How do you write a story with a message for feminist equality and women empowerment, but your target audience is women who want above all a beautiful princess/prince charming tale, and at the same time tie it all with real history?
The authors cleverly threw something for everyone, not allowing a final decision on "what this series is really about" - or perhaps letting different viewers decide. Throughout the episode, the queens of England and Scotland give thrilling speeches (in particular, some of Elizabeth's moments were quite compelling) about the stupidity of thinking women are unworthy of the highest duties, particularly without men around. In the final exchanges between Mary and John Knox you can always feel in your skin how the writers were burning with Clinton and Trump in their minds.
And the few spectators (like myself) who are interested in the real history are reminded we are watching unfold the union of Scotland and England for the first time, the formation of Great Britain, which lasts to this day.
BUUUUT... in the end this show is a Disney-like romance, and the final scene gives us back prince charming, Francis, who had been gone from the series since his death on season 3, but who is the love affair the mostly female audience most cares about (even though Mary loved other men after him). Since a montage recapitulating their moments is the last thing we see, we can know for sure the writers wanted to give this as a present to the girls who watched the series for the romantic fantasy of a beautiful princess and a gallant prince.
Last not least, there is also a head-scratching, out of the blue and mildly shocking last event involving Catherine and Narcisse. I would not dream to spoil it, nor speculate on why it is there. Just go along with it.
The authors cleverly threw something for everyone, not allowing a final decision on "what this series is really about" - or perhaps letting different viewers decide. Throughout the episode, the queens of England and Scotland give thrilling speeches (in particular, some of Elizabeth's moments were quite compelling) about the stupidity of thinking women are unworthy of the highest duties, particularly without men around. In the final exchanges between Mary and John Knox you can always feel in your skin how the writers were burning with Clinton and Trump in their minds.
And the few spectators (like myself) who are interested in the real history are reminded we are watching unfold the union of Scotland and England for the first time, the formation of Great Britain, which lasts to this day.
BUUUUT... in the end this show is a Disney-like romance, and the final scene gives us back prince charming, Francis, who had been gone from the series since his death on season 3, but who is the love affair the mostly female audience most cares about (even though Mary loved other men after him). Since a montage recapitulating their moments is the last thing we see, we can know for sure the writers wanted to give this as a present to the girls who watched the series for the romantic fantasy of a beautiful princess and a gallant prince.
Last not least, there is also a head-scratching, out of the blue and mildly shocking last event involving Catherine and Narcisse. I would not dream to spoil it, nor speculate on why it is there. Just go along with it.
