The Reign Recap Project

A few years ago now- well, whenever networks were working on their Fall 2013 schedules- I received an excited email from my friend Kate. I can’t find it right now, but the basic conversation was thus:

KATE: So The CW is producing a pilot for a show about Mary Stuart. Basically it’s Sexy Teen Mary Queen of Scots.

ME: I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS.

….Several Months Later….

KATE: IT’S COMING!

ME: IS THIS EVEN REAL LIFE HOW CAN THIS BE.

I did NOT approve of this. I mean, SERIOUSLY. Sexy Teen Mary Queen of Scots? Who cares about her? She was an idiot! I once had an argument with someone in grad school about who of two queens was stupider, and Mary Stuart was my choice for the smarter queen only because her competition was Marie Antoinette. MARIE ANTOINETTE, who was THE WORST. I had to stop reading Antonia Fraser’s biography of her because I was going to get brain damage from banging my head against the wall every two pages.

So obviously I wasn’t convinced that a show about Mary Queen of Scots as some sort of sexy teen Renaissance political genius was possible, never mind by The CW. It would obviously be terrible, an impression that was confirmed when I watched the first few episodes. But then I got behind. For one reason and another the 2013 television season was not one during which I was able to keep up on shows I liked, never mind Reign. And even the previews for Reign made me mad, so I wasn’t all that motivated. BUT. Now it’s summer hiatus, and my schedule has calmed down a bit, and I’M READY.

Get your research materials, y’all. LET’S DO THIS.