Reign just went there with a rape scene
Warning: we’re keeping up with Canada’s Wednesday night airing of Reign on M3. Spoilers follow below.
Settling in for the second last new episode of Reign for the year, all signs pointed towards “Acts of War” shaping up to be a normal installment of the period show. Except then it wasn’t, and my rage towards the scenes that followed is in danger of bubbling over if I don’t get these words out. I can’t believe they went there; went there in a way that no show of this nature ever should.
Amidst the usual court drama, flirtations and unrequited love, and Mary once again trying to build a kingdom that was safe for all, an attack on the castle ended up being more brutal than anything else the series has ever shown.
For what I deem completely unnecessary reasons, the Protestant soldiers who stormed the castle to kill Francis found Mary alone in her bedroom and one of them raped her. Another was about to—playing out the horrors of so many stories young women have been a part of recently—before the queen was finally able to get her hands on a weapon and escape. And while the series tried to spin this into yet another of Mary’s struggles that she’ll come out stronger for, it read more as another case of a powerful woman being forced back into her place through the oldest weapon of all.
Are there things the show did well with this? Possibly. Catherine’s pep talk might be something, except it fed into a culture of shame that encourages survivors to keep silent. And Mary opted not to hide the news from Francis—although I’m not sure what choice Catherine left her—and the king not only reaffirmed his love for her but also respected her requests.
That’s about all the show got right. I understand rape in war happens and has a long history of happening, but to sexualize shots of Mary’s nightgown coming up while she was dragged by the men was too far. We did not need a slowed down shot of the rape, playing it up more for dramatics and “entertainment” than something worthwhile. Outlander, a much smarter show asked, “Is there ever a good reason for rape?” and Reign didn’t even try to come up with an answer. Worse still, the show didn’t bother with a trigger warning in a day and age when any remotely savvy person who’s going to touch on the subject should know better. It also ignored the pleas of fans who found out this would be coming months before and begged the writers not to do it.
As HBO captures headlines weekly with its brutality, especially towards women, on Game of Thrones, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to see more shows grasping at such low-hanging fruit. But for a series that’s been for young women since its beginning and so clearly made a goal of showing these women as empowered, confident and sexually free, it’s disappointing to see the series undercut everything it’s built for a taste of that sensationalism. As a woman and a very frequent viewer of television I find myself again saying I am tired, so very tired, of rape being used as entertainment.
What could possibly be gained from this? More strife between Mary and Francis as Francis copes with the guilt that his wife was raped while he was murdering an innocent man—and not, as she thinks, pleading with the Vatican for religious tolerance? It would be another failing on Reign’s part to turn an attack on Mary into yet another crisis for her husband.
Does it make Mary a stronger, harder queen? She already was—and reducing her to a crumpled, crying ball on Catherine’s floor only undercuts that. Powerful speeches that force her to hide both her inward pain and her outward bruises don’t make her strong. They make her yet another woman who’s learned to keep things like this hidden so she won’t be seen as less than. For a series that has done so much for young women, this is one “lesson” they don’t need to hear again.
Yes, there is conflicting evidence the real Mary Queen of Scots could have been raped years ago, later on in the timeline, by a man wanting access to her crown. It doesn’t make it right, but had the show waited for that moment in “history” there could have maybe been some justification for unrolling that story. As it stands, it was a horrifying move that felt cheap, and cheapens a discussion both Canada and America are in the midst of having about women, shame and assault. It didn’t need to happen, fans asked for it not to happen and yet it did. Is that a painful lesson in reality, or yet another reminder of what Hollywood thinks women’s suffering should be used for?
Either way, we just didn’t need to see it.
Please share your thoughts on the topic below. Reign airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on M3 and Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW and CTV Two. It’s also available on iTunes.
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About The Author
Eleni Armenakis
Eleni Armenakis became a TV Junkie early on by watching Discovery obsessively as a child. A year away from home got her hooked on all things Canadian television (Republic of Doyle, oh yeah!) to go with her not-so-secret love of the historical and supernatural. In her non-TV time, she can be found writing music reviews, watching movies or hanging out on Twitter: @eleniarmenakis.
I have never seen this show, and after reading this, I will NEVER. But why bother having this kind of scene if there will be no permanent consequences for the character. I’m sure it will be all forgotten by next week’s episode; it’s the kind of stupid thing that TV does that makes me want to throw the TV out of the window . By having these scenes in TV show, it normalizes this abhorent behaviour in society. It seems INCREDIBLE that M3 would show such an episode in the Week of December 6th.
