Reign - Recap: I'll Protect You From The Hooded Claw

Recap and review of Reign - Episode 15 - The Darkness:

This week's Reign downplayed one of my favorite aspects of the series, the politics of rulership. Yet what "The Darkness" replaced it with was arguably as compelling. The corrupting influence of power is something that is a well-worn trope in period dramas centering on a monarchy -- or really, a power structure of any kind. But here, it's especially potent, in that King Henry (Alan Van Sprang) isn't so much corrupted by power as he is exposed by it. This isn't the tragedy of a man who is warped by power, but rather the story of a twisted man whose inner nature is revealed by the freedom he has to do as he pleases. It's akin to a sort of drug, as Henry loses himself to the high, to the point where he's virtually unrecognizable even to those who know him best, such as Catherine (Megan Follows), a woman who rarely expected much in the way of morality from him in the first place. This arc is only one aspect of what works about "The Darkness," an episode that strips away the political component in favor of more personal, character-centric stories.

Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/The CW

Of course, in singling out the Henry stuff for praise, I'm pretty much neglecting to mention that it's one of the smaller storylines of the episode, given a paucity of screentime in comparison to everything else. And yet, it kind of makes sense that it's so far in the background, as so much of it revolves around Henry's sexual appetites, and their inherently destructive nature. Last week, he killed the Archduke's sister by pretty much banging her out a window, and this week, he strangles a prostitute hired to serve as the hypotenuse in a three-way with Kenna (Caitlin Stasey). Naturally, this terrifies Kenna something fierce, so she goes directly to Catherine to tell her all about how Henry is getting out of control. Catherine confronts the king about the "headaches" that might be causing him to act so rashly, and even suggests visiting Nostradamus (Rossif Sutherland), but Henry makes the point that the populace could revolt if they think he's unfit to rule due to illness. And the King doesn't exactly appreciate being the source of gossip anyway.

Henry is basically tired of women having such a say in what he does and how he does it, from Mary (Adelaide Kane) dangling England over his head like a carrot, to Mary Tudor refusing to just die already. He's even growing tired of Kenna's insolence, approaching her in the halls of the castle and threatening her with the same line he used on the prostitute, about her "sexual appetites" being extinguished (a threat that he'll bang her to death just like the others, since this is apparently something kings are wont to do). Catherine tries to scold him for it, but Henry declares that he awoke to a sign of his divine right: a cross on his wall, with the sun glinting off of the Jesus figure lying atop it. In his eyes, he's been anointed to rule by God, and this means whatever he does is sanctioned by the Lord, whether anyone else likes it or not. So Henry declares he's going to start exercising his kingly rights in any way he sees fit, and it's an interesting development because it suddenly transforms Henry from a shrewd, calculating man to an agent of chaos, acting with impunity towards those who would get in his way. This essentially makes him a far more dangerous enemy than he's been before -- and he was pretty damn menacing before.

Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/The CW

But there are other threats facing Mary, mostly of a more personal nature. It's the ceremony of First Light, which plays out basically like one big matchmaking party, as suitors exchange candles with someone in whom they're interested. This is the perfect opportunity to find Lola (Anna Popplewell) a husband to cover for the fact that she's bearing Francis's child. However, while the person with whom she's set up is a perfectly handsome, well-to-do man of means named Philip, he only wants a bride so he can produce an heir and fulfill the terms of his father's inheritance. But there are other issues that prevent him from being a perfect match for Lola, as Francis (Toby Regbo) reveals that Phillip actually prefers the company of men, which would basically make Lola his beard. Mary is offended that Francis has such fondness for Lola that he's willing to look out for her, and even console her privately. Francis immediately picks up on her hostility and confesses to sleeping with Lola, stating how deeply he regrets having done so. Mary forgives him, but has to lie about the existence of a baby, and it's something Mary cannot abide. She orders Lola to marry Phillip so this entire sordid business can be at an end, since Francis could find out, and that knowledge would turn Lola into the new Diane, the baby into the new Bash, and herself into the new Catherine, which is pretty much her worst nightmare.

