| “ | Men will never willingly bow to the weaker sex. | ” |
— John Knox to Mary in All It Cost Her
| ||
John Knox is a recurring character in the third season and a main character in the fourth season of Reign. He is portrayed by Jonathan Goad.
For reasons unknown, Knox loathes women, so it is no surprise that he spent most of his time trying to get Mary Stuart off the throne of Scotland while encouraging sedition against Elizabeth I in England. His efforts have paid off most of the time, except once, when he had to pay a steep price for crossing the formidable Stéphane Narcisse.
Biography
Early Life
Nothing about Knox's early life is disclosed, though it is theorised that however Knox came to hate women, it must've started with his mother.
In the Series
Season Three
He makes his first appearance in Intruders.
Season Four
TBA
Personality
John Knox is characterised by his immense hatred of women, which surpasses even his disdain for Catholics. So when his queen happened to be both, he didn't take it lying down. Knox is described as a "master orator", as a lot of people listen to him and follow his guidance. That following, paired with his ability to scheme, made him quite the formidable figure.
Relationships
Romantic
Emily Knox
Emily is Knox's wife. When he found out that she cheated on him with James Stuart, he appeared quite hurt - almost like he really loved her, which, given his hatred of all women, would be surprising.
Although he did show her a little bit of mercy by not revealing her adultery to the whole town and letting them judge her for it, Emily noted that after finding out, her husband had treated her worse than a "common whore".
Inimic
Mary Stuart
Mary is the Queen of Scotland. Knox hates her for a number of reasons, the main ones being out of her control. He hates that she is a woman, a Catholic, and a queen. He has previously cited how he is against the monarchy and he even attempted to dissolve it once, before Mary burst into the room to reclaim her throne.
Ever since her return, Knox has tried to make things as difficult as possible for Mary. He fostered one insurrection after another, joined forces with her husband to undermine her power, and continually pitted her against her cousin Elizabeth. He even had her and Bothwell arrested for the murder of Lord Darnley, so one could declare him victorious in their rivarly.
Appearances
| Season Three | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| Three Queens, Two Tigers | Absent | ||
| Betrothed | Absent | ||
| Extreme Measures | Absent | ||
| The Price | Absent | ||
| In a Clearing | Absent | ||
| Fight or Flight | Absent | ||
| The Hound and the Hare | Absent | ||
| Our Undoing | Absent | ||
| Wedlock | Absent | ||
| Bruises That Lie | Absent | ||
| Succession | Mentioned | ||
| No Way Out | Mentioned | ||
| Strange Bedfellows | Absent | ||
| To The Death | Mentioned | ||
| Safe Passage | Mentioned | ||
| Clans | Absent | ||
| Intruders | Appears | ||
| Spiders in a Jar | Appears | ||
| Season Four | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Appearance Status | ||
| With Friends Like These | Appears | ||
| A Grain of Deception | Appears | ||
| Leaps of Faith | Mentioned | ||
| Playing with Fire | Appears | ||
| Highland Games | Mentioned | ||
| Love & Death | Credit Only | ||
| Hanging Swords | Credit Only | ||
| Uncharted Waters | Mentioned | ||
| Pulling Strings | Appears | ||
| A Better Man | Mentioned | ||
| Dead of Night | Credit Only | ||
| The Shakedown | Appears | ||
| Coup de Grace | Appears | ||
| A Bride. A Box. A Body. | Appears | ||
| Blood in the Water | Mentioned | ||
| All It Cost Her | Appears | ||
Trivia
- He eventually finds out that his wife cheated on him with James Stuart.
Gallery
See Also