Why is it suddenly so much anger toward Reign because they portrayed a rape scene. Did you see the scars Queen Mary had on her neck due to being strangled? No because you close minded ppl are shutting down a show for being real. At the end of the show, CW listed the sexual harassment hotline for ppl who have been there. They are offering more help than you judgemental ppl hiding behind your computer screens. The rape scene brought me to tears bc it doesn’t just “happen” in tv shows Bc its vulgar and came without a warning, rape is real. Rape happens to so many women AND men every single day and nothing is done to stop the pain the feel or stop rape from even happening. No one warned them each morning that this was the day they would be raped. So why is that you people are over here throwing a hiss fit over a tv show scene when they’re showing what actually happens in the real world. You should be ashamed of yourself. All of you bashing this episode.
I was raped and I really don’t want to see that happening to someone else even if it is fake.. I was completely mortified and disgusted after watching that.. They should have NEVER put that scene in there!!
I sat there and cried when it happened. One wonders how scary it might have been for Adelaide Kane to act out this scene!
I totally agree with you we live in a world where such acts of violence occurs everyday yet and still people don’t pay attention. Look at India for example where the are constant rape cases being reported. Instead of us focusing on ways to stop this you sit behind your computer screen and criticize and judge it’s all time you grow up it’s a freaking TV show and besides no one knows when you are going to get raped if you don’t like it no one is forcing you to watch it.
I agree with your point but about your comment regarding India, 78% of those cases were found to be false due feminist penal codes. People abuse those codes and hence the excessive number of police reports. 🙁
I sat down to watch a television show to be entertained…not to re-live being violently raped as a young girl. When did rape become acceptable fodder for Tv ratings?
Big fan of the show, but I will NEVER watch again and stopped recording it because of this plot ploy.
I can’t believe yet another rape scene on the show. I am so over this. Look at the news; India, Boko Haram in Nigeria, ISIS, any war torn country, US college campuses, etc. we don’t need to trivialize rape. It is not entertainment. This incessant need to shock/disturb audiences for ratings has to end with violence towards women. Please stop.
Let’s not compare Boko Haram with India. India is very different and as I said earlier people abuse system in India for their benefits.
Thank you for coming out with this article in such a timely manner. I think this subject demands urgency so we get the word out to American audiences. I know that the network and those involved with the show will justify the airing of this episode by saying that this was aired to open a discussion about sexual violence against women and to bring awareness to the subject matter. This is not true. Not one hour after the episode aired in Canada, one of Reign’s official twitter handles (@hairreign) tweeted to tell people not to spoil the episode and Adelaide Kane liked the tweet. They didn’t want us to talk about it because they wanted to preserve shock value for U.S. audiences. This was done for sweeps. This was done for ratings. Sexual violence is now a commodity that can be traded for profit according to the CW and the Reign producers.
This is the 3rd time they go for the rape plot, we had to attempts and now a real one, and the producer Laurie McCharty tried to force the same sl on her old show Felicity but The WB blocked her. The CW has no morality, I hope the show gets cancelled so that the great cast can move on better things and Miss McCharty will never be given the opportunity to work on tv ever again.
While I agree that demeaning women is ridiculous as entertainment, Catherine’s speech was awesome.
In this culture we’re talking a lot about wearing drug-detecting nail polish, etc, but the essential conversation we should be having (as we avoid the real issue with physical prevention discussions) is that assault or demeaning acts of any kind are those which use one means (the body or the performance in a random trivial act) to demean, belittle, and disempower another (often women) while disguising the real issue of attempted demeaning, belittling, and disempowering and keeping the conversation about the means of distraction.
I just figured that out and Catherine’s speech cut through that exactly.
We should be saying that more in our society, that people who abuse aren’t scary people who use drugs that we should be afraid of, but they are pathetic tricksters whose goal is something much more cunning than the body.
The body is a body. What people who seek to do harm want to harm is the mind and spirit. Don’t confuse the two. Women are generally little and can be drugged or overpowered relatively easily in a battle of kilograms, so if someone gets their hands on your body just give it away after the fact. You don’t have to give away yourself. Don’t be fooled into thinking that necessarily follows.
I agree with Catherine’s advice to brush it off as quickly as possible. It’s not hiding or shaming oneself rather not giving the belittler a chance to make you the victim.
—————————–
There was a similar speech in a Spanish soap opera (You reap what you sow) from Argentina. Julianna’s husband in title blackmailed her into having sex with him in order to keep her own son.
But Julianna was in love with Luca, that was his son, and they were going to reunite after her mafia father conspired to keep them apart and had left him for dead years ago.
The husband taunted Luca that they had had sex so he wouldn’t want her. But Luca informed him in no uncertain terms that he had coerced her by threatening her son in a potential custody battle. He had taken her body only. He did not make love with Julianna because she did not give “herself” to him. She had only given her body reluctantly in a deal.
