Reign S02E01 Recap: The Plague

Francis rides off to find Lola and the village where she is giving birth to his child. He passes plague ridden villages, a plagued family burying the mother.

The Queens break the news to the people that the plague has hit the countryside around them. They tell the people that they have nothing to fear, that they will be kept safe. Kenna knows that Catherine is being too nice, she’d likely root out the ill and dump them outside of the gates. A clean shaven Nostradamus goes over the symptoms so that everyone can be vigilant. Greer spies Leith with Castelroy’s daughter and she’s not happy about it. She claims that she is not jealous, but rather concerned. Leith vowed to rub her face in his happiness. Leith had no clue he was cozying up to Castelroy’s daughter. Mary claims that the castle is prepared for the plague.

The castle is far from prepared, and Catherine is worried about Francis. Mary tried to stop him but he would not be deterred. Kenna and Greer want to know what is really going on, knowing that Francis would never leave at a time like this. Mary has to go to isolation as Queen, but she does admit that Lola sent word of her labor, and that there were complications. Francis went to her side, even though Mary tried to stop him when she heard of the plague.

Yvette confronts Leith, but he honestly had no idea that they had connections. Until she pointed out Castelroy he didn’t know that she was his daughter. Yvette just met Greer and she liked her. She asks if he had the choice if he would be with Greer now. He wouldn’t. Yvette wants to spend what could be their last days together, but Leith is hesitant. Yvette insists, thinking of a way they could be together.

Kenna worries that they’re isolating people for seeming to be unwell, but they have to. They’re taking the threat very seriously for everyone’s best interest. There isn’t enough food if the plague reaches the castle. He tells Kenna to find Pascal and secure themselves in their rooms. He’s had food stored for them, enough that can hopefully last until the plague passes. He’s going off to confer with the guards. He knows that Francis isn’t in the castle, and he wants to make sure that the guards know that they’re still responsible for their King especially in this crisis.

One of the noblemen takes a tumble with a lady. Little does he know that she’s infected. He missed the gathering, and didn’t get the whole plague speech. Lucky for Catherine her guards keep him away from her. He heads into the mess hall, where he’ll likely infect several people.

Francis finds Lola, to her surprise they’re both alive. She tells him that he has a son.

Catherine takes a seat at the throne to Mary’s side. She wonders why Francis has not returned, surely he saw signs of the plague, and he should have turned back. She still has no clue about the baby, wondering why Francis would risk himself for one of Mary’s ladies. The music starts playing, someone has fallen ill by plague. That person was already sick when they made the announcement. Fires are lit near them to purify the air around the Queens. Nostradamus brings his illness report. A stable hand has fallen ill, and he will die within a day or so. Since the guards sent after Francis have not returned Nostradamus asks that he be allowed to go after him. He believes himself immune to the plague, having lived through two outbreaks without illness. He knows where Lola is suppose to be, and Catherine taunts Mary to tell her why Francis would risk himself. Mary will not play her game, and as her Queen she asks for her silence, and to send him off. She does as Mary asks.

Kenna tracks down Pascal with the uppity nobleman who is likely plague ridden from maid. She goes to take her ward away, but the man stops her. His wife was locked away from him for her safety, and he needs help getting food. He calls her a whore, but Kenna points out that she is married to Bash and a lady. Pascal goes with the man, promising to return when the task is complete to save her from anymore ridicule.

The servant girl tells Lola she needs rest, she’s lost a lot of blood. She sits with the baby. Francis asks if the carriage outside is hers. It is, but her driver fled when he heard of the plague to be with his family. She’s sure Francis would like to do the same, to be by Mary’s side. He would, but he couldn’t help worrying about his son. He’s angry with Lola for lying to him. She points out that he could have taken the baby back to the castle. He considered, but there is no way to safely get the child away without his mother. Lola knows that he never wanted the baby, and she assures him that her husband Julian may be dead, but the baby will bear his name. Young George begins coughing, he’s infected. Francis tells Lola that they have to leave now. The midwife didn’t touch her brother, Lola tells her that she should leave as well, but she won’t She doesn’t think she’d be any safer on her own, or even with the King of France.

