Blacklanderz Convos!

Outlander S4 Epi3 – The False Bride

Written by Jennifer Yale | Directed by Ben Bolt

This conversation is between Blacklanderz Evelyn, Erica and Iris (Iris has not read the books). Arranged and edited by Vida. [For those who don’t know, I also interrupt at times – just because.]

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HOPE | PROMISE | HOME | ADVENTURE

Evelyn: This episode is about the journey each character was taking. Ian’s journey to becoming a man and making all around him see it. Roger and Bree’s journey and their attempt at starting a new life together. Jamie and Claire finding their place in this new world together.

ROAD TRIP | RENEWAL | ANTICIPATION | HOME

Iris: For me, it was not only about the journey for a home, but also the renewal of relationships. Claire and Jamie renew their commitments to each other and their search for a place they can settle and call home. Young Ian’s determination to stay in the colonies. Roger coming to the U.S. to establish a lasting relationship with Bree.

DEPARTURE | LOVE | LOSS | HOME

Erica: Well, for me, it was only about home. Roger leaving his home in Inverness and his attempt to make one with Brianna. Jamie and Claire departing River Run and embarking on making their way toward what will be their home. Young Ian’s refusal to go back to Scotland, the only home he has known, and to make one here in America.

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Ev: Inverness! It was nice to hear the music and as the camera pans into the house it is Roger playing it. I vaguely remember Roger letting Fiona have the house and her being married but…eye roll for me.

I: Awe Inverness; this house has never been so bare. Yes, Roger is a man of many talents, the better to sweep Bree off her feet.  I thought it was wonderful to see Fiona with her beau. Clearly she has gotten over her crush on Roger.

E: Inverness 1970 . . . That says a lot. My sentiments exactly, Iris. I’ve never seen the manse so empty before either. The symbolism is unreal.

Ev: Fiona was annoying as all get out in the book but they seem to have written her a lot less annoying for TV.

I: Fiona’s got a man and his name is Ernie! 

Salt, for life’s tears. May they
always be happy ones.

E: I loved the toast. Yes, to honest men and bonnie lasses!  Ernie is perfect for Fiona!

And may you have flavor in your life.

May the roof above never fall in;
may we below never fall out.

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After the strangeness of that whole situation, they kind of were immediately thrown back into normal life, or as normal as it can be when your mother is a time traveler and your father’s an 18th century warrior. That’s quite a strange thing to go back to reality from and must be a bit of a slap in the face for them both. They have very separate lives. Brianna’s at university in Boston, and Roger’s life is in Oxford, so when you find them, they’re in the midst of a long-distance relationship, which, I think, is quite testing of them.

The world was a much larger place in the ’60s, so communication was even quite difficult at times. They really couldn’t see a lot of each other, and maybe only spoke to each other once a week on phone calls. There will have been letters and that kind of thing, but in terms of seeing each other and spending time with each other, it was maybe only once or twice a year, which is a big test for any relationship.

~ Richard Rankin

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Ev: Roger thinks or hopes he won’t be coming back anytime soon…Hopefully, Bree will have him.

I: The conversation between them is so sweet. It is obvious that they have both found love.

E: She even knows that Roger loves Bree. “Go get her.” Sound advice, Fiona.

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They are in quite an interesting place, because they’ve had that whole drama, that catalyst, that threw them together. It’s a kind of complicated, unreal sort of otherworldly experience they had at the end of season two, and I think, because of that, that forged a very unique bond that I don’t think will ever be broken. But it’s certainly put to the test.

~ Richard Rankin

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Ev: Claire is still upset about Rufus. She is not going to get over what happened anytime soon.

I: But, I hope she is thinking about how her actions escalated the situation; and in the future, she has to be more strategic. Goodbye River Run. I hope this isn’t the last of we see of Jacosta. I am sure that Ulysses, Phaedra and Mary dream of a day when he can be the master of his own soul too.

