Reign on the CW continues tonight with an all new Thursday October 16, season 2 episode 3 called “Coronation.” Tonight, Mary [Adelaide Kane] wants to feed the people affected by famine, but her actions could displease Lord Narcisse. Meanwhile, Francis [Toby Regbo] fears his father’s spirit is haunting him; Catherine plans an opulent coronation ceremony; and Bash confronts France’s harsh realities.
On the last episode in the aftermath of the plague, a powerful lord (guest star Craig Parker) discovered that Mary (Adelaide Kane) was responsible for the death of his son and demanded vengeance, testing the loyalties of Mary, Francis (Toby Regbo) and Catherine (Megan Follows). Francis returned to the castle with Lola (Anna Popplewell) and their newborn son, creating tension with Mary. Greer (Celina Sinden) was torn by her loyalty to her fiancé, Lord Castleroy (guest star Michael Therriault), who blamed Leith (Jonathan Keltz) for his daughter’s demise. Meanwhile, Kenna (Caitlin Stasey) urged Bash (Torrance Coombs) to be formally recognized in his new role. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it we have you covered with a full and detailed recap, right here for you.
On tonight’s episode, in the aftermath of the plague, a powerful lord (guest star Craig Parker) discovers that Mary (Adelaide Kane) was responsible for the death of his son and demands vengeance, testing the loyalties of Mary, Francis (Toby Regbo) and Catherine (Megan Follows). Francis returns to the castle with Lola (Anna Popplewell) and their newborn son, creating tension with Mary. Greer (Celina Sinden) is torn by her loyalty to her fiancé, Lord Castleroy (guest star Michael Therriault), who blames Leith (Jonathan Keltz) for his daughter’s demise. Meanwhile, Kenna (Caitlin Stasey) urges Bash (Torrance Coombs) to be formally recognized in his new role.
Don’t forget to come back here tonight at 9 PM EST for your live recap of Reign season 2 episode 3 “Coronation.” In the meantime, be sure to hit up the comments section below and let us know what you’re most excited about for tonight’s episode.
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Catherine is planning a banquet for 1,200 and a huge military parade with new uniforms and amusements. It’s for Francis’ coronation but he doesn’t like the expenditures. Mary says it’s shameful and grotesque. Catherine says that’s what she was going for. She says people from all the visiting nations see they are poor and weak, they will take advantage and says their severed heads will be on pikes. Catherine says she doesn’t know why Mary is part of this conversation.
Francis tells them both to take it down a notch. He says Mary knows she needs to step back until they get grain from Narcisse and the coronation is over. Francis says he’s also negotiating with Ducasse to get grain behind Narcisse’s back. Mary tells Francis she knows she needs to play that part. Francis says if the nobles see that she obeys him, they will too. A man comes out of his tent and calls for quiet so he can hear the spirits speak to him.
Francis looks uncomfortable and Mary asks if he has spirits with a message. He says no and goes to talk to Lord Ducasse about grain. Several ladies surround Lola and Kenna and discuss that the King has proclaimed her son his and made him a baron and gave her a lovely property. The ladies pick at Kenna and mock her for her home being burned in a plague fire. She goes to Bash and complains that an unnamed baby has vast holdings and they have none.
She asks Bash where this available land came from. He says there is no land within two days ride of the castle. He tells her that because she wanted him to take the job at the castle, he doesn’t get to be a baron. Greer and Mary see Louis and he introduces his new friend. He tells her to go wait at his pavilion. Mary says he moved on fast after Lady Doutzen shipped off to Amsterdam. Mary was thinking he might make a good match for Lola, but since they saw him with the courtesan they wonder if she wants a man who pays for love by the hour.
Lola chases down Francis and asks why he fired her favorite nanny. He says he went to the nursery and found she’d left the baby alone. He dismisses her and says he doesn’t have time to talk household matters with her and marches off. Mary catches him and asks if he found out about the grain. Narcisse walks up on them and Francis asks him about the grain. Narcisse tells the king that they can’t harvest because of the after effects of the plague.
Narcisse says it’s really just laziness. Francis says France is starving and asks for a specific shipment date. Narcisse says soon and leaves. Mary tells Francis to take Narcisse’s lands but he says he can’t take him down now. She says they can’t wait much longer. A man runs out of a tent with a basket and is chased down by a guard. He slices the man open and Louis checks the basket and finds bread and a chicken. He says he was just trying to feed his family. Mary says they can’t wait.
At the ball, Catherine sweeps in with Frances and Mary behind her. She says the man didn’t deserve to die. Ducasse is there and introduces his wife Monique and son Guy. Francis asks about the grain and he says it’s ready to ship but says other nobles make excuses when asked for grain. He says Narcisse brings down any who oppose him and says he has a long reach. Francis says he will protect him.
