Imagine a show that incorporates powerful women, gorgeous men, royal scandals, and amazing costumes. Welcome to your new addiction. Reign is a historical fiction series on the CW that follows the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, living at the French court in 1557. She is set to be married to the future King of France, Francis II, but Mary is faced with contending politics, her emerging feelings for Francis, and Catherine de Medici, Francis’ mother, who is trying to prevent the marriage due to her fear that it will be the cause of her son’s death.
Reign is different from other historical dramas in that it concentrates on how women achieve power in an entirely patriarchal society. Of course, as soon as we think of women’s means of climbing the social ladder in a patriarchal society, we think of sex. Reign does use sex as a methodology for women’s success, but that’s not all these ladies have. They are smart, they are beautiful, and best of all they respect themselves. Mary owns these qualities most of all.
Reign treats women’s sexuality in a very modern way. There is a scene when one of Mary’s handmaidens, Kenna, masturbates in the hallway. The CW had a controversy over whether or not they would keep the masturbation scene, and in the end positive female sexuality won them over. The scene stayed.
It’s difficult for a show set in 1557 to portray women as sexual and beautiful, while also remaining mentally resilient and smart enough to take care of themselves. Reign manages to conquer this task. The camera demeans no woman, even if the men around them treat their wives and mistresses like they mean nothing.
