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My thoughts after binge-watching the series SPOILERS

posted 9 years ago by LeahJayne
11 replies | jump to latest

Hello Reign Board! I'm a little late to the party...this show has been on my radar for a while now but in the last month or so I've binge-watched the entire series and I can say it's one of the most addictive I've seen in a long time. Once it took off, it had my attention and didn't let go. I had to keep watching more episodes. Although the show is by no means historically accurate, I'm not watching it for that reason. I think of it more as historical figures being placed into fictional situations. Overall, I've really enjoyed it - I love the cast, locations, costumes (however unrealistic), music, the emphasis on the female relationships (the show actually passes the Bechdel test), etc.

But now I want to talk about the thing that bothered me the most in my viewing experience of the series...HEAVY SPOILER WARNING...At this point, the writers have decided to kill off Francis, which is a heartbreaking death since for me, Mary and Francis are the heart of the show, but I can accept it since the series is about the life of Mary Stuart, and historically, her first husband died young and she was married twice after that. But here's what I cannot accept from the writers - if they knew they were going to be writing Francis out of the story after a certain point (and it seems like they did since his death was foretold from the first episode), why oh why did we have to endure the pain that was most of Season 2, aka the dreadful Conde storyline?

Tell me honestly, is there anyone out there who actually enjoyed this storyline? That is, the storyline of Mary being sexually assaulted and turning to another man for comfort? First of all, I really wish the writers hadn't incorporated this kind of issue, regardless of whether or not it happened in real life. Second, it makes absolutely no sense to me that Mary would turn to another man to ease the pain. I can understand that she might need some distance from Francis after what happened, but how does it make sense for her to be unfaithful to him?

I recently read an interview with executive producer Laurie McCarthy regarding Mary's storyline in Season 2, and she made reference to how Mary takes her position as the Queen of France very seriously...in my opinion, Mary's actions could not have more seriously undermined her position as the Queen of France: she had an affair with another man (who also happens to be a rival for the throne) in plain sight of the French court and was actually planning to flee to Scotland with him, leaving her husband and the country that had defended her up until this point. I'm sorry, but no amount of trauma could excuse this level of betrayal.

I know that this is a CW series with soap opera antics, but that never really bothered me until this storyline came about. Using sexual assault to force a love triangle...and for that matter, why did we need another love triangle involving Mary and Francis? We already saw that in Season 1 with Bash. What was the point of it this time? How did it develop Mary as a character? If anything, it had the opposite effect. Mary started out as a really likeable, strong, independent female character. She always wanted to do the right thing and always put the needs of her country before anything else, even before her own interests. This storyline really made me dislike her. Under the circumstances, I don't blame her for needing some distance from Francis and maybe giving their private life a break, but what she did with Conde was reprehensible. Not only was it treasonous, it was also perilous to her own life and to her reign. It all just seems like something the Mary from Season 1 would never consider doing. I know that she had been through a horrible trauma, but it still seems incredibly out of character.

Was it really asking too much to let Mary and Francis be happy in Season 2, especially if he was going to get axed in Season 3? I understand that it's a show and there needs to be tension, but it could have been done differently. I actually liked that the writers hit upon how difficult it was to be the King/Queen in those days - your first priority as ruler must always be the welfare of your country, and that sometimes for the greater good, you have to make decisions that might not necessarily align with your own personal feelings e.g. the whole blackmail situation between Francis and Narcisse.

The only positive thing I can see coming out of the Conde storyline is that when faced with the ultimate choice between the two, Mary chose Francis, proving that her love for him was always there and that her loyalties are with him/France. Of course, I'm glad that Mary and Francis found their way back to each other. I just wish we could have been spared all of the angst, especially given what fate had in store for them next...

I'm sorry that my first post to this board is so ranty, but these are just my thoughts and opinions and I needed to get them off my chest. I would love to know what the rest of the fans have to say about Season 2 and Mary's evolution as a character.

[–] coldnight_99 9 years ago

Really like your writing and completely agree. There was no point to separate frary in season 2 when they had so little time left :( Should have been at least little happiness before killing Francis off.

Only thing to keep me watching after his death is if Mary got pregnant to him before he died ;)

[–] LeahJayne 9 years ago

Yes, it would've been some consolation if Mary found out she was pregnant with Francis' child after his death; a part of him and their life together would live on. I wasn't holding my breath though seeing as the real life Mary only had one child with her second husband.

[–] chibimon 9 years ago

I completely agree with OP and I also enjoyed reading it :)

I think the reason the writers used Mary seeking solace in Condè after her rape was because she blamed Francis directly for letting it happen. I believe she even said that at one point, that the castle would not have been sieged if he would have stood his ground about the religious turmoil that was going on.

[–] LeahJayne 9 years ago

Thanks for reading :) I do understand given what happened and the nature of the circumstances surrounding it why Mary felt betrayed by Francis and I don't think she's completely unjustified in feeling that way - Francis made mistakes too in choosing not to tell her about what was really going on, but I can understand his motivations much better than hers. He was trying to save her life and he couldn't have foreseen what would happen to her. If he'd had the slightest inkling that his actions would help facilitate an attack against his castle and his wife, he would have acted differently. I guess my point is that Francis always had Mary's best interests at heart whereas she did something that she knew would hurt him and she did it anyway. Like I said in the post, it makes sense that Mary would need to separate herself from Francis for a while to heal and recover. But what doesn't make sense is why she needed to turn to another, especially if it meant knowingly betraying her husband and the country that she ruled alongside him. I guess at the end of the day, the only answer is that it's a CW show and there needs to be romantic tension. They can't let two characters be happy together for too long without something getting in their way. For that matter, the writers have done this to ALL of the major couples on the show - Mary/Francis, Kenna/Bash, Greer/Leith, Lola/Narcisse, etc. I have loved all of these pairings (except for Lola/Narcisse, he's not a good love interest for her).

