Reign - Recap: Faith No More

Recap and review of Reign - Season 2 Episode 8 - Terror of the Faithful:

Even people in positions of power experience loss. Sometimes all at once, and other times little by little. Reign explores both sides of the coin: by depicting the incremental collapse of the marriage between Francis (Toby Regbo) and Mary (Adelaide Kane), Reign suggests that loss can be a gradual process. With Catherine (Megan Follows), however, the show portrays the horror of a sudden loss, and how that pain can echo on through the years. "Terror of the Faithful" is a cluttered episode, but it still manages to be a compelling hour of TV.

The main thrust of the episode involves the fallout of Francis issuing the edict at the behest of Narcisse (Craig Parker), as Cardinal Vasari (Salvatore Antonio) is on a witch hunt for Protestant, and cutting the lips off anyone he suspects of not being a Catholic. Matters become much worse with the appearance of a Protestant minister (Douglas Nyback), who claims to have set hidden explosives with the intent of killing Catholics. Mary is livid that Francis has let it get this far, since he no longer bears any resemblance to the man she loved, or the King she respected. She openly tells Francis she no longer has faith in him, and it's a cutting remark to Francis's self-worth. Of course, Francis is still trying to do what he can to keep Mary safe, once again trying to push her into going back to Scotland. But it's no use, since Mary isn't exactly keen on giving up. On the one hand, I can appreciate what the show is trying to do here with this conflict, as Francis is further alienated from his allies by the actions he's taking to placate Narcisse. Really, the only confidantes he has are Bash (Torrance Coombs) and Lola (Anna Popplewell), both of whom know he was the one who really killed King Henry. But here's where my issues come in: I still fail to see why Francis can't simply tell Mary that Narcisse is blackmailing him. I just don't get why it's more useful to keep her in the dark, since Francis is torturing himself and making Mary miserable at the same time. And I sincerely doubt she'd be in any greater danger if she knew the truth.

Credit: The CW

If anything, Mary might have some solution Francis hasn't thought of yet. But the show needs Francis to keep Mary in the dark in order to further this "marital discord" storyline. It all just feels so writerly and unnecessary, since the drama isn't organic, it's entirely manufactured (i.e., there's no reason for this drama to exist between Francis and Mary since there's no real reason Francis shouldn't be able to tell her the truth; but because the writers have decided Francis can't tell her the truth, he doesn't). I suppose you could argue that, at a spiritual level, it's better for Mary not to know since she would have to be able to swear upon God that she didn't know if the secret happens to come out. But it's not as if Mary's soul is completely pure and untainted. She's done some morally questionable things herself, even if for a greater good. If anything, Francis really should feel able to communicate with Mary, since an equal partnership is the entire foundation of their marriage. By the end of the episode, Mary considers Francis unrecognizable, and Francis is left to seek comfort in his son, the only pure thing left in his life. It's tragic, and it doesn't even really have to be. Still, I loved Regbo's performance this week, since you could tell how much his burden is weighing down on him simply from how he carries himself. And Kane continues to do fine work as the long-suffering wife and neglected queen, trying to do the right thing even if she's given up trying to understand her husband's reasoning. This emotional conflict is the anchor point for the Catholics vs. Protestants story, as the Protestant minister is killed by his "flock" in order to make him a martyr and incite both sides to violence. War seems imminent, and never was a united front more necessary. But Mary and Francis remain tragically divided. And that does have some compelling implications for the future of this storyline.

Credit: The CW

While Mary and Francis are losing their marriage, Catherine is losing Claude (Rose Williams). The girl is slipping from her control, rebelling against Catherine's plan to wed her to the son of a Bavarian Count. Catherine's rationale is that Claude must do her part to keep the Valois legacy alive, and that means having children. Yet it's Bash, of all people, who talks to Catherine on Claude's behalf, telling her that what Claude really needs is some sign that she's loved by her mother. It's one of the best scenes of the episode -- hell, of the entire season -- as Catherine tearfully declares that she loves every one of her children, even the ones she lost. She then recalls the deaths of Henrietta and Emone, her young twin daughters who died in their cribs, noting that she can still see their faces as little eight-year-old girls in her mind's eye. Catherine is clearly slipping, and Megan Follows does a tremendous job portraying that mental and emotional deterioration. When the ghosts of Henrietta and Emone appear, Catherine tucks them into bed, still keen on maternal instinct. And when Claude goes under an invasive procedure to prove her "virtue," Catherine stands at her side to prove her continuing love.

Credit: The CW

These are all the actions of a mother who, while flawed, does have her child's best interests at heart. She's worried about Claude's safety (presumably due to the ghosts), and poignantly declares she's had to love Claude most of all, for all the sacrifices she has had to make for her. However, it isn't until the end of the episode that we learn the nature of those sacrifices Catherine made for Claude: when Claude openly flirts with Narcisse at a ball, Catherine sees the ghosts of Henrietta and Emone grimly following behind their older sister as she leaves. This triggers a flashback for Catherine, in which it's revealed that a jealous Claude murdered Henrietta and Emone by suffocating them in their cribs. At least, that's the implication given by the flashback, as Claude is depicted as an older sister jealous of the younger twins. It's a horrific twist, and suggests Claude is a bit of a sociopath, better at mimicking the emotions of real people than actually feeling them herself. For Catherine to cover that crime up on Claude's behalf suggests a deeper commitment than Claude might realize. And it goes a long way in explaining Catherine's cold pragmatism. She does what she can to keep her children safe, since her children, in her words, give purpose to her existence. However, in much the same way Mary's faith in Francis has been compromised, it's hard to imagine Catherine still has any faith in Claude's ability to change. But for some, loving a person means doing what you can for them anyway.

"Terror of the Faithful" is thick with the drama of loss, just as much as Reign is rife with political and religious intrigue. Narcisse has proven to be a compelling villain, and although I'm not entirely onboard with the Mary/Francis troubles, I can see the use in having their marriage experience such a considerable rough patch. But the Catherine storyline was the highlight of the episode, as Megan Follows continues to be an absolute treasure. Even though "Terror of the Faithful" was hardly my favorite episode this season, there was still plenty here to like.