This is a post I’ve been dying to write for some time, going back to when the Gilmore Girls revival was first announced. Now that the revival has come and gone, and Reign has come to an end (the final episode aired Friday, June 16, 2017), I thought it was finally time.

Reign and Gilmore Girls are VERY different shows: Reign is a historical drama based on the life and reign of a young Mary Queen of Scots, while Gilmore Girls is a modern-day dramedy about a mother/daughter duo obsessed with coffee and pop culture references.

One thing these epic shows have in common? They both feature a fierce matriarch.

 
Emily Gilmore and Catherine de Medici might have been born centuries apart, but they have much in common:

They both command the room. When Catherine de Medici speaks, you listen. Unless you want to lose your head. Meanwhile, Emily will stare you down until you shut up and listen – and listen you will.

 
Catherine has her Flying Squad, Emily has the DAR. Catherine’s Flying Squad does her dirty work for her. They seduce powerful men and gather intel/gossip/vital information that Catherine can then use to blackmail others. Though the DAR members don’t seduce powerful men, they’re all MARRIED to powerful men and love a good gossip session during afternoon tea.

They both run their households with an iron fist. On the one hand, you have Emily, who wants things done precisely her way. If a maid puts one toe out of line, it’s grounds for termination. Catherine, on the other hand, uses her power as Queen/Queen Mother to ensure her servants are loyal to her and ONLY her. You don’t double-cross Catherine de Medici and get away with it. With their help, Catherine ensures that she’s ALWAYS the first to know EVERYTHING happening in her domain.

They love their children fiercely, but don’t always know how to show it. Neither woman is great at showing her soft side – emotional displays of affection? Super rare! This means they often come off as being cold-hearted and uncaring, yet both women are incredibly maternal and protective of their brood.

 
On a similar note: meddling is their specialty. Catherine broke Mary and Francis up for fear a prophecy threatening her son would come true, while Emily broke Luke and Lorelei up because she felt her daughter could do better. Again, both women meant well – they just handled their respective situations a bit… rashly.

On a lighter note, they both dress impeccably. They’re always poised and put together – heck, Catherine even dressed in her finest for her own execution!

At the end of the day, Catherine’s castle may overshadow Emily’s mansion, but they both rule with an iron fist, determination and – when necessary – manipulation. And for that, we love to hate them and hate to love them!

So, what are your thoughts? Do you watch one or both show(s)? If so, do you agree with the above parallels, or have parallels of your own to add? Tell me in the comments! (And, for the record, if you HAVE watched and enjoyed one of these shows, I highly recommend the other! Again, while they’re very different shows, they do have some parallels and they’re both EPIC – amazing plots/stories, amazing characters, etc).

**Special thanks to my good friend, KM Robinson, for helping with the pictures included in this post! Check out her website, follow her on social media and buy her books!**