Reign

The history buff within me reviles this show. The female costumes are so off from what was worn in 16th century Europe; they look more like a 21st century dream of the Renaissance. The melodrama is over-the-top and sometimes silly. The characters are all,of course, much more attractive than they were in real life.

But in the end, I don't care. This show is fun. The costumes, while inaccurate to the point of hilarity, are gorgeous. The music is ethereal and contemporary, somehow integrating well with the faux-history of this story. The atmosphere is perfect. And the actors do a fantastic job, even with all of the hokum they play with.

All in all, a great guilty pleasure of mine. Long may it reign.

Some parts of this are way too painful to watch. I began watching it because I love Mary, Queen of Scots, but soon found that the historical accuracy of this was blown way out of proportion. Clothing (especially the dresses) - WRONG. Food - WRONG. Dance style - WRONG. Names of Mary's friends - WRONG. It seemed like I had a permanent grimace on my face for the beginning of it.

But then there's my affection for the characters. I love Francis and Mary's relationship (and Toby is such an adorable actor :), I love Bash, I love Catherine (though seeing Anne Shirley on screen put me into shock for a while...had to pause it for a moment...), and I love that strangely mysterious person that keeps giving people hints. I FEEL SO HORRIBLE FOR LETTING SUCH A HISTORICALLY INEPT SHOW SUCK ME IN, BUT I LOVE IT AT THE SAME TIME!

tl;dr: Let's just say it's a fantasy show that just so happens to have the same names as historical figures.

Reign is a show aimed at girls, there's no arguing about that. It's fiction, doesn't claim to be otherwise.

Season 1 is very light and full of spiralling dresses, and love stories. So light you might loose interest at some point but somehow, I always wanted to give it one more episode. Just one more to convince me to drop it. But just like you stuck with Gossip Girl for Blair & Chuck, you stick with Reign for Marie & Francis. Marie is regal and steals the screen while Francis is honest, and endearing. I have to admit Francis grew in me, wasn't such a fan at first.

Season 2 however, gets much more political (and we thank you for it). The plot twists are unpredictable (at least less predictable than the first season), you will feel thorn by the various love stories that are stretched by politics. You will find matches you're rooting for, and others you hate. Following Marie's ladies from their teenage crushes to their marriages, you will see what life has planned for them. While it still revolves very much around the love stories, the intrigue is not only accessory in this season, it is fully part of the story.

Can't wait to see season 3!

If you want historical accuracy do not watch Reign. I repeat. DO NOT WATCH. At no point does this show ever try to be faithful to its settings or historical figures. Instead, it very clearly tries to put Gossip Girl in a 16th century setting. The lavish parties, prom-like dresses, troubled romances, catty behaviour, model actors/actresses - it's all very 90210- esque. However, I must admit it succeeds at doing just that. No matter how laughable the costumes were, I can't say I wasn't at least mildly entertained. It's quite nice to look at and some of the characters are interesting (if completely inaccurate). And with a supernatural twist, it's quite clear that the creators are simply using the characters and setting as a starting point to tell their own stories. I might keep watching, only to see something different from the CW.

For all of the people complaining about the historical accuracy please stop. You want exact history go watch a documentary or a read history book. This show is awesome has a little bit of everything. At first i wasn't into it until a few episodes went by and then i got hooked on it. Great characters and good story line. I like it just as much as the Tudors series. Romance, politics, drama, betrayal, and great characters. Hate to see it ending at season 4.