TV Rundown | Nov 8 - 13: A New Royal Hits 'Reign', A Former Vigilante is Revealed on 'Arrow' & more!

Reign | Francis’ sister Claude came to court, causing a stir reminiscent of the legendary Morgana. The biggest revelation she wrought was a secret hook-up with half-brother, Bash (in his defense she had convinced him they weren’t related at the time). It came as a surprise, though Bash’s body language hinted at an awkward history between the two. It’s impossible to think she will disrupt Bash’s marriage given they’re related so it’s unclear what the reveal’s fallout will be.


Claude’s presence also caused Catherine to have a realization about the recurring ghost sisters that have been haunting her. One can only surmise it has something to do with her own childhood and given her penchant for the lethal, it’s probably a dastardly act.

The overarching storyline was Francis attempting to fend off Narcisse’s blackmail, while Mary worked on a behind-the-scenes plan to undermine Narcisse’s proposal to force the outing of Protestant nobles. Craig Parker’s delicious turn as the villainous Narcisse continues to enthrall as does his chemistry with Anna Popplewell (Lola), which has made for a surprisingly entertaining pairing.

The final moments of “The Prince of the Blood” found Frary in a terrible state and a lot of characters in an uncertain predicament. Given the amount of anvils that have dropped surrounding this storyline, it would suggest a certain well-liked newlywed might pay the price. Personally hoping that turns out not be the case.

Arrow | Roy’s deadly nightmare about killing Sara turned out to be a repressed memory that had morphed into a false vision. Oliver got over his presumed guilty pretty quickly, instead focusing his anger and outrage on Ted Grant, Laurel’s likable mentor. As it turns out Ted is a former vigilante himself and tried to fling arrows of wisdom at an unmoved Oliver, who remains steadfast in his “no willing acceptance of advice” policy.

Learning more about Ted proved to be the highlight of the episode and J.R. Ramirez’s performance had a lot to do with that. He imbues the character with a plentiful amount of sagacity and poise, making Ted a believable hero. It’s a character worth expanding on, having piqued more curiosity in a single episode than Roy has managed to scrap together in two seasons.

The Vampire Diaries | For the last two episodes, the supernatural characters have been able to cross the Mystic Fall’s border without immediately dying. Before then everyone else’s deaths had been instantaneous so this latest ploy is hard to buy. Given the new timeout, Elena was able to cross, have a flood of memories and step back over with her life intact.

The flashes indicated that she had recovered quite a few memories. Yet when she came back, she seemed to have no better recollection of her life with Damon. Speaking of Damon, can he become any more insipid? All he does now is swig booze, whine and attempt to make snappy comebacks to someone else’s sharper quip.

That said Elena and Damon's rain kiss was a moment of heart fluttering goodness. Nina Dobrev's performance especially deserves notice. Throughout "Do You Remember the First Time?" she played Elena's indifference to the hilt, only to flip that all around during the stormy "flashback", as she conveyed Elena's love and passion for Damon with tremendous conviction. It was yet another demonstration of the impressive range she's developed. Fans of TVD also deserve kudos for finally getting the Delena rain kiss they have fought so hard for.

Photo Credit: "Reign"/The CW