He goes to talk to Bash who tells him that Lord Montgomery left the castle after he was pardoned for killing King Henry at the joust. He says he hasn’t been back. Francis gave him a list but Bash says none are tied to Montgomery. He asks why Francis wants him looking into the nanny and Francis says to do as he asks and trust him. Herr Shuler comes in and greets Mary. She tells him that France doesn’t want to continue poor relations with Germany because of their Protestantism.
He asks her to have Francis release German prisoner and says he will give grain in return. Bash dances with Kenna when a woman approaches and asks for her help. She says her husband was murdered and says he did it – Lord Barnard. She says he thinks he can kill any man and get away with it. Bash pulls her out of the dance to talk. Narcisse approaches Catherine and mentions she’s no longer relevant. Catherine says there’s a new day coming and he’s on the wrong side.
She says Mary and Francis care more about the people than power or people like him. Narcisse says he’ll teach Francis to be more like Henry. He tells her Francis has gone behind his back to secure grain from other sources. He says his grain would come faster if he were paid the debts Henry owed him. She says she knows he wants power not money then reminds him he said she was irrelevant so she can’t help. She walks away.
Kenna is approached by one of the court ladies and she asks if they’ve met. She says the others are preening pea hens and says they’re not her friends. Kenna says she prefers friends she can trust. She tells her that she should be expecting gifts related to Bash’s new position. Kenna says no one has given any gifts at all. The woman says her husband is distributing properties the crown holds and offers Kenna some land and she’s eager to accept.
Mary tells Francis that the Germans have grain and he just needs to let the Protestant prisoners go and says the Germans aren’t afraid of Narcisse. Francis says this is not a good week for that because it wouldn’t please the Catholic nobles. A man comes and says he found the nanny in the village and Francis tells Mary he has to go. He says he dismissed a nanny that Lola liked and promised to pay the woman what she was owed.
Ducasse comes angrily to Narcisse’s chambers demanding to know why his son has gone missing. He hears Guy and Narcisse says he found the boy playing in the castle corridor. He’s being held on his balcony. Narcisse says he knows what it’s like to lose a son and says he feels his son’s absence every day. He tells him he hopes he never has to feel that kind of pain and says it will destroy him. He gives the boy back but makes it clear that he was threatening him.
Mary and Francis walks and he tells her that Ducasse changed his mind and won’t tell him why. Mary says Narcisse is behind this and reminds him of the German offer. He says he can’t let the prisoners go without investigating their crimes. She says there are two days. Catherine approaches Narcisse and says she knows what he did with Ducasse. She offers to be his friend of court and says she will buy grain and corn instead of Francis.
He tells her to put Lord Robuchon on Francis’ council and she says no. He says another of his choice and she says no. She says she will have the grain and he will learn. Francis goes off to tent city on an errand while Mary goes and tells Schuler that Francis is intrigued by his offer and needs time to consider. He asks if he needs to talk to the king directly. She says he can deal with her. He says he’s leaving and that his friends were jailed for their faith nothing more.
He says he didn’t come to watch the papacy prop up a new puppet. He says he just came to get his friends out. He marches off in a huff with his retinue. Francis is in the tent with the spirit talker and he asks what he can do for him. The man says he can speak with the dead but Francis scoffs. He says he has a woman he wants him to meet that may be possessed with the dead but doesn’t believe it.
Bash interviews an undertaker’s apprentice who logged the dead from the plague. He asks if he knows Lord Doisneau or Barnard and the boy looks nervous but he says he’ll protect him. He says Doisneau is a nice man but Barnard not so much. He says Lady Doisneau thinks her husband has been killed. Bash finds the man’s name was Bouchard before he was given a title and finds that name in the record of the dead with the injury listed as throat slit.
Mary talks to Greer about the German problem and says they can’t find Francis and the Germans have the only grain they can get. Mary chases Shuler down and says the kings guard will take them to where the prisoners are being held. He says she’ll have her grain and he thanks her. The nanny is with Francis and the nanny. The spirit talker anoints her with oil and then Henry takes over her body. He kicks the guy out so he can talk to his father.
Francis asks a string of questions to identify that he’s talking to his dad who asks why he’s here and what holds him. Francis says his sins may hold him. Henry says he remembers his death and the way Montgomery held the lance aimed at his head and not his shield. He says it wasn’t Montgomery, it was another man. Henry tells him he saw him plotting and planning before he died. Francis tells him to leave him alone.