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Lola swears Francis won't learn the truth, but the show leans so hard on insisting he'll never find out that it's pretty much inevitable that he will. I mean, it was always inevitable that he would find out, but I mostly mean it's something that is bound to happen sooner rather than later, given the generally accelerated pace of the series (Mary and Francis went from "will they?/won't they?" to sex to marriage in basically no time flat). But this is a good thing, since it heightens the drama. Lola is already two months into her pregnancy, so the clock is ticking on finding another suitor, especially after Mary apologizes and tells Lola, for her own happiness, not to wed Phillip. She swears she'll help her friend find a better suitor, as the two women rebuild the friendship that this affair/pregnancy has torn apart. But Mary still has the nagging concern of how difficult it's been for her to produce an heir of her own. Francis has been making "vigorous" attempts with her, yet nothing has happened; meanwhile, he has one night with Lola, and suddenly fertile Myrtle is with child. It's enough to have Mary suspecting that the business between Francis and Lola happened more than once, although Lola swears this isn't the case, that she doesn't even want Francis anyway. For his part, Francis is anxious to keep trying with Mary, soothing her hesitation by saying, "I don't make love to you because I want a baby. I want a baby because I love you." It's a nice sentiment, although it's kind of hard to un-bang your wife's best friend now.

Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/The CW

The other stories this week don't all hit the mark: the episode gets its title from a supernatural being that is worshipped by the blood cult in the woods. The Darkness, as it's called, abducts any person who looks upon him, holds them captive, and feeds on them like a vampire. This is what Olivia (Yael Grobglas) escaped from after being chased out of the palace by Clarissa. The Darkness held her for months in a dark cave, feeding on her at will, until she became so malnourished that she was able to slip free of her shackles and make a run for it. It's only with help from Nostradamus, in one of the episode's sweeter pairings, that she's able to regain some semblance of sanity, since Olivia is dead-set against re-entering the palace life, given the horrors to which she was subjected. Nostradamus baptizes her under the pretense of making her pure and new again, and it's a lovely bit of business that humanizes both characters and crafts a father-daughter (well, more like a big brother/little sister) relationship between the two. It might not pay off this week, but it could pay dividends down the line if they need to establish other connections for Nostradamus outside of just Catherine.

But things don't go so well for poor Bash (Torrance Coombs), who tries to get Rowan (Hannah Anderson) and Carrick (Kristian Hodko) and their family to fight against The Darkness after he marks their house (meaning he'll be coming for a sacrifice). They offer a goat, but Bash (who has been tied up to prevent him from fighting and possibly getting them all killed) shouts in frustration when he can't break free of his restraints. The cry causes Rowan to look up. She makes eye contact with The Darkness and is dragged away to his cave of horrors. Bash and Carrick give chase the next day, but it's no use. Rowan is likely dead and beyond saving. Not that it's going to stop Bash from doing everything he can to help her -- even going back to the palace, if necessary. It's a story that could come across as ridiculous, but really, it's no less silly than the stuff with Clarissa, or the prophecies from Nostradamus. And really, it has a wonderful kind of horror movie sensibility to it. The minimalist design of The Darkness, in which we see little else but his long, terrifying claws, allows the viewer to fill in the blanks with his or her mind. More often than not, our mind can create something far more terrifying than reality, so it's smart to let the viewers do the leg work, since there's a greater likelihood viewers will freak themselves out.

At the palace, however, are where things are less about supernatural beings than about romance, as Greer (Celina Sinden) is courted by a rich lord, all while she's continuing to carry on with baker boy Leith (Jonathan Keltz). Ultimately, Greer realizes it's just not going to work, and arranges for the lord to offer Leith a job in his home in Spain, a position that would raise the status of his family from servant to merchant class. She allows Leith to think this offer is in exchange for having saved the rich lord's life, after his sleeve stupidly catches fire while he's trying to have a romantic dinner with Greer, and it's enough for him to take the position. Although he doesn't go quietly, as he confesses that he loves Greer, leaving her stunned. But it's for Leith's own good, as Greer admits that this was always going to end in heartache. It's a sweet storyline, although I'm wondering if Greer is ever going to get to serve a larger purpose in this narrative. Hers was the weakest story this week, and I'm hoping they'll find a way to use her more effectively as the weeks roll on. Otherwise, why create so many ladies maids for Mary?

Credit: Christos Kalohoridis/The CW

"The Darkness" is yet another solid installment for Reign. Not as strong as last week, but still an hour with watching. The CW is gradually becoming one of the most varied networks on broadcast TV, between period dramas like this, sci-fi shows like The 100 and The Tomorrow People; genre series like Supernatural, Beauty and the Beast, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals; quirky shows like Hart of Dixie and The Carrie Diaries; and superhero shows like Arrow and the upcoming The Flash. Whether the network floats your boat or not, it's kind of impressive to see this kind of variety, and I'd argue Reign is one of the better shows among that crop. Or, at the very least, it's one of the shows with the most potential. And "The Darkness" went a long way in showing the different kinds of stories this show is capable of telling.