Blacklanderz Convos!

Outlander S5 Epi9 – Monsters and Heroes

Written by Shaina Fewell | Directed by Annie Griffin

This conversation is between Blacklanderz Amanda, Ayana and Vida. Arranged and edited by Vida.

---

V: Previously . . . Penicillin. The Browns. Bonnet. Gah!! Are we going to see Bonnet?

Ay: That “previously” on felt as long as a cold open. Is it just me or was that extra-long? Clip 11, the bison, we have not seen and I’m not sure the microscope has been shown either.

V: It did seem rather long. I don’t think we’ve seen that microscope, but I think we will see the bison in this episode.

---

V: God, those are some beautiful creatures. I am glad we got the closeup of them. But I must admit, they would scare the living cap out of me if I saw one up close.

A: Agreed. I first noticed the bison in last season’s credits and wondered if we were going to see them in an episode. This episode will definitely revolve around nature and how easy you can go from pretty to dangerous.

Ay: Breathtaking how beautiful nature can be sometimes. I’m glad Raya’s voice is back to lead us into the episode proper. That Opening Credits shot of the bison is definitely coming in this episode.

---

DANGER | FORTITUDE | FAMILY

Amanda: The episode focuses on how much the lives of colonial settlers were dictated by natural elements they could not control. The Fraser family rely on their individual and collective strengths to pull through when one of their own falls ill.

NATURE | FAMILY CONNECTIONS | PURPOSE

Ayana (Ay:): This episode makes you appreciate modern medicine. Can you imagine going through our current pandemic without knowing a bunch of Claire’s are searching for answers and vaccines? Each member of the Fraser – MacKenzie family contributed to helping a family member get through an illness. While Nature understands its purpose, surviving, along the way members of this family discovered their own personal purpose in life.

 FAMILY BONDING | COMPANIONSHIP | LIFE ANEW

Vida: This was a well-developed episode that was allowed to breath. It gave us time with the characters and the characters time with each other. Each had their own bonding time with family members – mother with daughters, father with daughter and son, uncle with nephew, and cousins. Everyone is still trying to find their place in this family. But this episode showed, with time, they eventually find it. I loved the time that was spent with Roger and Jamie. Their relationship has been the most strained and it was good that they allowed it to develop over time. Jamie finally views him as family and Roger was his constant companion.

I also enjoyed seeing Ian show us the man who came home and his speaking up to Jamie proved that. He took charge in this episode not only with leading the search party, but also by being there for Jamie, Fergus and Claire. Bree starts to figure out her life in the 18^th century and, in doing so, she was the one person who remedied a situation no one else could.

---

V: My God!! Look at Marsali’s stomach. She is about to pop.

A: There was no such thing as bed rest for working class women like Marsali. They were doing chores and farming until those contractions started.

Ay: Her stomach is huge. I swear it seems like she’s been pregnant for over a year. I’m surprised Marsali hasn’t asked Claire if there is a way to get labor started early.

Ay: How much time has passed? This show is killing me with this. Look, just because you can time-travel doesn’t mean you can make pregnancy be longer than nine months for some characters. This show established time in the first scene. Marsali is still pregnant, or did we miss a birth and Fergus worked fast?

V: I don’t know. I’ve given up trying to track time in the show. Even with the time of day being used as transitions, it’s still difficult to tell. But, the way Claire looked at her, while examining her, made me feel like something was wrong.

A: I honestly thought Claire was going to find the baby in breech position or some other malady I saw on Call The Midwife.

Mebbe, but it does make me feel  

better that ye’ll be here —

V: Aw, that was sweet for Marsali to say that. Now, when Laoghaire finds out about their closeness, she is going to burst a gasket.

A: Honestly, I’d like Marsali to get her own confrontation with the past plot. I know everyone hates Laoghaire, but I find her fascinating.

Not so much as my physician… but  

to share it with me… as a… as my Ma.

V: Ayana, you’re our music person. What is that, a new theme playing with Marsali and Claire?

Ay: I enjoy seeing Claire and Marsali develop and grow. I will let you speak Laoghaire into existence Amanda. I can’t lie seeing this Marsali deal with her mom would be great television. No Vida, it’s just a very slow Fraser’s Ridge theme that Bear uses to transition us to ridge life, the next scene.

