Blacklanderz Convos!
Outlander S3 Epi5 – Freedom & Whiskey
Directed by Brendan Maher Written by Toni Graphia
This conversation is between Blacklanderz Lorinda, Jean and Vida. Edited by Vida.
FEAR | FAITH | CHANGE | ELATION
Lorinda: As I viewed Freedom & Whisky, I watched friends and family help each other conquer their fears, have faith to face their fears and finally accept the changes that were presented to them. It doesn’t just deal with Claire and Bree, but also deals with Roger. I was finally elated to see Jamie and Claire in the same room again!
INSECURE | BREAD-CRUMBS | POETIC| SHOCK | FREEDOM
Jean: After the week long slow simmer of a tease, we’ve made it to the coveted return of Jaime & Claire! Twenty years has never felt so good! The bonus is that we get to ogle the young love budding between Roger and Brianna. It’s so right . . . like freedom and whiskey! Freedom rings like the Liberty Bell. . . free to go to Jaime, free to love Bri, free of what ails me, free to just be . . . Cheers!
AGONY | VULNERABLE | TERRIFIED | ANXIOUS
Vida: If you haven’t figured it out, I always have music in my head. And at the start of this episode when I saw Claire with Bree’s first Christmas ornament that it was Christmas . . . This Christmas by Donny Hathaway popped in my head: Hang all the mistletoe. I’m gonna get to know you better. This Christmas. How much fun it’s gonna be together. This Christmas. I know it is more upbeat than the scene called for, but I could relate it to what happened in this episdoe. Claire and Bree are finally getting to know each other – better, Bree and Roger have begun thier ‘Happy’ Christmas and presumably, it is also Christmas in Scotland – so, Jamie and Claire will get to know each other again. Everything for everybody is different . . . THIS Christmas.
I thought this was one of the best episodes yet, an emotional roller coaster the entire episode. Freedom & Whiskey is definitely what comes after All Debts Paid. Claire is now totally free from the lie of a marriage she’s lived for 20 years and now has the freedom to go back to Jamie. Bree is free from the lie she has lived her entire life and has to come to grips with Frank not being so perfect. And Roger frees himself from constantly researching by finally locating Jamie. And the whiskey . . . well, it’s Outlander . . . there’s always time to drink whiskey!
L: Claire is in her element and as usual she’s going to have her way. Dr. Abernathy is telling her it’s time to finish this, but Claire has other ideas. How did she know there was necrotic tissue in there and then a bleeder?
J: Did I notice? Ah, yeah. I loved the look Claire gives him. A complete look of “I’ve got this Joe. Stay in your lane.” Her absolute confidence, while operating, is one of the things I adore about Claire’s character!
V: I love the attention to details in the operating room; how they showed the blood pressure monitor and put the audience right there with the anesthesiologist as the patient’s pressure was dropping. Yeah, Joe does have respect for Claire and her skills.
L: Did you notice how Joe was looking at her? He was in awe like, how did you know all that was there? I guess Master Raymond was right, she has the gift of healing.
J: And unlike a typical man’s response, when checked by a woman’s prowess, Joe concedes with admiration and intellect while Claire makes an on-point medical decision. All this transpired in a few direct glances and one second! Lol!
J: At the moment, she’s handling Frank’s death all while sitting at Harvard day-dreaming and drawing the Hallowed Halls of Harvard. Hell, I’d be failing too!
V: Me too. Who could concentrate on what he is talking about, especially when he mentions the history as we know is not true.
L: I know, right. I was puzzled by that picture she’s drawing? She has an exceptional gift of drawing that’s really not a characteristic of a historian; I think this is a glimpse of what’s to come in her education.
L: She looks like what are you talking about? This story isn’t true, just like her parentage wasn’t true. She’s had a life changing experience and it’s affecting her school work.
J: History is told from the winners and the publishers…never forget that. I thought this whole scene was ironic because Brianna is dealing with the raw truth of everything; her history was turned to ashes. Think about it, she has a 200-yr-old father she’s never seen, but looks just like.
J: The imagery in this scene is reflected in the acting, as well as Bri’s clothing – dark blouse: mourning Frank; plaid skirt: hold-up, I’m a Scot, just like my Dad, Red Jaime!
V: Good observation. I’d not noticed it in that way. It was interesting to see her in a lot of plaid this episode.
L: She’s missing her daddy, Frank, and I understand her pain. Can you imagine walking into a house where you have grown up in and one of the most important people in your life is gone forever? Smelling the pipe he smokes, looking at old photos, trying to bring him back into your memory, poor Brianna. Her heart is sad maybe grief is affecting her grades.
V: Yes, I can imagine and went through it. The holidays are the hardest for me now that both my parents are gone. It’s just not the same. We had several traditions, for 40+ years, and have scaled back because it doesn’t feel the same without them. So, I could definitely feel her pain. If I were in school at the time, classes and grades would be the last thing on my mind! And on top of all of that, she is still adjusting to the fact that Frank is not her biological father.
J: The holidays are the hardest after losing a loved one. I love that instead of sitting around the Christmas tree, being sad and wondering what could’ve been said and done, aka The Holiday Blues, this Christmas will be like no other!
