Mercy

 

Mercy
Season 2, Episode 10
Air date	December 11, 2014
Written by	Wendy Riss Gatsiounis Drew Lindo
Directed by	Rich Newey
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"Kill them, and let them burn with their sins."

—Queen Mary

Synopsis

Mary Seeks Retribution
In the aftermath of an attack on the castle, a blood-thirsty Francis makes a startling decision that will forever change his rule as the King of France, causing him to track the missing Narcisse with a newfound lust for revenge. Meanwhile, Mary is stunned to discover the truth behind Francis' recent decisions and embarks on a treacherous mission of her own with Lord Condé. Leith urgently pleads with Greer to flee the country after violence erupts across the land. Catherine receives an unexpected and erotic visit in her chambers after making a final decision regarding the fate of her daughter Claude.

Plot

Mary sits in bed, rubbing her bruised wrists and eyeing the open door with a guard standing by it. Sebastian and Francis are trying to find Severin, the man supposedly behind the attack. Lord Narcisse has fled, but Francis is determined to find him. Lord Condé swears his loyalty to King Francis. Francis believes him, but he also points out that Condé is a Protestant, and if he wasn't behind it, he will need to cooperate to find out who was. Mary is in the courtyard looking for her rapist in a string of chained prisoners. Catherine is worried for her. When Francis approaches her, she rebuffs his touch. She is visibly distressed and not easily swayed by Francis' promise to hunt her attackers to the end of the earth. Greer is ready to go morning mass and asks Aloysius to come with her. But he reminds her that he goes to services now, not mass. Greer begs her husband to convert to Catholicism, because he is on a dangerous path and he will drag them both down if he continues on it. Francis tells Mary he was being blackmailed over regicide by Narcisse into making decisions that favoured Catholics. The lies and mistakes kept piling up until last night, when he found a way out. He found Lord Montgomery and killed him. Francis claims to have kept it from Mary to protect her, but she doubts it. He knows the offense cannot be erased, but he will make every one of them pay with their lives. Sebastian informs Francis that more prisoners are coming in and the dungeons are filling up. Bash is worried that they will freeze outside, but Francis doesn't care. He tried being one kind of king but was forced to be another. Now he cannot go back. Mary is moving into her old chambers with her ladies helping her. She admits that she lied and was raped. She cannot bear any talk about an heir from anyone, not until she is sure she isn't pregnant. However, they don't care about the monarchy, they only care about Mary as her friend. Mary assures them that it will all be over once Francis finds and kills her attackers. Lola tells Francis that she knows about what happened to Mary. She can't help but think that if she'd helped him weaken Narcisse earlier, things might have gone differently. But she may have an idea where Narcisse fled. Before Francis leaves, Lola advises him to consider whether Narcisse is more valuable to him dead or alive. Leith goes to Greer, looking for her husband. He divulges his orders, which are to round up every known Protestant for questioning, even torture. Greer admits that she cannot turn to Mary for protection, so Leith advises her to flee. Bash informs Francis of the prisoners starting a riot because they foresee death by his command. He orders Bash to hang them all. Catherine tries to reason with Francis, but he's falling back on the idea that terror is the way to rule. When he rides away, Catherine looks down on her hands and sees them covered in blood. When she looks up, she sees the twin girl ghosts. Catherine follows them into the music room, where Claude is playing an instrument. Catherine sends her out and when Claude refuses, she is slapped. Once Claude storms away, Catherine begs the girls to leave Claude alone. But the girls tell her that Claude suffocated them and if Catherine doesn't make her pay for it, they will. While Condé and Jacob Rivell find out his footman hung himself, the guards take Castleroy away. Condé asks a servant if the letter he asked to be delivered to Mary last night reached her. He doesn't think so, as the servant who was to deliver the letter was killed outside Mary's chambers. Condé doesn't care, he doesn't need it back. He's surprised at how close the assassins made it to Mary's chambers. Condé goes to Mary and expresses his concern, but she assures him that she's fine. He has information for Francis but can't find him. They've had a setback with the attackers. The man who funded the attackers took his own life. He promises not to give up. Mary wants to see the man's wife and demands to be taken there. He tries to dissuade her, but