V: The voiceover was perfect. I appreciate them showing us how things are made (candles) and now seeing how they dye cloth. This also reminded me when Master Raymond said Claire had a blue aura. Amanda, what is that Indigo dye for? I know they are dyeing cloth, but what is it for?

Time is marked and measured in  

different ways — the colors of our  

lives were changing.

The vibrant greens of summer faded  

beneath the ever-varied canvas of sky…

Ay: I think Fraser’s Ridge being slave free would be much more poignant if when we spend time at places like River Run, slavery isn’t erased or shown to be more servant like. It would add another layer to this scene.

replaced by the russet tones  

of autumn… brown hues of harvest  

and blue-violet shades of indigo dye…

V: Look at him trying to sneak a piece? Well, this answers last week’s Convo question! Roger is trying to get his groove back.

A: I can smell the whiff of someone interrupting Roger and Bree’s happy times.

---

Roger and Brianna have been through so much this season, and we felt it was important to show them settling into their domestic life with playful banter. In the book, Jemmy gets to play a bigger part of this moment but working with a baby on set can be unpredictable to say the least, so we had to cut his part back. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

V: OMG, Jemmy is up and looking like he knows what is happening.

Lord, the child is already cursing!

A: Jemmy has a bit of attitude in the books, so the cursing might be the start of that?

V: Oh Shit!! All these disturbances. Bree went to college in the 60s. I know they had codes in the dorm. Hang something on the damn door, so you won’t be disturbed.

Ay: Claire is the only one that would get that, sock on the doorknob reference, I think. Am I the only one that would yell “busy”? Jamie would get that clue.

V: Jamie, damn, can’t you hold on a minute?

A: Come on dude, you would have been pressed if someone interrupted you and Claire!

V: Is there a time jump, or did Rik Rankin forget about his voice at first. It sounds totally recovered.

A: There might have been a time jump as Claire mentions season changes in the earlier voice over.

Ay: I honestly hope the show hasn’t forgotten Roger’s voice issues. They can’t have dropped that ball, but he does sound normal here.

V: Now, it finally hits Jamie what was going on, trying to go on. Awkward! That reminded me of the time Murtagh interrupted he and Claire. That wasn’t that long ago.

Ay: Gwen, another Blacklanderz member, reminded me of that scene in ‘By the Pricking of My Two Thumbs” – the greatest opening of any Outlander episode ever.

V: I love when Jamie calls him Roger Mac. But damn, he asked Bree to go hunting and not him. LOL

A: Women usually wouldn’t have come along for the big game hunts, sorry to say.

Ay: Weirdly this is one of my favorite parts. Jamie has no issue asking Bree to hunt. She has a good shot and he recognizes talent. Roger knows this and has no issue either.

He’s looking at Bree like ‘so, you going’? because you are the better shot here. Bree, volunteering Roger, without even looking at him. This is such a good family moment.

V: Another beautiful transition.

Even though we saw it on the Title Cards, at first, I didn’t know what that was. Glad Ian and Fergus are there. Fergus better have a line or two in this episode or else I am screaming!

A: I’m sure Fergus will say something.

Ay: I pray you’re both right. Fergus has gone through an entire episode this season being seen and not heard.

V: Oh Lord, Jamie and Roger are separating from the group. That isn’t good.

A: Usually hunting parties would split up to cover both sides of the herd or catch strays, but we know from past scenes this may not end well.

Ay: I don’t get the drama of stepping in nature’s shit. Wipe your shoe off and continue moving. Morna Cameron, slave owning Jocasta’s late daughter, stepped in shit and acted like the world stopped.

V: Bison’s are such majestic creatures. I don’t know how I would act if I saw a 1,000+ pound creature in the flesh. I know they need food, but . . .

A: I’d probably take one or two pics before backing away.

Ay: I would whip out my iPhone and get those shots! Keeping my distance the entire time. Oh this is the perfect time for Roger to chime in with some future knowledge. But I’m reminded that he has a European History background, it’s Brianna that has the American history knowledge.

