Abstract: Reign, a show about Mary, Queen of Scots that ran from 2013-2017 on the CW, is inevitably thought of in one of two ways: CW YA trash or a beloved historic show. Often accused of “ignoring history”, it’s arguably one of the most accurate portrayals of Mary Stuart’s development and character. While the show has been bashed by some critics because of its inclusion of, admittedly, a great number of inaccuracies (including the invention of events and people), I would argue the heaviest criticism comes because of its target audience of and focus on women (a theme which was accurate to Mary’s life), as well as a failure to see ‘the forest through the trees’. Much media has been maligned, with little reason, due to it being geared towards young women or girls, with Reign being another victim of this trend. So-called credible or respected films with just as glaring errors are given more of a break, simply because they are geared towards a broader (and feasibly more masculine) audience. This paper will argue that Reign, while it takes a great deal of dramatic license overall, provides one of the best portrayals of the character of Mary Stuart, but has suffered from the typical slandering endured by media targeted towards young women.
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