@jmnf19 said:

Well that must have been the quickest tacked on ending ever! "... 21 years later. Whack!"

Yup, and they took the liberty of changing history a bit (or left out a lot) too. I'm all for alternate endings but in reality:

A little Wiki for you :)

After Darnley's murder, Bothwell abducted Mary and forced himself upon her (unclear, they were in love after all) and then they got married. They fled to a castle, she got pregnant with twins but she unfortunately lost them after she was caught and imprisoned. Bothwell was exiled and went to Denmark where he was imprisoned, went insane and died. He killed Darnley, got the boot. They have no proof that Mary gave the order, still she got the axe. The Renaissance age, they thought they were so cutting edge.

Mary managed to flee and sought refuge with Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth wanted a trial so Mary spent 19 years in British custody living in a mansion with servants, five meals a day, fresh linen every day and so on.

(There's also this whole thing with the Casket Letters, we read about them in school. Supposed proof in Mary's trial that might have been forged. Most of them were destroyed by her son James I. To what end one might ask.)

Still wanting her throne back, Mary was caught with her pants down with conspiring letters planning Queen Elizabeth's assassination. Still this wasn't enough for Elizabeth to order her execution, the Privy Council did so behind her back. She threw that bastard who held the warrant in the Tower for 19 months.

Now, that would have made for another episode, right?

And what about Catherine and Margot? Seriously? They could have left that part out.

@diadara said:

Now, that would have made for another episode, right?

There could have been another whole season of her imprisonment with interactions with Elizabeth. I hadn't heard it was ending this year and fell off my seat when it was suddenly 21 years later in the last 3 minutes. Clued me in pretty quick. So many programs are slapping on unsatisfying endings to finish the series. At that point, I'd rather it just be left hanging. Maybe to come back 25 years later to finish it off! (à la Twin Peaks)

Jana, They played 'fast & loose' with the facts during the whole series, why would you expect them to change anything for the finale.

I didn't watch this show for the 'history' but for the wonderful clothes and the sexy as hell guys (well not all of them, Darnley was weasely)!

@bratface said:

Jana, They played 'fast & loose' with the facts during the whole series, why would you expect them to change anything for the finale.

I didn't watch this show for the 'history' but for the wonderful clothes and the sexy as hell guys (well not all of them, Darnley was weasely)!

You are so right, just thought I'd sum up what they didn't, and give the authentic version for a change. I just hope that youngsters who watch Reign, Da Vinci's Demons, Vikings etc know that the creators have "artistic freedom" and that they are not by any means historically correct. You're not going to ace that test by watching two seasons of Spartacus son, sorry!

The clothes and the music in the show has been just amazing, actually, the whole atmosphere and surroundings have been captivating. The scheming and grieving, the poisoning and the cheating. And the love, oh the love! 😍 Nobody touch Bash, he's mine!

I'll miss Reign.

I read a biography on Elizabeth and Mary Stuart and it was amazing. Mary did make some mistakes that would doom her like marry Darnley whom many disliked already, ignoring Elizabeth's advice, and finally foolishly going to England in the belief Elizabeth would help her regain her throne.

Loved the series. Adeliane did a wonderful job portraying Mary Stuart.

Mary Queen of Scots - the teen version - not for me.

@strangebedfellows said:

Mary Queen of Scots - the teen version - not for me.

Have you seen the 'latest' movie? I was really disappointed. There was nothing new in the 'telling', so I don't understand why they bothered. As for Saoirse' Scottish accent? Bah. Mary spent MOST of her childhood (5-18) in France & it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that she would have had a Scottish accent.

No - I haven't seen the latest movie - and from your assessment I don't think I want to !!! I tend to prefer documentaries or docudramas when it comes to historical subjects. You tend to get a more accurate and insightful picture of people and events rather than the compulsory elements that are so prevalent today.

I moderately enjoyed this series during its first couple of seasons, but it was so far-fetched, and became increasingly more so, that I eventually gave up.

I liked Adelaide Kane a lot. It's a shame her career hasn't taken off more.

That's the trouble with teen dramas - the writers pander to teen issues. These people were living in a dangerous age - they rarely married for love but for alliances or to prevent wars - they did stupid risky things and were at constant risk of betrayal. Mary - in particular did some idiotic things and some pretty vicious things too. The actual truth did not need teen embellishment - it was a drama just to survive if you could. Adelaide Kane needs to make better choices - she wont break into the big time with nonsense shows like this.

I agree. Had this series been elsewhere than on The CW, it would have been much better served. It went decidedly overboard on The CW.

@genplant29: Hello there! You'll be happy to know that we were able to get ahold of Jayhn1111 over at the Mission Impossible TV Series Board, and he seems to be okay. Thanks for your help. I remember when this series was on tv. My nickname for it was Mary Queen Of Scots 90210. I bought Season One and will probably end up buying the other 3 seasons. Alan Van Sprang and Meghan Fellows were the high points of this show. They both should have gotten Emmys for their performances as the King and Queen of France (or at the very least Emmy nominations).

@genplant29: This series, though I I personally liked and enjoyed it, wasn't very historically accurate. But I feel that if you watched it knowing that it was a highly FICTIONUNALIZIED version of Mary Queen Scots life starting when she went to the French court as a child to eventually marry Francis, you could still enjoy it if you employed your suspension of belief (belief in what you what you knew about the real Mary's life, that is). And if nothing else, watch Reign for Megan Fellows performance as Catherine de Medici. She is a joy to watch. Long may She Reign!

@diadara: That was a very interesting and informative post. Thank you. Do you think that Bothwell raped Mary? It sounds like it to me, whether they were "in love" or not.

@strangebedfellows: My nickname for Reign was "Mary Queen Of Scots 90210." But, all in all, I liked Reign. I wasn't watching it for it's historical accuracy, I was watching it because it was a historical soap opera. And I enjoyed watching it.