A: Roger would assume like many that the bison only roamed in the west with the cowboys. They were actually as far east as North Carolina until the late 1700’s. They moved west because the colonists over hunted herds, while tribes tended only to kill what they needed for food.

---

Well I see the dailies that come in every day, and then I see the assembled episodes. On the basis of the dailies, 5.09 is going to be my favourite, but I have liked several of the others a lot as well.  Yes it’s very close to the book and very dramatic. It covers one of my favourite book story lines. And sticks very close to the events, dialogue and sense of the original. ~ Diana Gabaldon

---

V: Oh no! There’s that snake. Roger, what the hell kind of target are you going to hit? You couldn’t even hit that with Bree this morning.

A: Let him try!

Ay: Did you guys see which Bison was shot? Did Jamie miss? Roger is supposed to hit a moving target now? That’s asking too much.

V: None. Yes, he missed.

V: Seriously, how did that snake get all the way up there on Jamie’s leg? Oh yeah, he was kneeling. Got it. But wait. How did he bite him on the inside of the leg? I’m very confused.

A: Snakes can crawl pretty fast once they see an opportunity for food.

Ay: Jamie must have scared that snake. It isn’t going to waste venom on something it can’t possibly eat. That bite is very high up. That snake doesn’t look long enough to have stricken that far up Jamie’s leg.

V: At least Roger did not hesitate to do what was necessary.

A: Agreed, he might have had some first aid training from Claire.

Ay: I’m not sure that’s coming from Claire. What we do know is that Jamie has picked up much from her. Look at him sterilize that knife before use.

---

There were a lot of discussions in the room about whether or not cutting into Jamie’s snakebite and sucking the venom out would be effective. While the practice is discouraged today—as the venom could also kill the person trying to help—this method was still thought to be safe and effective even as recently as the 1970s. Our fabulous researcher found a nurse’s manual from 1970 that recommends incisions and suction if the victim is unable to get to a hospital. Luckily for Roger, he lived to tell the tale. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

V: Damn, that was a lot of blood that Roger spat out. Gross.

A: I hope it was enough to stop the poison.

V: Roger was smart to take the head. Hmmm . . . I couldn’t see if its head was triangular. Could you?

A: I couldn’t tell.

Ay: Roger did not sign up for this, none of this. Human leech is not his calling. I love Jamie’s reaction too. A little of Claire’s snide remarks about bloodletting got Jamie alert.

V: I was wondering how long it was going to take for them to discuss their careers. I bet it is hard for Bree to figure out her place in the 18th century. Girl, you ‘gotta’ get in where you fit.

A: We heard quite a bit about Roger’s struggle earlier this season, but Bree didn’t get as much attention. There were little clues here and there, but it wasn’t immediately obvious that she was an engineer.

Ay: Yes Amanda, I agree. It’s one of the things that has niggled me this season. It’s nice to see that Outlander hasn’t forgotten all the many talents this character has. Claire taking about being called a ‘Witch’ is too blasé. Let’s not act like her ass wasn’t almost burned at the stake.

V: I was talking to someone the other day about how Claire refers to Jamie, as Jamie, when she is talking to Bree. Maybe she is saying it to her because she is talking about herself. But I don’t remember her doing that with Frank. I’m going to need her to correct this.

Ay: It would be weird to hear it any other way I think. She hid Jamie for 20 years. I think she’s going to let Bree take that lead and not force the issue. Let it grow naturally.

A: I’d chalk this up to writers not being consistent with details.

V: Yes, Bree, figure out the equivalent of an engineer in that time.

Ay: If I were Claire, I would start throwing out suggesting to Bree. Running water, flushing toilets, and on demand hot water to name a few.

---

We love structuring scenes around activities that allow us to set up our story while enriching the setting of the 18th century. In this case, it’s dyeing clothing with indigo. We take so many things, like blue jeans, for granted today. It’s nice to be reminded how much work goes into creating the actual dye. Some of the dialog between Claire and Brianna is from an earlier part of the book, but it made more sense to play it here, so we could effectively set up arcs for this episode. As a working mother myself, this scene hits close to home. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

V: Alright now, they must have heard me. I am so glad Bree said ‘Da’. Maybe Claire was waiting for Bree to accept Jamie as her father and did not want her to feel ill at ease.

