The CW Thursdays @ 9pm ET
Hidden between the lines of the history books is the story of Mary Stuart, the young woman the world would come to know as Mary, Queen of Scots. The teenage Mary is already a headstrong monarch ─ beautiful, passionate and poised at the very beginning of her tumultuous rise to power. Arriving in France with four close friends as her ladies-in-waiting, Mary has been sent to secure Scotland’s strategic alliance by formalizing her arranged engagement to the French king’s dashing son, Prince Francis. As Mary learns for herself that fierce foes are conspiring to sabotage her marriage to Francis and even threaten her life, she becomes aware of other dark forces. There’s a mysterious presence in the castle; a shrouded figure who may become her unlikely ally. Villagers cope with the brutality of the times by trusting in magic and superstition. And in the dark woods surrounding the French Court lurk those who offer human sacrifice to a being who seems to require blood. With danger and sexual intrigue around every dark castle corner, Mary rallies her ladies-in-waiting and steels herself, ready to rule the new land and balance the demands of her country and her heart.
Full disclosure: this reviewer has never been a fan of The CW. That network's shows, which are geared towards a young female audience, tend to be filled with pretty people battling supernatural creatures with the help of chiseled physiques, convenient plotting and grade-school dialogue. These personal feelings are revealed merely to impress upon the reader how surprising it was that this reviewer didn't totally loathe the premiere of The CW's new show, "Reign".
Described by many as "Game Of Thrones" meets "Gossip Girl", "Reign" tells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her betrothal to the future King of France. Don't let the historical setting fool you -- there's probably more real-life accuracy in The CW's other new show "The Tomorrow People" than in this royally sudsy soap. But a dry documentary about Mary would belong on the History Channel, not The CW. Those tuning into this version of her story know exactly what they're in for: drama, sex and intrigue.
"Reign" does indeed borrow heavily from HBO's "Game Of Thrones", the most successful period fantasy show on television. There's a sexy, sultry bastard (a la Jon Snow). There's a blonde, evil queen (a la Cersei). There's an advisor to the monarch who receives supernatural visions (a la Melisandre). There are castles, shifting alliances, nefarious plots, and even a little bit of magic. Of course, there's also far less violence, nudity and incest, as "Reign" isn't airing on a subscription channel. But these deficiencies are offset by stunningly gorgeous production values and a surprisingly strong cast -- and there isn't one naked torso in sight!
The castles, the vistas of the French countryside and the ornate costumes all combine to make "Reign" as visually impressive as any big-budget period film. The blending of the Renaissance style of the dresses with modern-day influences, along with a soundtrack of contemporary folk and pop music create an exciting juxtaposition that owes a lot to the influence of Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette". And the actors are shockingly competent for a CW show: Adelaide Kane ("Teen Wolf", "The Purge") has a maturity and commanding presence as Mary, whose character transcends typical CW clichés by being more concerned with her survival than her romantic life; Rossif Sutherland ("ER"), the son of Donald and half-brother of Kiefer, is Nostradamus, who here is unsurprisingly portrayed as a ruggedly-sexy seer who aids the conniving queen with his visions; and Megan Follows ("World Without End") plays that queen, Catherine de' Medici, as not just a one-note villain, but a loving mother concerned for the well-being of her son.
To be fair, "Reign" won't be racking up the Emmys anytime soon. But in terms of The CW's offerings, it is an unusually smart, well-plotted, well-acted, beautiful show that has the potential to appeal to a wider fan base than some of the network's more narrowly-focused shows (looking at you, "Beauty And The Beast"). However, knowing The CW, this probably means that it will get cancelled after one season to pave the way for three more spinoffs of "The Vampire Diaries". So enjoy it while it lasts.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRpcOUiJJdc[/youtube]
