Reign – Clans

By: Stacy Miller

There’s an old saying “You can’t go home again.” There were no truer words for Mary (Adelaide Kane) as her return to Scotland was met with peril.

After surviving the rough seas, Mary washes up on shore and wakes up to find several men hovering over her soldiers. Suddenly, to her horror, Mary witnesses one of the men slash the throat of one of her soldiers, killing him. Mary grabs a makeshift weapon and hides behind the boat wreckage. A man grabs her from behind. It is Narcisse (Craig Parker) who tells her they need to leave the shore before they’re spotted. But Mary hasn’t found Bash (Torrance Coombs) and doesn’t want to leave without him.

The men, who Mary later discovers are the Wolver Clan, continue to check the bodies on the shore. That’s when Mary finally sees Bash. She’s horrified when one of the men points his sword over Bash. Fortunately, it’s not bye bye Bash. He’s saved by some druids who take Bash with them.

In France, Charles (Spencer Macpherson) is determined to take his power from the Regency, his mother Catherine (Megan Follows). To that end, he comes up with a plan that will show he’s not some boy, but a capable ruler in his own right- he’ll defeat The Red Knights! In order to hide what he’s doing from his mother, Charles has some of his teen friends, who he dubs The Phantom Brigade, obtain information on The Red Knights for him. When Catherine sees them together, they just appear to be a group of boyhood friends spending time together. Charles’ friend Felix (Stephen Joffe) gets information about weapons that The Red Knights are hiding in Orsay. Claude (Rose Williams) suggests Leith (Jonathan Keitz) go with him and once The Red Knights are defeated by he and Charles, Leith will get elevated in station (to Duke) and then they can marry. Claude will do anything she can to help her and Leith get married.

Back in Scotland, Mary and Narcisse follow the druids and find one of them performing an ancient ceremony over Bash, which saves his life. Because Mary isn’t exactly popular anymore in Scotland, Narcisse convinces her to hide her identity. They tell the druids that they are brother and sister. The druid leader explains that Scotland is in disarray and full of murderers.

In England, Prince Magnus of Denmark (Kyle Gatehouse), a pompous bore arrives at the castle. Queen Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) does her best to entertain the man, including showing him King Henry VIII’s Whisper Gallery in which from a distance the sound will carry as though you’re right next to the person. All the while, Lola (Anna Popplewell) is entertaining Prince Magnus’ male friend, which is not too bad – the guy is hot! Then, there’s a useless scene involving phony snow and a snowball fight. Elizabeth can’t take it anymore, she’s bored by all this (and I was too). She and Lola walk away and enter the Whisper Gallery hallway and as Elizabeth is saying unflattering things about Denmark, unbeknownst to her, Prince Magnus was following and overheard!

He is furious and takes away his offer of oxen that England needed. Since Lola has become a great friend to Elizabeth, she lies that Prince Magnus misheard saying SHE was the one who made the remarks. And with that, Prince Magnus issues a severe punishment- Lola is banished from Denmark! Bummer. Lola will now never have the chance to hear more of insufferable Prince Magnus’ boring Denmark stories, say it isn’t so! My question is does Elizabeth still get her oxen?

Later, Elizabeth tells Lola she knows that she told Mary when to travel to Scotland. To Lola’s horror and guilt, Elizabeth tells her that Mary’s ship sank. Lola cries thinking she’s responsible for her friend’s death. Elizabeth thanks Lola for her friendship with an offer to remain in England, not as a prisoner, but as an English subject.

In France, Leith and Charles find the weapons. Unfortunately, it’s a trap as Charles was betrayed by one of his friends and is taken hostage!

Narcisse tells Mary that since Bash is alive, he’s leaving and heading to England and Lola. Mary is recognized by the druid leader as Mary Queen of Scots even though her portrait is unavailable. He vows to keep her secret. Soon after, though, he is killed by the Wolver Clan.

Luckily, Bash’s quick thinking saves him and Mary from being next victims. They pretend they were hostages taken by the druids and the Wolver Clan offer their help. The leader Duncan wears a family brooch from the men who killed Francis, the Clan McPhee. Mary tells Bash that they will follow the men back to their headquarters so she will finally get the chance to pay them back for Francis’ death!

Is Mary leading Bash into a trap? Will Charles be rescued? It’s looking like the next episode will be not ‘God Save The Queen’ but God keep the Queen (and King) safe.