Reign - Highland Games - Review

Reign “Highland Games” was written by Robert Doty and was directed by Michael McGowan. Being a big fan of the actual Highland Games, I have to admit to being very disappointed by the absence of any caber tossing or even hammer tossing. However, the title is a nice play on words for the “games” going on behind the scenes in both Scotland and France. Even though France isn’t really directly related to Mary’s (Adelaide Kane) story anymore, Megan Follows (Catherine) and Craig Parker (Narcisse) are compelling enough to carry their own show! I can’t say that I was the least bit dismayed not to spend any time at all with Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) in England.

Catherine and Narcisse confront Charles (Spencer Macpherson) again when a local child goes missing. The villagers are convince that Charles has eaten the child. Charles finally agrees to do whatever they want to reestablish his regal, Kingly authority after Catherine warns him that Leesa is also moving against him.

In the end, it turns out to be a bear that has killed the child, but the villagers are too far gone in their distrust of Charles and start a riot in which he is covered in blood and then runs away. When Charles is later found in a cave, he will only talk to Catherine. She goes to him there and he tells her that it gives him solace to relive his survival. In the end, Charles runs away from Catherine, deeper into the woods. Macpherson is really delivering this season in this storyline. He didn’t truly impress me as the somewhat spoiled boy, but the troubled youth is much more compelling.

Narcisse tells Luc (Steve Lund) about Leith (Jonathan Keltz) being alive – and in the dungeon. Luc is appalled and wants him released immediately! It certainly seems as if Luc really is the honorable man. Luc goes to Claude (Rose Williams) and tells her Leith is alive.

Claude rushes to Leith and vows to leave Luc. He reminds her that she’s married and she brushes it off – she’ll live with him anywhere. But Leith knows she won’t be happy not living like the princess she is. At first, Luc refuses to lie for an annulment because it will look bad for Claude because she’s already had an annulment. In the end he agrees to say he was too drunk to perform.

We get a couple of very sweet scenes between Claude and Leith. She comes to him in his bed and tells him that Luc is a decent man who will give her the annulment. Leith is distressed she married so soon, but she explains it was marry or the nunnery. For her part, she wonders why he never sent her word, and he explains that he couldn’t trust anyone to send word he was alive.

In the end, Narcisse won’t support the annulment. He wants the royal allegiance to secure the power to protect all of his descendants. Luc tells Leith and Claude the annulment is off but makes them another very interesting offer. He agrees to let them be together in a way that Leith won’t be imprisoned and Claude won’t be sent to the nunnery. Luc suggests that he can be with whomever he likes and he’ll let the two of them be together. However, he also insists that Claude will have to have 2 or 3 children with him. For his part, Leith doesn’t think he can live with sharing Claude.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Mary plans to announce her engagement to Darnley (Will Kemp) at the games. She tells James (Dan Jeannotte) that she’s planning on alluding to Darnley’s claim to the English throne as a way of demonstrating his worth to her own power base. James urges her to delay the announcement. She tells James about the Loyal Watchmen, and after he denies it’s him, she tasks him with finding out who it is. She doesn’t care if Darnley did set the fire – she’s determined to marry him anyway.

When Lord Taylor (Chad Connell) insults Darnley, Darnley agrees to a boxing match to prove he’s not a coward. Mary worries that he will lose – and that will weaken both of them in the eyes of the clans. James actually supports the match, saying that Darnley needs to overcome his father’s reputation. I loved the scene in which Mary refuses to call Darnley anything but Darnley. He admits to setting the fire when she asks – so at least he’s honest about that. He tells her that if she wants something, she has to go for it.

The scene with Darnley and James sparring is also a good one – he also proves that he can box. However, when Taylor accuses Darnley of trying to poison him, Darnley denies it – he promised Mary he wouldn’t cheat and he didn’t, but she’s having a hard time believing him. It’s Mary who discovers that the man supposedly poisoned had the same food poisoning as half the castle.

Lady Lennox (Nola Augustson) finds Darley drinking in a pub. He tells her that he and Mary are too different. Everything is so black and white with her! He finds her overbearing and judgmental. Darnley tells his mother he needs his own power to hold his own. He doesn’t want to find love, he wants to be loved BY the people.

One of Taylor’s thugs bashes Darnley’s right hand. After Mary finds out about the food poisoning she reached out to apologize. Darnley insists he’s going to fight anyway. He’s losing – badly – until Mary helps him by putting some coins in his hand to “give him a chance.” It works as he knocks Taylor out. Mary tells him it’s also to give them a chance. She finally breaks down and calls him Henry. She tells him that he’s his own man – she can respect that, and he respects that she’s willing to break the rules.

In other French relationship news, Emily Knox (Claire Hunter) breaks down and comes to James – and they have sex!

Castleroy (Michael Therriault) finally arrives with Rose – but it wasn’t at all the happy homecoming that I was hoping for. I really like Therriault and was hoping the show would end by pairing the two. Greer (Celina Sinden) finally gets Castleroy to open up about what’s been bothering him. He’s in love with another, and while as a Protestant, he can get a divorce, he doesn’t want to force Greer to be alone the rest of her life because as a Catholic, she’d never be able to remarry. Greer releases Castleroy from the marriage. Will she remain alone or find another? She seems to have been growing closer to James…

There was some good action in this episode – and some good humor – loved Mary rousting Darnley out of bed! I also like how they are moving Mary and Darnley closer together with mutual respect. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!