Reign on the CW continues tonight with an all new Thursday October 23, season 3 episode 3 called “Extreme Measures,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, when King Antoine unexpectedly returns to Court, Mary (Adelaide Kane) must help Francis. (Toby Regbo)
On the last episode Catherine was imprisoned when she returned to France, and Elizabeth faced a political backlash for sheltering her. Meanwhile, the fate of Scotland’s future forced Mary to make some tough choices; and Lola felt torn regarding Narcisse. 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 as per the CW synopsis, “when King Antoine (guest star Ben Aldridge) unexpectedly returns to Court, Mary (Adelaide Kane) must help Francis (Toby Regbo) hide his weakening condition long enough to secure his family’s future. With the Throne in jeopardy and time running out, they must turn to an unlikely ally in need of redemption.”
Don’t forget to come back here tonight at 8 PM EST for your live recap of Reign season 3 episode 3. 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.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
#Reign begins with Mary and Charles talking about their marriage and he says he’ll be sure to give her an heir but she was trying to talk about the Scottish-French alliance. Charles says Francis may live a long time yet. Constance is there – a girl he’s crushing on – and Charles walks away to talk to her – she’s the daughter of a Duke. Lola notices and Mary tells her the military in Scotland are close to victory over the Protestants. She tells her that Francis is much sicker. The English Ambassador Nicholas is there and he says he’s ready to see Francis and Mary says he’s away at Reims but will be back soon.
Mary hears from Greer that Catherine threw herself against the door and bit out part of her cheek in a fit. Mary comes to see her and tells her Francis never wants to see her. Catherine calls her a monster for keeping her from her oldest son in his final days. Catherine blames it all on Mary and says their alliance has cost France dearly. Catherine says Elizabeth has far more resources to continue this war. Catherine begs her to let her help Francis but Mary says none of them want her. Catherine calls her a vampire bitch and Mary has her thrown back in her cell.
Mary tells Francis about her fight with his mother. He says he wishes there more things they could have done together and she says they will do all those things. Bash comes in and says he looks like hell. Francis asks why he isn’t out looking for Delphine. Bash says he’s not sure she’s guilty but is a suspect but refuses to leave Francis’ side. He says King Antoine of Navarre wants to come into court. He doesn’t have Conde with them. They worry that he knows Francis is sick and is preparing a claim to the throne. Bash says he can handle this but Mary says that’s not appropriate.
She tells Francis to be calm and says she will talk to Antoine. Laude has a gift of a shirt for Leith and insists he strip on the spot and try it on so she can check out his taut body. Claude rolls her eyes and goes to greet a guest and tells Leith to wear his new shirt tonight. Claude goes to meet Antoine, King of Navarre. Leith has a saddle thrown at him and it muddies his new shirt. Both he and Claude look displeased.
Mary greets Antoine and says Francis does not one to see him after Conde’s treason plan. He says Conde was captured by mercenaries and came to negotiate safe passage for his brother. Mary asks why they should do this and Antoine says he has something to offer in return. He says he’ll convert to Catholicism and give Mary and Francis credit which will break his ties with England. Mary says Navarre must renounce his claim to the throne but Antoine says he won’t negotiate with her.
He says she destroyed his brother and says he won’t have this talk with her. Antoine says Mary threw him in the dungeon after she stabbed him. He says he will only speak with the king. Francis gets into his finery and he asks if he looks well enough. He does and hopes Antoine will sign away the claim. She says Antoine cares much for Conde and might really do this. Mary and Francis walk arm in arm and he says they can do anything together.
They walk down the stairs but then he has a dizzy spell and collapses. She calls for the guards and says to take him upstairs before anyone sees him. Lola lies in bed with Narcisse and she says she’s still having nightmares about the rat in her bath. He pledges to protect her. He says she’s only allowed to dream about him from now on. He tells her he wants to know what her plans are for them to be together since France forbade their reunion. Lola tells him to trust and be patient.