Ev: I thought it ironic of Jamie to say he wants to be master of his own soul to Jocasta … as the slaves can’t be master of anything, including their own souls.

E: Good luck getting Jamie to stay, Auntie Jocasta. That statement was classic Jamie.

Ev: Auntie is so put off that Jamie was a printer. I always thought it was one thing that kept him whole and not turning himself into a “Stephen Bonnet” type.

E: I don’t think he would have ever become a Bonnet type. His pride would not let him. Remember, he was not an outlaw by choice. BJR made him one.

I: Jacosta thinks that being a printer and working for someone is beneath him; after all, he should have been Laird of Lallybroch. She had such high hopes for him to become the Laird of River Run. I don’t think Jamie would entertain the thought of becoming a ‘Stephen Bonnet” type,; he has too many scruples and would never kill an innocent man unlike Bonnet.

E: Gift from his mother . . . sterling candle holders; that is costly.

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The silver candlesticks were added into the scene after the fact, to set up a touching moment in a later episode. This is something writers occasionally do, called retrofitting, when they realize something in a future episode needs setting-up in a previous episode. Stay tuned to see how these candlesticks become significant later in the season!

~ Toni Graphia, Outlander Community

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E: Do think she was trying to buy him?

I: No, she loves him as only family can. She wanted him to have something to remember her and his mother.  But, he surely loses family, as quickly as he finds them.

No good comes grieving over

what’s already lost – but what I

wouldna give to look upon

yer face just once.

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And for Jamie, it’s his last sort of living relative in a way. She looks and sounds like his mother and for him, it’s a really emotional thing. Initially, it’s quite joyful for him. But it’s a mixed bag for him really because of his life with Claire.

~ Sam Heughan

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E: It’s not every day you see Jamie cry.

 I:  No, he is touched by her gift of his mother’s silver. 

Ev: Ian is NOT going home…Again, the reference to free will…”I dinna belong to anyone.” I wonder if the writers did that purposefully or it was unconscious to them.

E: Good luck trying to get him on a boat back to Scotland.

Ev: You tell him Ian…the dangers you ken and survived…he did leave off old crazy Geillis, but he listed quite a few.

He is right. He is a man now and free to call the place he chooses home.

I: He is maturing into a young man with ideas of his own and he will take ownership for his decision. Ian is going to be the master of himself going forward.

Ev: “A man writes his own letters.” Go on Ian, get on with your bad self.

I: Jenny is not going to be too happy when she receives his letter.

Ev: Leaving River Run had to be sad, but Jocasta just had to get her little digs in. She is definitely a MacKenzie.

I: Their goodbye is bittersweet.

E: So long…farewell…Auf Wiedersehen, good bye! Glad to see that they left the very next day after Rufus died.

E: Can you hear the condescending tone? I admire a woman of conviction. There’s the MacKenzie mannerism I have grown to know and love/hate.

I: Well, she was not going to let Claire leave without given her a piece of her mind. Their conversation is reminiscent of the conversations Colum and Dougal had with Claire about Jamie back in Scotland.

Ev: She is so conniving, but Claire’s clap back was right on…. don’t talk about things you don’t know about!

You’re the reason he wouldna accept

my offer. You’ve a good deal of influence

on him, and he’s blinded by his passion for

you, the same as my sister was by her love

for Brian Fraser – the reason she turned her

back on family. If you truly love Jamie as

much as ye say ye do, you’d want him to be

the man that he was born to be. To have the things

he lost in Scotland – the chance to be a laird.

I: It is clear that Claire doesn’t like having someone judge her.

Ev: So true, but I don’t know how she held her temper after the hanging and this conversation.

You haven’t seen Jamie since he was

a child, and you’ve seen us together

all of a few days. You don’t know

anything about me or my husband.

