Reign on the CW continues tonight with an all new Friday, February 17, season 4 episode 2 called “A Grain of Deception,” and we have your weekly Reign recap below. On tonight’s Reign’s episode as per the CW synopsis, “Mary (Adelaide Kane) learns there’s a traitor within her inner circle of advisers, and she’s determined to unmask the guilty party. Meanwhile, Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) seeks Narcisse’s help as she tries to expand her power; and Catherine is desperate to reclaim some of her lost power.”
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Reign begins tonight in Scotland near the English border, where a wagon is stopped and the English guards chop off one of the men’s hands. Queen Mary (Adelaide Kane) confronts her brother, James (Dan Jeannotte) about being against her marriage plans to Lord Darnley (Will Kemp), which she needs to happen to save her. He tells her she needs to save her country first, and she sees the man who was badly wounded by the English guards.
The guards seized what they were delivering, on Scottish land. Mary is concerned they villagers will starve without the supplies. Mary is furious this is the third time this has happened and she was promised it wouldn’t happen again; she demands to know how the English knew of their movements all three times.
In England, Darnley is in the barn with the woman he loves. She won’t allow him to make love to her before her wedding night. He promises as her husband to not hold it against her, but she is engaged to Lord White; he assures her that Queen Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) is working on releasing her from that contract.
Narcisse (Craig Parker) is in the gardens playing bocce ball, when she informs him that she wrote to France about the terms of his release over a week ago but no response, implying that maybe Catherine (Megan Follows) and King Charles (Toby Regbo) don’t really want him back,
Gideon (Ben Geurens) arrives to inform Elizabeth that Lord White has reluctantly agreed to end his engagement for a substantial sum. Elizabeth is happy because this keeps Lord Darnley one step further from Queen Mary’s reach. She admits she was concerned about his loyalty to Mary, but he assures her he has one queen.
He delights her with the information that John Knox (Jonathan Goad) has arrived at court. Gideon cannot believe the audacity of Knox showing up at court, but Elizabeth reminds him they don’t have proof of his treachery, but his arrival means he has no clue they suspect him either. Narcisse overhears their entire conversation.
Catherine and her two daughters, Princess Claude (Rose Williams) and Queen Leesa (Anastasia Phillips) attend mass for Leith (Jonathan Keltz). Leesa advises her sister to not grieve so openly for a commoner she should have never considered for marriage; it will hurt her reputation and for what? He’s dead!!
She demands to know where King Charles is, and suggests France needs new leadership, because Charles prefers to remain in bed than rule his country. Catherine tells Claude she is France and France will not be a Spanish colony; France and her need Narcisse.
Mary questions her brother, James about who betrayed her. She says he tends to underestimate women like he underestimated her. Mary asks him if she can trust him because he has no idea what it means to hold a whole village’s lives in his hands. She says his actions have spoken for him and he can’t be trusted and she will save the village herself.
Elizabeth meets with John Knox, and he agrees Mary’s return to Scotland is inconvenient for both of them; Elizabeth suggests they join forces, she will gather the funds to pay the nobles to turn against Mary and asks for a day to gather the money. Knox suggests this could be a great alliance.
Greer (Celina Sinden) helps Mary unpack some of the gowns Catherine sent to her and speaks to Greer about helping her draw in all the general’s wives with the new gowns and drop a bit of information, when they find it spread around, they will know who the traitors are.
Mary wants Greer to stay on permanently, asking her to manage the lands that were Lola’s; asking if she will be her lady again; saying she needs someone there to trust. Greer says she will write to her husband immediately about the offer.
Catherine confronts Charles on neglecting his kingly duties, when he turns to leave, she grabs his arm and notices it is bleeding. He won’t tell her what happened, but she urges him to bring Narcisse home so he can carry the burden for him. She tells him Leesa thinks he is incompetent of ruling the country and he needs to speak to her to convince her he doesn’t need Spain’s help; he agrees if she will stop talking.
Gideon summons Narcisse for Queen Elizabeth, informing him that the man who had his wife killed was there. Elizabeth does not want Narcisse to kill Knox until he can gain Knox’s trust and entrap him with a ploy to kill her. She says once she has the evidence she needs, he can have Knox.
Greer informs Mary all the generals’ wives are there and the wine is flowing. Mary reveals she will have James interrupt her with an urgent message to see who will betray her. She learns that John Know has a young wife, Emily (Claire Hunter). Mary shares the secret that the next shipment England intercepts will be poisoned grains.
Mary learns Emily Knox is in an unhappy marriage and must be lonely. They gossip that she drinks home alone and that John Knox forces her to have sex through a hole in the sheet, Greer asks why she is repeating these speculations; and wakes away annoyed.
Leesa is angry that Charles dismissed their lunch and that Charles hasn’t even found a husband for poor Claude. Claude says she is still in mourning and her sister sarcastically says they know and frankly it is embarrassing.
