Reign, “In a Clearing,” was written by Shannon Goss and directed by Deborah Chow. Goss’s other credits include
Revenge and
ER. It seemed particularly hard to have to deal with Francis’s (Tony Regbo) death not once but twice and in successive weeks. I’m sure that I’m not alone in thinking that we would buy more than one more episode with this talented actor. He will be very much missed by this viewer. I hope we see Regbo pop up in another show sooner rather than later. Given how well he always filled out those leather pants, maybe they could use him on one of the superhero shows!
As the episode opens, everyone is rejoicing in Francis’s miraculous return to health. Catherine (Megan Follows) insists on re-decorating his bed chamber. Mary (Adelaide Kane) vows not to waste a moment of their second chance together. I have to admit that I wished the show hadn’t spent so much time keeping them apart. I realize that this is how shows keep viewers interested – and that even now, writers are wary of the “Moonlighting curse” that letting the main characters be together and happy will be the death of a show. However, we always knew that unless McCarthy was going to radically re-write history, Francis was not going to live a long life. All of the wonderful scenes between Kane and Regbo, still left me wanting more of these two together.
Much of those Kane/Regbo scenes are beautifully shot – seeing them sailing and then heading off to Paris. Mary tells Francis that they are fated – and as it turns out they are. Just not in the way she thought. I loved the scene of the two stopping to go for a swim. It was wonderfully pastoral. It was certainly more heroic to have Francis die saving Mary. Perhaps even more heroic was the fact that he knew he was going to die as soon as he saw the tree from Nostradamus’s (Rossif Sutherland) vision. Sadly, it would seem we are also losing Nostradamus again as he gives Catherine one last piece of advice before leaving again: that she will rule only with the help of the Queen of the Scots.
Francis’s death scene is a wonderful final scene between Kane and Regbo. Francis makes Mary promise to look after his son. He asks her to promise to stay in France until Charles is safe and Catherine secured as Regent, but he also tells her to wed again and to love again. I loved the wonderful montage of moments between the two as he dies.
Catherine does comfort Mary at Francis’s body and supports her, telling her that she’s strong afterwards. Mary will clearly need to be strong after signing a peace accord with Elizabeth only to burn it after Francis is killed, thus cementing Elizabeth’s hatred. Kane is wonderful in the scene in which she burns the accord, but is even better as she roars her grief in the throne room.
Narcisse (Craig Parker) tells Mary that the assassin was actually a Scottish Protestant – not Elizabeth. Nicholas (Nick Lee) surmises that Mary will never sign the Accord now, but that she is vulnerable. Surely, Mary and Narcisse will become allies if for no other reason than to protect Francis's child.
Meanwhile, Delphine (Alexandra Ordolis) admits to having bound herself to Bash (Torrance Coombs). It would seem that she may in fact be on the side of good. It’s her intervention that saves Francis the first time – or so it seems. She does release Bash from the spell and works with him to discover the killer.
Bash takes her to the location of the last murder, and Delphine leads them to a barn where she senses evil. They find hearts preserved in jars, but there are many more empty jars – he’s not done! The murderer returns with a fresh heart, but gets away. The two return to the palace and Delphine collapses when she absorbs the feelings of his fresh kill. Bash realizes that the unbinding has made her more vulnerable. She confesses she wants to be near him, and he tells her she’s the kindest person he’s ever known – they kiss…
In the final scene, Mary brings the crown back to Catherine. Surprisingly, Catherine says she doesn’t hate or blame Mary. She tells Mary to remember how much joy her love gave Francis. And then we see Mary sailing on her own, proving what Francis knew, that she can steer her own course.
What did you think of the episode? Were you satisfied with Francis’s death? Favorite scene? Is that possible is such a game-changing episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files, Defiance, Bitten, Killjoys, and a few others! I'm active on the Con scene when I have the time. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
