Saturday, March 26, 2016

Reign - Seasons 1 & 2 & 3 Review




Reign - seasons 1 & 2 & 3 (first 10 episodes) Review (with spoilers)

I've just spent the last week watching Reign non-stop.
It's the kind of show that just keeps getting better and better...
I very
much like this show. There were moments when I didn't like what was going on or things the characters did or have done... and even after finding out Francis was going to die at the beginning of season 3 (way before I got to that episode), I still couldn't stop watching. There was just something so compelling about this show. And Mary. As long as Mary is there, I'll keep watching. 

Mary surprises me time and time again with how strong she is. She may be a female ruler in times when females weren't taken very seriously unless in the company of men, but she's stronger than any man. She's strong willed, brave and extremely intelligent. True strength is not in the body but in the heart, and Mary has the heart of a warrior. A fighter. Someone who doesn't let the cruelty of fate crush her.
She has that way of making you believe every word she says. She says it with such conviction, such force and certainty... even when she's bluffing you can't help but believe her.
And she makes you feel more than any character in the show. When Francis died... she was in so much pain. That scene where she tore everything apart and screamed into the empty throne room... it was heartbreaking.

I'm still in denial over Francis's death (Hey, It's only been 4 episodes ago) so I'll be babbling about it for most of this review. I just still can't believe he's forever gone. 

Francis and Mary's last dance... it was so emotional. So bittersweet. So Melancholy.
I admit, at the beginning of the show I didn't know what to think about them together. But as the story progressed... their love was so real and true and strong, you couldn't help but love them. And root for them at they fought their way through the treacherous life at court. No matter what, they always found their way back to each other. They went against everything and everyone that came between them; Henry, Catherine, Bash, Narcisse, Scotland and France politics, the rape, Louis, up until the very last thing, the last obstacle: Death. 

The aftermath of the rape scene was so hard to watch... It was so horrible, seeing the effects it had on Mary and how she was trying to deal with it.
Season 2 was complete torture. The rape and Mary and Francis's separation was frustrating to no end. Not to mention Louis.
The whole Mary-Louis thing - I hated it. What Mary went through, with the rape, I understand why she felt how she felt and did what she did. I even understand why she needed some distance from Francis, yet it didn't stop me from hating her at those moments with Louis and the distance she kept from Francis, hurting him even without meaning to. 

Narcisse: there was a very brief time when I thought maybe there was still hope for him yet. It's over now. I wonder what will happen with Lola. Technically they're still married but...? 

when Nostradamus prophecy came true... When Mary lay down beside Francis on their bed and they talked about what their future would - could - have been like... Ann and James... I wanted it for them more fiercely than I ever thought I could. I wanted them together, happy, for many years to come. I wanted Ann and James to be real. It was heartbreaking. 

"You must love again."
"I would never... I would never love anyone the way that I love you."
"I pray to God that you do." 

That scene broke me. I was mentally chanting "no, no, no, no, no..."
I knew it was coming. I even knew when. And still... it still got to me.
And Mary... seeing her reaction, it was just so... tears were falling down my eyes.
Refusing to leave Francis's body - denial.
Destroying the accords she and Francis signed to take back her claim to the throne of England, tearing away the flags and screaming in agony in the throne room - anger.
"Nostradamus was right all along. I brought Francis's death." "He died saving me." - Self-blame.
"I don't even know who I am without Francis." "How can I wed another?" breaking into sobs - depression.
she has yet to find acceptance and I think it's going to be the hardest thing she ever had to do. But she'll do it. she's strong and I believe in her. 

The aftermath of Francis's death was so difficult to watch.
I miss Francis.
I want him back.
Frary forever. 

And then there is Gideon. I'm not over Francis (not at all), but I've developed a liking for Gideon. When he and Marry attempted to fake some sort of date to deceive Elizabeth (episode 10), It was so funny.
The moments of Mary being genuinely happy were less than few ever since Francis died. I was so glad for that moment. 

The romance is so good but I do have a problem: I wish the show will decide at least at some ships (couples) and stick with them. Every time I ship a couple it ends in either A) one of them dying or B) one of them doing something horrible that makes the other abandon ship.
It really makes you weary of shipping anyone of fear you'll get too attached, and before you know it they'll be torn apart permanently.

Francis and Mary? he dies (*sob-sob*)
Bash and Kenna? officially over.
Bash and Marry? didn't work out and I don't think will ever again.
Greer and Leith? really thought it was going to happen but apparently not.
and so on and so on... my point exactly. 

