Reign series finale: Mary dies; also, a Francis surprise
However, we didn’t expect to see it tonight just because the show was so far behind in Mary’s life story, and there were events even from before her capture that they weren’t going to get to. So why go forward and share this? As executive producer Laurie McCarthy notes to TVLine, this was always the plan to end with her death regardless of how long the show lasted:
“From the beginning of the show, we knew we were meeting Mary before she even wed her first husband, and her life didn’t end until she was in her forties … So there was going to be a time jump no matter what. In some ways, that gave me creative solace.”
Maybe if Reign lasted a little bit longer, Mary’s death and the buildup could have been something that the show could have played out over a longer period of time.
One of the bigger surprises that occurred in the finale, meanwhile, was getting a chance to see more of Toby Regbo as Francis, given that he left the show more than a year ago. Apparently, this was actually a scene that was filmed prior to him leaving the show:
“I asked him to do it before he left, not knowing when we were going to use it … And he very graciously agreed to do it. … We’d invested so much in that relationship, and those two have such extraordinary chemistry. I felt like that was where the show began, with their unexpected love story, and I knew that’s how I wanted it to end.”
We’ve already reported that had Reign lasted longer there would have been opportunities to explore more of Mary’s downfall, and her relationship between some of the other powerful women in this world. The biggest issue that McCarthy ran into in planning the final season was the fact that she didn’t know going into it that this would be the end. She had to adjust more on the fly.
What did you think about the Reign series finale as it aired on The CW Friday night? Be sure to share in the comments! (Photo: The CW.)