S04.E10: A Better Man

[PinkRibbons]

NOTE: Reign airs on Thursdays in Canada, meaning that the episodes are very often viewed a day before they have aired in the US. Therefore please be aware that this thread will almost definitely have spoilers for those who wish to wait until Friday night to view the new episode.

Quote

Mary strategizes ways to take over the English throne. Meanwhile, Elizabeth struggles to find an appropriate suitor to marry; and James gets caught up in a scheme orchestrated by John Knox and has to deal with the tragic aftermath.

 

 

[dreamcatcher]

If Emily Knox was stupid enough to admit that she was lying on purpose, why did James have to take the blame? Emily committed treason AND provided proof that Knox was also conspiring against the crown aka treason. And yet James had to take the blame, essentially admitting to treason and we're supposed to believe that they just left him go on his way. Aha. Btw, who is supposed to become regent if James is gone?

And I love that Greer, the poor girl who has gone from court to court only thanks to Mary is accusing her of sacrificing people.

Why do they keep giving Elizabeth stupid, filler scenes. It's fine if they don't want to give her much for fear of taking the spotlight away from Mary, but she's basically acting like a dumb bimbo and then suddenly she will have to play the all-powerful queen who's going to kill Mary off.

[yosefcoleman]

James isnt done for the rest of the series he will be back for at least the finally. This is probably their way of having James be banished whilst on good terms with his sister as opposed to in real history where he was banished for rebelling against Mary for marrying darnley. This way they stick to history by having James be banished but have him remain on Mary's side. Mary unbanished him a year later and he served as her advisor again. Hope that happens again but with him on her side this time

[NorthstarATL]

2 hours ago, dreamcatcher said:

Why do they keep giving Elizabeth stupid, filler scenes. It's fine if they don't want to give her much for fear of taking the spotlight away from Mary, but she's basically acting like a dumb bimbo and then suddenly she will have to play the all-powerful queen who's going to kill Mary off.

It's Mary's show. But you're right. Liz is consumed with things like checking out suitable suitors, and falling in love, which, of course, is not restricted to women, BUT she never seems to do anything a Regent might do, unless it involves setting up or breaking apart couples. It's true for all the women (and some of the men) on the show, in large part, I am assuming, because it is on the CW, where even superheroes save the world according to whom they are bedding, but it's more egregious with Liz, who does little else, yet has an amazing Reign of which most viewers are aware.

Isn't Henry, who looks to be a major player, introduced at the end of the episode, supposed to be younger than Charles?

[dreamcatcher]

4 hours ago, yosefcoleman said:

James isnt done for the rest of the series he will be back for at least the finally. This is probably their way of having James be banished whilst on good terms with his sister as opposed to in real history where he was banished for rebelling against Mary for marrying darnley. This way they stick to history by having James be banished but have him remain on Mary's side. Mary unbanished him a year later and he served as her advisor again. Hope that happens again but with him on her side this time

Oh good! I'm sure they'll have him be a great uncle and father figure for his nephew-along with Greer of course. But I'm thinking he will only come back after Mary is gone. There are 7 episodes left, I don't know how they're going to fit everything in.

2 hours ago, NorthstarATL said:

It's Mary's show. But you're right. Liz is consumed with things like checking out suitable suitors, and falling in love, which, of course, is not restricted to women, BUT she never seems to do anything a Regent might do, unless it involves setting up or breaking apart couples. It's true for all the women (and some of the men) on the show, in large part, I am assuming, because it is on the CW, where even superheroes save the world according to whom they are bedding, but it's more egregious with Liz, who does little else, yet has an amazing Reign of which most viewers are aware.

Isn't Henry, who looks to be a major player, introduced at the end of the episode, supposed to be younger than Charles?

I TOTALLY FORGOT THAT. What the hell was that? The actor is definitely older or at least looks a lot older. I'm thinking it's been around 2 years since Francis died and baby Henry ended up being in his mid 20s? Ok I get that the CW is casting actors mostly based on looks but I'm sure there are young hotties out there too.

And I agree about Elizabeth. I get that they want to make her out to be mediocre at best because it's Mary's show, but why have her around if they only make her have sex with every man that shows her some kindness (which thankfully only amounts to two people which is kinda sad) and just that? They can ignore the English court on focus on the characters we already know OR they can show her being too focused on her job instead of looking for love -which is what Mary is doing after all. I'm sure the real Elizabeth wasn't really a virgin Queen, but she was great as a Queen and reducing her to well...this is just insulting.

[PinkRibbons]

I can't get past the fact that Little Henri looks five years older than Francis was the last time we saw the latter alive. There's straining credulity and then there's completely breaking with any sense. We saw Henri at the end of last season and he was a little kid. I thought it was farfetched that they had him fighting a ton of battles of-screen but I thought maybe he was being prepared as some sort of wunderkind tactician who didn't actually go into the field of battle. I...my mind keeps breaking under the idea that they thought anyone would buy this. Even if it has been two or three years since last season's finale it still makes no sense for Henri to look so much older than Charles. What, did he spend all his time off-screen in intense session with the puberty fairy and a ton of steroids?

Did Adelaide Kane sound deeper-voiced than usual to anyone else? I feel like she's putting it on more than it used to seem more natural when she was Queening. And Greer was absolutely full of shit about James's banishment. She of all people should know that one can come back from a banishment. She seemed frankly out of character to me -- Greer's very much always been the girl with the cool head when it comes to romance (which I always loved about her, since she was originally set up to be the ditz of the group, or at least I thought so).

