I feel like I understand who they are as a person. Bash, I don’t understand at all. What kind of guy is he? His characterization has been all over the map this season and hastily crafted at best. People often say he is the noble one, but so are many of the men on the show (Francis, Leith, Castleroy). I found Bash really confusing over the course of the season. In the beginning they built up this reputation of a guy who sleeps around a lot and is a massive flirt. He’s shown to be kind of a sarcastic ass, but someone with the freedom to do what he wants because of his position as the bastard. When the legitimization plot was suddenly sprung on him by Mary, he didn’t appear to be at all upset by displacing his brother. After Mary eventually chose Francis for love, Bash didn’t really give up on his pursuit of her, despite her repeated rejections. Later on in the season he was portrayed as having this “savior” syndrome, wanting to protect people from “the Darkness.” Does that cover everything? Who is this guy? I don’t really have a clue because the writers have him all over the map. Is he a womanizer? Is he some kind of knight in shining armor? Does he really care about his brother? Is he still in love with Mary? Please, clarify who Bash is and what motivates him, because I honestly do not know.
I will admit that I think Torrance Coombs is one of the weaker performers on this show, but I will also acknowledge the whole thing is not entirely his fault. Bash gets the most awful and ridiculous storylines. It seems to me they use him to sweep up whatever story needs attention week after week. We need a roadblock for Mary and Francis? Let’s toss Bash into the mix! We need someone to tend to this Darkness storyline? Let’s make Bash chase after him. The poor guy gets stuck tying up loose ends for whatever story needs it time and time again. Leith and Lord Julien, who were on screen much less time, had more understandable and consistent story arcs for me, and Bash is rolled out in promotions as a main character on the show.
The best thing that happened to him all season was his marriage to Kenna. I did another post on those two a while back, but really, they are comedic gold and hope the writers continue to push that envelope with them next year. I hope that Bash gets an interesting storyline next season or that he gets way less time on screen. I don’t want to watch him chase some guy around again just to serve as time filler until we get back to other more interesting characters. I swear, I would rather they kill his character off at that point, because it’s just depressing and embarrassing to watch.
Most Humorous - Kenna: Oh, Lady Kenna, what a funny girl she is amongst our ladies! Kenna made me laugh really hard from the beginning. Instead of being a dutiful lady to Mary, she was pretty much in this whole thing for her own personal gain. She’s so obnoxious that you kind of think she gets what she deserves. At the same time, her character is so humorous to watch that she sort of gets away with being so selfish. I think Caitlin Stasey does a really good job bringing out comedic side of her character. Kenna is funny! I got a little bored with her storyline during the first half of the season, when she was just having sex with the King all the time, however, even then, she really made it work because she portrays Kenna’s personality quirks so well.
I was a little disappointed with where the writers took her and Bash by the end of the fist season. I enjoyed their initial pairing so much, but they went from all that glorious banter and humor early on in their marriage to being a boring love story really quickly. They are a good paring, but they seem to work best when their fiery nature collides on screen. I hope they bring more of this back next year! I’m not sure where they will have these two go next season, but I hope they don’t get underutilized like they did at the end of the first season with the whole darkness storyline. Major fail, Reign. Please use Bash and Kenna for the comedic gold that they are! Someone needs to provide humor on this show, especially now that Henry is gone.
I was a little disappointed with where the writers took her and Bash by the end of the fist season. I enjoyed their initial pairing so much, but they went from all that glorious banter and humor early on in their marriage to being a boring love story really quickly. They are a good paring, but they seem to work best when their fiery nature collides on screen. I hope they bring more of this back next year! I’m not sure where they will have these two go next season, but I hope they don’t get underutilized like they did at the end of the first season with the whole darkness storyline. Major fail, Reign. Please use Bash and Kenna for the comedic gold that they are! Someone needs to provide humor on this show, especially now that Henry is gone.
Miss Congeniality - Greer: I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, Greer is my favorite among Mary’s ladies. Maybe it is because I am a sucker for good-girls, but of all Mary’s ladies (other than Aylee’s brief stint on the show), Greer is the most dutiful and attentive to Mary. It was funny that Mary’s ladies were portrayed as her friends more than woman who are there to serve her, but it’s a TV show, and one on the CW no less. I get it. Friendship is more fun to watch than some girls dressing Mary while smiling and nodding week after week.
Even though Greer had her own whiny moment during that whole jealously thing with Tomás in Kissed, it was short-lived and she became the most respectful of Mary’s three remaining ladies rather quickly. I can sympathize with Greer’s character and that’s why I adore her so much. I’m naming her Miss Congeniality because I’m pretty sure everyone likes her. She’s trying to do right by her family, had the most adorably sweet romance with Leith for most of the season, and was willing to sacrifice true love to marry a kind gentleman who could help her family.
My only complaint about Greer is that she nearly disappeared during the second part of season one. The first half of the season we had that great build-up of the romance between her and Leith and there were so many cute moments between them. As the weeks passed in the second half of the season I found myself increasingly annoyed that she was only given 30 second of screen time each week. I’m glad to see that Jonathan Keltz has been upped to a series regular next year, which all but virtually ensures we will be seeing a lot more of our sweet Greer on screen in season two.
