Mary Rewrites History on 'Reign,' 'Vampire Diaries' Reaches Crossroads

The CW

Reign: Fugitive | Mary betrayed her husband and country again, arranging the escape of her treacherous (ex?)lover so he could avoid justice for his treason. The episodes closing scene between Mary and Bash, in which he reminded her of their romantic entanglement,t brought about Mary’s personal revelation that as long as she’s loyal,y she can find no happiness. Blaming her courtly duties for tainting her chance at finding true love.

Where is this coming from? Mary didn’t break up with Bash because of royal duty. She broke up with him because she loved Francis and wanted to be with him, not because she had to. The whole basis for Frary was that they were breaking the tradition of previous monarchs whose pairings were born from obligation, not love. They were a young couple in love who just happened to be a king and queen. Theirs was a legitimate union.

What is up with this revisionist history? Playing loose with the real-life historical account is one thing. It is become an expected aspect of the show. Reinterpreting or changing the actual DNA of the show’s mythos is something else entirely. The insinuation made in her interaction with Bash is they would’ve been together had it not been for the small matter of her crown. That is blatantly false. Mary and Francis inevitably have probably been torn apart by death.

Why is such an effort being made to undermine the relationship built throughout the first season? Why can’t death be the only obstacle that gets in the way of their happy ending? Let the fans enjoy whatever time they have left of this pairing,g and do not taint it with this non-existent backstory of a hesitantly entered into an arranged marriage, where Francis has an unrequited love for his wife.

Side Notes/Burning Questions: We can now add Leith to the growing list of loyal, romantic, chivalrous guys sacrificed on the altar of their paramour’s ambition. Greer’s position is the most sympathetic of all the women who've made that choice lately. She has experienced the rude awakening of having her title and life stripped away.

Kenna is just selfies. Is anyone else not feeling her new love interest, by the way? Hwatered-down down Narcisse, ruthlessly ambitious without the dastardly charm. Did anyone else get a flashback to “A Walk to Remember” when Lola was humiliated by Narcisse’s portrait circulating the round court? Narcisse was in on the cruelty, unlike the hero of Nicholas Spark’sWeepery. The good news from the twist was the impeccable performances from Anna Popplewell and Craig Parker as Lola took Narcisse to the task.

The Vampire Diaries: I’ll Leave My Happy Home for You | Elena fought Damon like the plague when it came to him choosing humanity. Clearly, as much as they love each other, they want different things. It’s basically the supernatural equivalent of a human girl wanting to have a family and a boy wanting to stay single. While it’s true Damon has never shown much interest in being human since he was originally turned, people can change their minds. Why Elena is so unwilling to accept that Damon might’ve changed hi, is coming across as though she is desperately hoping he hasn’t. 

At the beginning of the episode, she said that what Damon suggested was the equivalent of proposing marriage. She is clearly not interested in making that big of a commitment to him. If she was, staying with him for eternity as vampires and mentoring children along the way would be enough for her. The bottom line is she doesn’t love him more than her personal aspirations, which is fine. That’s her choice. However, if she wasn’t willing to remain a vampire forever,r she should have never committed to a guy who was one. 

This isn’t even mentioning all the stuff that gets stirred up by her being remade as a human. When creatures inevitably target her again, she won’t be able to protect herself, jeopardizing everyone who loves her. Apparently,y she’d rather be human again for a few days and be Kille than be a vampire and live safely indefinitely. As the season comes to a close, what will become of Elena has become all the more nebulous, although her demise appears imminent.

Side Notes/Burning Questions: Damon and Stefan’s mother is the front-runner for Worst TV Mom of the Year. Why wasn’t Joe more proactive when poor Bonnie was stabbed in the neck? Despite loathing Stefan for the better part of 6, she was a begrudging moment that set in for him when he tried to talk some sense into his psycho mom. What will become of Elena Gilbert?