Narcisse says he’s had years of experience scheming but she tells him to stop it. He says he needs something in return for his patience – a sign of her good intentions. He slides a ring on her finger and asks her to marry her when she can. She says it would defy the king’s orders but she says yes anyway. He kisses her happily. She says that’s someday then moves the ring to her other hand and he agrees that will do for now.
Charles flirts with Constance and talk about a party they were at last summer. She asks him to find them something exciting to do. The physick brings Francis some opium to try and he leaves it with him but Francis isn’t sure about it. Charles asks if he can skip the festivities and says he made plans with the Duke of Toulouse. He watches Mary kiss Francis’ hand then steals the opium when neither is looking since he heard Francis say he heard it can make you sleepy.
Francis dresses while Lola chats with him. She asks if he’s in pain and she has John with them there. Francis says he knows she’s been with Narcisse and she says he’s in love with the man. She says she’s not a fool and says there’s more to him that Francis hasn’t seen and says he can be good and kind and makes her happy. Francis asks if she’ll marry him after he dies. Francis says he knows he can’t control things after he’s gone and says he’s asking as John’s father that she not marry him.
He says John won’t remember him once he’s gone and says his son needs a man in his life to show him right from wrong and says Narcisse is not that man. Lola promises to consider his wishes. Mary comes for Francis. He kisses Lola on the forehead and looks at his son then goes with Mary. Lola goes to pick up her fussy son. Francis and Mary come into the festivities and Antoine calls for dancing music for the king and queen. He says he wants to dance with her but she’s not sure he can do this.
Francis says this is the best show they can put on. They do a lovely orchestral version of Sam Smith’s Stay With Me. Antoine gets a message and excuses himself. Narcisse asks Lola to slip away with him but she tells him Francis knows about them. Lola tells Narcisse she can’t do this and says her life really belongs to her son, not Francis. She says she’s not sure that he’s best for John. Narcisse says he’s raised children and some of them turned out fine.
Narcisse makes a promise to raise her son with honor and she says as long as Francis has doubts, she will too. He walks out upset. Charles is with Constance and he fusses at her for running off with Lorenzo last time. He got them a room to themselves and he shows her the vial of opium and says they can smoke it. She dumps it in the wine and takes a swig. He takes a long drink too. She drinks more and then they begin to kiss. She drops the bottle and it breaks and she giggles.
Then she starts to choke and seize. She passes out and Charles freaks out and tells her she has to wake up. Charles goes to Claude and tells her what happened. She says if Constance dies, they are in trouble. She says she wishes their mother was there and they decide to go to Narcisse. He says he can’t hide a noble’s death and then Narcisse checks and says she’s barely alive. He tells Charles to get a bucket of water and says they need to flush the drug.
Charles gets snotty about being ordered about but then Narcisse yells at him and he goes. Antoine meets with Nicholas and says England will make it worth his while if he doesn’t give up the claim to the French. Nicholas tells him to let Conde go and says he’s an anchor on him then says they can help put him on the throne of France. He tells Antoine to get back to him by dawn. Francis and Mary wonder where Antoine disappeared to. Mary tells him she doesn’t know who sent the message.
Francis says something gin the message must have changed his mind. Mary goes to talk to Greer and asks her to have her ladies spy. Bash shows up and says he saw Antoine with Nicholas and thinks that England must have made an offer. Mary says they have to turn this around and she goes to Catherine and tells her it’s time to help her children. Catherine goes to Nicholas and he says he heard she was in the dungeon. She says he will withdraw his offer to Antoine now.
Nicholas says Elizabeth won’t give up Navarre. Catherine says she will trade her silence and says Elizabeth sanctioned a conspiracy against Mary and says she can testify to that and to her lover Dudley. Nicholas says Francis would kill her as a traitor and Catherine says she doesn’t have much to live for and will burn Elizabeth to the ground. Narcisse makes Charles help because he’s the one who gave her drugs. He has Charles and Claude both helping.
Constance starts to twitch and then she sits up and vomits. Narcisse asks if she’s all right. She screams and starts crying and Narcisse says she’s fine. Narcisse tells Charles that he may not be king but his actions reflect on the king and says to act better next time. Then he tells Claude well done for coming to him. Claude comes to see Leith and finds him in bed with Alexandra. He runs after her buttoning his pants and says he’s sorry. She says she should have knocked.