L: Joe is very insightful, “Did you meet a man, Lady Jane?” He’s not letting her off the hook that easy. They have a good relationship, I’m glad Claire has a friend she can confide in.
J: I LOVE Joe’s nosy prying with Claire. Your bestie can see the percolating change! It just shows how trusting their relationship is and I smiled the same warm smile Joe gives Claire!
V: He surely can and is not letting up until she tells him the deal. Everybody needs a good, nonjudgmental, understanding friend like Joe!
We went our separate ways and I had hoped that we would be able to find him again, but fate had other ideas.
L: I busted out laughing when he said “fuck fate.” He’s telling her to keep fighting for it. I say the same thing. Don’t stop looking for your love; exhaust every avenue, crook and cranny. Go find Jamie, Claire!
Well said, Dr. Joe!
J: Can I also say, I’m so glad Claire has a Black best friend?! Thank you Diana! BTW, “Fuck fate” needs to be on a black tee so I can purchase it!
V: OMG, you are too funny! I am sure someone is out there, right now, making a t-shirt with that on it!
J: Y’all why are they playing that 60s funk for Roger getting out that cab?? “Show me a man that’s got a good woman.” What’s funny is that’s exactly why Roger is there. Those damn Frasers know how to plant a kiss on you that makes you stunned…stunned into submission! Maybe they should change that lyric into “Show me a man that’s got a good HELL-RAISING woman!”
V: Yes, it’s Joe Tex. It’s the soul of the era. And that’s Bear McCreary and crew with that good 60s music they had back in S2. Loved it and it was quite appropriate!
Show me a man that’s got a good woman, show me . . .
Show me a man that’s got a good woman
I’ll show you a man that don’t know what harm is
He knows he’s got some sweet loving comin’
At the end of his workin’ day . . .
Show me a woman that’s got a good man, show me
I want to see a woman out there that claim she got a good man, show me
Show me a woman that’s got a good man . . .
Show me two people that’s in love with each other
I’ll show you two people that ain’t going no further
Than their arms can reach to hold one another
Let them lovers alone, yeah
‘Cause, they’re doin’ all right
~ Joe Tex, Show Me – Live and Lively (1968):
L: I like the change up in the script, Roger isn’t waiting on them to come back to him, and he went to them. Why does he always show up when they are arguing? The look on his face was saying, “Not again.”
J: Bri answered that door with a total James Fraser f*&k off stare! Lol! Temper, temper Bri. Sometimes, I don’t know if it’s Jaime’s temper or Claire’s.
L: I know, I thought the same thing. She does come to the door with the fiery attitude just like her dad Jamie, but when she sees Roger her face lights up and hearts are dancing in her eyes. Roger’s face lights up too, talking about Happy Christmas.
V: I loved when he said that too – Happy Christmas – like a little kid. Who could stay mad after that?!
J: Y’all remember when Jamie had to spank Claire and the gaslight-ass temper and the fight Claire put up? I’m just saying…Bri has a double dose of cray-cray!
V: Oh yes, she straightened right up when she saw it was Roger. He seems a bit uncomfortable, but quickly got over it. And yes, I remember that spanking. She definitely has both Jamie and Claire’s temper and determination!
J: I’m so on Brianna’s side. Claire has dropped a bomb and Frank has died. Asking for a semester off isn’t much at all. And now Roger??? I’m surprised Bri didn’t grab the whisky then. Mama’s tripping. Daddy’s dead. Now, my boo thang is here giving me the googly eyes. WTF fate?
V: I agree. Claire has to understand Bree is not like her in respect to being able to compartmentalize all that she has discovered over the summer. It’s just too much happening at one time. And yes, then there is Roger with his, what did you call them Jean – googly eyes! Too funny.
J: Did I tell you how much I love Roger! Just get me a Scot like him. He’s so sweet. I’m negotiating a cavity in my pearly whites! He’s traveled thousands of miles to be with the woman he loves, just to catch her in a hell of an argument, during a helluva time. But guess what? He catches Bri before the fall. He’s there to comfort the woman he loves and to have his American Christmas! I love his intuition and his subtle strength isn’t missed here. He needs to be perceptive to deal with a Fraser woman, just like Ian is with Jenny! Claire, being the good Mama, drops Roger little bread crumbs to worm his way into Brianna’s heart!
V: He really is sweet. But I first thought, you flew all the way there and didn’t tell them you were coming. What if they’d been out of town or out of the country. Then what? Afterwards, I was impressed that he decided to just go and show up. That is half the battle – just showing up!
L: I also like these two together. Brianna was still angry with her mama and she is moving out! I guess she needs to find herself. This has to be hard on Claire.
Roger is an historian and there’s one line in particular that kind of sums him up in that scenario: He’s like a dog with a bone. As soon as he takes up that task he throws himself into it 100 percent, especially because it’s so important to Claire. He has a lot of respect for her and they become close. It’s very important to him because it’s very important to Claire. It’s him in his element. Claire kind of drops it at one point and is ready to move on, but Roger is adamant he’s going to find out what happened.