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I think that episode was sort of difficult in some ways, for a lot of us, because it’s a little different from what was in the book. Jocasta, played incredibly by Maria [Doyle Kennedy], she’s just amazing. For Claire, she sees Jamie being so happy being connected to part of his family, but for Claire, there’s this wall that will never really come down between her and Jocasta because they have such opposing views [on certain things]. Claire will never understand Jocasta’s point of view and Jocasta will never understand her point of view. I think there’s a mutual respect there and a mutual admiration in some ways, it’s just an unbridgeable wall.

~ Caitriona Balfe

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Ev: I’m going to miss Phaedre and Ulysses. I hope they are in later episodes, if Claire and Jamie visit River Run again. I do love Claire’s side eye as Jamie was gathering the horses to leave…sadness, anger, and disgust all rolled together.

I:  I hope to see them again too; our time with them was too short. I wonder if they are sad to see Jamie and Claire leave. Ulysses is probably more relieved than sad, knowing that the remaining slaves will not be in jeopardy of suffering further consequences of Claire’s savior complex.

Ev: CLARENCE!!! I forgot about the donkey. He is a pain, but also a great character in the book. Glad they introduced him.

I: I am grateful they will have John Quincy to guide them on their journey.

E: All I was thinking was . . . please God, no more slaves for this season. I don’t think my heart can take it. And so we are off. Bye River Run.

I: Erica, I am hoping to see Ulysses, Phaedre and Mary again. I feel like we only got glimpses of what their lives are like. I think it would be disingenuous not to have slaves and free Blacks throughout Jamie and Claire’s time in the colonies. Otherwise, it would be like making slavery a footnote in the lives of the settlers.

E: Iris, the presence of slaves were there in the book. They stayed in River Run for quite some time after their arrival. I suppose for the sake of TV, they did not show as much as what the book revealed. Seeing the words come to life on screen was a lot for me to digest. What I can’t take is another Rufus or anything similar. That level of brutality is hard for my heart and stomach.

Ev: As they were leaving I thought Bridge Over Troubled Water was playing. I had to rewind it to make sure.

I: Roberta Flack’s version would have been the perfect one for their departure.

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Ev: I must say, Bear has created a nice theme music for Roger and Bree. Claire and Jamie have theirs too and this new piece is totally different to go along with their new, future relationship.

I: Bear does a great job composing themes for the main couples.

I: Reunited and they look so good . . . but yeah, a little awkward!

Ev: I agree. They are so awkward when they meet up… just kiss already.

E: Enroute to NC…can we say Road Trip!!

Ev: Boston to NC?? That’s a drive.

I: Yes, it is. But, it will give them much needed time to get to know each other better. Is that Parliaments (pre Parliament-Funkadelic) “Testify” I hear playing in the background?

[V: Yes ma’am, that it is – Parliament’s I Wanna Testify.]

Friends, inquisitive friends
Are asking me what’s come over me

A change, there’s been a change
And it’s oh so plain to see
Love just walked in on me
And it’s taken me by surprise

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I think that has been the fun thing this season because . . . this is my favorite book. I think for Bree and Roger, thus far has been setting up the story for this season. I think there’s a really nice dynamic in terms of them having that sort of back-and-forth relationship. Again, every time they’re brought together they’re pulled apart.

They’re both kind of dealing with their own individual problems. They’re both getting over the death of their fathers, plus Brianna deals with essentially giving away her mother. They also have this long-distance relationship and everything that comes with that. So, while Jamie and Claire have a fresh beginning, these two are sort of in the muddy waters of what has just happened.

~ Sophie Skelton

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Happiness surrounds me
You can see it in my eyes
Now it was just a little while ago
My life was incomplete
I was down, so doggone low
I had to look up at my feet

Ev: Oh, she is giving him THE STARE. Nothing more fun than being in a confined space with someone you have the hots for. I’m sure she was thinking, will I or won’t I this weekend….

I: Bree has been waiting so long for this time with Roger. I hope she gets her man!

Don’t you know, I want to testify
What your love has done for me
Everybody sing, I just want to testify
Oh girl, what your love has done for me . . .