Ay: Y’all clocking that this show seems to think that Bree and Roger are going back through the stones right. Claire and Roger are working under that assumption. The show is keeping that through line too.

V: We have another director on this episode and we still have consistency with these scene transitions. That was a beautiful shot. I’m really going to need these directors to do a podcast.

A: I notice the women directors tend to incorporate more wide shots to close up transitions.

V: Hope Roger does not get lost and can’t make his way back to Jamie. Does he still have the astrolabe? He looks lost.

A: I don’t think he has it, didn’t see him pack a bag earlier.

Ay: Roger looks lost. Isn’t the astrolabe for time? He needs to look up and find the sun. Its moves in the same direction day in and day out. Wise move with the weapons. I just need to see him reload though.

V: Yes, but mariners also used it for navigation.

V: Oh, he is trying to find the others. That is smart to use the guns. Damn, where are they?

A: Now his throat injury seems to be coming back to hinder him, he’s growing hoarse.

V: Look at Rollo running in to make the announcement they are back.

A: Rollo is such a good boy!

Ay: Dyeing seems to be an entire day affair. I love how Fergus returned home and took his wife.

V: They are all so matter of fact. Oh, he is not back, okay. Why the hell would he decide to make camp when it is still daylight?

A: I’m assuming it was late afternoon, so it might have been too late to start the trip back after all the time spent triaging the injury.

V: I’ve never eaten snake before, does it taste like chicken?

A: I don’t think I can eat snakes, its protein structure is too close to shellfish which I’m allergic to.

Ay: Never tried it myself, but that looks more fish like. That snake seems short to have reached above Jamie’s knee.

---

This section of the story hinges on roles. The roles we play, the roles we’re born to fill, what happens when roles reverse and what happens when roles are reconfirmed. Jamie’s always been the head of his family, in the most traditional 18th century ways: he protects them, feeds them, leads them and loves them. He knows that’s his job; it always has been. But half a second of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and suddenly he’s out of action. And in the same instant, his son-in-law Roger is suddenly required to take over. Fate seldom gives fair warning. ~ Diana Gabaldon

---

V: So, he didn’t get lost. Thank god!

Ay: I had assumed Roger got lost, but it seems he only left to find the others.

V: Make-shift tourniquet. Hope it’s tight enough to occlude the venous flow. But knowing Jamie, he just tied the damn thing on without thinking about all of that.

A: He probably didn’t pay that much attention to Claire’s field hospital routines.

Ay: I wonder if Claire would even have known. I think they would have used a belt if either of them knew or remembered.

V: Uh-oh. Did I see some puss? Ewww. Sam’s portrayal of being poisoned is, once again, spot on. How is he able to show the depths of all these emotions, e-v-e-r-y episode. I bet he is exhausted by the end of these scenes.

A: It’s as if the venom was real. Sam is doing a great job convincing us he’s sick.

Ay: Jamie’s hair looks great here.

---

Jamie and Roger are both strong characters who have been at odds for two seasons now. The possibly fatal snakebite puts Jamie in a rare and vulnerable state, allowing a window for them to bond on a deeper level. It’s enjoyable to explore the beliefs of these equally stubborn men as they fight their own demons, all the while trying to comfort each other. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

D’ye ken the last rites?  

V: That gave me a chill when he asked Roger for them.

A: He knows the poison is in his bloodstream.

I know a prayer for the sick… and  

before you ask, no, it’s not in Latin —

V: Steven Bonnet. Philip Wylie. Both have to G-O!! I mean, I hated BJR, but these MFers need to ‘get got’.

A: That will likely be the final shots of the season, both receiving overdue karma.

Bonnet stood before me, once… I  

saved him from his rightful fate at  

the gallows. And he murdered my  

friend, attacked my wife and… Bree…

V: Yeah Roger, that should be enough for you to put a damn bullet between his eyes.

A: Roger’s thinking on the death penalty is a mix of too modern and too religious. Bonnet already escaped jail; he would do it again.

Perhaps this is my penance. And,  

unfortunately for you, the son must  

pay for the sins of his father, for  

my mistakes — you must do this...  

