DVD Review: Reign: The Complete Second Season

The Complete Second Season of Reign hits DVD on Tuesday, October 6, just in time for the start of the new season later in the week.

The Episodes: Here’s how Warner Bros. Home Entertainment describes the release: “The second season of Reign begins with Mary and Francis on the throne of a nation burning. France is rocked by the aftereffects of the plague, a disease that creeps inside the castle walls, taking thousands upon thousands of lives across the land, and ravages the stability of a nation. From the ashes, powerful lords will rise, carrying out personal, religious and political vendettas, taking lives, and tearing at Mary and Francis’s commitment to each other, and their people. Friendships will be tested, loved ones murdered and betrayed. Meanwhile, a mysterious and deadly threat snatches victims from village streets and castle corridors; leaving evidence of savagery that looks like the work of monsters; mythical creatures who are the subject of nightmares, but who walk among us; doing the Devil’s bidding.”

And that’s basically what Season 2 of Reign is all about. The show is more fun than it needs to be, except for some uncomfortable situations in the season that left viewers a bit uneasy, and Megan Follows is, of course, my favorite part of everything.

All 22 episodes of Reign Season 2 are on the set, and considering it’s just DVD and not Blu-ray, the show still looks fantastic.

The Extras: And here’s where someone needs to be banished from the kingdom. I get that it’s just a DVD, but only one extra feature — “a day on set with Adelaide Kane” that also features appearances and commentary by her cast mates and key crew members — makes me sad, though that one feature is pretty good. In this day and age where things land on Netflix and streaming, DVD consumers need something extra, and “something extra” should be more than a less-than-20-minute featurette. (Oh, there are deleted scenes as well, but still, no commentaries, even?)

Packaging & Design: The set looks beautiful. The menus look like Blu-ray menus, even though again, just a DVD, and the little booklet inside looks great.

Is It Worth It? If you’re a die-hard Reign fan who wants to have a collectible to own, sure. But if you just want the episodes… I might not give this my highest recommendation, since they can be watched in streaming just as easily, with [basically] just as many extras. I’m probably not the target Reign viewer but it’s a lot more enjoyable than I might’ve guessed from trailers, and the show’s leads in addition to the previously-mentioned Megan Follows make the show something worth checking out. If you do decide you want the set, order it from Amazon.com at a discounted rate and support KSiteTV!