Liberated by History? The CW's Reign and the telling of history

Abstract

Reign is a television show that covers the early life of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587). Running for four seasons from 2013 to 2017 on the CW Network, the show was frequently criticized for playing fast and loose with the history of the times. The show’s creator and executive producer Laurie McCarthy was quoted as saying, "I don't feel bound by [history], I feel liberated by it." Consequently, the show has been almost completely overlooked by historians, regarded as too bound by its fantastical and ahistorical elements to be worth examining as history. But that relationship cuts both ways, with the show in fact, more bound by the history than would appear at first glance, and in ways contrary to the intent of McCarthy’s statement. This thesis will present a critical reevaluation of the show’s relationship with the history of Mary Stuart, her life, and times. Through three themes of both the show and the history it adapts from, those being religion, gender, and monarchy, we will aim to examine and analyze the text of the show itself as a work of history, what the show is saying about the history with which it is engaging and how this frequently comes into conflict with the historical underpinnings of the show’s narrative. Through this, we will find out if, as per McCarthy’s own words, if Reign was in fact liberated by history, or instead bound by it.