~ Richard Rankin, Sony
L: My sympathies are for Roger; he has his own loss to deal with I guess that’s why he flew to Boston. I think he thought that there would be peace between Brianna and Claire by now. He comes bearing another type of gift. I was waiting for this moment. They adapted the script very well, the changes made were great.
V: I like the changes too; seems more inline with the story. It’s his first Christmas without the Reverend. That would be hard on any one. And, who would he spend Christmas with, surely not Fiona and her cream scones! I think that is another reason he came to Boston. Claire and Brianna are the closest people to family that he has.
J: Poetry brings Jaime and Claire back together. As a librarian and former English teacher, It doesn’t get any better than this. This is the reason why men should always have one poem to recite to the woman he loves. (As an aside: every time I hear that woodwind instrument whistle the melody of Scotland, I imagine Jamie whispering Claire’s name while looking up at the moon! Is it a clarinet, flute or what? Somebody ask Bear for me, please!)
‘Freedom and whisky gang thegither,
Tak aff your dram!’
V: I truly agree with you. It is almost like Claire and Murtagh were in The Search – she sang that song to let Jamie know she was looking for him. Though it might have been subconsciously, that is what Jamie has done with his article. And Roger, l just love Roger. His ‘I’m a historian, that’s what I do. I pursue. I’m like a dog with a bone” was double entendre of sorts. He couldn’t let it go until he found out where Jamie was and he wasn’t giving up on the possibility of having a relationship with Bree. So finding Jamie was also the key to Brianna.
ALEXANDER MALCOLM!!!
J: Is it me or did someone else feel an inexplicable whoosh or a shiver all over when Claire discovers “Alexander Malcolm” is still alive and kicking, just shy of a year ago, 1765/1968?
V: No, it’s not. My heart absolutely dropped when I saw his name in print; and I knew he had written it. Even if you’ve read the book and know what is going to happen, this show just captivates the audience with the writing, acting and music that you get swept away in the moment.
L: It was awesome that they were able to track him down with something Claire had taught Jamie.
J: Uggh…why is Claire freaking out?
L: I’m thinking Claire would be ecstatic, why do you suppose she’s angry? Is it masked fear? Roger can’t catch a break can he? I can understand a mother’s love for her child and not wanting to leave her, that is a hard choice.
V: She is terrified! Are you kidding me. She is afraid of getting her hopes up, just to be let down – AGAIN. She’s probably also terrified of the unknown. She does not know what she will be walking into, just showing up like Roger did could mean putting herself in a precarious situation. I’d be terrified too and would probably have my head over a toilet! This has all taken an emotional toll on her. She has held these feelings in for 20 years. I don’t blame her.
J: But, this isn’t time for a meltdown! I wanted to yell, “Get your skinny ass up those stairs and start ye packing.” Roger should’ve said “I’ve go Bri, Claire. Go to him.” Or else, why are you there Roger? You knew what you were doing!!!
Love this yellow robe.
V: You are too funny for words and also right. Lord knows I am glad she finally decided what she did by the end, so you wouldn’t blow a gasket.
The bones don’t lie!
J: Oh yeah…I noticed that little teaser for the future episodes. We know it’s not a slave because “these ain’t no black bones” according to Joe!
L: I liked this part of the book; I didn’t understand it until I read the book a second time. Claire is clairvoyant when it comes to reading the body and bones. What do you think Dr. Abernathy is thinking about Claire now? She said it was woman, and that she was murdered. Spot on Claire.
V: I liked this part too. I don’t know, but the look on his face is like, How the hell did you know that and you’re only 50 yrs off of the age. He knows she is gifted, just doesn’t know how special and gifted she truly is. He would be totally flabbergasted to know she time-travels and that Jamie is back in 18th century Scotland!
L: Joe is still digging to find out about this Scottish man and Claire is so truthful with him. You know Joe; he’s always watching out for Claire like he’s her guardian. Do you think Claire knew he’d been watching her? To have a friend like Joe is great; he is honest when he talks to her and tells her the truth – not what she wants to hear.
V: Yes, he is because he knows his friend. She hasn’t been right since she came back from Scotland and he is concerned! No, I don’t think she knew, but she isn’t surprised either. He is very intuitive and she knows that.
L: Notice how he gave her a push to pursue true love?
V: Yes, he knew if he hadn’t, she would continue to mope around seemingly depressed. She needed that to give her confidence to move forward.
J: Thank you Joe for giving Claire the swift kick in the arse she needed to get on that pony express to Scotland!
V: OMG, Barnabas Collins – my first vampire crush. I loved watching Dark Shadows. It was too funny seeing Roger so into ‘the family of Collins‘ and knowing the story line. And, I loved how this foreshadowed the soap-opera moment at Frank’s dedication.
L: Roger was too relaxed and Brianna was too. They work so well together. They play off of each other naturally. She asks him out on a date; she is like her mother – a modern woman. I enjoy that about her this episode; she’s not an angry daughter any longer.
It’s a weird situation Roger finds himself caught in. His world is kind of upside down. He’s been mediating between Brianna and Claire, and the whole drama that came with that, then all of a sudden time travel is a thing and we discover that Brianna’s father is actually an 18th century Scottish warrior. He’s trying to grapple with that and also whether these things are actually physically possible. Coming from an academic background it’s all a bit like, “What is my life right now?
