Reign Finale Recap 6/20/16: Season 3 Episode 18 “Spiders in a Jar”

Reign Finale Recap 6/20/16: Season 3 Episode 18 "Spiders in a Jar"

Reign on the CW continues tonight with an all new Monday, June 20, season 3 finale called “Spiders in a Jar,” and we have your weekly Reign recap below. On tonight’s episode, in the third-season finale, Mary (Adelaide Kane) must battle Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) in order to secure her crown in Scotland.

On the last episode Mary was presumed dead, so Elizabeth looked for her crown with assistance from Lola. Meanwhile, Mary’s half-brother tried to safeguard her throne from John Knox; and Mary and Bash wound up in the clutches of the intimidating clan leader who killed Francis. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it we have you covered with a full and detailed Reign recap right here for you.

On tonight’s episode as per the CW synopsis, “in the third-season finale, Mary must battle Elizabeth in order to secure her crown in Scotland. Meanwhile, Lola is accused of an awful crime and faces punishment; and Catherine finds a very different Charles has returned to France.”

Don’t forget to come back here tonight at 8 PM EST for your live Reign recap season 3 finale. In the meantime, be sure to hit up the comments section below and let us know what you’re most excited about for tonight’s episode.

Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!

#Reign starts with Mary talking with her brother James and walking with Bash. James tells her regional nobles generally rule the areas. Bash asks James about the English threat and James says that he thinks it’s a legitimate threat that Elizabeth will invade Scotland.

Bash stares at a strange woman nearby. John Knox is taking Elizabeth’s side and Mary asks why Knox hates women so much. James says he thinks the guy has mommy issues and talks about how Mary must tread carefully and recommends she convert to Protestantism.

Mary says she will show John Know that queens don’t bow to their subjects and it’s the other way around. Catherine greets Leith who has brought some villagers from a local town that grows her onions. She says the Red Knight won’t speak to her so she needs a new strategy.

She still doesn’t know where Charles is. Catherine tells Leith to interrogate the man and then kill these people in front of him if they won’t talk. John Knox shows up at Mary’s request and he tells her it’s forbidden to take Mass. Mary steps up to him and says otherwise.

She tells him they can live in peace but she won’t change her religion. Mary asks if he stands with Elizabeth who plans to end their country. Knox talks about it and says it’s womanly talk for attention. Knox says Mary is the real threat to peace.

Mary advises him to help them live in peace or may God have mercy on his soul. The nanny talks to Lola who says she can’t believe that Mary wants her to kill Elizabeth. The nanny tells her she’s no assassin. Lola says she doesn’t have to be an assassin just give the killer the opportunity.

Lola says Elizabeth must die and her friend, her queen needs her. James tells Mary about a slaughter of Protestants and says the village priest reportedly incited the violence. Bash then reports that Englishmen are in the country and are meeting with local lords.

Mary says bring me the Catholic priest and tells Bash they will go meet the English lords and tell them Scotland is not for sale. Bash finds the woman in the castle who was among the Druids. She says he’s not doing all that he can do and doesn’t belong here.

He turns when Mary approaches and the woman is gone suddenly. Elizabeth greets Dudley who came to see her and asks to speak to her in private. She refuses. Lola meets with Narcisse and wants him to take John and the Nanny. She says she has to stay in London.

Narcisse says they have a plan and Elizabeth will be watching her. Lola says go to London and she’ll meet them in two days. He asks why not now and Lola says their marriage has been a challenge and she was a child before she knew him. She says she judged him and didn’t understand.

Lola tells him she loves him and they kiss. She begs him to go while she still has the courage to say goodbye. Then she adds that it’s just goodbye for now and says they’re family. She kisses her son and hands him over too. Narcisse takes the child and they go.

Martel de Guise reports to Catherine and Leith shows up and shoots down two of the king’s guard that were about to take Claude and Catherine to their chambers. Leith says he thinks perhaps Charles escaped. Catherine begs Leith to watch over Claude and gives them her blessing to wed him.

Martel is not happy that he lost out on Claude to the commoner. Bash and Mary ride with a retinue and she asks if he’s okay. He says don’t worry about his happiness, he chose to come with her. They ride into a village. Two men step forward and point out the Englishmen.

Mary tells the leader to step forward – it’s Gideon. He bows deeply to her. Mary is stunned. Mary goes to speak in private with Gideon and he kisses her when they’re alone. She stops him and says they can’t do this and asks if they’re enemies.

She asks if he can tell her anything and asks about him buying her Protestant lords. Gideon says they also made headway with Catholic nobles and says Elizabeth is proposing a bloodless coup and the Scottish are tired of foreigners and fighting.

Mary says it’s the English that are the problem. Mary says she just needs a couple of days. She says if you care for me, delay your travels. He says he’s not alone and she asks him to find a way to stall by one day. They kiss again and he agrees.

In France, bells ring and a guard sounds a trumpet. Catherine comes running and embraces Charles who is alive. He says he can’t do it – he can’t be king. Charles says he doesn’t want to be king anymore. Lola meets the assassin who hands her a pistol and tells her where to hide it.

He says hide it in a clock then stall Elizabeth. He says he won’t escape with his life and will die in service of his queen and the true cause. Leith tells Claude that he still has to track down the last of the Red Knights. Claude wants him to stop the chase.

She says he got the blessing but he says that he wants to keep the Valois safe. She says if he goes, she’ll stop loving him. He asks if she can do that. Leith says then he has no reason to come home and drops to a knee and kneels with a ring and proposes.