she says that it's worth the risk. Claude is talking with her ladies when Catherine comes up. Catherine warns Claude that it's not safe for her in the castle. She gives her enough gold to take her anywhere she wants to go. However, Claude refuses it, pointing out that there is something wrong with Catherine. She pours out the money, calling Catherine a relic who has outlived her usefulness. When Claude threatens Catherine and Catherine talks away, Kenna steps in. She tries to help Claude, but Claude only derides her. Francis finds Narcisse and attacks him. But he doesn't kill him, because Narcisse warns him that he has changed his will, leaving everything to the Protestants if he died. Francis promises him a fate worse than death. Condé and Mary meet with the man's wife. She divulges the assassins' location and Mary insists on catching them before they escape. Condé doesn't want to endanger her by taking her there, but when Mary tells him that she will not forgive herself if they slip through her fingers and whips out a knife, he agrees. They will drag the men back to court together. Catherine and Claude chat. Catherine apologizes and tells Claude that she has always loved her and wants to start acting more like her mother. As she starts to feed her daughter soup, the ghosts smile. Catherine asks Claude to forgive her. Leith goes to Francis. He asks him to set Castleroy free. Francis claims that he was only brought in for questioning, but Leith reminds him that people are dying while they await what he calls questioning. Leith asks for repayment of stripping his lands by letting Castleroy go. When he's freed, Leith tells him to leave and never come back. Condé and Mary reach the house. The attackers arrive in the house. Someone kept his word, the money is here. Mary slashes out with her dagger from under the table and cuts her rapist's legs while Condé slays the other men. Mary tells him that he will hang for what he has done, but when he mouths off again, Mary tosses a lantern onto him and he starts to burn. She commands Condé to kill them and let them burn for their sins. As they watch the house set ablaze, Condé looks deeply at Mary. He later asks if Francis knows what happened. He tells Mary she can trust him. She thought that by killing the men, she could find her way back to her life with Francis. But she can't. The events leave them so far from where they began. Condé assures her France is still her home, her country and she its Queen. Her people need her. Claude walks up to Bash. She appears to be drunk. Just as she recounts the suitors she had, she collapses into Bash's arms. He carries her away just as Kenna comes into the corridor. Castleroy is packing and talking about their future. Greer tells him that she is not leaving with him, because Mary needs her more than ever. Additionally, if they both leave, they'll look guilty. But she doesn't want his absence to be permanent, as loves him and wants to see him again. Francis has been looking for Mary. He gives her a status update and learns that she killed the men who attacked her. She tells him to release the prisoners; it's over. She begins to cry. Francis wonders what Mary would have done differently if she was in his place. She has no idea, but he never gave it a chance. They will never know. Mary wants to lead separate lives. Francis goes to see Narcisse. He wanted to rip him from limb to limb, but he decided he has better use for him alive. Narcisse promises to do anything Francis asks of him. Francis tells Narcisse that he is his puppet now. And should he outlive his usefulness, he'll have him slaughtered in the dead of night. As Catherine is sleeping, a silhouette of a person crawls up from under the covers. It is Henry. His hand grasps her throat and wakes her up. She doesn't believe he is real and doesn't understand why he is in her bed. Henry explains that the twins found him. She mustn't feel guilty about Claude, because she did right by them. They start making out. Henry begs Catherine to say that she wants him back and she does. When Condé returns to his chambers, he finds his brother Antoine inside. Condé asks him if he had anything to do with the attack on the castle, but Antoine scoffs at the insinuation. If he had done it, it would've been a success. He points out that Condé's reports have grown briefer and fewer and he wonders why that is. He was supposed to befriend Francis, but he seems to have grown closer to the Queen instead. Antoine asks Condé if he has fallen for her. Condé says no. Antoine wants the choice to be clear if the time should come when he need to choose between his new friends and his family. A maid hands Mary the letter from Condé. In it he says that he didn't say goodbye to her because it may weaken his resolve. He knows he promised to marry Claude, but he cannot. He admits his heart belongs to another. He has fallen in love with a queen.

