The final season of the CW's 16th-century costume drama shifts the major focus from France to Scotland, where Mary Stuart (Adelaide Kane) has returned from the French court to claim her throne after the untimely death of her husband, King Francis II. Here she faces off against Protestant leader John Knox (Jonathan Goad) while entering into an unhappy marriage with Lord Darnley (Will Kemp) and a disastrous affair with Bothwell (Adam Croasdell), as the timeline hurtles toward the bloody end of her rivalry with Queen Elizabeth of England (Rachel Skarsten). But events in France are not ignored: a parallel plotline portrays the efforts of Catherine de' Medici (Megan Follows) to protect her younger son, the new King Charles IX (Spencer MacPherson), from the machinations of his sister, Queen Leeza of Spain (Anastasia Phillips), and brother Henry (Nick Slater). As in previous seasons, Reign treats the historical record with a good deal of dramatic license, adding fictional characters to the real ones, along with subplots replete with intrigue and romance to spice things up. But so long as one accepts Reign for the guilty pleasure it is, the show can be quite enjoyable, and this final season provides a satisfying conclusion for devoted fans. Presenting all 16 episodes from the 2017 fourth season, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)
Reign: The Fourth and Final Season
Warner, 3 discs, 669 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99 February 5, 2018
Reign: The Fourth and Final Season
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: