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Season 1 Episode
Slaughter of Innocence
Season 1, Episode 22
Slaughter Of Innocence
Air date May 8, 2014
Written by Wendy Riss Gatsiounis
Drew Lindo
Directed by Jeremiah Chechik
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Long Live the King

* GALLERY

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The Plague
"Such games we play against those we love."
King Henry

Synopsis[]

Francis and Mary Take Charge, Making Brutal Choices That Will Change the Fate of France
When the King's madness and cruelty reaches a fevered pitch, Mary and Francis take action. Their choices could change the course of history, but an unforeseen terror brewing in the woods could cost them, and their friends, everything. Mary makes a drastic decision when she learns Lola is going through a life-threatening labor at a location outside of the castle. - The CW

Plot[]

King Henry calls everyone into the courtyard in the middle of the night to make an announcement: he reports on the assassination attempt made on him and introduces everyone to his new guards who answer only to him. He then draws his sword and kills the secretary to Lord Belamy, as he believes him guilty for ordering his assassination and as he has taken his penance. Francis then realizes that his father is beyond help.

Mary, Francis and Catherine gather to discuss their options. They mean to remove Henry from power by force, and agree that the best way to do that is by staging a coup. They decide on finding generals discarded by Henry and using them against him, and once Henry is dethroned, Francis will become king.

Meanwhile, Pascal has yet another nightmare about The Darkness. Kenna soothes him.

Francis runs into Leith in the hallway. Leith thanks him for all that Francis has granted him, but Francis believes it the least he could do after Leith saved his life. The two promise to share a drink sometime. After Francis walks away, Leith witnesses one of the king's new guards harrassing a young woman. He pretends to be her boyfriend to make the man back off, which works, and the woman then asks Leith to share a drink with her. He politely rejects her.

The king plans on poisoning his son at a feast later that night and wed his wife after his passing. He is uncharacteristically affectionate to Mary when he encounters her in the hallway and invites her to a naval spectacle to celebrate the heroes of Calais, as well as to a feast later that night. He even escorts her there while Catherine eyes them suspiciously. Francis leaves the castle to find and sway the generals to his side.

Greer is reunited with Leith. He informs her that he is now a friend of Prince Francis and has been gifted vast holdings, including a manor house. He believes that there is nothing holding them back anymore, but Greer rejects him on the grounds that his newfound friendship with the Prince wouldn't change anything and concludes that she is staying with Lord Castleroy.

Lola's carriage stops at the nearest village when she goes into labour.

At the spectacle, Mary sits next to King Henry. Henry keeps coming onto Mary and admits to using the spectacle as a means to impress her. In the audience, Greer mentions to Lord Castleroy that Leith came to see her that day, but she made it clear to him that it was over. The naval spectacle goes horribly wrong as one of the ships explodes and Greer realizes with horror that Leith is in one of the ships.

Catherine informs Mary that Henry has yet again asked for an annulment, implying that Henry means to marry Mary once he rids himself of Catherine. When Mary points out how she is happily married to Francis, it hits the two of them that Henry is going to kill his own son.

Francis comes upon guards loading up the bodies onto carts, which he learns are the casualties of Henry's botched stunt, that will repeat itself tomorrow. Francis also finds out that Henry is secretly sending three-thousand men to England the next day.

Mary tries to convince her uncle, Duke of Guise, to join the coup and help oust Henry while they still have a chance. But much to her surprise, the Duke suggests that she, not Francis, emerge as the French leader following the coup, since Francis leading the country would remind the masses too much of Henry and could cause his reign to be short-lived.

Bash and Nostradamus reach Visegard, an abandoned, flooded city on top of a hill. They find Pascal's home, fresh with sacrifices and with various symbols on the wall, all corresponding to recent natural disasters. The lone missing piece – a drawing of stars falling – puzzles them as to its significance, though once Bash sees the rhyme written on the wall, he knows he has to get back to Pascal and Kenna.

The Darkness bursts into the home Kenna and Pascal are in and the two hole themselves up in the pantry while the Darkness calls for Pascal to sacrifice Kenna's blood to the Gods. While Greer rejoices in the fact that Leith survived the naval spectacle stunt, the joust begins, with Lord Montgomery dominating as per usual.