Lainey Lui had touched on the commerce of women’s value via purity in society, even open western society, which was exactly along the lines as I thought (i.e. – Why does anyone even care about leaked nude photos?). This taunting and use of someone managing to take someone’s privacy, their decision-making ability, or their body is exactly that. On some level the more we talk about rape, the more we play into the commerce of the body.
It’s not about the body at all. A body gets hit on the playing field. A body is gross and ingests and secretes. A body gets ill and fails us. Let the body go. We all have them. We all have sex. What manipulators want to control is how we think. That’s the kind of power they are seeking. This is the discussion society should be having about abuse of any sort.
Speaking of which, this using abuse of women as entertainment is a manipulation ploy to demean half the human race. Yes, it occurs, but the entertainment message is usually fear. Yet the antidote is “So what? You’re a bully. And people who bully those half their size (in any capacity) are cowards.”
Brush it off as quickly as possible, eh? You think this is good advice to give to the victim of such a violent, humiliating attack? Rape is rape precisely because it cannot be brushed off. It’s physical and psychological trauma, which effects can last a life time. If a woman can’t brush it off, then is she giving her attacker something, then? Not being able to dust oneself off and put on a brave face after a brutal rape does not make that person a victim, the person is a victim of rape the moment she is violated. How dare you.
Nicely said.
Brush it off what !!
People who have been raped cannot brush it off it is impossible for them to brush it off ! As a survivor of rape I don’t really see the problem with this episode yes it’s not comfortable to watch yes it should never happen but it does. It has taken me years to even tell my friends that I was raped and I still haven’t told my parents or family because of this very idea that survivors of rape female or male should just brush it off . Rape is somthing that messes people who survived it up a lot we would love to forget or get over what happend to us but we can’t and we will never forget being raped
I think that while watching the rape scene was not comfortable for me if I wanted to be comfortable and safe my whole life I would stay in bed. So for the rest of you if you want to go through life with you eyes closed go ahead but If you want to make a difference wake up rape happens everyday to everyone female male gay straight lesbian transgender black white or brown it doesn’t matter who you are how educated you are rich or poor it can happen to anyone if it has happend to you you are a survivor no matter what anyone says. If you are a survivor of rape and need someone to talk to comment and I’ll respond to you or leave your email and I will respond to you.
If you are not a survivor remember that rape is a serious issue and it can happen to any one and it is never the survivors fault. I am a survivor and so are you
Ally
Thank you for this article. Thank you, thank you. I am a young woman in her first year of college. And I just want to say that this galls me. In 1×13, Reign aired a director’s cut of the consummation sex scene between Francis and Mary, that was consensual sex and no where near the graphic brutality of this rape scene. I cannot believe the CW will air this rape scene in their regularly scheduled programing. A gratuitous rape scene in a show targeted toward young teenage female viewers, with writers and showrunners ill-equipped to handle such a sensitive narrative is unacceptable, and completely motivated by sweeps. I hope word spreads and they shut the production of Reign down.
I humbly disagree. When I was in my first year of college I was raped. This scene was short but very accurate. Rape is graphic. It is brutal. And teenagers need to be made aware of it so that they can understand and work to prevent it happening to them. With better education from the media about what rape is and what it looks like in addition to better education from our schools, we can help prevent other teenagers from being raped as I was.
Now, to clarify I DO think this should have had a trigger warning for sexual violence. Hiding it from the viewers could have brought up suppressed memories and caused pain to other survivors. In my senior year, now 3 years a survivor, I was strong enough to get through watching it. I did think the long shots of Mary on the ground were a good warning to more sensitive viewers for what was about to happen so they could mute and/or look away as needed.
Now, to Catherine’s speech. I thought it was spectacular. Mary reacted almost exactly like I did post-rape and I could really empathize with her. Catherine was all I could have wanted if someone had been there with me: she respected Mary’s wishes, got enough facts to help without prying in to the details, and she was compassionate while rational. The hard truth is that you have to be strong to get through sexual assault. Yeah, it sucked that Mary had to talk to people after and pretend that nothing was wrong, but that is what MOST RAPE VICTIMS have to do.
Overall this episode needed a trigger warning because it painted rape as it is: brutal, demoralizing, but – if you rise to overcome it – also a huge demonstration of strength.
I can’t speak for other survivors (duh) but I can say that as a rape survivor I found this episode shockingly empowering and it has encouraged me to continue with my court proceedings.
