Did our Outlander roundtable adore “Perpetual Adoration”?
In “Perpetual Adoration”, Outlander starts by dropping us in the 1960’s, reminding us once again that this show defies genres. Claire (Caitriona Balfe) is in the 60’s in a church, doing a shift of perpetual adoration. We find out later it’s for a patient she lost to a penicillin allergy. When we flash back to her present in the past (following that?) she’s just discovered that penicillin. Eureka! She also performs a tonsillectomy on Kezzie and Josiah (Paul Gorman) and don’t worry, he’s not allergic to penicillin. Meanwhile Jamie (Sam Heughan) finds out that all the regulators are being pardoned. Except his Godfather Murtagh. And as a last kick, Lt. Knox has petitioned the prisoner rolls at Ardsmuir, where Jamie himself was a prisoner with Murtagh. Not. Good.
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Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) are having some sexy times. But it isn’t long before Roger discovers Brianna met Bonnet when he was with the Mohawk. He basically hits the roof and they have a raging blowout. Roger comes back quite contrite but it isn’t long before Brianna confesses more to him and his solution is to tell her they’re going back through the stones, which Bree doesn’t seem on board for. Oh, and Jamie and those prisoner rolls? Yeah. Knox gets them. There’s Jamie. And Jamie kills Knox and makes it look like an accident. He brings Claire a cat home, though, so it’s all good.
Shocked? Let’s see how the roundtable felt about it!
Dee (@OL_America) – Lead admin and founder of OLA; two grown sons; educator; Outlander obsessed (and, yes, I’ve read the books and most of the novellas).
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Author, researcher, educator, loves history, movies & jazz! I am also the creator of the Blacklanderz group and admin for the site: www.blacklanderz.com.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – Gabaldon fan since 1991, admin for Texas Outlander Fans on Facebook, moved from Dallas to Costa Rica in 2008.
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – Came to twitter for #Outlander casting news back in the day! “Befriended” the cast with the rest of the fandom *winky emoji* and got sucked into the dumpster fire that is Twitter through some beautiful friendships *heart emoji*.
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – Preschool Teacher, Avid Reader and Genuinely Okay Person.
1. Wow, we’re in the 1960’s! Quick- What was your first reaction to this “modern” opening and the overview montage?
Dee (@OL_America) – It’s fun seeing Claire in the 1960s, but let’s keep it to a minimum. A lot of time was spent preparing viewers for an occasional penicillin allergy; I get it, as I share that misfortune with Graham Menzies (creative use of names there).
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Of course, my first thought was if we would see Dr. Joe Abernathy. I am glad that we finally did. The show never gave enough attention to his and Claire’s relationship. It was an important relationship for Claire during that time of her life. But the show kept disregarding it after they first introduced him. Maril and Matt do not even discuss their relationship in the Outlander, Inside the World segment. They just skip over any mention of him to discuss Adso. Afterwards, I was a little confused as to what the story line would be. I did love that they provided another cold open; that was fantastic. I also loved the architecture and costumes of the 60s. But that montage of seasons/events past was phenomenal! It allowed the audience to feel and reminisce about what has been playing in Claire’s head and heart for the past 20 years. Alyson Evans, Steve Kornacki and Meera Menon did an outstanding job with this scene.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – I love that the episode started out with a 60s flashback, picking up a usually-previously-neglected storyline about faith that runs all through DG’s story. I was excited and happy to see this opening. As a Catholic, I knew what the images were as soon as I saw them – the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the altar – the Body of Christ present in the form of the consecrated host for the contemplation of worshippers. There are many churches where Perpetual Adoration is ongoing (perpetual), with congregants taking turns at appointed times to keep Jesus company, usually an hour at a time. (This is reminiscent of the Bible verse Matthew 29:40 “So, could you not watch with me one hour?”) Claire’s opening remarks about “Time” and the montage of images from previous season also served to remind us that time travel is a theme of this series. I really liked how the writers (Alyson Evans and Steve Kornacki) brought forward such philosophy-, religious-, and physics-based contemplation to the concept of “time”. (Physics again – remember Jamie & Claire’s discussion of the first law of thermodynamics in Episode 401?) The dictionary definition of physics is, “The study of matter, energy, and the interaction between them,” but what that really means is that physics is about asking fundamental questions and trying to answer them by observing and experimenting.