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We also had a very gradual introduction to the show as well, which was a good thing, I think, because you have a lot of time to think. We were only in the end of Season 2 and only a few episodes in Season 3 but being aware of the show and the world in which the show’s set was very helpful coming into Season 4. We know exactly where the characters are and we know exactly where we are within the story.

So, I think it has been quite an advantage. It’s been good to explore, like you say, together and separately and what they’re dealing with because they are dealing with quite a lot in their lives individually never mind trying to cope with each other. They’re dealing with not only a long-distance relationship, but everything that comes with the Frasers.

~ Richard Rankin

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Once I was a hollow man
In which a lonely heart did dwell
Then love came sneaking up on me
Bringing hope to an empty shell

E: Scotland and NC are so similar.

I: I agree! The landscape is beautiful. Scotland makes an excellent stand in for North Carolina.

Now I’ve heard so many times before
That your love can be so bad
But I just want to tell you people
It’s the best love I ever had . . .

~ Parliament (I Wanna) Testify, 1967

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E: Love the scene cut from Bree and Roger on the road to NC to this group traveling the same path centuries ago, or the green screen was working overtime.

I: Hey, don’t hate on the green screen!

Ev: Love the stories from John Quincy Myers. Giving the history of the Native Americans and what parts of the land they live on.

I: He is quite the historian. I hope they were listening and gaining knowledge of the Native Americans.

E: American history on the road. He knows a lot; they would do well to listen.

Ev: Ian is so excited about everything, including Native women…better watch what you wish for….

I: Yeah, but his enthusiasm is refreshing.

E: The scenery is simply breathtaking.

I: So is the waterfall. I have to keep reminding myself that it’s in Scotland!

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We wanted to include as many shots as we could of the beauty of the land to demonstrate Jamie falling in love with the New World. Some of these are meant to be suggestions for “beauty shots.” They were either filmed during the shoot by our second unit crew directed by Matthew B. Roberts, or are stock shots found by our post department.

~ Toni Graphia, Outlander Community

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Ev: Ian leaving to go with Myers threw Jamie and Claire for a loop. I like how Claire handled it by inquiring how well Myers knew his way around and what to expect.

Ev: Jamie was about to give a big fat no before she interjected.

I: I would not have blamed Jamie for saying no! Given Ian’s kidnapping, rape by Geillis, almost death at her hands, and the incident with Bonnet, I think it is a bit too soon for this group to split up. I hope everyone makes it to Woolam’s Creek without incident.

E: Yeah, but I saw a Mama bear…Claire … “I’m not sure about this. Will he be safe?” Iris, she is clearly thinking the same thing as you.

Ye’re sure ye wouldna rather go

to a place ye’re more familiar with?

Boston, say? Somewhere we might

start anew.

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The Boston line is another nod to Claire’s previous life in Boston, and her knowledge of the coming revolution, something that will loom over the rest of the season.

~ Toni Graphia, Outlander Community

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Boston would hardly be starting
anew – not for me at least. I’ve
already had a life there. And it
will be dangerous there. Tensions
will be rising – the Revolution
actually begins there . . .

I: Once again Jamie reminds us why he is the King of Men, and why so many fans swoon over him. I love how they discuss where they should make their home and why. They are so considerate of each other – a real partnership!

E: Yes…the King of Men has spoken. Make a home together…a place that’s ours. He’s trying to make her comfortable. You would think that he knows that she is comfortable as long as he is there with her.

Ev: I loved the turkeys and all of the wildlife they had in this episode. It makes you think about how raw the land was then and all of the creatures that lived on it.

I: Living off the land was no easy task!  We are so spoiled with supermarkets. Imagine having to hunt one of these turkey’s down for dinner.  

Ev: Their conversation about Brianna’s career and life direction is every parent’s concern. They are unsure that their child has the focus or drive to pick and to stick with something.

He was right, in the 17^th century, you were what your family was – as it pertained to life’s work. The look on his face when she told him Brianna and Frank had a stronger bond and they spent more time together….