I’m sorry, let me clarify my above comment. In Reign’s 1×13 episode, the CW posted a “director’s cut” of the consummation sex scene between Francis and Mary online at its website, because they considered it too “racey” for television. This was a sex scene between Mary and her husband Francis on their wedding night. It was consensual. There were smiles. There was pleasure. If the CW airs this brutal rape scene in its regularly scheduled programming without reserve what does this say about how sexual violence is used to manipulate viewership? Why is a woman’s pleasure being censored, and that same woman’s violent sexual assault being broadcast as entertainment? The only lesson I’m taking away from this is that there’s nothing that the showrunners won’t do, no boundaries they won’t cross, in order to get press and ratings. Even if it’s at the expense of women.
Given that this show frequently depicts brutal murders, and has actually already shown a rape (Henry drugging Kenna), I’m having trouble understanding why everyone is so up in arms about this particular scene.
Thank you!!!!
I agree it is absurd that everyone is so upset. It’s tv. I don’t remember anyone whining and crying about meth in breaking bad. I was raped 7 years ago by someone I trusted and yes it took time to get over but I was given a speech very much like Catherine gave and I found the strength to move on and not be the victim and not live in that fear. Maybe there is a young girl out there somewhere that needed that speech .. Seeing the scene was upsetting of course but it’s tv and it’s not all kosher. And you will always upset someone.
Thank youu! Thats EXACTLY how i feel! I truely dont understand what the big freaking deal is? The only thing that raised my blood pressure was that it actually happened. I kept waiting for her to get away&i thought she would the whole time..i was like doing a double take on realizing it did happen lol but thats it, i think it was a good move to change things upp cuz normally Mary gets out of harms way before something as crazy&damaging happens as this. I have no complaints. &Thank you for being realistic like me lol
Although I understand that things like this may have happened in the historical context this series is very loosely based upon, I don’t think Reign needed to go there. What irks me even more about it is the insensitivity of the timing, days within the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, and the two cases dominating the media at the moment on both sides of the border. Wounds have been re-opened, and this is metaphorical salt in those wounds.
What bothers me about the outrage over Mary’s rape is how the anger seems to be over the fact that this is happening to Mary, not about this issue being used as a plot device repeatedly on this show. I didn’t see a fraction of this response during the times Kenna was raped and abused. There was no petition against it. There were very, very few who even pointed out how poorly handled the scenes were. I also didn’t hear anything about how foolish it was to give Catherine a rape back story, and then have her attempt to get young female characters raped. I have to wonder if the anger is over the issue of rape, or if this is just about not wanting this to happen to Mary specifically.
Moments after Mary is raped Catherine says to her:
“We are going to change your clothes, fix your hair. We’re going to erase any mark of their hands on you…We are going to do this for you, and for Francis, and for Scotland, and for France. They tried to diminish a King tonight by degrading a Queen, and they will not succeed because the world will never know what they did to you…because you will walk out of here and face your court as if this never happened…These next moments of your life will either define you as victim or a powerful queen untouched…they will define who you are perceived to be, your place in history.” Every. Single. Element. Of. This. Is. Despicable. The rape was immediately taken out of personal context and characterized as motivation to diminish a king. Then public perception of Mary being untouched, as though this rape had soiled her, became paramount. This is the message Reign is telling young women. Conceal. Don’t feel. Because rape will define who you are as a woman. Shut this show down. Shut it down now.
I think you completely misunderstood that whole speech. This shop DOES NOT take place in modern days. Things were completely different back then and she had to hide it in order to come out stronger. What is acceptable now was NOT ACCEPTABLE at all back then. GEt over it, this is TV and they have to match principles to the actual plot.
they just allowed their main character – who countless identify with and look up to and admire – to be raped and made a point that it DOES NOT DEFINE HER, does not chip away at her worth, does not change anything about her and is simply an evil act that must be punished. something she can MOVE ON FROM! how can this ever be interpreted as bad???
the show did not just show Mary ‘forget about it’, they showed that she could hide it from the world AND STILL GET JUSTICE as long as she reported this to the authorities (the king, her husband – which covers two grounds at the same time: the authorities and justice plus sharing with your partner, no one else needs to know)
precisely
It’s offensive because the writing implies that if a woman doesn’t put on a brave public face, and doesn’t immediately rise above the brutal assault like a empowered phoenix queen, and dismiss any speculation that something horrendous may have just happened to her, then she’s somehow spoiled for the world. I would hate to think that a rape victim only has moments to decide how to define herself. It also puts a premium on retribution over healing. The subject of sexual assault is a very difficult narrative to tackle for any show, and Reign was not prepared to handle this in an intelligent, sensitive manner. The hubris of the writers astounds me. This show isn’t smart enough to handle this kind of storyline.