When Mary arrives at the joust donning the English coat of arms, the crowd starts to cheer and chant her name. However, members of the English contingent are not so pleased and leave the joust to warn Elizabeth. Henry becomes jealous as the spotlight is not on him, so he decides to go against Montgomery.

Meanwhile, Greer and Leith are making out in bed.

Quotes[]

Queen Catherine: I miss the girl you were.
Queen Mary: Many will. She was easier to kill.

Leith Bayard: When you are alone and miserable, remember this as the moment that you threw your happiness away. And I will remember you as the woman who told me I wasn't enough. I will become everything you are so convinced you need. I will rise, and rise, and rise, until I am rich and powerful. But I will never be yours again.

King Henry: Such games we play against those we love.

King Henry: Betraying someone you love blackens your soul. It's a weight you carry all of your days! Can I let it go now?

Leith Bayard: A new government is forming between toasts and whispers. So let's have that drink now.
Yvette Castleroy: What's changed? You were in such a hurry when last we met.
Leith Bayard: I wasn't thirsty then. I am now.
Yvette Castleroy: Another time. As this hour I am destined to meet another.
Leith Bayard: Aren't you a heartbreaker.
Yvette Castleroy: Not at all. Don't you be one either.

Queen Mary: It isn't fair, the privileges we are given. Or the prices we must pay for them.

Notes[]

  • Diane de Poitiers, Mary Tudor and Queen Elizabeth are all mentioned but do not appear.
  • Greer is the only one of Mary's Ladies-in-Waiting that is still living at the castle with Mary.
  • Kenna is the only main character to not have killed anyone. [1] [2]
  • Greer cheated on Lord Castleroy with Leith when she found out he was still alive.
  • Sebastian and Nostradamus visit The Darkness' Lair.
  • King Henry revealed his poisoned his older brother Duke Francis for his throne.
  • Lord Montgomery is given a very brief appearance.
  • France has a new King and Queen.
  • The Black Plague begins to make its way to France. [3]
  • In the winter finale, Mary rides away from the castle, while in the season finale, Francis rides away.
  • 55 people, plus 5 dozen soldiers were killed in Season One. [1] [2]
  • 'Slaughter of Innocence' could refer to a number of things.
    • Mary's declaration against England, and the loss of her innocence.
    • Francis' killing his father and thus losing his innocence.
    • The innocent men that were killed by Henry during the war demonstration.
    • Bash killing the Darkness and ending the slaughter of innocence.
    • Henry admitting to killing his younger brother to become king, therefore slaughtering his innocence.

Trivia[]

Historical Notes[]

  • It should be noted that King Henry died two weeks after a jousting accident during the festivities at his daughters, Elisabeth of Valois' wedding.
    • The jouster in real life that accidentally killed King Henry was named Lord Montgomery.
  • King Henry's older brother Duke Francis did indeed die at a tennis tournament, under curious conditions.

Gallery[]

Characters[]

  • Credit Order
Actor Character
Adelaide Kane Mary Stuart
Megan Follows Queen Catherine
Torrance Coombs Sebastian
Toby Regbo Prince Francis
Celina Sinden Greer Norwood
Caitlin Stasey Lady Kenna
Anna Popplewell Lady Lola
Alan van Sprang King Henry
Guest Staring
Rossif Sutherland Nostradamus
Jonathan Keltz Leith Bayard
Gil Darnell Duke of Guise
Michael Therriault Lord Castleroy
Sarah Winter Yvette Castleroy  
Cameo
Brendan Cox Duke Francis  
Lucius Hoyos Pascal
Ron Kennell The Darkness  
Andrew Church Lord Montgomery  
Kevin Dennis Attending Noble
Lucius Hoyos Constance
Ivan Sherry Military Official
Reg Taylor Praetorian Guard
Character debut
Speaking debut
Episode debut


Videos[]

Reign_1x22_Promo_"Slaughter_of_Innocence"_(HD)_Season_Finale

Reign 1x22 Promo "Slaughter of Innocence" (HD) Season Finale

References[]

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