I: Jamie/Claire and Roger/Bree road trips parallel each other’s. Both couples are traveling in North Carolina, spending time alone and getting to know each other all over again.

It can’t be easy for Jamie to hear about Bree’s relationship with Frank and yet, hopefully, he was reassured that Frank was a father to her in his absence. He made the right choice to send Claire through the stones back to her time!

E: I loved hearing them talk about Brianna. Jamie has so much confidence in who his daughter will become. The chattering of a married couple. Even when reading the book, I loved how real it sounded.

Ev: Claire had to be sure she wasn’t driving him to do something he didn’t want. Definitely, a man should be settled at his age.

Saying he would live as an outlaw, if he only had to look after himself, was strange to me. I thought he was tired of always keeping an eye out for the lawman or the British. It was a lot of words to get to his final meaning that he wants to provide for others since that is what he was raised to do. If that means becoming a printer, then yes.

E: Their conversation was so real. “A man should be settled at my age, no?” I love how he thinks beyond himself. It’s not just him…its Claire, Bree, Young Ian, Fergus, Marsali…The Fraser Clan. Love it!

I: They take each other’s feelings, desire and dreams into account as they decide together what they will do next.

She wants to make sure he is not settling for this life just to ensure her happiness and that he will find a purpose and be content in their life. She also listened to Jocasta after all!

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Who knew that when we gave this small nod to Clarence the mule, that it would be one of the hardest in the episode to shoot? As it turns out, Clarence was not so keen on running away, and he had to be shooed away many times to get enough footage of him escaping. Apparently, he, like everyone else, is enamored with Jamie Fraser and determined to stick by his side.

~ Toni Graphia, Outlander Community

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I: Their first storm…The lightning is no joke. Clarence get back here!

Ev: After all that talking, you get stuck in the storm instead of heading on to Woolam’s Creek. Where did Claire think she was going? Her tracking abilities are not great.

[V: Jamie – the horse whisperer]

I: She can’t help herself! She is so head strong that she is confident that she can do almost anything! 

E: Will she ever listen to Jamie?! There she goes again. This time after Clarence. Woman?!

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I:  The Scottish festival is a wonderful tradition. I can’t help but to think how the slaves were not allowed to keep their traditions and their language was all but stamped out.

Ev: Yes, it is sad that the slaves histories and traditions were erased. The Scottish Festival looks like all of the ones I have seen but I think they were called Highland Games. The cross sword dancing reminded me of Murtagh when he and Claire were going village to village looking for Jamie in S1. LOL…Murtagh was so bad at that. If I hadn’t turned on the closed captions, I would have missed all of the announcements in the background…Haggis eating contest, Scottish shortbread…

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It’s a bit ambiguous as to where the relationship is up to at that point. But she’s definitely trying to make it work. When they go to a fair together, there are high hopes for their relationship.

~ Sophie Skelton

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I: He can’t keep his eyes off her. He doesn’t look bad in kilt, but no man can out kilt Jamie. Bree is missing her mother and hoping that she is safe.

Ev: I have been waiting to see Roger in a kilt…they didn’t give us much to see except the back of him or just to the sporran.

Ev: So Roger is the boyfriend now… They sure like to spring things on each other.

E: They are both big flirts. Yeah, I heard that . . . my boyfriend. Love it.

They remind me of teenagers getting to know each other. Getting to know you…getting to know all about you. Ceilidh Dancing – check out Roger’s moves. LOVE IT!  Did you feel that spark?

[V: Twirling around, as they did, made me dizzy! But, I could feel their connection.]

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We made the decision for Roger and Bree to attend a Scottish festival in North Carolina so that they would literally be traveling the same ground as Jamie and Claire. Hats off to Gary Steele and Terry Dresbach for all the hard work and creativity that went into designing the environment, outfitting the principles and extras, and dressing our colorful and exciting Scottish festival.

~ Toni Graphia, Outlander Community

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Ev: Jamie was right…Clarence would come back and he did… without Claire.