This episode had ALL of that! AND, I loved seeing Claire (and Bree) again in 60s fashions, hair, and make-up!
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – My honest reaction was, “Did I read 8 books and miss that Claire is religious? I thought her uncle raised her all around the world and she really didn’t have religion,” and then I thought about all that volume in Claire’s hair and I was wondering if I would have more volume if I cut my hair. And I was thinking all those things because I sort of checked out with the whole time change thing.
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – It was nice to see the shots of Claire and Jamie’s past. It seemed to set up the episode for upcoming flashbacks throughout. Especially with how their personal journey brought them together and why they have endured through time.
2. Claire has found penicillin. Eureka! Why do you think Claire’s work with penicillin called up this flashback to her patient Graham Menzies which framed the entire episode, and what did you think of our time in the 60’s?
Dee (@OL_America) – As I mentioned above, we probably spent more time than was necessary in the flashback (flashforward?). It was a not so subtle reminder that there is always some risk involved in practicing medicine.
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – The answer is in the question. It provided a backdrop for the entire episode. I believe this is the first episode that ended as it started and filled in the gaps along the way. It also provided a way for the audience to relive what Claire has grappled with for all these years and what drove her decision to go to London with Bree.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – Graham Menzies! I had to look it up – I thought perhaps the writers made up the name as a tribute to actors Graham McTavish and Tobias Menzies, but no, this character’s name first appeared in Chapter 56 of “Voyager”, so the writers are still bringing forward material from previous books! The flashbacks and flashforwards confused my husband, but I really appreciated the way the writers wove this defining moment in Claire’s professional life into the episode. The unexpected death of her patient really shook Claire and changed the course of her life. The way the episode laid out this part of Claire’s story connected her 20th century life to her 18th century determination to “discover” penicillin to use for the benefit of her patients in the 1770s; nevertheless, she knew that using the antibiotic was not without its own risks. We got to meet Dr. Joe Abernathy again and hear a bit of their banter about The Impetuous Pirate (an Easter egg for book readers, complete with a created prop of the book!). Claire’s words about time and God and so forth are Diana’s own words, exactly quoted from the Prologue to Book 6, “A Breath of Snow and Ashes”. (Well, we were told that elements of Book 6 were going to show up in Season 5, weren’t we? Here’s an outstanding example, using the exact words written by Herself!) P.S. I love how Graham Menzies’ words exactly echoed Jamie’s from Season 1, when Claire was stitching Jamie’s side. Nice call back!
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – Once we flashed back to the olden days my thoughts were completely consumed by, “Wow!! Jamie is hot again and everything he does is so hot,” and the charming Scottish man was charming but also: HALLELUJAH!! Jamie is so hot and the things he says are hot and he’s hot again!! Yay!
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – We find out that Claire’s return was a ripple effect caused by a patient she lost, which I’m sure was a bit traumatic considering he was a Scot. Doctors take loss of a patient pretty personally, from my understanding, but this one hit home, so to speak. She had to think that it was a possibility that the twins could be allergic and may suffer the same fate as Graham. With it being back in time, she had little to work with as it is and testing had to be guess work at best. She took a chance and, thankfully, the boys were alright. As far as having the flashbacks on the show, I found that they spent a little too much time on them. They could just as easily retold the story and what the particulars were instead of spending half of the episode on filming the sequences. It was, however, nice to see Joe Abernathy again. He’s always a welcome presence.
3. They’re pardoning all the Regulators? Were you as surprised as we were? AND Lt. Knox is still after the prisoner rolls because naturally Murtagh isn’t pardoned! What did you think when you first heard this crazy development?
Dee (@OL_America) – Honestly, my first thought was, although I adore Murtagh, keeping him in the storyline longer than intended (than DG [author Diana Gabaldon] intended), forced unnecessary changes. Not all changes are good. He will still probably end up dead and it will break our hearts even more.
