Reign – Pulling Strings

By: Stacy Miller

We were cordially invited to the wedding of Queen Mary of Scotland (Adelaide Kane) and Lord Darnley (Will Kemp). It was a happy occasion for both bride and groom. And if you believe that, I have a country to sell you…how about England as everyone seems to want that one.

Mary just wants to call the whole thing off.  But that wouldn’t solve her problems.  So she and partner-in-crime a/k/a former mother-in-law Catherine (Megan Follows) decide that if Mary has to go through with it, she might as well keep all the nobles who have arrived for the ceremony happy.  Nothing says happiness to rich nobles better than more money and jewels. Mary later learns that she is pregnant with Darnley’s child so it’s a good thing that she did decide to go through with the wedding.  According to the prophecy, the child will grow up to rule over both England and Scotland so, of course, if she didn’t marry Lord Darnley the baby would be illegitimate and not recognized as a rightful heir. Lord Bothwell’s (Adam Croasdell) arrival at the castle only serves to add to Mary’s complications as he tells her that he loves her and believes they could find a way around the prophecy.  Plus, he knows that he can make her happy more than Darnley ever could.

Speaking of Darnley, where is the groom to be?  The wedding guests are at the castle for pre-wedding celebration and a game involving following a string to your destiny (I’m not kidding.  Remember dancing around the Maypole? Well, there wasn’t, dancing but a lot of what looked more like ribbons than string). How could Darnley miss all this fun?

David Rizzio, (Andrew Shaver) that man who Mary and Lord Bothwell happened upon in the woods, is already completely loyal to Mary. He tells her that no one really cares about the groom, she’s the most important person that will be at the wedding. Rizzio also meets Catherine and seems to be very excited. James (Dan Jeannotte) comes in with information regarding Lord Darnley’s disappearance from the festivities.  It seems that Darnley is on some secret meeting (probably doing something that will win him favor with the royals over Mary and ensure him receiving the crown matrimonial). James’ sexual encounter with Emily Knox (Claire Hunter) was helpful in obtaining this information and also learning that John Knox (Jonathan Goad) is in cahoots with Keira’s husband Lord White who is plotting on a way to murder Darnley (as revenge for his affair with Keira and her death) while he is alone at this meeting.  Mary can only think of one person who would be privy to Darnley’s whereabouts and that would be his mother Lady Lennox (Nola Auguston).  But the Queen of Scots is certain that Darnley’s mum won’t tell her so she sends in Catherine, the one person who could get information out of anyone – even a silent monk who took a vow of secrecy.  And let me say, this is the one encounter I’ve been dying to see! Catherine and Lady Lennox were a joy to watch as they exchanged politely disguised snipes at each other about their sons.  But in the end, Catherine learns that Darnley is meeting with a Vatican envoy, Cardinal Odomo (Paulino Nunes), hoping to secure more power. And because David Rizzio is having a romance with Father Julian, the cardinal’s secretary, he is able to secure the location despite personal risk to himself. I’m liking David Rizzio – he’s quickly becoming Mary’s go-to guy and a trusted supporter.  Lord Darnley is more than a little miffed when Mary arrives at the secret meeting to “fetch” her groom-to-be.  She also lets Cardinal Odomo know that she is the one in charge in Scotland.  You go Mary!  Unfortunately, although Mary totally rocked in this scene, Cardinal Odomo refused to be intimidated.  Mary learned that the Vatican would not be helping her to convince the English border towns to change alliance and join Team Scotland. Queen Mary needed this support in order to secure her position in the bid for the English throne.

Meanwhile, poor Emily Knox’s world is about to come crashing down.  John Knox tells his wife that he knows she’s been having a dalliance with the Queen of Scotland’s brother. How does he make this revelation? Well, he has their carriage stop in front of a scene in the village in which a woman is being publicly humiliated for having committed adultery.  Knox tells Emily that he realized when Mary and James always seemed to be one step ahead of him that someone close to him had to be feeding them information. John Knox thinks his wife an idiot for throwing what they had and everything he has given her for James, who was only using her.  Emily is afraid that he will drag her out in public to be humiliated like that village woman, but John Knox tells her that he could never do that to her because he loves her too much.  He does, however; make her remove her shoes and dress. She’s now to find her own way in life. What does that exactly mean John Knox? Is that a fancy way of saying “I’m throwing you out of my house you cheating slut.  And don’t think of even taking any of the expensive clothes that my money bought for you!”

Greer’s (Celina Sinden) baby daddy, pirate Marteen (Saamer Usmani), arrives at court for the wedding and tells her that he wants to be a part of his daughter Rose’s life whenever he’s in Scotland. But Greer fears that if the world knows the truth about Rose’s paternity, she’ll never be accepted into society or stand a chance of a decent marriage.  But even though James calls Marteen “bejeweled man,” he respects the pirate’s love for his daughter and encourages Greer to allow the man to be a father to Rose.  It seems that Greer and James are growing closer and I couldn’t be happier.  I love this pairing.  They radiate a chemistry that leaps off the screen. Greer and James end up in a passionate moment that is witnessed by a disheveled Emily Knox.  Did she walk all way back from town to the castle…without shoes? And was she hoping that James would take her in? So Emily sees with her own two eyes that her husband was telling the truth about James using her. Watch out James…Hell hath no fury like a woman with a dirty dress and no shoes scorned!

Mary, the blushing bride (actually more like the bride-to-be determined to wed to save her kingdom) is busy getting ready for her wedding when David Rizzio arrives to tell her that Lord Darnley is very drunk.  She and Rizzio work to sober the groom-to-be up because you know, drunk and stumbling at your wedding is kind of embarrassing. Not to mention you probably can’t intelligently get through the vows.  So, it’s a head dunk in a bucket of water and loads of coffee to help sober Darnley up. Lord Darnley makes some insensitive remarks about how he’s surprised that Mary hasn’t resorted to drink to get through this travesty of a wedding, but then he remembers that she’s very driven to do anything for her precious Scotland.  I have to say drunk Darnley is very nasty. Mary has to take his words and can’t tell him the truth about the baby until after they are married. The “happy’” couple make it to the altar and become man and wife. It’s a shame that the beautiful wedding dress and ceremony couldn’t have been heartfelt for the couple.  Catherine is able to cheer Mary up after the wedding when she tells her that all the gold and jewels that Mary was going to give to the noble, Catherine decided to give them to the villagers in the border English towns and now all of them are supporting Scotland.  Catherine always comes to the rescue… she’s one smart cookie!  Mary is extremely lucky to have her on her side.

Meanwhile in England, Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) is waiting to see what will happen with Mary and Darnley’s wedding. She’s concerned how this Catholic marriage will effect Mary’s bid for the English throne.  She’s not happy when she learns that the border towns are now supporting Mary and Scotland.  Elizabeth goes over to the portrait of her father Henry VIII and tears it off the wall.  If it wasn’t for him and her questionable birth, no one could try to lay a claim to her throne.  Gideon comforts Elizabeth and by comfort, I mean the two end up in bed together.  Remember when Gideon was all into Mary?  Well times they are changing!

The episode closes as Mary finds Darnley passed out drunk. It’s a good thing for her as she was going to try to get out of sleeping with him on their wedding night.  Mary walks over to the balcony and finds Lord Bothwell looking up at her window from the ground below.  I don’t think Bothwell will let marriage stop him from giving up on Mary.  But if she has an affair with him, she could lose everything.