Firstly, I want to thank Eleni and TV Junkies for publishing this article, and being very timely about it. Of the many criticisms I have of this storyline, I will only focus on one here. The way they wrote the response to the rape is promoting the same mechanisms that keep sexual assault both pervasive and under-reported. They made it a cover-up affair. Demonstrate power in public and suffer in silence. In the next episode Mary’s justice will be hunting down her assailants (whether she or Francis does it, who knows) and killing them. Rather than public prosecution and public punishment for a brutal crime against a woman. All because the writers decided to place a premium on reputation over healing and justice. Shame on the writers. Shame on the network. They just aren’t smart enough to represent this narrative. I am sorry I ever supported this show.
I don’t agree with this at all. I’m a 21 year old college student who LOVES this show so much. Of course nobody likes rape or any kind of trigger, it’s just a show one that I don’t want to see go off the air just because some people can’t view it as entertainment. Reign is not the only show or film to ever have a rape plot. Game of Thrones does it ALL the time yet they aren’t citizened for it. I will be so upset of this one scene brings down the entire show.
Games of thrones is on HBO and it does call itself a teen soap opera
going there or not be it a queen of everyday woman it is something no woman should have to go through
i meant to say to going there or not it was there choice and be it that it beyond sadly happens to mary or a woman of everyday moden life it is nothing any woman should go through
In this time period, this is exactly how rape went down. It is wrong and Reign never said any of this is okay, but it is an accurate portrayal of how rape went down in that time period. There should have been a warning, but even so, the rape is a realistic portrayal of how rape went down. I don’t see why people are up in arms about that. Even Catherine’s speech was very accurate in that time (doesn’t make it okay in any time period, but it is what happened).
This is my favorite tv show and I never thought that I could ever be disgusted by it! I honestly had to turn away during the scene. It was horrible this is not HBO it’s the CW I felt sick to my stomach after watching this episode and nothing could fix that… Way to destroy a great show!
Exactly!
Me and my wife loved watching this show. After tonight’s episode neither of us will ever watch it again! We both had so much respect for the character Mary portrayed and liked that there was a strong role model for women, even though the show was somewhat scandalous. We should’ve known…if anything I would’ve loved a warning so that we could’ve been spared.
Mary is still a strong role model deserving of your respect. This does not diminish Mary. She is the victim. It is comments like this that prove there needs to be open dialog about rape.
I agree there should have been a warning before hand not after the show so that women like myself who have been assaulted didn’t have to see that I was literally shaking and felt sick to my stomach! What a way to destroy this show
Just a second, you’ve lost respect for Mary because of this scene? You do understand just who was wearing the “Rapist” nametag in this particular scene?
The biggest take-home I get from this scene, and the resultant tumult surrounding it, is the fact that everyone has an opinion on how women should act when they’ve been raped. Guess what- IT’S NOT YOUR DECISION TO MAKE. Some women want to talk it out straight away, some want time to process, some find it takes years to come to terms with. Condemning someone for not lining up for their “Proud Rape Survivor” T-shirt is just as callous as telling them they shouldn’t tell people about it because it’s a downer and will make people see them differently- both of which happened to me. Well you know what? It does make you different. But every experience we have changes us, which is why I’m not angry at the poster who suggested rape survivors “brush it off”- because she’s right. I wish it was that easy- it might take years or decades to “brush off”- but when you’ve worked through the trauma, why not do exactly that, if it’s what you choose?
Also, I’d love to see people put this kind of thing in perspective… It’s TV folks. You have to decide whether you want to hold these characters to even semi-realistic norms of behaviour for their time or have them act like empowered 21st Century feminists. (And if you choose the latter, well, why not just have them develop magic powers or decide to become forensic scientists or end slavery a few years ahead of history.) I’m not suggesting that it’s not disgusting to commercialize the rape scenario as a titillating plot option, but I think we may be both flattering these writers and demanding too much from them in equal measure if we assume on the one hand that they didn’t mean to handle it better but failed- that this slightly divisive outcome was what they had in mind- and on the other that they come up with an all encompassing and politically correct manifesto-en-scene in a show that is essentially Gossip Girl in historical drag.
Slightly confused of this topic. We can broadcast murders, drugs, teenage pregnancy, robberies, car accidents due to impairment, cheating, child abuse, wars etc….. but not rape? I thought the episode was moving.. it hurt to watch yes. But I do think the point was to show you can come out on the other side. You don’t need to be ashamed. Don’t feel guilty because as women we are strong and can get through anything as long as we stick together and realize who the real loser is.
