Ben Mark Holzberg/The CW Make way for the king.
Watch out, Francis (Toby Regbo), your predecessor and father (and the man you killed last season!) is making his grand return to French Court! E! News has exclusively confirmed that Alan Van Sprang is set to reprise the role of King Henry in Reign's fall finale this Thursday, Dec. 11, and we're already freaking out. Come on, this is the man that accidentally killed a woman by having sex with her near an open window!
So how is King Henry returning? As a ghost, of course, and he'll provide major answers to the mystery surrounding his wife Catherine (Megan Follows) and their daughter Claude's (Rose Williams) haunted past. He'll also be very, um, handsy, which you can see in the exclusive picture above. But would you expect anything else?
"He, even in death, is going to stir up so much trouble. He will not be able to keep his hands to himself. What we'll find is he's a ghost with a very corporeal touch," showrunner Laurie McCarthy exclusively tells E! News. "I think he's also going to be complicating life for Catherine, Claude and he will be playing a large role in a mystery that we've been hinting at with Catherine, Claude and the ghosts; really what went wrong with Catherine and her daughter and their childhood."
King Henry was killed off in Reign's season one finale, with his son Francis choosing to bring his father's reign of madness to an end by killing him in a jousting match (in disguise), a choice he's paid the price for this season. In real-life, King Henry died in a jousting match, and while McCarthy "never wanted to lose" Van Sprang, she explains, "You can alter some events in history, but you have to honor others.
"I loved King Henry and I love Alan Van Sprang," she continues. "So I would say it was a strain not to bring him back as a ghost, so finally we just gave into it."
But given that King Henry was completely mad by the time he was killed, we were curious to know which Henry we'd be seeing when he makes his way back into the castle (and Catherine's bed).
"He's an interesting mix. When we first meet him, he's very much the husband that Catherine would want him to be," McCarthy teases. "He's lusty and very appreciative of her and very supportive of her getting everything she wants."
Reign's midseason finale airs Thursday at 9 p.m. on the CW.