~ Richard Rankin, Sony
J: He must’ve said American Christmas three times in this episode, each time so daftly sweet it makes me want to love again! I love Roger’s perspective. He’s coming from nowhere but goodness. The reverend raised him well.
V: He is very sweet and caring! Initially, he seemed like a fish out of water. But as the episode went on, he found his footing.
L: She sure is explaining this hall well, that’s what she was drawing in class. Roger is an historian while I believe Brianna is going to switch some things up in her life. She has a mathematical brain; she wants to know how things are put together not about what happened in them. Again she questions history because she knows history can be altered or not entirely true. She has no faith in history any longer.
J: I LOVE Brianna’s architectural eye; she gets it from Jaime. In another life, I want to be a carpenter. I, too, admire the way our ancestors used the weight of stones to structure even the most marvelous of designs. Did a modern-day time-traveler go back in time to build Harvard?
This whole history conversation killed it for me. Part of it being because as Blacks our history was ripped to ashes and from all the monuments we made to preserve our excellence. Another part is because history is his story. His story of how the winners won. His story on how the monuments were built/destroyed. His story; his perspective. History can’t be trusted because it’s told from perspectives, not in truth. And where’s her story?? I’m with Brianna on this one. When women’s stories are missing, do we really know the truth?
I think — as I was saying before — this season is very much about Brianna getting to know herself. In light of this new information [about Jamie] it’s answered a lot of questions in terms of the distance between her and Claire for so many years, but at the same time it’s opened this whole new can of worms because Brianna’s now questioning her own identity, which parts of her are actually embedded in her DNA and which parts she’s actually picked up for fun. She studies history and now she wants to know whether that is something that she genuinely has a passion for or whether it’s something she just adopted from Frank.
~ Sophie Skelton, Entertainment Weekly
V: I don’t blame her for how she feels right about now. Her whole life has been filled with untruths and she is having to come to grips with it as an adult. If only Frank and Claire had told her early on – the blow would have been hurtful, but at least she would have known the truth. Though I am with you on those point, if you feel so strongly about it and if there is history out there not being told, then you write and tell it. That is the only way to preserve untold stories.
V: Just look at the contrast between Claire and Bree. Claire looks like she dreads being there and Bree beams with pride.
If only he’d let Claire tell her story. He could have won a Pulitzer Prize for History. Imagine that, Frank!
J: NO THIS BITCH DIDN’T! I get that Sandy’s grieving, but ain’t no way in hell, a woman would stand for that ish especially in public?? Claire handled that with the finesse of a surgeon’s skill. Sandy spit a little truth like a scorpion, but it wasn’t the place nor the time to air the laundry like that. Every one’s sad that Frank is gone, but Sandy had no business confessing “the love of her life” to his wife. WITCH PLEASE!
L: I’m going to miss Frank . . . I think. No, I’m not; I lied. I understand his plight but I don’t think he really allowed Claire to be Claire. What do we have here? Oh, it’s what’s her name Kandi? Oh, I mean Sandy. Why is she going off on Claire? It couldn’t have been me, I would have told her I tried to let him go, but he didn’t want to leave. Telling her she had to live with sharing him. Listen lady, he was a married man you shouldn’t have been involved with him anyway. The gall of her, can you believe it? Bye Kandi . . oh, I mean Sandy. I’m not moved by your tears.
V: That was a dramatic scene. Oh trust, I believe if they had been outside or in a hallway, Claire would have slapped the shit out of her like she did Laoghaire, especially taking about Frank being “the love of her life” part, which you know made Claire think of Jamie. She had a lot of nerve confronting Claire in the manner she did. But, I loved that Claire kept her composure. Frank had no right to lead her on for 10 years, especially if he wasn’t going to leave Claire. I agree with you. She had no business getting involved with him . . . a married man and her professor. And the nerve of her to think she knows Frank better than Claire, “Oh, Frank would’ve hated all this fuss” crap! Go A-W-A-Y!
J: I’m glad that Brianna put the clues together about Sandy. It sucks that Frank indirectly paraded Sandy in front of Bri. But he’s dead.
Just like a mother knows when someone likes her child, a kid knows when someone likes their parent! Brianna’s attention to detail is just like Jaime’s! The witch’s instinct is what I call it. I wanted to cry when Claire told Brianna how much Frank loved her.
So many times, kids blame themselves for the marriages falling apart. I did it. My son did it. It’s a wretched cycle. But Bri is peculiar, in a sense, because she gets to put her parents back together…every child’s dream, even if for a moment.
L: That is so true. Brianna is wise. She knows that daddy Frank was cheating on mom now. So his perfection, as she saw it, is gone. This is yet another change Brianna has to deal with. She is dealing with feelings of guilt, like you said, thinking she is responsible for her family’s unhappiness. Wow, I really feel for her.
Frank loved that girl as if she were truly his; he loved her wholeheartedly and at least she knows this now. As for Claire, a mother’s love is never ending, unconditional love. I’m glad she shared the information Roger gave her and would you look at the maturity in Brianna. I know she would miss her mom, but she’s trying to get her to move on. This episode tugs at your heart knowing that they would both miss each other if Claire chooses to go back to Jamie.