Am I the only one who finds it strange when random relatives pop out of nowhere, without ever even being mentioned by passing at all? this is truly baffling.
Mary's half-brother, Claude... it was basically like: 'Oh and I have a sibling\a child I've never mentioned before, by the way.'

Catherine and Mary's relationship is one of the rockiest on the show. They go from despising each other to tolerating each other to getting along and even sometimes like each other. It never so far stayed in one course for a long period of time, though. They can easily turn on each other as they can support each other.
With Francis gone... I really hope they can get along better than they had in the past. On one hand, Catherine will have less to hate Marry for. Most of her hate for Mary was on the belief she was hurting her son and was going to get him killed. Francis is dead now (nope, still not over it). On the other hand, there will be no one to protect Mary or contain Catherine if she'll ever hate Mary again and decide to go against her.
I love this new alliance between Mary and Cathrine in season 3 so far. The whipping scene of the Spanish Prince was hilarious (!) (up until when the Spanish prince almost died, of course). I know that technically, in history, Marry and Catherine were enemies and in the end, Catherine executes Mary. But I hope it won't come to this. I hope they'll maintain this fun alliance. It's what Francis would have wanted. 

Reign is not my usual kind of show but I've become quite attached to it. Mary is one hell of a strong female protagonist. I have no idea what's going to happen with her now but I really want her to love again and find her HEA.
She deserves it.



"I loved him, Catherine. And now it's done. And I loved him." 
-- Mary Queen of scots. 

    

          

Friday, March 25, 2016

Light&Dark


Hello, there!
And welcome to my blog Light&Dark.
Not so long ago I opened a blog called Magiverse where I wanted to write and review all about my favorite things: reading, writing, watching TV shows, movies and anime... 

But I decided to split it into two blogs. One blog, this blog, will be about TV shows, movies, anime and such... and the other blog, Magiverse, shall be about books (book reviews, anticipated books, and everything about books. I'm an addicted reader, so be warned) and writing (I also love writing stories).
I wrote a little bit about myself in the introduction section on Magiverse but I'll add some more information here.
Here we go then:
Hey, fellows, my name is Zoey River. As of 2016 I'm 18 years old.
I love-love-love reading books (honestly, one needs a better word than love when it comes to loving reading books... it just doesn't cover it), I love writing stories (especially fantasy stories) and I aspire to be an author. Music is another passion of mine.
I'll finish by listing a few of the shows I loved\Love\Follow (but there are always ones I'll probably miss or haven't watched yet, of course):
Scorpion, the blacklist, Lucifer, Castle, How to get away with murder, Once upon a time, Agents of shield, stitchers, finding carter, Izombie, the flash, Arrow, The vampire diaries, Da vinci's demons, the 100, Game of thrones, dark matter, unreal, sense8, Sherlock, Jessica Jones, Doctor who (an all times favorite), the shannara chronicles, Into the badlands, Reign, Nikita, Merlin...
One more thing: I also love watching anime. I know it's not some people thing and some find it really weird but It's important to be honest about what you love... so I believe.
Oh, and I forgot to mention why I chose this particular name for the blog.
Well, with the first blog (Magiverse) it wasn't very hard to come up with a name. I know, not the most original but I love fantasy, I love everything to do with magic and magical worlds so... Magic and Universe turned out to be Magiverse. With this blog, I had a harder time to come up with a name. What do you name a blog about TV shows and movies and such? That will also sound interesting and will be related to the theme of the shows I usually watch?
So I though: what do they all have in common - those shows and movies and anime I love to watch? action, fantasy, adventure, a battle between good and evil. Good and Evil turned up in my head to Light and Dark. I'm always a fan when it comes to battles and uncertainty between the aspects of what's good and what's evil.
About why my blog is technically called in its link Lux and Nox... well, funny story: I literally tried every possible combination of Light and Dark and they were all unavailable. I had to take drastic measures and try it in a different language that wouldn't sound totally weird. And in Latin... Lux and Nox means Light and Night. Latin always sounded interesting to me and I think it turned out pretty good.
And this is the story of how my blogs came to be.


Two steps from hell - Victory  


Good will always win. It doesn't mean that good will never suffer, never have to sacrifice, that good will never be brought down again and again. But Good will always stand right back up. It'll always fight Evil. You know why? Because good never gives up, no matter what Evil does. Good will always prevail. That's what makes it good. 
          --- Zoey River (from a story I'm currently writing).