E: Yes, he returned…but, of course, no Claire.

I: Him coming back without her can only mean one thing – she is lost and about to find trouble.

E: Where the devil is that woman?

I: I hope he finds her, before she finds trouble.

E: Too late.

I:  I would have never thought that lightning striking a tree could be so beautiful.

[V: Oh lord, Claire is knocked out!]

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E: Roger has such a beautiful voice. The lyrics are all for Bree and the Fraser Clan I believe. Did you hear that reference to strawberries?  He even foreshadows her not being his… “For now she is wed to another…”

Ev: Interesting song to sing. Brianna was mesmerized…she likes watching Roger perform. Yes, I heard him say strawberries.

I: He probably should have chosen a more romantic song.  But, they are so cute. I hope his singing doesn’t foreshadow their relationship. I get the feeling they are going to experience their own relationship trials and tribulations.

Ev: My thoughts exactly…

His eyes are following me.

I: That stag’s head is creeping Bree out! They both can use a bit of liquid courage to ease the tension between them.

Ev: Did she have to throw her shirt off like that? Girl, you could have had him work up to it.

Christ. You’re a sneaky one.

I: The bracelet with the inscription is beautiful! Roger wants this night to be perfect! 

Ev: It is a petty bracelet and inscription, but lord…did he have to ask her to marry him?

Je t’aime. . . un peu. . . beaucoup. . .
passionnément. . . pas du tout.

I love you. . . a little. . . a lot. . .

passionately. . . not at all.

Ev: The look on her face when he got down on one knee was sheer terror. I’m with Bree; this was too fast and not what she was expecting. How can you say the engagement can be as long as you like but you have to say yes…cray, cray.

I want you Brianna. I cannot say it
more plainly than that. I love you.

Will you marry me?

I: Oh Roger, it is the 70’s for Christ sake!  You didn’t have to go and get all serious just yet – too soon! Bree is a very modern woman, Roger you need to chill, hell you wouldn’t survive #MeToo with that attitude. I’m sure these two will find their way back to each other and work through their differences.

E: I feel a riff coming, Iris. Yes, Roger is aggressive as hell. But on the flip side, he’s not looking for a hook-up. He wants to make her his wife. He loves her enough to want to marry her.

Ev: But, he had no right to make her feel so small; then, make her feel cheap by saying he could have had her a dozen times last summer. Ass! And, I hope that slap left a mark.

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This unique experience has made them very, very close. But as much as that’s pulled them together, it’s one of the things that’s also pushed them apart because I think, for Bri especially, seeing Roger is a reminder of everything that’s happened. It’s a reminder of Frank dying. It’s a reminder of her mother leaving, Jamie and Claire, and everything. I think Brianna just needs to separate herself from that and get on her own two feet.

~ Sophie Skelton

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Ev: Roger is a hypocrite. He can go have sex with dozens of women he didn’t love, but she can’t have sex with someone she does love without having to marry him. My brain exploded on that!

I: I think Roger was hurt that Bree didn’t respond the way he had hoped.  I don’t think he was being a hypocrite. I just think he cherishes Bree and is upset that she wants to keep it casual. 

E: I loved this exchange. He wants the real thing. #RogerMac is THE MAN.

I: They are both saying things to each other that they won’t be able to take back. Roger, you went too far!

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Ev: These two are always searching for each other. Girl, she had boots with zippers. These had to be the ones she wore when she went back to Jamie.

I: Imagine being out in that weather with no real shelter. Yes, she did unzip her boots?

E: That rain is fierce.

E: It just dawned on me…could Jamie and Claire and Roger and Bree be in the same forest, two centuries apart? Jamie out looking for his lady…again. They stay searching for each other.

I: Erica, I was thinking the same thing about the forest. I wonder if the showrunner considered overlap with the forest scene?

E: Like they did in S1 Epi8…Both Sides Now? That would have been amazing.