I actually kind of enjoyed Elizabeth's scenes. She and Gideon have way better chemistry than Mary did with him. Plus I liked her wordless acting during the dancing. She has a charming smile.

[TaurusRose]

I thought Henry looked older than Charles, too, but I've stopped trying to find sense in any of this show's casting and storylines ages ago.  Poor Narcisse.  He really is still grieving for his wife and does not like being pimped out for France (Charles).  The makeup and wardrobe teams are doing a good job making Adelaide Kane look slightly older and more mature.  But I still can't get on board with Mary.  I know that (historically) Elizabeth was a stronger queen, but I don't mind the fluff they're saddling her with in Reign because (IMO) it's making her more likable than Mary.  I agree that her romantic relationship with Gideon is more believable than Mary's due to better chemistry between the actors.  I really don't care for Greer at all.  IMO, she's always been full of shit, so calling Mary out for sacrificing people at this late date seemed ingenious and self-serving. I wish they'd spend less time on France because the happenings there have nothing to do with Scotland.  I'm also not interested in the contrived conflict for the throne. My only other comment is about James's horse.  That was a gorgeous animal.  

[yosefcoleman]

Mary banishing james made me so sad but i think the show decided they had to have mary banish james to say that they kept big historical events in the show. In real life james rebelled against mary after marrying darnley and was banished before being unbanished the next year and was "reconciled" with his sister before being part of the group that forced her to abdicate. In the show the writers felt the need to banish but decided to do it in a way where they part on good terms. Still made me cry because just when the two siblings start getting along and trusting one in the other completely she has to banish him to keep her crown. Hope that they unbanish him soon and that he remains on good terms.

[wonderchica05]

I don't think Scotland agrees with Greer, she's been looking kinda rough this season!

So now Gideon and his middle aged dick has gotten TWO queens? Yeah, okay.

[yosefcoleman]

one problem I had with the banishing him was when mary went to hug him in public before he left. She just declared him a traitor in public in order to save her crown and then goes to hug him in public. Wont that cause the people to think that something is up and that she is onyl banishing him as a cover up and not for commiting a crime which would then come back to bite her? I still loved the scene but that is a question i had.

[waving feather]

Even though Elizabeth has fluffy storylines this season, based on the portrayal and writing, she has always been more competent queen than Mary to me. In matters of politics and war, Elizabeth is not overly emotional or impulsive like Mary. She's good at keeping a poker face and can threaten people effectively, whereas Mary shows and says whatever that is on her mind most of the time. Elizabeth has also shown to be more decisive than Mary. Poor Mary never really had any control of her rule from the start. 

Can't believe Gideon has hooked up with two queens. I like them together but didn't he just professed his love for Mary a while back? How awkward. That won't end well.

[PinkRibbons]

8 hours ago, yosefcoleman said:

one problem I had with the banishing him was when mary went to hug him in public before he left. She just declared him a traitor in public in order to save her crown and then goes to hug him in public. Wont that cause the people to think that something is up and that she is onyl banishing him as a cover up and not for commiting a crime which would then come back to bite her? I still loved the scene but that is a question i had.

I feel like, generally speaking, the fact that she didn't have James executed was already a sign to the world that she was punishing him in the nation's name, not so much for herself. It actually looks pretty good to her people if she put aside her own feelings and upholds the law, especially when everyone can see how much it hurts to do it. Mary comes out smelling like roses when she banishes her own beloved brother in the name of justice.

This whole thing with Elizabeth and Gideon is starting to strike me as a new level of silly because it just occurred to me that if she was so hell-bent on getting married to have an heir, she may as well marry Gideon. Unlike Dudley he's unmarried, he's proven himself to be fertile, and he's achieved a respectable place in her court by his own means, and not just from being a favorite of Elizabeth's. (I mean, didn't she hate his guts when we first met him?) Not to mention that he seems like the least power-hungry person there is. If she doesn't like any of the men that comes with alliances, she may as well marry an Englishman. The country under her rule is still reeling from Bloody Mary's reign of terror, and the latter's Spanish alliance with Philip was viciously disliked among the English people, so it would probably be a popular move. Meanwhile, by marrying an English citizen she legitimizes her own birth somewhat by following her father's precedent of marrying one of his subjects; Anne Boleyn. For Henry the Eighth to put aside a princess for a homegrown noblewoman was pretty radical. Elizabeth doing the same might get her favorable parallels with her father.

[dreamcatcher]

Well I know that the writers stray from history way too often but even they wouldn't make Elizabeth marry. Apart from the stupid Conde plot that is. But I don't like what they're doing to get around this "problem" of lack of romantic interests either. They make her be single because for some reason she can't get a husband and not out of choice-even though they had her say that she doesn't want to go through Anne's problems. Which again doesn't make sense to me because Elizabeth barely had any time with her mother so I can't see her being so certain that her mother was innocent and in love with her father. But anyway, I don't buy that Elizabeth in real life was a virgin or at least completely uninterested in romance, but she certainly didn't want a man overpowering her given the difficult position she was in as a woman and of contested status. Her supressing her own feelings to protect her crown is much better than making her fool around quite publicly with both her advisors,meet all the available suitors and still be alone.