Lord Edward pays the Queens a visit. The body count is rising. They know 14 are dead in their first day of contagion. He wonders how many more will be dead when they awaken, or if they’ve taken into account the serving class. Mary counts every life lost. He wishes to add another body to the pile. He thought the person was untouchable, but this is the perfect opportunity. Merely stick him in a cell with the infected and he too becomes infected. Mary is angered that the man would ask them to kill someone. Catherine wishes to know the details. The man has been bedding his wife, I really hope it’s the uppity nobleman, and Lord Edward provides much of the meat and grain to the Castle. Nobles have raided the stores of food, and they’ll need more food. He leaves the ladies with the choice, and Catherine gloats. Mary finally gets to see the real France. Mary asks if that is how she and Henry ran their kingdom, bowing to the will of their nobles. One life for the life of many is a good bargain. Mary still believes that every life is important. Catherine isn’t so sure Mary understands who Edward is. As a royal she is given her position by birth. Royals hold everything, and allow them to keep their position, while they grant them certain privileges. Mary doesn’t think Francis would go for that anymore than she does, she thinks that they could punish him, take what they need. The people would revolt. One death, that Catherine could make painless to save her people. One death she will soon forget. Mary will  not forget the death, she has sacrificed people in the past and it eats at her conscience. A favor for a favor is how she stays Queen. Mary does not want to be the same kind of Queen as Catherine. Mary tells the guard to send word to Lord Edward. She is denying his request.

Leith is surprised to find Greer not holed up in Castelroy’s suite, and she’s surprised at how fast he works. He doesn’t blame Greer for finding his intentions with Yvette shady, but it was pure chance. She doesn’t believe him. He never thought he’d find someone with an open heart, someone who didn’t care that he wasn’t titled, but he did. Greer asks if he plans to pursue Yvette. He does. Greer doesn’t want him to, he will forever be in her life if he does this. Leith reminds her that she was the one who broke his heart. And she pleads with him not to test her. She will fail and be forever destroyed. Leith was on his way to meet Yvette he confesses. Greer asks him not to.

Frances stops the carriage. Lola needs water. There is a clean lake nearby, they only need to get to it. A group of men block the path, and they fear that Lola is infected. Francis explains that she isn’t, that she just gave birth. One of the men recognizes Francis as their new king, and assures Lola that she’s safe. Louis and Francis are kin many times removed.

Bash looks for Kenna. He was up all night keeping the castle on lock down after all the desertion of guards. Kenna left a note saying that she was going out to find Pascal. A family is being lead to quarantine. Bash watches the little girl.

Edward isn’t happy. Purverloin the man he wanted killed has now locked himself away with his family. To kill him they’ll need to kill the entire family. Mary wasn’t going to take his offer, but he tells her to reconsider. Things have not gotten better in the light of day. Catherine and Mary go to take a look, smoke covers the countryside. The villagers are burning the homes of the infected. A famine will follow the plague. The people revolt.

Lola lays down her sleeping baby. After getting a drink, she was able to feed the baby. She notes that his cousin is generous, outfitting them with a pavilion for privacy. The men plan to stay there until the plague has passed, and then return to their homes. The only other road to the castle is blocked by fires. Lola apologizes for keeping the baby from him. She wanted to keep her freedom, and now they’re trapped. Lola wishes to keep the lie of the baby’s paternity, Francis will decide for the baby.

Kenna finds Pascal. He wanted to come to her, but the man would not let him. Pascal turns, there’s blood all over his tunic. The man started coughing he wouldn’t stop, Pascal says. Kenna sees that the man is dead in the bed, he was infected. Kenna plans to get Pascal out, to get him away, but a maid sees them and sounds the alarm. They close Kenna and Pascal in with the body.

Catherine suggests that they murder Lord Purverloin’s entire family. They wouldn’t have had to take such extreme measures if Mary had done as Catherine suggested, but every life is important to Mary. Nostradamus returns without Francis. He found the house where Lola gave birth, but it was nailed shut, marked with the plague X, and burned. Mary is devastated by the news. Nostradamus is immune to plague but not fire. Mary hopes they sought shelter some place else, that they will be fine. Catherine looks at the possibility that her son is dead, and another will ascend the throne. France needs both food and stability, Catherine will provide that. Mary won’t allow Catherine to do that, but Catherine knows that Francis will thank her for saving his kingdom.