V: When a marriage falls apart, it’s sad when kids blame themselves. And yes, she surely has had to grow up fast. It was a really good scene. I am glad Claire did not hold back and told her the truth. I remember in S2 when Brianna asked Claire if she ever loved Frank. I bet at this moment that was playing in her head too.
J: Watching Claire listening to the Apollo 8 transformative moment, reminds yet again of the wonders of life. Don’t we all long for the miraculous moments that show us that we’re just as mystical and magical as the universe? Something bigger than the mundane meticulousness of life?
How do you take a trip like that and come back to life as you knew it? ~ Joe
L: That is so true. That’s an excellent question Dr. Abernathy, traveling away from earth to the moon being parallel to Claire going back in time. Everything in life is changing but to go back in time is mind alternating. You don’t come back the same, there’s no way you can. You can see Claire’s mind turning over this thought. I wonder if she’s going to change her mind. Question did the Apollo land on the moon during the winter? I thought it was the summer, hmm.
V: No, it was in December 1968. It was the first to reach the moon, but only orbited it and returned to Earth. You know Diana did her research or remembers when it happened. In 1968, she was a teenager. Since it was the first orbit around the moon, hell, she probably watched it on television like they did in the show. [Note: So, I found out it was Toni Graphia’s idea. She wanted to use the moon orbit broadcast, not Diana.]
Dr. Joe does ask a good question – one that is difficult to understand and answer if you haven’t experienced it. Well, Frank learned the answer the hard way; Claire has never been the same since she returned.
I had been, in many ways, further than the moon on an even more impossible journey. And the answer was yes, you can come back to your life, but it’s never the same.
But maybe it was enough to have gone once. How many people can say they had that?
J: I love the connection to the moon, yet again, being the first wonder of man…to get there. The moon, where Claire turns when she thinks of Jaime. The moon through the window, when Jaime’s “ghost” catches Claire at the beginning of the books. The moon, a lover’s calling card, as it’s the one constant all over the world. We all see the same side of the moon.
J: A daughter looking into her mother’s eyes and claiming Mama over Daddy–that’s strong feminism. I loved that moment and wished I had a daughter to go along with my sons! The maturity and dignity Bri showed in this scene, LOVELY! I felt like Claire’s being returned to Jaime like an overdue library book of love!
If I go, I may never be able to come back.
That was a really tough part. I can’t imagine ever doing that. We talked a lot with the writers about how to convey that and, at one point, there was a conversation that Claire has with Roger (Richard Rankin) and it was like, “This conversation should be with Bree.” I think the only reason she could go is that Bree finally is the one that tells her to go. Without Bree’s permission, she never could do it.
~ Caitriona Balfe, Parade
L: Bree and Claire having this discussion is twisting me up. I couldn’t imagine missing these things in my daughter’s life and my daughters wouldn’t be as understanding than Bree. She is a lot like Claire so innovative and a step ahead of the game. Claire’s fear is unsubstantiated, Bree told her true, it hasn’t changed. All I’ve got to say is go back Claire!!!
V: ‘Overdue library book of love.‘ Now that’s one way to look at it. And, it’s probably the unknown of whether Jamie still feels the same as she does that has her petrified. Just think, she goes back, he has moved on . . . then what? She’s stuck there and might not be able to come back home. Oh, I would be out of my mind with worry, though it wouldn’t stop me.
You owe it to him to go back, and I want you to go. And tell him everything.
What if he’s forgotten me? Or what if he doesn’t love me anymore?
You told me what you felt for Jamie was the most powerful thing you ever felt in your life. Has that changed?
No.
Then you have to trust it’s the same for him.
You gave Jamie up for me. Now I have to give him back to you.
There was kind of that parallel of, Jamie gave up Claire for Brianna and Bree’s now doing the same. It’s nice to see that kind of selflessness. And I think, because it follows that really nice scene of Claire and Brianna on the sofa in the Boston home, there’s a beautiful role-reversal, where Claire’s kind of a little bit anxious, a little bit worried that actually this 20-year wait for a relationship puts so much pressure to rekindle that. And Bree kind of becomes the mother to Claire, and says, ‘you know what, you’ll be okay and I have to let you go.’
~ Sophie Skelton, Mashable
J: All men recognize a great ass! It must be a DNA string in males or a primitive hunting zebra ass sort of thing! Either way, the validation and, yet again, trust between Joe and Claire is refreshing and genuine! I love this dynamic!
Am I attractive? Sexually?
Is this a trick question?
L: Yeah, but every woman has these doubts as they age, I do. Her fears are realistic, but Jamie would always want her. They don’t have body hang ups like we have now. I laughed and my husband did too when he heard Joe say, “You’re a skinny white broad with too much hair and a great ass.” I loved it!!! Joe doesn’t look too bad himself; Merry Christmas indeed.
You’re a skinny broad with too much hair and a great ass.
He’ll be in heaven when he sees you, Lady Jane.