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Knox is only there to please the Governor Tyron and complete his mission. He only focuses on king and country. I was surprised by the pardon, but not that there would be none for Murtagh. Governor Tryon, and subsequently Lt. Knox, has a bone to pick with Murtagh and a score to settle. He is not only going to execute Murtagh for rebelling against him, but also wants to set an example to deter others who rise against him and his taxes.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – So, Jamie arrives in Hillsborough with his 50 or so militiamen in train, only to learn their services are no longer needed because Tryon’s decided to pardon the Regulators. Say what? Lieutenant Knox isn’t going to give up his hunt for Murtagh easily. He is throwing that knife into the wall in the picture of Murtagh with great determination. He’s still hoping to get a boon from Governor Tryon, too. And, pardoning all the Regulators or just most of them? Why would Tryon do that? Knox regards this as unfortunate news. Aren’t the Regulators still causing him trouble? Why would Lieutenant Knox need the Ardsmuir prisoner rolls if all of them were to be pardoned anyway? Who tipped off Knox that Murtagh’s name might be in there? The request for the Ardsmuir records clearly would put Jamie in jeopardy, but he was already pardoned for his Jacobite activities. What a conundrum!
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – Was it crazy? Is crazy the right word?? I was so bored! I’m not sure they can make this part interesting for me but Jamie is scruffy and hot again so I’ll keep watching of course.
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – I knew that Tryon was doing it just so he could flush Murtagh out; make him come out of hiding so that he could be arrested and hanged. Tryon is a weasel and will use any means necessary to get his way. It was a smart move on Lt. Knox part to get the prisoner records to find Murtagh’s possible accomplices. If anyone would help him in the new world, it would be those who fought and were imprisoned beside him. And, unfortunately for him, he was right.
4. Claire’s first big surgery with the penicillin! Was it everything you were hoping for? Why or why not?
Dee (@OL_America) – It was about that I expected, not a walk in the park for the twins. Those boys must have extremely high pain tolerances! What was most noticeable is that there is suddenly a syringe that seemingly survived a shipwreck. I get that it would have been difficult to film Claire and Bree making a syringe out of snake fangs, as some scenes are better for the page and not so good for the TV (e.g., Jamie’s fight with the real bear).
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Honestly, I really did not care one way or the other. It was fascinating to see the bread mold experiment and that she created penicillin from it. I also liked the step-by-step process of the surgery, but in the end, it was not that big of deal. However, since none of the people around her have ever seen a surgery like that, I hope it does not come back to haunt her.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – I adore Marsali (did you notice her belly is increasing?) Scalpel!!! So, Claire’s been carrying out that syringe ever since before the Artemis was shipwrecked? This is has been one of the big questions I’ve seen posed on social media, and I suppose this precludes a snake-fang work-around later in the story. Claire clearly is concerned not to kill another patient with penicillin, but all the testing seems to point to clear sailing, so the surgery commences. I thought Lizzie would be more obviously sympathetic and solicitous toward Josiah and Kezzie, but being ready to barf kinda kills romance, I guess! I didn’t envision the surgery being done with Kezzie sitting up (though it DOES make medical sense, although I was lying down and knocked out when my own tonsils were removed), but there was plenty of blood and gore here to make more squeamish viewers avert their eyes! (I’m looking at YOU, Mary Larsen on Outlander Cast!) No ether, either (see what I did there?) but laudanum to help dull the obvious pain of being cut and cauterized, instead of getting the patients dead drunk on whisky. (BTW, I have now learned that humans actually have THREE tonsils! Check in with Outlander Anatomy for more on that subject!) I was surprised to see Mr. Bug assisting in the surgery and busybody Mrs. Bug absent. Kezzie’s done! NEXT PATIENT!
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – It was so fast!! For all the build up to having penicillin and it’s help with surgery I thought that either he would have a reaction because STARZ can’t afford to keep up the Liv & Maddie special effects or that there would be some sign of success, but it was just the shot and 7 seconds of a blood capsule coming out of his mouth. It was so fast. Seemed like a lot of back story for it to just work (I realize how Graham was the link to Jamie – who is hot again – but there was a LOT of emphasis on how sometimes penicillin doesn’t always work).
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – I did find it strange that Keziah wasn’t laying down. But then I realized he wasn’t knocked out for this procedure and it was possible that Claire feared he may swallow his tonsils. Though he was on laudanum, he was at least held up so he could spit it all out. Also there’s a worry about him choking on his own blood. No suction nurse to help with that issue. Seems like the way she did it was about right.
5. The cat’s out of the bag with Bree’s trip to see Bonnet in jail. And just when Roger and Bree were connecting so well, too. It’s not right to take sides, but we’re going to force you. Who did you have more empathy for during this fight, and why?
