Reign Review: To the Death (Season 3 Episode 14)
Each queen deals with their own struggles in Reign Season 3 Episode 14, “To the Death.”
Mary: My life is once again the sum of my choices, not someone else’s crimes. And I choose to help my friend.
Goodbye, Greer. Lola is the last remaining lady standing, but even she’s gone. She’s being held in Elizabeth’s castle, taken from Mary.
Mary: I lose everyone I love.
In a turn of events, Mary uses the men she’s paying for her return to Scotland to prove themselves by helping Greer. And by that, Mary asks them to help Lord Castleroy escape prison and be a father to Greer’s unborn child.
Oh, Mary. This is what will get you beheaded. You’re a great friend, and great person, but a terrible ruler. You establish your reign at times, and others you act foolish. Helping your friend is great, the interactions with Greer, Lola, and Kenna, will be dearly missed, but you must step out of your childhood and step up to protect your realm.
After all these years, my Mash heart is brought back to life, but it’s destined to be doomed. Bash confessed his love for Mary, admitting he’d felt this spark all these years. (Don’t get me started on that, because Bash and Kenna’s relationship in Season 2 was one of my favorite stories.)
Bash vowed his life to protecting Mary, putting her needs as Queen of Scots above the love he feels for her. Bash is headed to Scotland.
But is he?
Torrance Coombs is leaving after this season, so either Bash will be stuck in France because of the mess the Red Knights just created, or he’ll perish on the journey as Mary returns home in Reign Season 3 Episode 15.
Catherine, Narcisse, and Charles, must deal with the financial debt that France is in as they’re unable to pay for soldiers to protect against the Red Knights that so desperately want Catherine’s head.
Even though Charles is semi-irrelevant as a character, he’s really fit into his rule as King of France, but that is partially because of Catherine’s regency. Her years worth of guidance and experience, her mistakes, and her successes, shape the nature of this reign, whereas Francis was always against his family.
Even though they’d acquired the gold, the Red Knights made their move: they poisoned every mercenary that the throne had just hired for protection, framing Catherine and Charles for murdering these soldiers because they couldn’t afford to pay. It was a recreation of the original crime.
Catherine and Charles are so close to being defeated, their throne taken from them and seeing them executed. Can they survive the season as the show moves toward the battles between Scotland and England? France isn’t necessary for the next part of the story, the only reason to keep the French court around would be to please the fans.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth learns more about her mother, Anne Boleyn, who was framed for several crimes and beheaded by King Henry VIII, her father.
Lola has changed from her time with Elizabeth. She’s stronger, but having your family ripped away from you will do that.
The friendship between Lola and Elizabeth was unexpected, but one of the shining lights as the show approaches a dark period of history. Lola even tried to help Elizabeth frame her mother’s best friend who testified that she was guilty of incest.
In a way, Anne Boleyn was guilty: guilty of sacrificing her needs out of love for Elizabeth, and even Henry.
Focusing on three separate queens was a risky move, but it’s paying off. Each has their own attributes that make them a great ruler, and while I criticize, I believe each of these women are great monarchs. One critique I have is to put Elizabeth and Mary back at odds, but that will presumably happen once Mary returns home again.
What did you think of this episode of Reign? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Reign airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
Jay Ruymann
Jay is a freelance writer and a Slytherin, who uses Leslie Knope as a role model, suffering from an addiction to coffee and television that is only encouraged by his professional life. While busy slaving away at the day-to-day, he also enjoys a good binge-watch of Parks and Recreation and Pretty Little Liars.