You know it’s interesting what we as viewers have grown numb to. I personally am shocked, although not entirely surprised to see this happen. You can’t watch anything with an original, pure plot. That’s doesn’t get ratings, doesn’t attract viewers. I garuantee that millions will turn out to watch next weeks episode to watch FRANCIS seek revenge. When honestly, “real life” victims of such a crime, rarely get “revenge.” And how tacky to flash a hotline number at the end of the show. This episode was nothing more than shock value, not an attempt to raise awareness for victims of rape and/or abuse. Makes me want to throw up. I want to blame the writers and yell and scream at them for ruining the show with so much filth…but I’ve been feeding it with my viewership. So I’ll simply say, I truly hope you can someday come up with something original and beautiful to write that doesn’t force people to sit through such ugliness, and flat out evil. Until then, you have one less viewer. Rape is not entertainment. It should never be.
Thank you!
I will never be ok or agree to a scene like that… and sadly, u have to remember that is a historical show, in that time, women were treated horribly… I watched all seasons of the tudors…i like this show cause it was soooo true to he history itself, but sadly there were some strong scenes: man abusing women, husband raping wife, woman couldn’t do much or say anything, men were all powerfull…i really believe it was a horrible thing to be a woman born that time, cause the society was really unfair…
The thing is, I am mad with Reign cause they are making things up… there was never proof Mary were raped in history, and all the nonsense of this show, playing modern music, wooden floor that didn’t existed that time…the clothing is awful: woman in 1500 and something, were not suposed to wear the kind of dresses they use in the show… stupid i know, but that is how the world was so many centuries ago….and if u are telling a story that happened, u can’t mess with it, u can just mess with some details… is the same if people wanted to do a show about Troy and instead of a horse, they give a fish of flowers… so that’s what made me stop watching Reign
inreally don’t understand why thisni such a big deal. Yes they depicted a rape scene and that in itself is horrible but this is a tv show. They are allowed to tell a story any way they want. I personally thought that this episode was quite powerful and I was moved by what happened, especially after the rape. Mary was able to show that no matter what she can’t be broken down and she isn’t going to let this one horrible experience define her.
you may be offended by this weeks episode, but you weren’t ever raped – as far as i can tell.
rape is a serious subject, and the only people who should be viewing their opinions are the ones who have been through such a traumatic experience.
I asked my friend to message me what she thought about the episode. she was raped a few years ago and still has nightmares and flashbacks about it.
she told me that she was not bothered – and that it actually gave her a sort of comfort. they showed the REAL brutality of rape, and its effects immediately after.
she told me that people are fuming up about this – people who haven’t been through this experience.
I myself have never been raped, but i was sexually abused for about 3 years.
you mentioned outlander, but outlander has a lot of rape in the books. i’ve never read them because that unsettles me because rape is a big part of the plot.
you need to understand that rape is a big part of history – especially in this timeframe. many real royals were raped during these times, and this, unlike many reign aspects, is pretty historically accurate, especially the hiding, and the shamefulness.
like i said, my friend was raped – and it was not a 30 second thing like this scene, it was brutal and seriously degrading. i am not going to go into detail because it’s not my story to tell.
anyways, i feel like instead of stating our opinions on behalf of those who may have been raped, we should let them say their opinions.
yes, they should have put a trigger warning in the episode – that was a mistake, but nonetheless, lets let the actual survivors speak for themselves.
Everyone needs to step back a second. I understand a lot of people are upset and saying they refuse to watch the show now, but seriously? I understand, rape is taboo, it’s a sensitive topic, it’s a terrible thing and no woman should have to experience it, but you know what they do everyday. That most certainly does not make it right and the show is not saying that rape is right, it is just being REAL and brutally honest. Especially in this time period, that happened all the time. TV shows like American Horror Story and Game of Thrones show it all the time. Yes the CW is younger but they are just being honest and true to the time period.
There are sick people out there and I think if anything this was an extremely powerful and important storyline to show. It’s an incredibly hard scene to watch but that is what makes it so powerful. We see a strong, independent female get taken advantage of and it hurts her just like it hurts everyone who experiences it. Yet we have to see how it plays out. Mary is such a strong and beautiful character, she handles herself with dignity and she always seek justice. I believe she will not let this moment define her, she will fight and show that you can overcome terrible moments like this. I have faith that the way they have written her character we will see that yes those moments can happen to anyone, they are harmful, they are unacceptable but your life is not over when it happens. It’s going to take time and it’s going to hurt but healing will occur. Have more faith in the character you have watched over the past two seasons.
Yes, it’s a brutal scene but we haven’t seen the whole story. If they ignore the issue completely next week, then fine, feel free to turn away from the show, but real victims recover and heal and find strength over time. I believe that the writers used this scene for a reason and not just for entertainment but to make a statement. Just let it play out.