Dee (@OL_America) – I’d like to spank both of them. Visiting Bonnett in jail was a bad idea, and telling him about the baby and that the baby is his, that is just stupid. My feelings were the same with the book version. Girl, get some common sense!!! And Roger, he was understandably upset, making a good point about Bree’s telling Bonnett that Jemmy is his child and not giving Roger that same assurance, but this couple needs serious counseling. They must develop some communication skills!
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Contrary to most people, I had more empathy for Roger. I understand about Bree’s trauma, and I do not make light of it. However, no one is discussing all the trauma Roger has faced since he’s been in the 18th century. I don’t think he has, yet, come to grips with the fact that he was unable to get back to Bree as quickly as possible because that bastard Bonnet made him take another trip. Then, he is mistaken as her attacker, Jamie beats him to a pulp, and he is put through hell with the Mohawks. Only to find out that Bonnet raped Bree, she is pregnant and give birth. Roger has no idea if the child is his but tells Bree he accepts Jemmy as his blood. He then finds Bonnet’s gem and cannot figure out how and why Bree has it. The one and only gem Bonnet would never give up. Then, he must listen to Bree say she told Bonnet Jemmy was HIS son to comfort HIM?! I called bullsh*t on that. We know when she visited Bonnet, she told him about Jemmy out of spite. I felt that knife jab Roger’s heart when she said it and all her explanation afterwards. She never said it to Roger for comfort and could not even look him in the eye and say she thought Jemmy was his. So yeah, if I were Roger, I’d be pissed too and mad as hell! And though he stormed off and left, that’s what men do – they leave to cool off.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – I felt especially bad for Roger, having been kept in the dark. He was obviously gobsmacked and heartbroken, with his assumptions shaken to their foundation by the doubt provoked by this discovery. That said, Bree’s pain and trauma were undeniable (even though I never thought her telling Bonnet the baby was his was in any way a good idea, even for compassionate reasons). I thought Bree was going to faint when she saw Roger holding Bonnet’s diamond. That was a good acting, Sophie! I was so saddened by the way this gut-wrenching revelation tore at the couple. Kudos to Sophie and Richard for making their characters 100% relatable and believable. (Aside: It wouldn’t be an Outlander story without some people knowing facts and not sharing them with other concerned parties, would it?) (Another aside: the writers could have used “ticket back” instead of “ticket home”.)
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – During the fight I was with Roger honestly. He’s not wrong about her never saying Jemmy is his. I get that she doesn’t/shouldn’t need to but he definitely can be mad about her visiting the man who raped her to let him know there will be something left behind of him. You should know that I don’t care for Roger at all (show, big thumbs down. Book- indifferent). Thank God Jamie is hot again… Amiright??!!
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – I have never been a big fan of Brianna as a character but I do side with her on this one. She suffered a huge trauma with Bonnet and that changes a person. When she went to see Bonnet, she was all kinds of confused and I truly couldn’t blame her. Seeing him was like enduring all of that suffering again and then she went and told him that the child she was carrying was his. That was insane to me. The reasoning she gave Roger, about Bonnet knowing he still had something of himself in this world, has always bothered me. Maybe it was her trying to make peace with him; giving him forgiveness before he was to hang.
Not telling him all this and the fact that Bonnet was alive had to take a toll on her and as we’ve seen, it has started to. the not knowing if Jemmy is Bonnet’s or Roger’s son was always looming. She was drawing pictures of him, having a hard time being intimate with her husband (though she pretends that she’s fine) and hiding something that was given to her for their (Bree and Roger’s) child. These are things a wife, a mother should not have to keep to themselves but Bree did what she thought would be the best way to keep the peace with Roger and with her family. Sometimes these situations are hard to gage.
6. Roger got some great advice from Claire, and he really took advantage of it! What did you think of their reunion, and the moment when Bree finally told Roger the truth?
Dee (@OL_America) – She was forced to tell him the truth. She should have shared her fears with her husband, and he could have helped her. Again, poor communication skills on both sides.