V: Indeed we do and you’re talking about after 20 years too? That was a funny line and he said it so matter of fact, which shows as Claire mentioned, he is the ONLY person she could talk to about it and she knew he would tell her the truth.
L: A farewell Christmas together with perfect gift of the coins; the history of Scotland, not so much. I would have been crying, bawling my eyes out. Torn between two loves, daughter and husband. Can’t she just take Bree with her?
V: Ah no, she couldn’t take her with her. Puleeeze. She is going to see Jamie and doesn’t want to be worried about her over there. Plus, she doesn’t know how the stones work and if Bree can go through them. I’d not take her with me either. Oh, I was bawling. It was such a sweet, emotional scene, though it seemed surreal. They are all sitting around exchanging gifts, things she will need when she gets to Scotland, like this is an everyday deal.
So, I guess they just left that little Easter Egg out there with Bree mentioning that she had read Geillis’ diary and knew Claire would need to wear a gemstone of some kind to go through the stones. Hmm . . .
J: I get this. I’m a comic book fan. It’s the 60s and Batman was a popular show and tie in…but it screams dude-moment. In the book, I recall Roger finding a seamstress and helping Claire get the money, attire, etc. Claire didn’t make her outfit. But ok, TV is different from the book. But for those that haven’t read the books and just watch the show, this is 30 more seconds we could’ve had with the print shop scene!
Cape Crusader – Need a bat suit!
V: I totally disagree and didn’t see it like that at all. And, even if you had 30 second at the Print Shop, they would have had to cut it. Then what? I am glad they did it this way. Now, we will have a whole episode of the print shop, or the majority of the episode. Look, I get it. I want to see the print shop scene too, but not at the expense of rushing to get there. You rush to that scene, then what? They won’t stay in the print shop forever and will have to move on.
I also didn’t view it as a dude moment. Seriously? I loved Batman and thought the symbolism was appropriate . . . though not fighting crime, she needed something to wear that had compartments for all she had to carry and protected her from the elements. And, I loved that she made it out of ‘raincoats.’ That also showed her determination, if she needed it, she was going to make it.
L: I agree. That Batman song playing as she constructed her clothes for the trip was perfect! As the song was playing, I was thinking of Batman and all his useful gadgets on his utility belt; Claire knew what was needed to take back in time, so intuitive!
Then when Claire goes back, Terry came up with this great, fun idea for the costume that Claire takes back to the 17th century with her. That’s much more traditional. It melds both the Parisian world with the Scottish world a little bit, but it’s going to be very different to other seasons. In Season 3, I think I have one costume for the back end. Before, I had 17, 18, 19 different looks. It gets quite simplified towards the end because we obviously go on a ship.
~ Caitriona Balfe, Vanity Fair
Ta-Dah!
L: The finished product is gorgeous!
V: It really is and loved that she made it in all shades of blue – her color. I also noticed she was wearing a blue turtle neck too!
It definitely is a tough thing to try and figure out where you would be in 20 years, and then to do it for somebody else. I was talking to someone recently, and she was saying how every person feels a certain age for the rest of their life. For her grandmother, she always felt like she was 21. A friend of mine was saying, “I think 28. I must’ve been so happy at 28, that that’s how I always see myself.”
With Claire, I latched onto that. When she has gone back to Boston and she’s not with Jamie, she’s a mother and she’s very professional, but she’s put a side of herself away. That kind of sexual, romantic side of herself has been shelved almost for 20 years. When she gets back to Jamie, she’s back to that—27, 28, or what ever age she was supposed to be—time when she first met him because that’s when she really, I think, first came alive.
~ Caitriona Balfe, Vanity Fair
L: Why do we, as women, get so caught up I our looks? Claire still looks beautiful. No worries girl; go get your man.
V: I don’t know, programming through society, I guess. It’s sad, but true. As you mentioned before, we all know this feeling. I was right there with her. Second guessing how you might look to someone you’ve not seen in decades and hoping he will still want you. However, we know all of this anxiety will simply melt away in a nanosecond once she gets there.
L: I would have died my hair too; she’s ready to go. She’s taking Bree’s blouse so she can have a piece of her with her. I understand why they changed the trip back, she’s going back without the feeling of loss. She has to focus on Jamie not Bree. A dress made from raincoats – smart move and adaptation.
V: Yeah, me too. The only problem is that it will not last. So, what’s going to happen when she washes it out? Guess she figures, by then, it wouldn’t matter – first impressions. And that dress . . . was wondering about the raincoats, but her explanation as to why she used them was perfect. And Roger, the little kid within, loved it too!
J: But the ire is that Brianna is losing Claire. I love the hot and cold relationship between Claire and Bri because it’s so indicative to the true love between mother and daughter…especially when the two of them are so different at times. Claire’s “He’s a good one.” is a blessing short and sweet. Mama’s approval matters!
V: Oh yes, mother’s approval surely does matter. I am glad she told Bree Roger was a good one. She knows her daughter and knows she can be stubborn and hotheaded. In other words, don’t screw this up after I leave!
J: Claire’s closing up shop to go back in time is so bittersweet. As a young adult, I’m like, “I get a bank account and a house?! Plus, I’m taking time off from school? And the guy I like, likes me too! Hell yeah. Life is good.”