How DARE Laurie, McCarthy, a WOMAN, write a disgusting scene like the rape of Mary. Rape is not for entertainment. Reign is a TV show based loosely on Mary, Queen of Scots, who was not raped in slow motion by a protestant who wanted revenge. I will NEVER watch this show again. I watched the show since the beginning last year. I turned it off permanently after that disgusting, repulsive and absolutely unnecessary scene. LAurie McCarthy is despicable! Shame on CWTV!
Ugh, yes, I just watched it. Wasn’t impressed. I agree with all your points. So disappointing.
Reign isn’t aired here in New Zealand, I download it religiously every week, I am shocked at this episode, I think its way too much, totally unnecessary. Season one was great, season two is getting boring, is this just a way to increase ratings? Poorly done, especially as a lot of young girls are fans.
I am done with this show.
The fact that anyone is saying a rape seen shouldnt be shown is shaming the women who have endured it as well. ITS A SHOW, Rape is very real and happens every day, in every country. Especially during these times where things were far more barbaric (though that can be debated seeing our society kind of sucks know too). if it was a present day show, mabybe she would have called the cops, taken the men to court who the hell knows. But in these times when a woman was in fact shamed and judged over such incidences and holding such a position , she did in fact hide it. But also made sure to tell Frances to kill them, which Im sure he will-which to me is a way better justice than probation or a few years in jail like we see today. Relax people its just a f*cking show. I’ve seen more graphic things on the local news.
YES
I can’t believe the backlash this show is getting for having a rape scene. Its a TV show, and it is set in a time period where rape was unfortunately a fairly regular occurance.
To say you’ll stop watchnig this show because of this scene is obnoxious.
Go throw your TV out a window because basically every TV show on these days that is successful HAS to push boundaries and deal with sensitive topics. That is what makes good tv!!!
Everyone should stop bitching and moaning and enjoy the fact that a good tv show is being made – Or you could just avoid watching good TV…
I’d strongly discourage you from watching SONS and GOT – You’d probably think they’re disgusting and horrible as well.
Also, Hannibal should be scratched off your to do list – the disgusting things that happen in that show would surely make your stomach turn.
To say you will stop watching a show because of a rape scene is to tell rape victims that the trauma that they endured is so horrific we would rather not think about it. Yes, sexual assault and abuse are horrifying experiences no one should ever have to deal with. But for the record so is murder. We allow TV shows to showcase the most brutal and bloody violence, but the minute that violence is of a sexual nature, we get squeamish and suddenly don’t want to talk about it. And we should talk about it. Nothing Reign did on last night’s episode was offensive. They portrayed a strong, independent woman suffer a horrible experience at the hands of people who viewed her as an object they could take advantage of. And when Mary spoke to the court that the would-be assassins would die for nothing, she was telling those men who abused her that they failed to break her. She may feel broken, and she will certainly need time to heal, but she’s not going to let them know that. And that makes her stronger, not weaker, because of the experience that she went through. Anyone claiming this show ruined a strong, independent woman by having her raped is offensive. Anyone saying they will stop watching the show because they featured a rape scene is offensive. And to say that Reign should have used a trigger warning takes away the shock of the scene. Because it should be shocking. It should move you, and disgust you to see something so horrific. And it should anger you. Not towards the people behind the show for not warning you that sensitive subject matter was about to be aired. But towards the type of people who think it is okay to take advantage of others by assaulting their bodies and trying to take away their power through sexual dominance. Great entertainment should be cathartic. It should shock you, and move you to start a discussion yourself, among your friends, and family, and coworkers. Reign did its job by sending a message, and it’s our responsibility as viewers to spread the message. That rape isn’t okay, and victims are still strong despite what their attackers tried to take from them.
Yes. Thank you. Exactly.
I am a rape survivor and I am personally appalled at all the comments suggesting it inappropriate to have a rape-oriented storyline on tv, or implying that the only reason for it was a ratings grab. I feel those commenters are trying to diminish what happens with rape by sticking their heads in the ground. Rape victims deserve a strong character such as Mary that they can relate to.
Ugh still can’t believe they decided to air this. Some people thought it was great though, if these results are any indicator: https://api.statisfy.co/questions/2024/responses/new
I think everybody is just going overboard about it. The way that the story was turned actually give the man 2 options to hurt the woman who he thinks kill his son:kill her or destroy her on the inside by raping her. It was very well done and well adressed in the show. The queen could never tell oh yes I have been raped. This show is awesome aND I can not wait to see Francis’ revenge.
