‘Reign’ Recap: ‘Fated’

We'll tell you one thing: 'Fated' is the Megan Follows episode. Whether rolling her eyes at Kenna, dryly banishing Diane or emotionally breaking down for Mary, Follows’ Queen Catherine was the driving force of the mid-season finale of 'Reign' -- at least the first half, before everything went bananas.

With barely time to enjoy the afterglow of their first night together, Mary and Francis are summoned to court to learn that Mary Tudor, Queen of France, is on her death bed and Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots, has a totally fair claim to the throne over that illegitimate chick, Elizabeth I. King Henry thinks that ruling France, England, and Scotland sounds like a sweet deal, and so he declares the wedding ON!

Catherine, Francis, and Mary are all not feeling great about the English-throne thing. The lovers, because it could cost Mary her head, and Catherine, because of that whole “marriage to Mary causing Francis’s death” thing. She even goes so far as to mix up some poison to kill off our brunette queen until Nostradamus suggests (whispers intensely) that she just talk to Mary instead. That chat goes about as well as expected, with Mary starting out very skeptical but finally taken aback by Catherine’s emotional plea with her to save her son.

A quick trip to Nostradamus later and Mary not only confirms that he sees her causing Francis’ death, but also that one of her ladies will die wicked soon. Nostradamus is a party pooper.

Meanwhile, a hapless priest mistakes Kenna -- on a mission to confront Diane for still being loved by Henry -- for the OM (original mistress) herself and reveals her plot for legitimizing Bash. Kenna, who has feathers for brains, goes right to the Queen with this choice information hoping for…what, we're not sure. Diane to be killed? Banished? Someone to commiserate with about King Henry’s two timing? In any case, Queen C blackmails Diane into hitting the road AND poisoning Kenna for being annoying and dumb. Her words! (Not a direct quote.)

So, of course, the next morning, as the ladies in waiting gather around Kenna, the poison mug shows up and is passed around like a deadly game of hot potato as Mary, in her lover’s bed, wonders to Francis if they are testing fate by getting everything they want. Cut to: Clarissa pushes a poisoned Aylee down the stairs to her death. Nostradamus told her she'd never go home again, y’all.

And that’s it for Mary! She finally believes that Nostradamus speaks the truth and packs her bags -- well, a small purse -- and tells the King that she ain’t claiming England even if it costs her the marriage, and then slips through a stunned Francis’s fingers to catch a horse to far away. But whom should she come across in the barn but Bash. Turns out Diane bailed on the poisoning thing and has advised her son to flee until she can work things out with King Henry. And dashing Bash is happy to accompany Mary on her flight. Our hearts broke as poor, lovelorn Francis had to watch his lover and his brother riding away together. He fell to his knees, morphing from torn apart to really, really pissed. We feel bad for Bash. The next time the brother’s meet, it ain’t going to be pretty.

As to the real poisoner, it was Clarissa, who is partially identified as a bald-patched redhead. But she did it to save Mary! Nostradamus doesn’t care and yells at her before shoving her into a wall-hole. We also feel bad for Clarissa.

R.I.P., Aylee. Your family owned half of Scotland. The lower half.

And see you all on Jan. 23 for the return of 'Reign'!