[–] one189teen50five 9 years ago

I think Mary had a major break down from the assault on her and her judgement over everything was off kilter. She fooled herself into believing she needed Conde and needed to get away from everything attached to France and Francis. Plus the storyline was to stretch out the life of Francis because they didn't want him to go so soon after Henry died. Maybe it was annoying to many but I feel like it was a necessity. I didn't like Conde in the end. And I really didn't like that they broke up Bash and Kenna. There were so many avenues they could've taken with them. I still hope for them to get back together. As a writer myself, I understand why these liberties were taken, not that I agree they should have.

[–] kavieregge 9 years ago

I agree that Mary turning to another man to deal with having been raped seemed implausible and against her season 1 character to put France and her own Scotland in jeopardy with an affair with a protestant that would destroy her catholic alliance with France.

But now I've come to think the main purpose of the painful (for viewers) Conde story was to show that Mary really did love Francis and she wasn't with him only out of duty for her country. She was tempted by Conde and seduced by the idea of not doing what had been planned by other people for her to do (marry France). Even the Bash love triangle was still about her marrying France as her duty to Scotland. But after having the chance to go off with Conde she still chose Francis. It proves what they had was real, not a political marriage.

[–] one189teen50five 9 years ago

Very well stated, kavieregge...History recorded their love for one another. Mary grieved a very long time over Francis. But what could she do but go on?

[–] LeahJayne 9 years ago

Well said, and I agree with you. The only saving grace to come out of that storyline is that it reaffirmed where Mary's love and loyalty truly was. In the episode before the Season 2 finale when Mary came to Conde's camp and said, "True love never fades, not truly," immediately I knew she was talking about her and Francis. And then she crushed the uprising almost single-handed. Not a shabby way for Mary to gain her redemption :)

[–] kavieregge 9 years ago

Another thought on season 2 - IMO, Mary's affair with Conde was a way of punishing Francis for his sleeping with Lola. She might have not made a conscious decision to punish him, but the trams of her rape, her mothers unconcern about it, and Conde already being available and obviously pursuing her led to her losing it and lashing out at Francis by her going to another. I don't blame Francis cause Mary was the one to break it off with him, but I do think he deliberately did the old "get back at my ex by sleeping with her friend" passive aggressive trick. But it came back to haunt him when they got back together. And Mary, I think it made her really jealous of Lola and on top of it baby John. When later in season 2 Mary talks about them hurting each other I think she's talking about this pattern of them both getting with others to hurt each other. On the upside, if I'm right I think Mary getting with Conde as a subconscious way of hurting Francis, in a twisted way showed she still had strong feelings for him. If she didn't she would have just left instead of torturing him for half the season.

[–] LeahJayne 9 years ago

That's an interesting idea, I'd never thought of the affair with Conde as a means of punishing Francis. I can certainly understand that he felt punished by it, but I think it was about Mary needing to distance herself from him. Throughout the whole affair, she repeatedly says to herself and to others that she knows what she's doing is wrong but she feels it's the only way to heal, though she regrets Francis is being hurt by it. As for the affair with Lola, Mary was always very gracious about it, to both Francis and Lola; a lot more so than most people would be under the same circumstances. But I think, like you said, she knows that she was the one to break it off with Francis. She intended to see Bash legitimized and to marry him. She had no expectation of being with Francis again, so she didn't blame him for attempting to move on. However, I do think it was poor judgment on both Francis' and Lola's part to sleep together, knowing that they both still loved Mary. I don't think Francis slept with Lola to deliberately hurt Mary - he thought he'd never see her or Lola again afterward. Lola really should have known better, especially as Mary's lady and friend.

[–] xxstaindrosesxx-1 9 years ago

I personally found the whole Conde story line poorly written and executed in general.

As many have pointed out in the past, the rape was just a plot device, which actually makes it quite an awful thing to include in the show, and as someone who watched it live the night it aired, they actually gave no content warnings before the episode, or trigger warnings, for that matter. When the rape scene happened, I literally cringed. I was not prepared, and I think the network should have put some sort of warning before the episode aired.

Obviously this was just a plot device to drag out the whole Francis/Mary thing, and I find that quite sad. There could have been other ways to do it, because having her be raped and then turning to another man seems like the most illogical thing I can think of. You were just raped by a man, and I understand that people need time to heal after events like that, but why on earth would she be turning to another man to heal? If anything, this would have been a great opportunity for the writers to focus on Mary internally, like her issues, and how she could be strong and independent. It showed she still needed to rely on a man, even when that man wasn't her husband.

Personally, if that was me, the last thing I'd be thinking about is being with another man, and I felt like that whole plot was poorly executed and just sort of disgusting in general because they used something so traumatic as rape for a plot device. It was weak, and showed they were just grasping at straws to carry out the Frary plot line for longer.

I agree with the person who said that season 2 should have been happy for the couple. I think that if they did that and then led up to the season 2 finale being Francis' death, it would have had more of an impact. Give us this happy season and have us waiting on the edge of our seats to have it ripped away. The blow would have been more severe, because honestly after what Mary did, if I was Francis, I wouldn't have forgive her. It's one thing for her to blame him for the rape - even though he had no idea what could have happened - but it's another to cheat on your husband.

Let's not forget that the likelihood of any of this happening is slim to none in general because they change a lot of stuff in this show anyways. That further proves the point it was nothing more than a cheap plot device.

My thoughts after binge-watching the series *SPOILERS*

My thoughts after binge-watching the series SPOILERS