The Reign Fandom Speaks

It seems that with its third season premiering on The CW and the first season being released on Netflix, Reign may actually begin to really grow its fandom, find its footing with viewers, and thrive.

Where, in the past, there were very few posts on Tumblr about this historically inaccurate yet mysteriously compelling show that mixes Elizabethan era dress with modern music, there are now beginning to appear any number of posts asking the question, “Why wasn’t I watching this before?”

Truly, why weren’t they watching before? Well, another Tumblr post spells it out quite clearly when it says, “I just started watching Reign on Netflix and it would be pretty good if there weren’t so many historical inaccuracies.”

This issue is coming up time and again on Tumblr, but it’s also been heard outside of the fandom realm as well, largely by those who haven’t given the show a fair chance and sometimes haven’t watched a single episode at all.

The Tumblr dash is pretty clear, though. If viewers at least watch a couple of episodes, they begin to see past the historical inaccuracies to the oftentimes socially relevant issues that are being addressed and some have come to say such things as, “Reign is a horrible show. It’s not historically accurate AT ALL, but I can’t stop watching. It’s so captivating. Someone save me.”

From new viewers, the most often cited situation on the show that is being praised for its accurate portrayal is Mary’s response to being a victim of rape. She cries her eyes out. She trembles and pulls away when anyone tries to touch her. She shuts people out, shuts herself down, and numbs herself. She tries to overcome what happened to her. She fights for it. But it takes time and she often stumbles and falls along the way, frustrating herself and her husband.

If you haven’t given this show a try, if you’ve written it off for its historical inaccuracies, consider giving it another chance. It may just surprise you.