V: Well, I feel badly for Bree and Claire. They have just come through the other side of this journey to locate Jamie closer than they ever have been and now she is leaving . . . and might not be able to come back. That is heartbreaking.
L: Giving her blessing for Roger already mom? This is so final, it hurts me to see them part, just as much as I was with her and Jamie at the stones.
L: She leaves Bree a valuable gift – those pearls. This actually gives her a piece of her history, her grandmother Ellen. Her face just lit up; I love it!
V: That was a precious moment. Wouldn’t that make for an excellent history essay she could turn in to her professor – The History of My Grandmother’s Pearls (circa 250+ years ago)!
L: Clever closing out with the whiskey since it was whiskey that led them to Jamie. Roger is so thoughtful! I really like him! To Freedom and Whiskey! This is sad. OK, I’m not going to cry again.
V: It really was and why not, they drink it all the time – love it! At this point, whiskey has turned into a character like Scotland did. Roger is very thoughtful. He always knows what the say, when to say it and what is needed at the perfect moment.
To Freedom & Whiskey ~ Sláinte mhaith!
V: I loved this scene. It was beautifully shot. Claire walking out . . .
turning back to look at Bree and Roger . . .
then, blowing a kiss . . . Oh, the tears.
She has so much to come to terms with, and she and Claire have finally rebuilt this relationship, then actually there’s gonna be an even bigger wedge between them because of the distance. She’s still reeling from Frank’s death, and now she’s kind of losing her mother, too. And it’s just that moment at the window where it’s really nice, because you see that very Fraser, stoic, calmly held element of Bree where like she’s putting on such a brave face with Claire and then as soon as Claire’s gone out of frame, she’s crying.
~ Sophie Skelton, Mashable
V: I knew Bree was putting on a brave face for Claire. She is inconsolable, probably by the weight of it ALL. I am so glad that she allowed herself to cry afterwards and that Roger was there for her.
L: Bree is sucking it up and moving on, just like her daddy did at the stones.
V: Yes and I thought that was so sweet of her. Despite how she feels about Claire leaving, she still wanted to make sure Roger’s first American Christmas would be memorable!
J: Oh yeah…may I have a fella look at me the way Roger looks a Bri? Doe-eyed and 100% in love! He’s like the connective tissue between joints, the link between the past and present, the perfect man for Bri.
Plus, he pays attention to details. A man that pays attention to details is a keeper. I love the choice of A Christmas Carol another time travel novel of lost love and keeping promises! It’s a keepsake for Bri because of Frank/Claire’s past love, Jaime and Claire’s present love and Bri and Roger’s future love. Christmas past, present and future wrapped up and under the Christmas tree.
V: Your observation is so on point! I didn’t make that connection.
L: Roger does it again giving her the gift Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, he is continuing the tradition, becoming part of the family.
When I was small, I never wanted to step in puddles. I couldn’t bring myself to believe that the perfect smooth expanse was no more than a thin film of water over solid earth.
I believe it was an opening into some fathomless space and if I stepped in, I would drop at once and keep falling.
Even now, when I see a puddle in my path, my mind half halts, though feet do not, and I hurry on . . .
L: Stepping into the puddle and ending up in Edinburgh 1766-ish, she seems very happy to be back in this time. I believe this is where her home is; it’s always been her home.
With only the echo of the thought left behind.
V: You can see her face totally change. She seemingly exhales when she steps out and looks around at the people. Of course that is where her home is – Jamie is her home. But I agree, she is most comfortable there than she ever was in Boston.
I’m looking for a printer. Mr. Malcolm. Alexander Malcolm.
V: I loved the build up to this scene. They had the whole audience, especially me, holding my damn breath as she walked up to the shop and touched the sign. It was an incredible frame!
L: I was so excited they moved on to this part and giddy, my husband was laughing at me and rolling his eyes. To touch that sign that belonged to Jamie after all these years, wow! I didn’t picture it being upstairs, but I liked it.
V: Your husband is so funny. I like how they moved it along too. It was ridiculous; my heart was pounding so fast as if I were there with her. Hell, at times, I realized I kept holding my breath in anticipation! Just ridiculous.
L: When she pushed opened that door and the bell rang, I was breathing hard too.
J: Just like the bell above Mr. Raymond’s shop, in walks Claire to her Jamie. The trepidation, insecurity and instant smile at the sight of him in his print shop, I was there.
V: Reading the book, it was hard for me to visualize the shop. But once again, Gary Steele and the art/set departments did an outstanding job here. Look at all the details in the shop.
When she goes back, this is a woman who’s sort of put her entire romantic and sexual life on hold for the best part of 20 years. That gives you I think a slight rigidity, I think. Obviously there’s a lot of trepidation with Claire going back. We play that a little bit when she dyes her hair right before she goes, because there’s this slight insecurity and she wants him to remember her as she used to be.
~ Caitriona Balfe, Mashable
Is that you Geordie? Took you long enough.
L: I was in awe seeing her and Jamie together in the same room and to see him drop like that.
It isn’t Geordie.
It’s me . . . Claire.