Claude is thrilled and accepts. They kiss. They go to bed and make love. Mary greets Father Ashby who says he urged protest not slaughter. He says he’s the only one left standing and that’s why he was blamed. He says he was on retreat and isn’t sure that the local Catholics did any killing either.

He was at an abandoned abbey and has no witnesses. Ashby says don’t blame me for something I did not do and says God knows he’s innocent. Mary has him tossed back in the dungeon. She tells James she can’t win and says everyone distrusts her.

James says she must give her Catholic citizens justice but she says killing that man is not justice. Lola walks down the hall and nods at the assassin. Dudley notices. Lola tries to delay Elizabeth twice and then Dudley tackles the assassin and tells the guards to seize Lola.

Elizabeth agrees and says arrest her. She’s dragged away. Elizabeth comes to see Lola in her cell and says the would-be assassin is a Catholic radical and says she was told this was all on Mary’s orders. Elizabeth asks if this was her plan all along.

Lola says she’s at war with her country and this idea of a bloodless coup is an illusion. Lola says she had to choose her own queen. Elizabeth rages that she trusted her. Lola says she has more power than anyone and therefore will always be alone.

Lola says she marches to her execution soon but Elizabeth is the one to be pitied. Catherine comes to see Charles and says she told the privy council that he escaped the Red Knights and he’s a hero now. He wants her to leave him alone.

He says he and Thierry were separated and the Red Knights ran him down and they strung him up like a pig on a stick and they burned him. He says he hid high in the trees and heard his friend scream but he never gave him up.

Catherine says he can’t walk away from being king. He says he can’t do it and will tell the privy council himself. Catherine slaps him and tells him to grow up. She says she didn’t work this hard for nothing. She says this nightmare will never end if he doesn’t man up.

Bash reports to Mary that Father Ashby hung himself in his cell. She says he killed himself because he was terrified she would torture him. Mary says she can use it. Mary displays his body to citizens and says people will be judged by their actions, not their religion.

She says she is not a Catholic queen or a Protestant queen but a Scottish queen. She says she was raised to fight for this nation. She says this country is in her blood and she wants an independent and prosperous Scotland and says they can’t be bullied or bought.

She says tell the English delegation that this is our land and we will not bow to their queen. She riles the crowd up and James goes to stand near her. They all bow. Gideon looks like he’s impressed. Catherine greets the privy council on their way out.

She asks Charles why the council is meeting without her. He says he had them declare him of age and the request was granted. He says she’s not Regent anymore and has no power because he took it all away. Catherine says he needs guidance and he says not yours.

Charles tells her to leave without speaking another word and she goes. Charles gets a note and says summon my military advisors. The courier runs out.

Dudley reports that Lola’s husband is at court and is there to plead for his wife’s life. Elizabeth says take Lola’s head today and says she will permit him to attend his wife’s execution. Elizabeth says Lola told her she would always be alone.

Elizabeth says they can be together now and asks him to marry her. Dudley tells her he’s already married and he tried to tell her but she wouldn’t listen. He says she promised him they couldn’t be together and he lost faith.

He tells her who he married and says it was advantageous. Elizabeth tells him to get out. Charles is told they found the Red Knights. Martel says Leith told him they were there. Charles orders the attack. Mary is in bed with Gideon.

Gideon tells Mary that Scotland needs her as a strong ruler and says Elizabeth should back down. Elizabeth goes to Lola’s execution. She cries as she’s brought out. Narcisse is there and is horrified. Narcisse calls out to her – and she tells him to go so he won’t see this.

Lola says protect my son and tell John every day that I love him. Narcisse starts assaulting people and runs to save her. He stabs a guard and then he’s held back. Lola says let me go. He cries as Elizabeth nods and the man swings the ax and her head is taken.

Narcisse glares at Elizabeth with absolute hatred in his eyes. Martel has Leith stabbed and he collapses. All hell breaks loose at the site of the Red Knight attack. Claude prepares her wedding dress as Leith bleeds out in the snow.

James tells Mary that it worked. Bash comes in with a glum look and says there was an attempt on Elizabeth’s life and Lola was implicated and executed. Mary is stunned. Mary says Lola would never do that. Mary is furious and thinks she killed Lola to punish her.

Bash says Narcisse tried to intercede and is now in prison. Mary says Lola would never do this and then asks who would implicate her. James confronts John Knox and accuses him of trying to have Elizabeth killed. James says he used Lola to tie Mary to the attempt.

James says Knox is trying to pit them against each other. Knox says the women are like spiders in a jar and he just gave the jar a good shake. James threatens to tell Mary but Knox says he has no proof and will cost her the reign if she moves against Protestants.

Knox says Scotland could be the first true democracy since the Greeks and Knox could lead it. Bash goes to see Melanie and it’s the Druid woman who is old. She says people see what they want to see. She says fear is the real evil.

She says pagans and Druids respect the earth and they can train him so he can help Mary. She says he must believe then asks if he does. Henry is back at court and Charles is stunned to see his younger brother there.

Charles asks why Henry is there and she says she brought him back as a reminder to Charles and him that she has many sons and he’s replaceable. She says someone must rule and if the king should suddenly die, he has little brothers with a seasoned Regent.

Charles is stunned by her threatened betrayal. Mary wants to know why Bash is leaving and he says he has to go so he can she kisses him then says get close to Elizabeth romantically and bring her secrets of the Queen. She says too many people have died.

Mary says she has to end this before anyone else dies. She says she won’t kill Elizabeth but wants to dismantle her power bit by bit. Mary says who she fights, supports, and marries will be in service of taking her throne. Mary says England will be hers someday.

THE END!