She asks why he’s with one of her ladies since he’s heartbroken over Greer. Leith says it’s confusing being her friend so he slept with her maid instead. He says he won’t ever fall for a woman above his station again. She asks if he has feelings for her and he walks away. She smiles. Narcisse comes to see Francis and asks if he’s feeling well. Francis says he’s been fasting then says he heard what happened with Charles. He says Charles came to him about his mistake.
He says he’s been trying to get through to Charles for weeks and Narcisse challenged him to take responsibility and he did. He says Lola has been trying to tell him for weeks that there is more to him. Francis offers him his blessing to marry Lola so long as he does so quickly since gossip is already spreading. He says he will attend to publicly sanction it. Greer comes in and says Mary needs Francis. He goes to Antoine and Mary says Nicholas is not coming and the alliance with England is done.
Francis says Conde will come home alive if he signs away the right to the throne. Antoine says he won’t sign away his right to a dying king. Francis says a dying king is capable of anything and says he can kill him here or march on Navarre. Antoine says he knows that’s not the kind of king he is. Francis kills Antoine’s man then says when he dies, Mary and Charles will rule and he won’t go against him. He tells him he’s his father’s son and says sign away his claim or he will destroy Navarre.
Mary says he came there to save Conde and protect his family. She says to sign away his rights before he loses everything. Antoine considers and then says he will abdicate his claim and Charles will rule. Bash is told a peasant woman was attacked and survived. Bash says he must know what she saw and heads out. Francis tells Mary that Charles’ behavior is concerning. He says they can talk after the wedding. Nicholas is there and says all diplomats are spies then offers condolences on his health.
He says Elizabeth is sending 6000 peacekeepers into Scotland that will crush the French supporters. Francis says this is an act of war and he will fight for Scotland until his last breath. He tells Mary he won’t abandon her country. She says they can’t afford to keep fighting and says Elizabeth will never retreat. Francis says he’s still here with her for now. Lola and Narcisse have their wedding. They both look pleased. He slides the ring on her finger and she slides on onto his hand.
Narcisse kisses her and they are man and wife. Later, Mary reads a note and Francis asks what she’s doing. She tells him she can’t marry Charles. She says he is the one who has protected Scotland and says his love protected her and Scotland. She says she can’t expect the same of Charles and says he won’t have Francis’ heart. She says France is weakening with him. She says when he dies the alliance will too. Francis asks what she will do.
Mary says she had intelligence from Spain and says Don Carlos, the next King, is looking for a wife. Francis says Spain has a great navy and wants her safe when he’s gone. He says someone else must look over Charles if she leaves and she says someone devoted to the Valois line no matter the cost. He asks how she can consider Catherine. Mary says his mother offered to give her life to stop Elizabeth. She says Catherine saw her as a threat to her sons but once she leaves France, Catherine will no longer see that.
Bash goes to the attack survivor and asks who did it. The guard asks if it was Delphine but Bash quiets him. The woman says it was a man. Bash says keep looking for Delphine and says she predicted the attacks and may help them stop them. Catherine thanks Francis for her release but he says she should thank Mary then says she called off her engagement to Charles and asked for Catherine’s release. Catherine promises she will look after everyone and promises him.
She says she knows she has done terrible things and wasn’t the mother he wanted but says she did her best. He says he knows she did in her own way. Mary comes in and Francis tells his mother he needs to rest. Catherine kisses his cheek then tells Mary she appreciates what she’s done for her. Mary asks Catherine if her spies were the ones that got her the information on Don Carlos. Catherine says she didn’t want Mary to leave France empty handed.
Mary lies beside her ailing husband who says he wants nothing but more time with her. Lola and Narcisse walk down the hall and he asks if she enjoyed her wedding day. Catherine comes up on them and says they forgot her invitation. Catherine says Francis asked her back into his life so she’s back in their lives too then says – may your lives be long and healthy. Catherine walks down the hall and looks at the two thrones. She sits in one and smiles wickedly.
THE END!