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Well, for once, leveled heads prevail. I liked that he found the Chanterelles for her, brought them as a peace offering and apologized to her first. And finally, she tells him all of it – that Bonnet is still alive, how he haunts her and that LJG confirmed people have seen him in Wilmington. Hopefully, from here on out, they will learn to have these types of conversations where all is said and done in one setting. They, with the back and forth, are giving me a whiplash.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – Claire’s discussion with Roger included discussion about what was really important at the heart of her marriage with Frank: That Brianna had a stable family with two parents who loved her. You could see this made an impression on Roger, vis a vis Jemmy. Claire also cautioned Roger, too, not to waste the time he has with Bree. (Time kept coming up in this episode over and over and over, didn’t it?) So, Roger finds some chanterelles and takes them to Brianna (nice gesture), and truth comes spilling out. Bonnet is alive. Bonnet may have actually seen Jemmy. Brianna has known since the wedding. Roger is gobsmacked AGAIN, barely able to keep his feet after he jumps up from the porch. Then, he totally accepts what Bree has told him and they are sweetly reconciled, even though Brianna looks doubtful after Roger says they’ll take Jemmy and skedaddle with Bonnet’s gemstone as soon as they know if Jemmy can travel through the stones.
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – Claire is the only reason I put up with show Roger. She always makes him better. I think the power of Jamie being hot again gives her the strength to do that… Just kidding. I do like their relationship and she really does always make him more level headed.
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – Claire is such a wonderful mother-in-law and friend to Roger. She’s been married to two men and has gotten a lot of wisdom because of it. Their mutual respect speaks highly to their relationship and the fact that he takes her words to heart whenever they speak. Roger coming back to their home with the mushrooms was a lovely gesture. He took the time to think about the situation and arrive at how to handle what comes next. Finding out that Bonnet is still alive and can be a threat to his family looked to be very disheartening for him but he was right there, being the protector for Bree and Jemmy. He knows what they must have to do in order to be safe. If that means using that “gift” from Bonnet, so be it, as long as his family is out of harms way.
7. Jamie… what… what… What are you doing? This whole scene, we don’t even know what to say, or where to start! So we’re going to let you do it. Jamie Fraser and Knox. Go.
Dee (@OL_America) – I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Lt. Knox did pull a sizeable knife on Jamie, but surely Jamie could have found a way, with Fergus’s help, to get the documents from him without actually killing him. There should have been another way; it seems out of character for Jamie to take such extreme actions without more provocation. I get that he wants to protect Murtagh, but Murtagh has committed murder and is guilty of at least some of the charges against him. Murtagh’s involvement with the Regulators have put Jamie and his family in jeopardy.
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Jamie is strategic and calculating; he has been playing chess with Knox on and off the board from the very beginning. He knew he needed to get the information from Knox regarding the prison roll and could not leave town without it. After finding his name in the roll, there was no way Jamie was going to let Knox out of that room. If he had, his neck would be in a noose. Knox had no clue how cunning Jamie can be and dropped his guard to his peril. What other recourse did Jamie have other than to kill him?
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – I think Jamie’s been watching many episodes of CSI. He stages the crime scene and slips out the window as if he’d thought this out, but then, Jamie always was quick to figure things out. I was stunned and shocked as I saw this part unfold! Brutal. Definitely a deviation from the books. I guess it fits in that Jamie would do anything to protect his family, as he has before, but it seemed cold-blooded and un-Jamie-like, to me. Leading up to this, we observed Knox and Jamie discussion mercy and forgiveness, another theme throughout this episode. Claire spoke, too, about spiders and the webs they weave; I was put in mind of Governor Tryon and his plots and plans. Plot hole: How did Fergus happen to turn up just as the crowd was calling for a physician for Lt. Knox?
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – That was so poorly done. I was clinging so hard to Jamie’s hotness to get me through it. The half ass strangle, then covering his mouth but not really his nose, then the wide eyed death of it all…it was really just so bad. I have nothing else, it was weird and awful and a crazily unnecessary step in the process of getting Adso.
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – Jamie has always risked his own life for his family. Always family first above all others. Would he kill a man to protect him and his people? Of course he would and this is exactly the position he was put into with Knox. Is it out of character for Jamie to just kill a man outright? Absolutely, but what was the alternative? Murtagh is caught and hanged, Jamie would be seen as a traitor to the King and he would be hanged as well. And what about his family on the Ridge? And his tenants? They would all lose their homes and maybe would be arrested if found to also be traitors. Yes, it was an impossible choice to make but Jamie I want needed to be done in the end.
8. Well at least we met Adso? Talk about the kitty!
Dee (@OL_America) – Adso the Cheetie! What a cutie!! (I’m still a dog lover!)
Vida (@Blacklanderz) – Adso is such a beautiful cat. I know it is had to train cats, but he really looked that he was having a conversation with Jamie. I cannot wait to see him grow and all the shenanigans he will get into later in the season.