Francis and Louis greet Narcisse, who has come for clean water. Louis lies as to why Francis is there. They carry with him a girl in a cage. It’s Estelle, Lola’s nurse. They’re keeping her isolated for her own protection he says, her family all burned because of plague. Louis tells Francis he lied because Narcisse isn’t a man to be trusted, that the girl’s family likely died before they succumbed to plague so he could take their lands. Narcisse stops back, congratulating Louis on his ship, the one he failed to mention to his new friend the King. Looks like Louis can’t be completely trusted either.

Pascal is getting worse. Kenna talks to him through a door, separated from her ward. He stopped talking for a moment, he fell asleep he says. Kenna asks if he wishes for her to sing to him. He saw his mother, and she said that she would care for him. Kenna cries over the poor child, telling him that he was loved, is loved, until he no longer answers her.

Bash continues to look for Kenna. He calls to her, and she answers. Bash breaks open a door, but its not Kenna behind it. The woman is infected, and Bash tries to stop her. She’s thirsty, she wants to go get a drink. She tries to get past Bash, and he kills her. Guards rush towards him, but he warns them off, he’s likely infected too.

Mary finds a sick Catherine. She believes her to be stricken. Mary’s hesitation to take a life saved Catherine from taking many. The sickness took her down before she could kill the family. Catherine confesses that she never wanted to be her either, but Henry never loved her, and she blames him the way she turned out. Francis loves Mary, and Catherine doesn’t think an indiscretion or child should ruin that. She tells her not to let Lola get in their way.

Mary tells Nostradamus that it worked. He dosed her, which will only last a day or two, then the Queen will have a miraculous recovery. Hopefully she will not suspect them. He could stand idly by watching another family die when he could do something.

Louis apologizes for not being completely honest with Francis, but he understands. The boat is like an Arc in a flood, and could be easily overrun and taken. The lady by the fire is his mistress Louis confesses. When people started dying he promised her a safe ride home, some of his men will go home with her. Louis tells him there is room for one more mistress and her child. Francis tells him that she isn’t his mistress, and that he loves his wife. Louis advises that he let Lola go, and return to his wife. Lola could remarry away from Francis, and her child grow up without the taint of bastardhood.

Francis tells Lola that she will sail to the Netherlands in the morning with Louis’s men. He will return home to Mary allowing her to be free.

The little girl Bash gave the doll to brings a drink to Yvette. The water finally delivered. She’s still waiting for Leith, hopeful that he’s coming.

Mary has Edward brought forth, and lets him know that the nobleman will not be touched. Edward asks where Catherine is, and Mary lets him know that she is the Queen and he will respect her. She wants to know his real motivation, a woman not being worth all the trouble. Edward wanted just one life taken, but she forced him to take matters into his own hands. He discovered where the water was being brought up to the suite. Mary rushes to the suite, but its too late. Everyone is dead inside, everyone, servants and Yvette. Leith is going to be crushed, but luckily because of Greer he wasn’t there as well.

 Bash continues to search for Kenna, wishing that the suffering surrounding him was done. Bash spots a child, the one from before, the dead one. He gave her back her doll Clementine. She tells him that they’re all dead, but that he’ll live. She’s not sure where she’s supposed to be, many don’t and they are angry. They won’t leave until they’re done. There will be a reckoning. Bash awakens.

Mary had Edward followed. He signaled his people to deliver the grain. She has him detained. She takes murder very seriously, even when there is death all around. She has him taken away, though he believes that his father will free him, but he’ll never find him.

Bash searches another hallway, and this time he hears Kenna calling his name, in response to his calls. She beats at the door she’s trapped behind, and Bash breaks it down. She’s saved. She tells him that Pascal is gone, that he died of plague.

The ship is only two days ride from their location. Lola and the baby will ride in comfort Louis tells him. The baby cries, and Lola is nowhere to be found. Francis picks up the baby, and everything changes. The baby quiets in his arms. Lola is ready to leave. He understands all the reasons that they should leave, but he cannot let her take away his son.

Edward is taken down to the catacombs. His father is Lord Narcisse. He tells her that she cannot leave him down there, and that Lord Narcisse will take revenge upon her for this. Catherine understands how the world works, and Francis will hate her once he understands how it works and what she did. She has him tossed in with the sick as he suggested she do to his enemy.

Francis holds his son. Mary takes her throne, the other one empty beside her.