The fact that women and men all over the world get raped is a horrifying throught and we can only raise awareness about it and try to help victims out. The show has aired such scenes before and no viewer had complained as much as with this episode. In my opinion its not the content of the episode that really annoys people its the character that it happened to. I watch reign since the first episode, seeing this scene has shocked me im not going to lie but we should all realise that such things happen on daily basis and most people consider it tabboo. The show has taken a hudge step broadcasting this scene knowing that they were going to upset many people but at least they showed the reality of the cruel and horrifying world we live in. If any of you think that the show should be taken off tv than its your opinions and you are more than entitled to it but let people who actually enjoy it watching it.
I’m a little unsure why a lot of people are angry. I mean, I’m pretty sure the show wanted the audience to feel something about it, but I see a lot of comments in a lot of articles where people’s reasons behind their anger are vastly different. Was it brutal? Yes, but rape in general is brutal, and the episode showed that. I know a lot of people are calling it graphic as well, but graphic to me would have been actually showing the man spreading Mary’s legs (as opposed to just giving a glimpse of the man pushing up her skirt) and thrusting inside her and drawing out the scene for far longer than the show actually did. Instead, they focused on Mary’s face and the man’s hands on her throat, which translates the agony she feels at being raped. That, I feel, was a powerful shot because it doesn’t hide what she is feeling. It’s not minimizing it and ‘babying’ the audience by not showing them just how brutal rape is. No one seemed too upset when Catherine mentioned last season that she had been raped, so was that okay because they hadn’t shown it? And just because the show is on a network aimed at Teens doesn’t mean that rape shouldn’t be showed. Teenagers get raped, too. And a lot of these teenagers are already seeing murder and torture and consensual sex on the show, including the S&M scenes between Henry and the servant in last season. I’m pretty sure these teens also see a lot worse on HBO and FX and other stations. So I wonder, is it the rape itself that has people bothered, or being faced with an uncomfortable topic they don’t wish to think about, let alone talk about?
I saw a lot of people comment furiously that the show have taken a ‘strong and independent woman’ and ruined her by having her be raped, that it somehow made her weak. This confuses me. So does this mean that the rape scene would have been okay if the victim had been someone deemed weaker, say Lola or Greer? Would it have been okay if it had been a man being raped? Does it mean that strong and independent women don’t get raped? That women are no longer strong or independent if they do get raped?
Women of all kinds get raped, including strong women. And when these women get raped, it doesn’t make them weak at all. It doesn’t undercut their strength, which is what the author of this article is implying. To imply it is sort of insulting, because it suggests that once a woman is raped, she isn’t capable of coming back from it, that she isn’t capable of being strong. That is far from the truth. A woman can rise above what happened to her and come out of it even stronger, because she hadn’t allowed the men who raped her to win. Whether that’s by confronting her attacker in court, or no longer being afraid, or simply acknowledging that she is not a victim but a survivor, that makes a woman strong.
Another common topic is Catherine’s speech. From a progressive and modern standpoint, it might seem that the message being sent is that rape should be kept quiet but this is set in a time far different from ours. If Mary were to publicly voice her rape, do you think France’s people would look at her as a strong queen ever again? No, because things were different back then. Women, in general, were treated differently. For a queen, Mary was held to a different standard, and she had to appear as a strong ruler not just in front of her people but probably also in front of the nobles who already have issues with the current rulers. If her rape was made public, her reputation would be tarnished. Her public image as a powerful queen would be diminished. People would look at her and see her as someone who has been sullied and degraded. Like Catherine said, they would see her as a victim. That would have a negative impact on her role as ruler. Could Reign have taken on a more progressive route? Maybe, but while the writers play fast and loose with historical facts, I don’t see how Mary announcing it to the world would help her reputation. In that time period, she’s a queen first and foremost.
Personally, I had no issue with the rape scene. My worry is how the rape is handled from here on out. So I am withholding judgment until I see how it plays out. How someone who is raped handles the aftermath varies, of course, so while I won’t have expectations about how she should struggle, I just hope the show handles it in a way where we truly see Mary struggle with what happened to her, because if they don’t and they have it resolved by the end of the next episode, only then will I have an issue with the rape scene.
As a victim of rape, I wasn’t appalled at this scene. It was relatively short and I found Catherine’s speech to Mary to be inspiring. It was accurate. This has been one of my favorite TV shows and it doesn’t deserve to be cancelled because it dared to touch base on a very real problem women have suffered for centuries. Good for them.
Reign needs to stop. Its teeny-bopper soapiness is not a good fit for a series of its genre and its historical inaccuracy is unbearable. The first season was problematic ( http://prettyandwittyandbright.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/on-tv-revisting-reigns-first-season-and-the-horrors-of-historical-fanfiction-ahem/ ), giving in to the rape plot was going too far