Connie (@Yr_Obt_Svt) – Viewers really needed the “soft” moment with Adso after the brutality of Jamie’s murder of Lieutenant Knox, a wannabe lifetime chess partner and comrade-in-arms with Jamie. The introduction of Adso and the conversation between Claire and Jamie took us back to the heart of the story: their relationship, and how the string of circumstances in Claire’s life brought them to this moment (and a subtle reminder that Roger is part of that sequence).
Jo (@jotrainchoo) – Adso is cute and perfect and I was glad to hear them say his name out loud because that’s how I said it in my head when I am reading and I ALWAYS say things wrong in my head when I am reading. Also, Jamie saying it was the name of his mom’s cat made him hot and if I haven’t mentioned it yet, I’m just so pleased that hot Jamie is back.
Peggy S. (@theronterryshow) – OMGosh he is so adorable cute. I’m not a cat person; I prefer dogs. With that being said, Adso reminds me of my best friend’s cat. He was the only cat I actually got along with and looked just like Adso except his nose had some white on it. If we had an Adso here, I think I could adore him, too. I wonder if he will actually catch any vermin in Claire’s surgery or just become a lazy house kitty.
Final Verdict: “Perpetual Adoration” was a mixed bag of adoration
Perpetual Adoration was uneven, to say the least. Our Roundtable didn’t agree on much. Was Jamie left with no options? Was that the Jamie we’ve watched behave so honorably and use his wits for the past five seasons? We couldn’t come to a consensus.
Last week the pacing of the episode was pitch perfect. This week the editing felt like it was all over the place. Not only did we switch between the 1960’s and the 1760’s, but within the 1960’s we didn’t move in a linear fashion. We jumped from Claire’s perpetual adoration after the death of Graham Menzies to Claire’s conversation after that, and that flashed back to see Menzies. So it was a flashback within a flashback. This didn’t serve the story well. Flashbacks to the 60’s are fine, but when they’re out of order we’re too busy wondering when we are than what’s going on. This all could have been them playing with time as a theme in the episode, as Connie helpfully pointed out for us above. She liked it, this author did not.
One thing we were thrilled with the return of was the return of 1960’s fashion! And it seems like Caitriona Balfe was absolutely born to rock the Mod period. It’s totally unfair how great she looked in that fantastic minidress. And props for the hair and makeup as well. Nobody wears a winged liner like Caitriona.
Our roundtable seemed firmly on the side of Roger in terms of the empathy camp. And some of them seemed to think they had to apologize for it beforehand (they probably saw the twitter backlash). We’re going to attempt to break that down. We feel badly for Roger because he’s not adapting well to the past. But we’re still blaming the writing for turning Roger into a jerk. We’re not surprised at an emotional snap. But Roger continuously doubles down on those emotional snaps and never really seems to take into consideration the feelings of the woman he professes to love. Someone might conceivably have a hurt reaction to having information like this withheld from him. But he never thinks of Brianna through his own pain. He never considers that she might have been in pain as well. It’s frustrating, because this isn’t the person we thought he was.
Anyone else confused as to why Claire had a syringe? And don’t come at us with, “She brought it back with her from the 60’s!” She went through a shipwreck. There is no way that delicate glass syringe survived a saltwater bath and the intervening years. Also it’s not like Claire has a whole lot of high quality disinfectant sitting around (And I think we can all appreciate the need for high quality disinfectants at the moment).
Nobody could agree on Jamie killing Knox. Something clearly needed to be done about Knox. But usually Jamie is so cerebral, using every trick he has to figure a way out of every prediction he’s in. Yes, Jamie killed Dougal to protect Claire. But that was a spur of the moment necessity. Where this didn’t ring true was Jamie being forewarned that Knox was looking for the Ardsmuir rolls. And Fergus was there! An accomplished thief, that could have easily overpowered whatever errand boy brought that missive, was just ignored? It just smacks of “necessary plot device”. Not to mention Jamie was crossing himself and feeling terribly for the assisted suicide of Aaron Beardsley how many episodes ago? He seems to have no remorse at all for killing Knox.
Just… show us more of that adorable cat. This was a controversial episode for sure! Perhaps the most mixed opinions we’ve seen all season. One thing is for sure- Murtagh remaining alive has thrown quite a wrench into the season and we’re all wondering what’s going to happen next!
Outlander returns Sunday, March 22nd on Starz!