V: That almost made me start crying. He is finally acknowledging Roger as his son. But damn Jamie, did it take you dying to do it?

A: He’s so stubborn; he should have done it long ago.

V: This episode is all about these characters bonding. Now, it’s Roger and Jamie’s turn. ‘Bout damn time. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a show highlighting men really expressing their feelings and explaining why they feel as they do.

A: Too often, writers believe it’s a sign of weakness for men to talk about their emotions to each other.

Hell of a time to get  

philosophical…

V: Yes, Roger he is trying to reach you on your professorial level. Even at a time like this, Jamie got jokes. That was cute.

A: Roger should just open up a ridge school house already. Teach the kids basic stuff.

No time like the present...  

And ye’re a university professor...  

or so everyone keeps tellin’ me.

V: Oh, so you mention Bonnet might claim Jem as his, and Roger’s facial expression totally changes, like, the fuck he will. Now, are you ready to blast Bonnet’s ass?

A: I hope Roger is ready now. No more Mr. Nice Professor.

Ay: I am not feeling Pacifist Roger at this moment. Like dude, recall what Bonnet has done to your family and what him being alive is currently doing. You need to take him out.

V: Again, the conversation of Jemmy being the owner of River Run goes straight to Bonnet and there is still no mention that he will also be a slave owner. I know the focus is getting to the Bonnet storyline, but how do they keep overlooking the big-ass elephant in the room?

A: I mentioned this in my editorial last week and, once again, an obvious moment of reflection is sidestepped.

V: Damn, Jamie even checks Roger with a Bible verse. All Roger can do is smirk, with that bubble above his head – He is the King of Men. Of course, he would know the correct verse – and just sits his ass down. That was a powerful scene.

A: I honestly believe this is a foreshadowing of later book events.

Ay: I agree Amanda. I think it started when he was in that tent with the Father, S4.

But whosoever shall offend these little ones who
believe in me…better for him that a millstone were
hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned
in the depth of the sea. Matthew chapter 18, verse 3…

V: So that’s where the title of the episode comes from. I was wondering why they chose it. I am also glad Jamie told Roger he was glad he was there with him. The exchange I loved the most was Roger reminding Jamie that he has to live to teach him to fight.

A: I believe the title wanted to refer to the physical monsters (bison, snakes) and the men who act like them.

Verse 6.

V: Bear’s music . . . Ayana, I know you have it from here with this musical transition. It’s so moving and tender.

Ay: The music has me a little thrown off to be honest. Bear has me trained to associate the Clarinet with Frank. I think he may be transitioning us to associate it with talks of the future in general. Frank was a professor; and with Roger being one, there is a tie.

V: Okay Ian, you and Rollo need to go find Jamie and Roger with the quickness. I love Ian’s costume, especially his coat.

A: Ian’s costume is fantastic, a great mashup of tribal and English dress.

Ay: His costume is great and blends with what was presented last season. It’s a great seamless transition for the costume designers.

V: OMG! Are those Jamie and Roger’s horses. They came back home, and nobody noticed they were alone??

A: Clearly, they were too busy with the indigo dying.

Ay: It’s the next morning. Those horses arrived during the middle of the night.

V: Look at Roger, he has some skills after all with that makeshift stretcher, or whatever they called that back then. I bet Jamie is heavy as hell.

---

Roger has been slowly defining his own role in a world that he never expected to inhabit. The only role he was looking for was that of husband. But being a father is an additional role he welcomes, and even though the aforementioned fate snatched away his most important tool—his voice—he’s doggedly fought his way back from disaster to reclaim his place in his family. ~ Diana Gabaldon

---

A: Impressive woodworking right there.

Ay: I see we’re all in the same headspace. Roger did something useful. Dragging Jamie’s heavy ass has to be a workout. I like the bonding that’s happening here. Wait, if I’m in Charon’s boat, I’m dead right? If I’m in the clutches of Procrustes, I’m being tortured. Not sure that’s better.

V: Yes, worse and worser.

V: Oh, he can tell you what direction you are going in. Yep, told ya!