E: What’s this? A skull and a gemstone? This is a plot point here. Lets see what transpires.

Ev: I don’t think I would have been so inquisitive, if I found a skull out in the wilderness; then, heard wild animals making strange noises. Hell to the no!

I: She needed to put that skull down.

Ev: First a skull and now there is a ghost, who keeps appearing and disappearing in-front of me…no, no, no…I would be out of there.

I: Evelyn, I’m with you on that one. I would have probably looked for another place to lay my head!  Jamie, please hurry!

E: She sees a spirit…spirit of the skull? Yep…the scar on the the skull is the same.

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Ev: A lot of pageantry and foreshadowing in the Scottish festival with all of the customs and rituals. We will see this again in the future books.

I: It is interesting seeing how many of the customs the Scottish immigrants brought with them from the old country. I wish my ancestors had the same opportunity.

Ev: Me too, Iris.

E: With my family being from the Caribbean (Trinidad and Guyana), my parents and their families brought traditions over from home. But, we can also make our own traditions. All traditions don’t have to come from long ago.

I: The Calling of the Clans?  Did the Frasers not make it into the 20th and 21st centuries?  I am sure the reason for not including Clan Fraser will play out in further story line.

Ev: The Calling of the Clans was an interesting affair. In the book they called Clan Fraser. So, I am not sure why it wasn’t in the episode. I work with some Frasers, so they made it to the 21st century.

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I also think, for us as well, you’ve only really seen their similarities, where this season, you see that they have completely different points of view on very important matters.

~ Sophie Skelton

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I: Roger is being pigheaded.

I: Both of them are stubborn. It will be interesting to see how they manage this in each other. 

E: This is simply beautiful.  Are we making up? Guess not.  He loves her so much.  I could cry.

All or not at all. They are both in such pain.

I:  “Cause all of me, wants all of you….”  – John  Legend

I: The symbolic burning of the stag is better than hunting a real stag down.

[V: I agree with you, Iris. It is also a symbol for Roger and Bree’s relationship flaming out.]

I:  Wow, I didn’t think of it that way.  I hope that they can find a way to rekindle their relationship!

Tùlach Àrd!

I:  Roger is going in hard for Clan MacKenzie! He needs to drop that torch and run after Bree! 

Ev: Claire waking up and finding her boots gone was creep factor number 255 for me…time to go! The look on her face was priceless.

I: She is trying to make sense of what she saw last night.

E: It’s a new day.  Let’s get going, Claire.

Ev: Walking in soaked wool socks can’t be fun…and you know it was cold when they were shooting this.

E: Why oh why are you taking the skull with you? I will never understand.

I: I understand her curiosity, but sometimes you should leave things that don’t belong to you where you found them.

E: YEAH!!! Jamie and Claire are together again.

I: YES, they are back together again!

How did her boots get to the stream?

E: So let me understand…you followed footprints…your footprints and found Jamie. Ok. The spirit of the Indian made them. . . more supernatural stuff.

Ev: He probably thought they had made it past the oddities of the unexplained, but here we have another one LOL. “I think he used my boots to lead me back here.”

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That was such a cool, spooky sequence to film. Visually, it was quite cold, and obviously Claire finds this skull, and there’s this amalgam filling, which proves that there are other time travelers around.

~ Caitriona Balfe

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Ev: And, the skull has mercury fillings…another traveler!

Do you see this? It’s a silver filling. Something that
won’t be invented for another hundred years.

Ev: They found strawberries! Back to the music of Jaime and Claire.

I: Wild strawberries!  It must be kismet that strawberries are the emblem of the Fraser clan. It is amazing how much Scotland looks like North America.

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Certainly, Claire knew the outcome of Culloden, and they tried very hard to stop it and couldn’t. Now, in North Carolina, they’re in a similar situation. They know the American Revolution’s coming, and they know by taking the land that they will be on the wrong side of history. But what they have here is this opportunity to have a home and roots, which is so important to Claire, because they’re kind of nomads. All the time they’ve known each other, they’ve never had a real home.

