Reign – Spiders in a Jar

By: Stacy Miller

The season finale of “Reign” saw more heartache than triumph for our three queens Mary, Elizabeth and Catherine as they faced religions and political upheaval, enemies and betrayal. The lands of Scotland, England and France were certainly hotbeds of activity.

Mary (Adelaide Kane) is trying to adjust to being back at home in Scotland, but feels like a stranger in her own home and land. Her brother James (Dan Jeannotte) tells her that Elizabeth is making a play for her throne and the best way to counter it would be to join an alliance of sorts with John Knox (Jonathan Goad) by becoming Protestant.
Mary refuses to let John Knox or his religion dictate how she rules her country as queen. Mary intends to show that she won’t be easily swayed. “Where are you going?” Bash (Torrance Coombs) asks. “To show John Knox that queens do not bow to their subjects. It is, in fact quite the other way around,” Mary answers. John Knox learns she plans to take Mass much to his chagrin.

In England, Lola (Anna Popplewell) is torn by the letter from Mary to kill Elizabeth, (Rachel Skarsten) but knows loyalty to her friend and queen must come first. Lola meets with Narcisse (Craig Parker) and tells him that she can’t leave Scotland with him because there’s an event she needs to attend. Although he doesn’t like it, Narcisse agrees to take John and go without her. The one time when Narcisse should question his wife and insist she join him, he decides to play the agreeable husband. The old Narcisse would have basically thrown her in the carriage and they’d be off, but I guess he was serious about changing to be a better husband. Lola tells him they are a family then kisses John and Narcisse in what seems to be a final goodbye.

After arranging for a captured member of The Red Knights to be tortured, Catherine (Meagan Follows) gets the name of the king’s guardsmen who were in cahoots with the group. And not too soon as those very guards were insisting on Catherine and Claude (Rose Williams) going off with them for their “protection.” Leith (just call him Robin Hood or Green Arrow) dispatches the two traitors with his bow and arrow. Catherine is so grateful to Leith for saving their lives that she grants her permission for Leith (Jonathan Keltz) and Claude to marry. Catherine has another reason to be grateful when Charles (Spencer MacPherson) is finally found.

Mary learns from her brother James that a small village of Catholics killed their neighboring Protestants. The Catholics then fled the village but a priest remained. Mary has James find the priest and they will determine if he is behind the massacre and will be punished if he is guilty. Mary also learns that Gideon (Ben Geurens) is part of an English delegate going around Scotland to get Scottish nobles’ support for Elizabeth’s taking over the Scottish throne. Mary meets with Gideon to talk with him about this. Well, actually pillow talk as Mary and Gideon end up in bed! Gideon tells Mary that he’ll try to delay the delegates a day or so to give her the opportunity to get more support for Mary regaining the throne. Gideon may say he’s loyal to his queen Elizabeth, but his heart lies with Mary.

Meanwhile in England, Lola meets with her co-conspirator in Elizabeth’s murder who gives her a gun to hide and orders her to wait for the right time to create a diversion so he can take the shot at the English queen. At the castle later, Lola is so obvious in her eye contact with the shooter (who misses the shot he takes at Elizabeth), that Dudley identifies her as part of the conspiracy trying to assassinate the queen. Lola is arrested.

At the prison cell, Elizabeth is tearful as she tells Lola she can’t believe she was part of the attempt to kill her. Lola is also tearful, but stands by her support of Mary, Scotland’s true and only queen. Lola calls Elizabeth a power grabbing ruler who will end up alone because of it. “It’s incredible really. I march to my execution very soon and yet, you are the one to be pitied,” Lola tells Elizabeth.

The priest is captured and questioned by Mary. He later hangs himself, but Mary decides to use his hanging death to convey a message to the people. Mary lies that she had the Catholic priest hung because of his actions against the Protestants. She will judge a man not by his religion, but by his actions. Mary encourages the people to stand united for the good of Scotland. “This is our land. And though they may spill our blood, they will never take the Scotland that pounds in our veins!” Mary always gives rousing speeches. Forget queen, she needs to run for President!

Back in England, Lola is walked out to the executioner’s chopping block. Narcisse is in the crowd screaming her name. Lola urges Narcisse to turn away, not wanting him to see this. Narcisse stabs at the guard in an attempt to free his wife, but it’s no use. Elizabeth nods, the executioner swings his ax and LOLA IS BEHEADED!!! As I was watching the events leading up to this moment, I kept hoping at the last minute Elizabeth would change her mind. She and Lola were starting to become friends and I wanted Elizabeth to have sympathy for Lola and also the fact that Lola’s son John was going to grow up without his mother. But, of course, that didn’t happen so it’s goodbye Lola.

In France, Charles tells Catherine about his escape and watching his friend Thierry (Seamus Patterson)  die. Later, Charles announces to his mother that the counsel has declared him an adult so he’ll be able to run the throne now without her interference. The boy king grows up!

Leith tells Claude that he intends to put an end to The Red Knights. Martel de Guise (Lewis Kirk) offers some of his men to help, but the men end of stabbing Leith! I guess Martel de Guise wasn’t happy about Claude and Leith’s engagement. I hope Leith isn’t dead, this is too much death to take. But we’ll have to wait until Season 4 to learn Leith’s fate.

Mary is given the shocking news that Lola is dead, beheaded for trying to carry out an assassination plot against Elizabeth. Mary doesn’t believe it as she knows Lola would never do something like that. She reasons that Elizabeth had Lola killed to punish Mary. An angry Mary vows that Elizabeth will pay. John Knox arranged the whole assassination attempt as a way to ensure that Mary and Elizabeth would turn against each other. A man of God indeed.

Meanwhile, Bash has decided to take up the study to become a Druid. The final scene of the finale finds Mary and Gideon on a bluff situated at the border of Scotland and England. Mary wants Gideon to continue to gain Elizabeth’s trust to get information she can use to take over the English throne. Yes Elizabeth, Mary is coming for you!