Ay: The wind didn’t change direction through the night? They need to check for the sun, stop playing. Jamie is dying because he changed from take care of the ridge to take my family back through the stones. This is serious. I love a show that isn’t afraid to show men crying. This got real for Roger too. He’s banking on the future he knows being right.

V: Good lord, this is a heavy burden. I was crying with him. Jamie with his oral last Will & Testament. I need them to get home. NOW!

A: Claire needs to give him some medicine STAT!

V: Aww, that was so tender; it brought me to tears.

Roger, that’s your calling; remember you were raised by Reverend Wakefield, which also brings into question, nature vs. nurture. But, I think Buck already answered that question.

Almighty God, out of the depths I  

cry to you: Lord, hear my voice ––  

don’t let this man die.

A: As far as the show goes, there isn’t a Reverend on the ridge so that’s the solution he’s not seeing yet.

Ay: I agree Amanda. The ridge is missing that.

V: This scene also brought me to tears thinking about all those people who died of COVID-19 and didn’t have their family members by their side or a pastor/priest to administer last rites. Just the thought. . . Okay, I must stop to get through this episode. Sorry, I digressed.

A: I was thinking the same thing.

V: Wow, this transition is beautiful. Look at all those colors.

A: I love the fall foliage.

V: I know Roger is thinking, Fuck, can we have just a few damn days before someone else’s life is not being threatened.

I know, I would. Aside from illnesses they couldn’t be cured, this must be another reason people died so young back then; stuff just kept happening that stressed them out.

A: So many stress related conditions like heart attacks and strokes must have been unpredictable and instant death. Even the animal bites could prove deadly as antivenom and rabies medicine wasn’t invented yet.

V: Damn, I just exhaled seeing them. Okay Ian, I need you the hear that sound. This is why I am glad he is back, just at the right time. I am exhausted for Roger, but each task he embarks on is making him stronger.

Now, he remembers his voice has not truly recovered. I was wondering at the beginning of the episode.

Ay: That’s right, just that quickly I forgot Roger can’t yell. I really want to know what kind of branch and that type of tree because that noise was loud.

V: Lord, the music is intensifying this whole scene. I love take charge Ian!! He is not waiting for someone to tell him what needs to be done.

A: He definitely learned something from his past experiences.

Ay: Ian is on it. Getting off a horse that way must be an Outlander thing. Do you think they put him on the horse or just tied that Travois to one of the horses and dragged him back?

V: Ah, with Jamie’s heavy ass? I am so sure it’s the latter.

Ay: His leg doesn’t look as bad as I pictured when reading the book. Oh, so now we want to remember that autopsied body? I need a scene of Roger burying that man. Did he pray over the grave?

V: OMG, as the infection spread, it was hard for me to look at it.

---

When the room broke this episode, it naturally fell into two parts: 1) Roger and Jamie, and 2) the hand-off to Claire and Jamie. As with Jamie, the venomous snakebite brings to light a certain vulnerability in Claire. While Claire is no stranger to encountering injuries and diseases she could treat better with modern medicine, venom is a nasty villain—one that a great doctor, in this century as well as her own, has very little power over. It’s nice to show the tender side of such strong characters. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

V: Claire why are you going to mention that, and so matter of fact, when this man already thinks he is dying. Geez. NOT. A. GOOD. TIME. AT. ALL.

Autopsy… What ye did to Leith Farrish?  

A: Claire’s bedside manner leaves something to be desired right now, but it’s also because she can’t quite separate herself from her duties.

Ay: I like Bree’s breeks; has Claire worn any this season? Claire has a good bedside manner usually; I think she’s really scared.

You look like you’ve been slow-  

roasted over a fire...

You need to practice yer bedside  

manner, Sassenach.

V: I love this almost dying, smart ass Jamie with all these jokes. Wait a damn minute. Jamie is talking about snakes in Claire’s “time” and Marsali is in the room?

A: Now that’s an interesting point, how much does she actually know?

Ay: Has Marsali been in the surgery the entire time? They are openly discussing the future and shit.

V: She finally said it and told Bree to stay with “your” father. ‘Bout damn time.

Ay: I think that is more indicative of Claire being scared. They all are slipping.

A: Bree and Jamie definitely needed this bonding moment.