Mary paces and waits for Francis. She asks where he’s been and he says he needs sleep. She tells him that she freed the prisoners and says there was no time. She says Shuler was leaving and he had disappeared. She says he offered a fair deal. Francis says she has ruined him on the eve of his coronation. She tells him to tell another story. He says that she did it, not him. He says this is about his legitimacy and filling the shoes of a man they feared.
He says the nobles won’t respect him if his own wife won’t. She offers to help but he says no more help from her. Kenna wakes Bash and says a rich lady wants to curry favor with them and gave them a beautiful chateau for a price they can afford. She says it’s her new friend Lady Barnard. Bash says it’s not a gift, but a bribe since he’s investigating her husband for murder. He says the bribe is confirmation of his guilt.
Kenna goes to confront Lady Barnard who says her husband is innocent. Kenna says Bash is honest and will find the truth. The Lady says that Bash will be dead if he continues this investigation and says the nobles all hate him for trying to usurp the throne. She says that he and Kenna are hanging by a thread and they can end it.
The German Duke rides up as Francis and Mary watch an amusement. Shuler says the German prisoners are missing from the garrison. He says they were moved two days prior. Shuler shows them implements of torture he took from the garrison. Bash reminds him he’s talking to the King of France and Shuler says he’ll find the prisoners himself. Bash calls the guard to arms and they surround the Germans and it’s a stand off. Francis tells them all to put down their weapons.
Francis comes to Mary and says this has stirred up all the hate. He says he spent an hour smoothing things over with the Germans. Mary says there is time to fix this and says they need to find the prisoners. He says she can’t help. She tells him he needs to maintain a delicate peace and she will clean the mess she created. She leaves.
Kenna waits on Bash and says she’s sorry. He says he confronted Barnard but the page was torn out from the death ledger. He tells her to hand it over and she says she burned it. She says she did it to save his life. He tells her they are better people than the Barnards and says they need courage. She says she can’t let him die. He says he loves her for this but says his role matters to him and he will fight for what he believes despite the risk.
Mary brings some of the garrison guards to her and asks where they were taken. They said they went to to a tavern and admit there was a whore who offered herself to them one after another. He says her eyes were remarkable. They describe her eyes, one green, one blue. That lets her know that Louis took them. He says his love’s ship was taken by the Germans. He tells her that his ship was taken because of old hates that Henry inflamed. He says Francis is ruling the same way.
Louis says he promised Doutzen safety and she tells him he’s a better man than that. She tells him to bring the prisoners back to the castle and he says he has to do everything in his power to bring back his love. She says men should put country before love like the king does. He says he’s not a king and glad for it and rides away. Later, Mary brings Francis to the balcony to show him the returned prisoners. Louis bows to them. Mary says they don’t need Narcisse anymore.
Francis calls Narcisse who says it’s a great day and Mary tells him the Protestant prisoners have been found and traded for grain and the cause of religious tolerance. Francis says he understands that Narcisse would like teach him how to rule. Francis says a king must make new friends. Mary tells him not to lecture her husband on betrayal since he betrayed the promise to deliver grain.
He asks if Mary speaks for the king and Francis says she is his Queen and speaks in most things. He tells him he will need a friend soon and if he doesn’t bow to him, he’ll learn that. Narcisse bows to them, calls them majesties and says grain will arrive today. Francis and Mary are pleased. Mary meets with Louis and thanks him for returning the prisoners. He says he wanted to be the better man she saw in him.
She says as part of their new understanding with the Germans, Lady Doutzen will be returned home. He thanks her and she says he has Francis to thank and says he negotiated it. He says the Lady isn’t coming back to him, but to her husband. He says she has children and the man is a good father. He says she’ll discover that bond when she and Francis have children.
Francis comes to the nursery and finds Lola with their son. She says none of the other nannies described any problems with Caroline and asks what he saw. He says he can only say that she reminds him of someone that he needs to forget and asks her to leave it at that. Francis walks into his coronation and says he was wrong to ask Mary to step back. He says they are better together as equals. He says this coronation is for a king and queen.
[14-10-16 11:12:16 PM] Rachel Rowan: They enter the room and Francis kneels. The cardinal slips a ring on his finger and offers him the scepter and then sets the crown on Francis’ head. Mary smiles. Francis stands and takes his throne. They all recite – long live the king. Mary kneels and receives her crown then takes her seat at his side. They say – long live the queen. Petals rain down on them as all applaud.
Catherine sits by the water when Narcisse finds her. He pours her some more wine and she asks what he wants. He says he knows she bought grain with her money. He says he knows a small village received a shipment and they all chant her name. He says he’s heard about her other acts of kindness are all given with her name attached to keep her in a power position.
He says she could be at the back of the succession line with her other children and reminds her that Mary and Francis can still have a child since they’re young and just getting started. We see Francis and Mary in bed working on that project.
THE END!