Quotes

King Francis: What's Mary doing here?
Queen Catherine: She's looking for her rapist. And if you don't catch him soon, that's what she'll be doing for the rest of her life. In every room and in every crowd.

Lady Lola: We don't care about the Monarchy, we're your friends, we care about you!

Lord Narcisse: You need me!
King Francis: Nobody needs you!

Lord Narcisse: It is a new France, and I shall be loyal to you, I swear.

Louis of Condé: Mary, you're not even armed. (Mary pulls out a knife) Good Lord!

Leith Bayard: When you took my lands away, you said that you'd make it up to me one day. Well, this is that day. I want repayment. Let Castleroy go.

Leith Bayard: Whatever you do, don't come back.

Queen Mary: You will be hanged for what you did to me. You will suffer and die, and I will live. In a hundred years, as queen, I will be remembered, and your name will be forgotten. You'll see that you are erased from history. And God have mercy on your soul.

Queen Mary: Kill them, and let them burn with their sins.

Queen Mary: I've had some time to think. I believe that we should lead separate lives.
King Francis: What does that mean?
Queen Mary: That we will continue to work together as king and queen, but that I will be your wife in name only.
King Francis: I can't do that. I won't.
Queen Mary: We wouldn't be the first people in history to do so.
King Francis: If you're talking about my parents, we are nothing like them. I would do anything for you, Mary. I love you and you love me.
Queen Mary: Look where that love has brought us.

King Francis: You cost me more than you could possibly imagine. But your debt will be paid.

King Francis: You're my puppet now. And should you outlive your usefulness, I'll have you slaughtered in the dead of night.

Notes

• Lord Montgomery is mentioned, but does not appear.
• This episode takes place over the course of one full day.
• King Francis finally tells Mary about how he killed his father.
• Queen Mary moves back into her old chambers.
• Louis Condé admits to being in love with Mary.
• King Henry returns as a ghost.
• King Francis orders the death of 21 Protestants this episode alone, with possibly more off-screen. This furthers his reign into The French Wars of Religion.
• As of the 10th episode of Reign, there have been over 60 deaths. Not including any Plague victims.

Death Toll
- 12 Protestants
- Hugo
- 2 Castle Guards
- 9 Assassins
- Severin
- 2 Attackers

Trivia

• This marks Alan van Sprang's first appearance since King Henry's death in Season One.
• Rose Williams has become a main cast member.
• Adelaide Kane wore her Giuliana Teso Black Fur Cape again, last seen in Slaughter of Innocence.

Gallery

Characters

• Credit Order

Actor	Character
Adelaide Kane	Queen Mary
Megan Follows	Queen Catherine
Torrance Coombs	Sebastian
Toby Regbo	King Francis
Celina Sinden	Greer Castleroy
Caitlin Stasey	Lady Kenna
Anna Popplewell	Lady Lola
Jonathan Keltz	Leith Bayard
Sean Teale	Louis Condé
Craig Parker	Lord Narcisse
Rose Williams	Princess Claude
Guest Staring
Alan van Sprang	King Henry
Ben Aldridge	King Antoine
Michael Therriault	Lord Castleroy
Mac Fyfe	Jacob Rivell
Oliver Becker	Severin
Cameo
James Downing	Assassin #1
Mal Dassin	Assassin #2
Ava Preston	Henriette
Madison Oldroyd	Emone
William Mathews	Hugo

	Character debut
	Speaking debut
	Episode debut

Videos

Reign 2x10 Promo "Mercy" (HD) Mid-Season Finale-0