Claude leaves and Leesa tells Catherine her husband, king Philip is willing to pay for Narcisse’s release but only if he steps down as Lord Chancellor, and he will be replaced by a Spanish Cardinal. They argue about having a Spaniard in French court, both yelling that the other doesn’t have control of the council.
Narcisse introduces himself to Knox, who quickly figures out he is the husband of Lola. Narcisse says Elizabeth is the one who murdered his wife and he has every right for vengeance. He tells Knox that he doesn’t care for Mary at all but he doesn’t like that Elizabeth will be Queen of both countries; Knox agrees with him.
Narcisse tells him that he and his supporters could meet at the French Embassy is a safe place where they would be virtually untouchable. Knox says to not speak of it further, as tempting as it is.
Mary tells James to seduce Emily Knox while her husband is plotting against her. James says he is not her whore but Mary replies that he is Knox’s butcher. She says its a chance for him to gain her trust. James tells her she is running the risk of losing those she needs. Trust is given but loyalty is earned, and Mary hasn’t earned his.
John Knox comes to see John, Lola’s son, claiming to be a family friend; when the nanny informs him about the infection John has, Knox quickly leaves the room. Greer is packing her things and tells Mary she isn’t sure she can stay there because of those women laughing at the poor girl and Mary only fueled the fire.
Mary informs Greer that John Knox is the biggest threat to her since she returned to Scotland and the gossip she heard she can use against Knox. Greer doesn’t want to subject her daughter to the awful behavior and gossip in court. Mary says she is welcome to stay with her in the castle and her and her family will be safe. Greer says she’d love to stay.
Narcisse informs Gideon that Knox has left after visiting the nursery so he must know they are on to him. Gideon reveals to Elizabeth that 50 of her own subjects have gathered against her. Elizabeth says they have nothing against Knox and she can’t take all 50 of them on trial and parade them through the streets for treason. She orders Gideon to kill them all.
Catherine tells Claude she is not going to mass ever again, and she is going to get Narcisse and Leesa can choke on it. She shares she is going to have a banquet for the noblemen to show then they need Narcisse and not a Chancellor from Spain. She enters the banquet room and no one is there, it appears the council has decided that Spain is strong.
Knox is brought to Elizabeth who informs him that they know he was the one who ordered the assassination of her. Knox boldly contests that if she had any evidence he would be in the tower right now; she informs him the tower is too good for him. He says he knows she quietly killed those 50 men last night and if she gives him to Narcisse and he goes missing, those 50 will be replaced with 100 and then 1000 more, having an uprising on her hands.
She ask if he thinks his life is worth that much since he is just a man, and he says she is a woman of questionable birth and who really wants on the throne. He taunts that Mary is a greater threat but yet she does nothing because she knows an assassination only opens the door to someone killing her. Elizabeth orders him back to Scotland.
Mary shares that the grain made it to the villagers, but she hasn’t figured out who the leak is. She said all 4 generals’ wives have done nothing suspicious except for Lady Donnell who was having sex with the town’s blacksmith. She is arrested and says she cannot be beheaded in front of her children.
Emily tells James she cannot accept a gift out of pity but tells James he is so kind and asks him to not speak of this again. Greer asks James what is wrong and he tells her she only has one reason for doing the things she does: she’s the queen. She says Mary has a good heart and she protects those closest to her.
Narcisse learns Elizabeth has let Knox leave. Gideon confronts him on his quest for vengeance and says his loyalty to Elizabeth is questionable since he was able to convince Knox of it. Narcisse says justice will just have to wait and gives him papers to take him and Lola’s son, John back to France.
Narcisse goes to see Keira’s mother and tells her that Darnley and her daughter are getting married; and it was all Elizabeth’s idea. He tells her they both don’t want that money to arrive, she killed his wife after all. She says it would be ashame if the money went missing. Someone robs the horseman of the money.
James is upset that Mary sent Emily a note and gift from him. She feels if he won’t pursue a relationship with her, he will once again choose Knox over her. She threatens him, forcing his hand. He tells her what Greer said but says she is wrong; that since Mary returned to Scotland she has destroyed every alliance. She says the only alliance he should have is with her; she has spies in her court and her Catholic supporters had her kidnapped.
She asks for his help, not as the queen but as his sister. She asks if he is tired of playing both sides and being alone. She offers for them to take a leap of faith and trust, love and protect one another. She tells him to pick a side and let it be hers because unlike Knox she will never betray him. He agrees.
Catherine confronts Charles, saying she can’t stop Leesa and save France alone. She says she isn’t going to sit by while her son and country slip away. He promises to sign the papers for Narcisse, he tells her to put them down and go. He raises his hand to the inkwell, with black and bloody crippling fingers.
The End