Even though Greer had her own whiny moment during that whole jealously thing with Tomás in Kissed, it was short-lived and she became the most respectful of Mary’s three remaining ladies rather quickly. I can sympathize with Greer’s character and that’s why I adore her so much. I’m naming her Miss Congeniality because I’m pretty sure everyone likes her. She’s trying to do right by her family, had the most adorably sweet romance with Leith for most of the season, and was willing to sacrifice true love to marry a kind gentleman who could help her family.
My only complaint about Greer is that she nearly disappeared during the second part of season one. The first half of the season we had that great build-up of the romance between her and Leith and there were so many cute moments between them. As the weeks passed in the second half of the season I found myself increasingly annoyed that she was only given 30 second of screen time each week. I’m glad to see that Jonathan Keltz has been upped to a series regular next year, which all but virtually ensures we will be seeing a lot more of our sweet Greer on screen in season two.
Most Attentive - Aylee: I seriously debated whether to even include Aylee here because she was barely a blip on the radar screen. However, since I included several other characters with a 6-episode story arc, I figured I should include her as well. Aylee was without a doubt the only one of Mary’s ladies who actually did her job. Greer kind of took on this role once Aylee departed, but Aylee definitely deserves the Most Attentive award. I found her presence early on enlightening, even if she was a little boring. She was such a stark contrast to all of Mary’s other ladies, who appeared selfish and in this for their own gain. I can’t say I was all that upset with her passing. She was basically on screen to give the viewer insight into what our heroine Mary was thinking. The only thing that makes me sad, is that no one has stepped up to fill this role. I really liked knowing Mary’s thoughts on things. I wish she would confide in someone more often so I knew what was going on in her head. Now that she is a married woman, I would prefer that person be her husband. Anyway, it was the right thing to get rid of Aylee and not only because it served as a means to sell the prophecy storyline to Mary. Can you imagine if Aylee had lived? Another lady, with another storyline? We can barely manage the people we have on screen now! While it was the right time to get rid of Aylee I will never deny that she was the most dutiful among Mary’s ladies. Excellent job serving your Queen, honey!
Biggest Waste of Talent - Lola: Okay, so I almost gave Lady Lola the second “participant” award of the year, because she is just so poorly executed as a character. What stopped me from doing so, is the acting talent of Anna Popplewell. I really think that among the cast, Anna has some of the best experience of the bunch. It’s such a shame that she is yet another casualty among the more ill-conceived characters on the show.
Much like Bash, Lola has been all over the map in season one. There was that whole uproar about how she was defending her “potential rapist” boyfriend in the Pilot and throughout the first few episodes. Then she was kind of portrayed as the “smart one” among Mary’s ladies and a bit outspoken in her actions. Later the episode Royal Blood came along and that awful storyline where Lola sleeps with Francis. The worst part about it for me, other than being a predictable plot device, was that their paring was just so completely out of the blue. Lola’s confessions during that episode came as a total surprise! Lola has been lonely and sad at court? Really? When did they express that facet of her character? And because of this sleeping with Francis, the man that her Queen is in love with, is going to make her feel better? What the hell writers? Lola is the female Bash….they use her to prop-up or further whatever storyline is needed for the main characters. Again, I’m totally confused about who Lola is as a person. What motivates her, and what does she want out of life? Ugh, it’s such a shame because Anna is very talented.
I really liked that they pushed her character as a smart female of the time period during the second half of the season. I hope they continue to push that envelope next year. I also like that, unlike Kenna, she doesn’t want to become a mistress of the King and wants to find a love and life of her own. Instead of using her pregnancy as a way to gain status in court, she genuinely does not wish to hurt Mary, and wants her own husband and happy marriage. I loved and adored her scenes with Lord Julien. The moments shared between them were some of the most well acted moments put down on screen by the cast this entire year. I don’t know where they are taking her character in season two, but let’s hope they give her more to do than just be the mother to Francis’ bastard child. Anna deserves better and so do we.
Much like Bash, Lola has been all over the map in season one. There was that whole uproar about how she was defending her “potential rapist” boyfriend in the Pilot and throughout the first few episodes. Then she was kind of portrayed as the “smart one” among Mary’s ladies and a bit outspoken in her actions. Later the episode Royal Blood came along and that awful storyline where Lola sleeps with Francis. The worst part about it for me, other than being a predictable plot device, was that their paring was just so completely out of the blue. Lola’s confessions during that episode came as a total surprise! Lola has been lonely and sad at court? Really? When did they express that facet of her character? And because of this sleeping with Francis, the man that her Queen is in love with, is going to make her feel better? What the hell writers? Lola is the female Bash….they use her to prop-up or further whatever storyline is needed for the main characters. Again, I’m totally confused about who Lola is as a person. What motivates her, and what does she want out of life? Ugh, it’s such a shame because Anna is very talented.
I really liked that they pushed her character as a smart female of the time period during the second half of the season. I hope they continue to push that envelope next year. I also like that, unlike Kenna, she doesn’t want to become a mistress of the King and wants to find a love and life of her own. Instead of using her pregnancy as a way to gain status in court, she genuinely does not wish to hurt Mary, and wants her own husband and happy marriage. I loved and adored her scenes with Lord Julien. The moments shared between them were some of the most well acted moments put down on screen by the cast this entire year. I don’t know where they are taking her character in season two, but let’s hope they give her more to do than just be the mother to Francis’ bastard child. Anna deserves better and so do we.
