Reign

The King of France (Alan Van Sprang; Land of the Dead) is worried that England will soon point its sword in France’s direction and the only way for his kingdom to survive is by using his sons marriage as an alliance tactic. Are Mary and Scotland really the answer? Francis’ mother doesn’t seem to think so.

With Nostradamus (Rossif Sutherland; Timeline) as her advisor, Catherine de’ Medici (Megan Follows; Anne of Green Gables) has learned of an ill omen concerning the arrival of Mary and her sons future. Quick to devise a plan to alter her sons fate Catherine must do whatever she can out of a mothers love. This does not bode well for Mary. Fortunately she has a friend in a mysterious woman who watches silently over Mary.

There are so many networks that have directed their attention to the period drama that it’s no surprise to find Reign within the ranks of the CW schedule. I was afraid that the show would be some tacky Game of Thrones wannabe filled with current music and the same old, same old teenage drama the CW has been churning out for years. I was pleasantly surprised to find a show that showed a massive amount of promise with only small doses annoyance, that to be fair, were probably all relevant only to me as viewer and nothing really critical.

Filmed mostly in Ireland, the film boasts a heavy cast of Australian, English, and Canadian actors. The backdrops are gorgeous and absolutely draw you into the setting of the show. Costumes are fantastic, the story is riveting and the music, though some of it current, really fits in well without taking away the edge the show has in transporting you to another time. My only real complaint is probably the accents. I’m not to privy on the French Court, but you’d think you’d get a few utterances of the French language. Again, not too big a deal.

The show stars Adelaide Kane (Teen Wolf) as Mary Queen of Scots, Toby Regbo (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows -Part 1) as Francis, Prince of France, Megan Follows (Anne of Green Gables) as Francis Mother Catherine, Alan Van Sprang (The Tudors) as the King of France, and Torrance Coombs (Battlestar Galactica) as Sebastian, the illegitimate son of the King and half brother to Francis.

Playing minor roles in the show include Rossif Sutherland (Red Doors) as Nostradamus, Anna Popplewell (Nania) as one of Mary’s Ladies in Waiting, Caitlin Stacy (The Sleepover Club) as Kenna, another Lady in Waiting, and Anna Walton (Hellboy II) as Diane de Poitiers, the King mistress.