Reign

I'll start by saying I'm Scottish with a reasonable knowledge of the times in the drama and this is bunkum BUT it is enjoyable bunkum with a very beautiful Mary and some of the best music I've heard on a TV show since the new Battlestar Galactica. Think 'The Borgia's' without Jeremy Iron's pope and you will be on the right lines when you imagine what 'Reign' is like. It's actually so pretty, and the music is so great, that I really want them to dump the historical narrative altogether and disappear off into a fantasy world where they can make up their own ending and create their own marriages and alliances as they go along. Adelaide Kane is a gorgeous Mary - in fact I keep forgetting it's supposed to be Mary Queen of Scots and getting confused with 'Snow White'. That girl was just born to wear red roses in her hair. Her young French prince is the ringer for the younger of the Borgia sons and is very easy on the eye - and talking about eyes, the 'bastard' brother to the French prince is another honey. And then we get on to the pagans in the woods, the conspiring Queen and the enemies all around. It's quite sumptuous. As I say, it's nonsense; it's absolutely not to be taken seriously, but I will carry on watching it because it is all just so darned enjoyable and glorious in it's wrongness. And the soundtrack is just breathtaking.

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.

I hoped this show to be the unofficial sequel to The Tudors, since Tudors still were the ruling dynasty when Mary of Scots lived and was queen. But in fact it is a cheap soap for teens with at least no reference to what really happened and who Mary of Scots really was. And it doesn't show history, reality and good actor-ship at all. Not to mention the absolutely ridiculous costumes which don't display the clothes worn in this period of time. I know that not everything displayed at The Tudors was real and some things were fictional since not every piece or word of that period has been written down. But Reign is really a piece of crap with much less substance.

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.