El reino

Some parts of this are way too painful to watch. I began watching it because I love Mary, Queen of Scots, but soon found that the historical accuracy of this was blown way out of proportion. Clothing (especially the dresses) - WRONG. Food - WRONG. Dance style - WRONG. Names of Mary's friends - WRONG. It seemed like I had a permanent grimace on my face for the beginning of it.

But then there's my affection for the characters. I love Francis and Mary's relationship (and Toby is such an adorable actor :), I love Bash, I love Catherine (though seeing Anne Shirley on screen put me into shock for a while...had to pause it for a moment...), and I love that strangely mysterious person that keeps giving people hints. I FEEL SO HORRIBLE FOR LETTING SUCH A HISTORICALLY INEPT SHOW SUCK ME IN, BUT I LOVE IT AT THE SAME TIME!

tl;dr: Let's just say it's a fantasy show that just so happens to have the same names as historical figures.

The CW's new show about the teen years of doomed royal Mary, Queen of Scots,played by Teen Wolf's Adelaide Kane. We see the power struggles and confused sexual longing of any teen drama writ large, transplanted onto a background of plotting and intrigue as she arrives in France in the 16th century.

For those of us who are looking for an over-the-top costume drama by the people who brought you 90210, welcome to your new favorite show.

Reign is like Game of Thrones meets Gossip Girl,a mash up you never knew you wanted, but now might not be able to live without.

the hour long episode was quite intriguing,as it takes you through different levels of feelings the,Juicy love triangle + epic costumes x political intrigue = one of the interesting new shows of the season!

It's 1557 France. Mary (Adelaide Kane), Queen of Scots, has been hidden away at a convent for her safety since age 9. She is engaged to childhood friend Prince Francis, the future King of France. After a failed assassination attempt, she is sent to the French court. King Henry II is tyrannical. Queen Catherine de' Medici (Megan Follows) is a scheming survivor. Nostradamus is her adviser. Sebastian 'Bash' de Poitiers is the King's bastard son. Mary is joined by her friends from Scotland; Aylee, Greer Norwood, Kenna, and Lola. Mary has to navigate the royal court intrigue and the bubbling conflict between Protestants and Catholics. There is the scheming Lord Narcisse, the self-obsessed Princess Claude, and finally Queen Elizabeth of England.

The initial complaint is the myriad of historical inaccuracies. At some point, accuracy be damn. It's a YA romantic drama dressed up in historical costumes. Along with the beautiful and capable younger cast, the show is anchored by veterans Megan Follows and Alan van Sprang. After the departure of van Sprang, others are able to fill the vacuum. Adelaide Kane proves to be a very engaging lead. Eventually, the show does run out of steam and quite frankly history. While it lasted, it has 4 full years of great romantic melodrama.

Reign is a show aimed at girls, there's no arguing about that. It's fiction, doesn't claim to be otherwise.

Season 1 is very light and full of spiralling dresses, and love stories. So light you might loose interest at some point but somehow, I always wanted to give it one more episode. Just one more to convince me to drop it. But just like you stuck with Gossip Girl for Blair & Chuck, you stick with Reign for Marie & Francis. Marie is regal and steals the screen while Francis is honest, and endearing. I have to admit Francis grew in me, wasn't such a fan at first.

Season 2 however, gets much more political (and we thank you for it). The plot twists are unpredictable (at least less predictable than the first season), you will feel thorn by the various love stories that are stretched by politics. You will find matches you're rooting for, and others you hate. Following Marie's ladies from their teenage crushes to their marriages, you will see what life has planned for them. While it still revolves very much around the love stories, the intrigue is not only accessory in this season, it is fully part of the story.

Can't wait to see season 3!

The history buff within me reviles this show. The female costumes are so off from what was worn in 16th century Europe; they look more like a 21st century dream of the Renaissance. The melodrama is over-the-top and sometimes silly. The characters are all,of course, much more attractive than they were in real life.

But in the end, I don't care. This show is fun. The costumes, while inaccurate to the point of hilarity, are gorgeous. The music is ethereal and contemporary, somehow integrating well with the faux-history of this story. The atmosphere is perfect. And the actors do a fantastic job, even with all of the hokum they play with.

All in all, a great guilty pleasure of mine. Long may it reign.