So I’m a huge nerd and I love watching royalty shows on Netflix, because I have a mild obsession with the British monarchy. I watched "The Tudors" and "The Crown" in no time at all, so recently I decided to start watching "Reign." And I have to say I have some issues with it.
1. The historical inaccuracies
???
Okay, I understand that it’s a TV show and obviously not everything is going to be 100% accurate, but I mean, ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS DIDN’T EVEN EXIST. Why is there a need to fabricate someone named Sebastian? Why? The love triangle with Mary, Francis, and his brother Bash bears a suspicious resemblance to the love triangle between Elena, Stefan, and Damon on "The Vampire Diaries." I guess it’s probably not a coincidence that the shows are both CW series.
2. The prom looking outfits
Granted, this goes hand-in-hand with the historical inaccuracy of the show, but the outfits are ridiculous. The dresses look more like something high schoolers would wear to prom than anything that Mary Stuart and her ladies-in-waiting would have actually worn. I mean, these earrings Mary wore a couple episodes ago literally look like they come from Charming Charlie's.
3. The way people look in general
So modern. Kenna is the perfect example--she wouldn't look out of place at a music festival. I don't know how to make people look less modern, but it’s obviously possible, because on "The Tudors," Natalie Dormer looks legit, like, exactly how I picture the real Anne Boleyn. Observe:
4. Clarissa
Clarissa to her baby brothers: Find the heaviest rocks you can and fill your pockets with them. Then we're going swimming.
Charles and Henry:
Way to take the only unattractive girl on the show—one with facial deformities, no less—and make her the creepiest, most stalkerish character on the show. Not to mention that she kidnaps children and tries to kill them. Way to keep up the negative sterotypes, CW. Apparently beauty isn’t only skin-deep, after all.
5. The constant partner-switching
I understand that it’s a TV show about a bunch of young and beautiful people with raging hormones, but it sort of strikes me as odd that I’m only on season one and already Mary switched from Francis to Bash, and Francis switched from Mary to Lola, without batting an eye. I mean, Mary was really in love with Francis, and then two episodes later she was telling Bash the same thing. Bitch SWERVE!
6. The random pagan incidents
No chill.
Because what would a show be without frequent blood sacrifices and mutilated animals showing up in people’s beds?
I feel like "Reign" just needs to be taken for what it is—a show that is based very loosely off the real life of Mary Stuart, and is, above all a mindless drama. All historical inaccuracies aside, I can’t stop watching it.