V: Me too. Finally. We’ve been waiting for-e-v-a-h! I loved the way he hesitantly turns around, as if to think this is all in my head, she’s really not here. Now rather than visions, I am hearing things.
Then, the look he has after he sees that she really IS there!
Poor thing, his body just couldn’t take the shock of it all. For 20 years, he has had visions of her and now that she is there, his body overloads with emotions and he just passes flat out!
J: I’ve only one sole/soul reaction: Holy Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ that hunk of Scottish savory just hit the horizontal quan! TKO! Lights out!
Episode Rating (1-5): 5 – Shots
We give this episode 5-shots; some in the group wanted to give it more!
It was another emotionally-charged, character driven episode that gave his heartbreaking goodbyes and surprising hellos. The pacing was also on par with building up the anticipation to what is later to come.
The writers adapted the book and made some very ingenious changes. We were able to see and feel the struggle not just with Claire leaving her daughter, but also with Brianna dealing with the changes of her reality. This episode did not just confront Claire and Bree’s life changes, but also the changes Roger was going through. He came to America looking for a new family because he no longer had one in Scotland. He found the information for Claire and knew he had to be there for Bree. We also enjoyed all the scenes Claire had with Dr. Joe; it will be interesting to see if he shows back up in the season or next. We truly hope so.
But let’s talk about the costumes and the set/art designs. Terry and crew, once again, outdid themselves from all of Bree’s capes, skirts and tights to Claire’s coats, hat, robe and purse (love that black purse), not to mention her ‘Bat-utility outfit.’ So apropos! And the fact that Bree was dressed, multiple times, in plaids as if to represent tartans from Scottish clans. We were also able to see more of the Randall’s home, the rooms and what was in them. And no, we have not forgotten about the print shop. It was beautifully decorated with all the items one would imagine would be in a 1760’s shop. The director’s choice of shooting told its own story. The transition from 1960’s to the 1760’s was seamless and having Claire’s voice over describing puddles being a portal through time was outstanding.
LOOKING FORWARD
What we are looking forward to in the upcoming episode.
Lorinda: I’m looking forward to seeing the print shop in full detail. We all know the reunion of Jamie and Claire has been our highest expectation for this season. I’m ready for them to become reacquainted with one another and the journey their lives will embark on together.
Jean: I’m looking forward to the inferno of love making and the vulnerable conversations afterwards as they piece together their new beginning. I am also looking forward to Claire’s face when she learns of Jaime’s other relationships and the products of them. Fergus’ face when he sees Claire again. Going back home to Lallybroch. We have much shock and amazement ahead!
Vida: I was glad they whipped through 20 years in five episodes, so I am just looking forward to the story line finally moving on. Yes, the print shop will be more epic than the wedding episode and I am looking forward to seeing Matt Robert’s brilliance! But, it will be more interesting to see how Cait and Sam portray their older selves and how they reconnect their characters.
Up next:
Outlander S3 Epi6 Preview – A. Malcolm ~ Video via AresPromo
Directed by Norma Bailey Written by Matthew B. Roberts
Disclaimer: We hold no rights to any of the pictures; all are from Starz and TV Line. No copyright infringement intended. Gifs from GIPHY.
Blacklanderz® 
I get the whole wanting to dye your hair and look your best 20 yrs later. But don’t you think it’s a bit pretentious?? Jaime/Claires love is raw, pure and I think that’s what makes it magical. The writers did a fine job showing the shell-of-a-self, Claire was in the 1960s. The world she shared with Frank was full of falsehoods and unnecessary rules. The 3 things that mattered to Claire in the 1960s–IMHO–were Brianna (and by default Roger), Joe and practicing medicine.
As I get older, I love the man that loves my make-up free face, as I don’t dye my hair. You’d be surprise how many men prefer us WITHOUT hair-dyes and layers of perceived prettiness. Make-up was orginally invented for/by men. Now most men won’t even touch it! Lol!
Can you imagine Jaime putting on make-up? The irony isn’t amiss, because Sam does have to color his hair for the role! 😀 However, vanity wasn’t and never has been a foundation in the relationship between Jaime and Claire. Y’all remember when Claire took the bald fade to the nether regions in France? Jaime didn’t like it then, just as I think the dyed hair doesn’t matter now. 😀
But to each his own. Claire became insecure during her years with Frank for a variety of reason: Sandy, no Jaime, hidden self, and pettiness unless she was with Joe. Jaime loves her core, natural beauty and rambunctious ways all the time. That’s true love! Thank you Lorinda and Vida for the chat! 🙂 I’m looking forward to YEARS of Outlander and having this outlet for all things Outlander is PERFECT! Where’s a Batman POW! when you need one? 🙂
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I think she did it to make herself feel better. I don’t blame her. So yeah, to each his own. As for make up, I will note that I slap mine on e’ry day and you best believe I don’t miss a hair appointment to get my highlights! ~ V
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No one’s mentioned it yet but did anyone else hear the utterly beautiful “please let it be him” way Claire thought/whispered “Jamie” as she touched the sign out front?
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Awww, no. Will have to go back and watch that part again. My heart was pounding so fast, I guess I missed it!
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