That’s a very important theme of this year: home. Home is wherever you make it. And I think this particular dilemma puts Jamie at odds with people he loves, and that’s the kind of dilemma we writers love.

~ Maril Davis

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Ev: That was a beautiful view. It really is amazing how much Scotland looks like North Carolina.

I thought I was looking at the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This might be the most beautiful land I’ve ever seen.

E: They have found their home. Welcome to Fraser’s Ridge.

I: Yes, they have found their new home. But, I wonder which Native Americans use to call the same land their home?  What did they call it before he named it Fraser’s Ridge? Land this beautiful already had a name!

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Episode Rating (1-5 Shots)

Our rating for this episode is 4-Shots! There is something about watching a show that depicts a healthy and thriving relationship.

This week’s episode is all about healthy, thriving relationships and home. Jamie and Claire’s conversations are that of a real-life couple today. They talked about their future, their past, and their child, Bree. It was as though they were rediscovering each other and figuring out how to live their best lives together! While Jamie and Claire’s relationship is thriving, Roger and Bree’s relationship is falling apart. Although we understand Roger was caught up in his feelings and was blinded in hearing or seeing Bree, we value the type of relationship he is trying to foster with her. We also understand Bree’s past is playing a part of her confusion and why she does not know what she wants.

For some of us, the pacing of this episode was spot on and was a good transition to see Jamie and Claire move on from River Run. Leaving the very next day, after the loss of Rufus, was indicative of the pain that Jamie and Claire felt at their inability to save him. For another, it might have been better if they had shown more remorse and had discussed how the repercussions of their actions affected the slaves and how they needed to be more careful and strategic going forward.

As for the other characters this week, it was nice to see Fiona and Ernie taking over the Reginald Wakefield’s house. However, it was a sad farewell to Aunt Jocasta, for Jamie, and to Ulysses and Phaedre for us. We do hope we will see them again. As of this moment, we shall cease to call Young Ian, Young Ian. In this episode and through his argument with Jamie, he has proven himself a man. Ian is his name. We also think Myers will be a welcomed addition to this family. Since the rest of the story grows in America, we hope we see more of him. We were also eerily introduced to time traveling spirit, who guided Claire back to Jamie. We are looking forward to hearing more about him.

We really enjoyed the parallels and transitions between Jaime and Claire in the forest and Bree and Roger traveling to the Scottish festival in North Carolina at the same time, though centuries apart. The scenery shots throughout were breathtaking and it amazed us how Scotland is a wonderful substitute for North Carolina. Bear McCreary was at it again with the music this episode. We heard a theme song for Roger and Bree and wonder if he will keep it or change it up.

Last, and we are sure it will come up again, when Jamie stakes his claim to the land and names it Fraser’s Ridge, we were saddened for the Native Americans who originally inhabited the land and wondered what they called it! The land had a name and it belonged to the Native American – Tuscarora and the Cherokees – first!

How did you rate the episode and why? Let us know in the comments section.

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LOOKING FORWARD

What we are looking forward to in the upcoming episode.

Evelyn: I am looking forward to them building Fraser’s Ridge; Roger and Bree working out their differences and understanding how relationships work and bringing on the Native Americans. Follow Evelyn on Twitter: @ELoran.

Iris: I am looking forward to seeing the home that Jamie and Claire build, Jamie as a farmer, the reunion with Ian and perhaps the chance to avenge themselves with Bonnet. I’m also thinking that Myers’ presence may help to ease the loss of Hayes and Leslie. Their interactions with the Native Americans look interesting and I hope we find out whose skull that is. I also want to see how Bree and Roger make up and grow in their relationship. Follow Iris on Twitter: @IJMeTV.

Erica: Based upon the previews, I’m looking forward to more Bree and Roger. I want to see the building of Fraser’s Ridge and more real conversations between Jamie and Claire and Bree and Roger. Follow Erica on Twitter: @imyourealtor.

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