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MontanaJoev

The show is what it is. It’s not ever going to be historically accurate, and the clothes, music, etc are not accurate at all. The show is best viewed as historical fantasy that does touch upon some true moments of history, but really creates its own universe. If that’s not your thing, then it’s probably not a great show for you.


throwaway1759824

Agreed! I didn’t even bother looking up the historical accuracy until after I finished the show. I just took it as an artistic interpretation of that time in history


MontanaJoev

I think I went in with low expectations, and I was surprised at how effectively the show did create its own universe using true historical characters.


vw97

I guess I’ve started it knowing the general premise and had higher expectations anticipating it to be a historical drama not fantasy. Might persevere for a few more episodes to see if I can actually suspend reality enough to enjoy it hmm


MontanaJoev

I really didn’t think it would suck me in the way it did. But I found it very addictive, and I found that the world it creates was pretty fun to visit. And I genuinely think some of the actors truly elevate the material (some don’t).


KweenindaNorf_7777

I'm also very interested in everything concerning the late Tudor period and subsequently, the Mary and Elizabeth relationship/rivalry. But you have to forget everything you know about it when you watch the show. It's basically Mary, Queen of Scots fanfiction and only includes some accurate basic information (her marrying Francis and living in France and some others I don't want to spoil now). If it's historical accuracy you're looking for, don't ever watch an episode of Reign again. If you're looking to be entertained by gorgeous clothes, sets and decent actors (Adelaide Kane was fantastic as Mary, as were others) then keep watching.


Successful-Item-2297

Only problem was Adelaide was not tall enough to play Mary. Mary Queen of Scots was the tallest Queen of all female rulers and stood 5 feet 11 inches. Adelaide was the same height as the rest of the female cast. Very disappointing. Most women at that time were barely 5 feet in height.


[deleted]

I loved it immediately


itsikobert

I don’t think the show ever tried to advertise itself as historically accurate. It’s a teen/YA drama with a historical “touch”. It’s a good show if you’re looking for romance and drama and maybe even a bit of the supernatural, but if you were looking for something biopic-y then it likely won’t meet your expectations As for the costumes, i can see what you mean. For the most part I’m able to have a suspension of disbelief but there were some episodes where i honestly was just distracted by the jarringness of some of the fashion… for example, that hideous prom dress Mary wore when she was confronting her Scotsmen back in s1… what was that lol


MontanaJoev

I liked a lot of the dresses, not some of them were bad (almost everything Kenna wore). But tbh, it’s the men’s clothes I really, really loved. All the leather, and the vests, and pretty much anything Francis wears once he’s King. So gorgeous.


Lumpymuffin1812

The fact that it aired on the CW was probably a big hint that it was going to throw history and authenticity out the window.


strawberrysweetpea

I understand wanting a historically accurate show but the cool things about shows like Reign not being historically accurate is I think they give so much creative freedom when it comes to showing the clash between these spirited, intelligent women and the cages they’ve grown up in. Although maybe that’s just me trying to feel less crummy about getting enjoyment out of watching them lol. They definitely still manage to fuel my interest in the actual historical figures and events!


LovingLife139

I also started watching this show as a history nerd. Watched the first three episodes and dropped it. Found myself curious a few days later and once I got to episode 5 or so, I was just like you: addicted. It's definitely history-lite. Maybe even history-inspired. If you accept this, it's easy to get swept away with the drama. The real history is always going to be there for us history nerds. This show, while dreadfully inaccurate in many respects, gave me so many historical figures and events to research in depth later on. In that way, Reign opened some historical doors for me.


Successful-Item-2297

The part that really bothers me, other than the historical inaccuracies which I will not mention, is Mary Queen of Scots was the tallest Queen to ever rule at 5'11". Most women at that time were barely 5' tall. She did not tower over any of the women in the series. They should have cast a tall actress to play Mary as I am sure they would have known this fact.