Reign, S2 E19- Abandoned

Similar to how I recapped/reviewed “Mercy”, I found the goings on of this episode perfect to format this week’s recap/review in the same style.

Abandoned: adjective aban·doned \ə-ˈban-dənd\: left without needed protection or care, left by the owner, or no longer heard or thought of : given up.

You could say several people may have felt “abandoned” this episode. Mary, for not feeling love for Francis and trying to end things with Louis*. Francis, for having to witness Mary being with Louis. Kenna thinks she’s finally lost Bash, etc.

Funnily enough it was this episode for me that gave me a slight hope for the last few season two episodes and season three overall. (Do I need to go into a rant about the issues I have with a few of their current story-lines, ’cause I can do that.)

Right from the get-go in the episode a group of rebel Protestants attack a monastery, killing the monks and kidnapping the choir kids. The scene is actually quite beautiful in a cryptic horrible way (I blame the children’s singing). When word gets out of the attack, everyone begins to play the blame game. Let’s see, who do we know that’s an out and proud Protestant that currently lives in France. Louis of Condé, yes. But sorry to disappoint all you anti-Condé people, but he was too busy making out with Mary to take part in the tragic event. And yes, in the beginning (keyword), Mary still adores the man and the two are sneaking off in the woods to be alone. Excuse me while I make a gross face at my TV.

Stay as young as you can, little man.

Unfortunately, we are given even more bad news. Bash supposedly is seeing another woman. The Woman in White, perhaps? At least, that’s what someone tells Kenna. Immediately she confronts him about it. Bash says he’s meeting a friend in the woods. Kenna and the entire Reign fandom knows that he doesn’t have friends, he has people he’s bound to (Kenna, Francis, etc.). “Does this friend have a breasts? A vagina?” she asks her nearly ex-husband. Bash basically avoids the subject all together, leaving me dying to see his new “friend”. But as the episode concludes, we still have no idea who Bash may be meeting. I doubt he’s seeing someone else; Kenna on the other hand ends up reuniting with the General she met in last week’s episode. I’m still not sure how I feel about him, or if I find him well suited for the lovely Lady Kenna.

Even though they are pretty much separated as husband and wife, Mary and Francis try and come up with ways to successfully rescue to children at the monastery. It’s interesting seeing the two not be in love (well in Mary’s case) but work together; you could cut the sexual tension with a knife though. Overall, two plans are executed throughout the episode. Plan A: Bash and barely trained men try to enter the monastery, and it doesn’t go well. The Protestants start shooting at them and it’s a lose-lose situation that ends in death. It kinda reminded me of my Capture the Flag days, except when my friends and I would play, we’d most of the time deliberately get tagged just so we could head to jail and talk (we were terrible). Plan B: Narcisse’s private army and General Renaude (aka: Kenna’s future lover) make their way over there and succeed. General Renaude and Army, you just successfully saved the children, what are you going to do next? “We’re partying at Greer’s mansion!” (More on that in a bit).

Can’t believe I’m tying this, but Narcisse was the best thing to happen to you. He’s a keeper.

Yes, they were successful, but I forgot to mention one small thing. The evil couple that Narcisse and Catherine are, in order to see a way to get rid of Louis, they place men and shields with his seal and place them at the scene. Sorry Louis, but everyone hates you now (if they didn’t already). So to make everyone hate him even more, Louis takes an English envoy up on the offer once more to marry Queen Elizabeth. You have some impeccable timing, envoy Akers.

As we all know, Rachel Skarsten (Queen Elizabeth) is not going to be on the show until the upcoming season finale. So who is Louis marrying? A proxy by the name of Annabel. As fast as Louis made the decision to get married, the ceremony is done and he’s suddenly the King of England. Congrats, you’re officially the most hated man in France. You’re going places. But come the following morning, all proof (including Annabel and the priest) of the wedding existing are destroyed. Truthfully, I say this with love: Louis marrying Elizabeth will do wonders for his character development. Yes, I’m mainly saying this because he’ll be out of Mary’s way. The envoy may have skedaddled and not given Louis a second chance, but we all know it’s coming, right? Mary might not be ready to say goodbye to her one true love (gross face), but I think we all are.

What are you opinions on the sure-to-be-future Louis and Elizabeth wedding?

Before I finish this recap/review, I’d like to mention my favorite plot of the episode: Lola and Kenna visiting Greer’s new home. Thinking it’s going to be a tiny shack, they agree to be polite no matter what. Little do they know her and her ladies reside in a mansion! Baffled at how Greer can afford all of this, she comes out with it: she’s a madam and has workers. She’s actually quite good at it, in fact. Both Lola and Kenna couldn’t care in the slightest; as long as Greer’s happy, they’re happy. They toast to themselves being fallen women. Lola being an unwed mother, Greer who had to completely start her life over after losing everything, and Kenna: the eventual divorcée. “To hell what people think,” Kenna says. Currently, these are my favorite characters on the show and this scene alone perfectly shows why. With everything life has thrown at each of them, they never let it stop them. Lola’s even learned to stand up for herself when Narcisse is insanely thirsty for her (oh god, did I really use that slang? I apologize), who confronts her at Greer’s party, which Lola and Kenna later return for (in their defense they’re delivering her drapes).

What did you guys think of 2.19: “Abandoned”? Only three more episodes left in the season!

Next episode, 2.20: “Fugitive” airs Thursday at 9/8c. The trailer can be viewed below.