V: Ayana, they must have sped Marsali’s pregnancy way up from the last episode. She looks like she’s about to damn explode.

Ay: She apparently never heard of maternity leave. She better go into labor this episode. She’s been pregnant 13 months at this point.

V: Not the Beardsley’s maggots again? I might have to turn my head. Those l’il critters creep me out.

A: I’m not as scared by the maggots. I think I’ve been watching too many other period dramas with weird medicine.

Ay: I think maggots are still used to this day. What’s funny is Claire being confident in knowing that the people of the ridge are going to look for the maggots. You know half of them have to think she’s crazy, but her weird ideas seem to keep them healthy.

V: Ah, excuse me? You are NOT cutting off his leg. Hell to the no. No ma’am. No way! Let’s just see if they can find some freaking’ maggots.

A: This may seem extreme to us, but honestly that was what most doctors of the era would have done.

Ay: You’re right Amanda, his leg would have been cut off long ago.

V: Do these people know what maggots are. Just kidding. I bet Josiah will find them.

A: They know; they’ve seen what happens when meat is left too long.

Ay: Why are they not checking their garbage heap? This was mentioned in an earlier episode this season as Claire was looking for items to grow mold. Where are the leftover scraps from the butchering? These same scraps would have maggots, right?

V: OMG, Claire. You are over there whispering and left the SAW in plain sight for him to see it?! My heart just sank.

Ay: Why are her instruments of torture just out for her patient to see? Roll that tool back up.

A: Jamie NOOO!

---

Even after Jamie is rescued, it looks as though the only role he’s fit to play is First Corpse in the family plot (poor old Leish Farrell’s stolen remains are probably rotting quietly in the woods somewhere). But Claire has roles, too, and she’s playing both of them to the hilt: Healer. And Wife. And now the conflict passes from Roger to her. How can she not do everything she can to save Jamie’s life, even if that means maiming and crippling him? And as his wife, how can she do something he’s made her swear not to do? ~ Diana Gabaldon

---

V: Get you a man like Jamie. He knows Claire, through and through, and knows when she is worried. He is very observant and is a man, who doesn’t have a problem admitting he is afraid. I love their relationship!

A: Their intuitiveness really showed through in this episode.

Ay: Their relationship is amazing. They read each other so well. They pay attention. Oh, I love how she didn’t answer his question either. The director did such a wonderful job. She really pointed the camera at stuff I wanted and needed to see. Before he utters a word about his leg, the shot of the saw and then his leg clearly denotes Jamie is worried more than just about dying.

V: At least he can still move his toes. That’s a good sign, I think. But, damn, look at it. Shout-out to the make-up artists. They surely did a great job showing us the results of the gradual progression of the infection.

A: Jamie’s skin does not look good at all; the poison is getting worse.

V: Jon Gary Steele, that house is to die for, inside and out. I love that they not only used unusual colors, but also the dark wood inside the house is so rich. That paint on the outside of the house almost reminds me of a subtle Flame-of-Burnt-Brandy. I need to know how long it took them to build it.

A: In a way, it makes me appreciate colonial architecture more because all of that, back then, was constructed by hand. No machines other than simple pulleys.

V: OMG! What is he going to do with that? I cannot imagine him with one leg. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. Side note: My grandfather had one of his legs amputated and had a wooden leg. Yes, boys and girls, that was the prosthesis back in his day. When we were little and he took the leg off, he would let us rub his leg. We nicknamed it ‘stump’.

A: I’m not sure how much he thought about how much his life would change with missing his leg.

Ay: My grandmother ended up having both her legs amputated. My mother had her leg amputated as well. This is a living worry I personally have. I don’t envy Claire this conversation.

V: Jamie is a warrior, a fighting one, and he can’t do that with one leg.

Ay: This is Jamie’s version of a DNR. My hand would be on my hips too, as I argue him down. Oh, and I fight dirty I would throw in his best friend Ian and his son Fergus too. So, what are you saying Jamie? Are they less than? Should they have chosen death?

V: Claire, you’re not deaf. He needs you to give him your word that you won’t take matters into your own hands. Give him your damn word and mean it!

Ay: She better be lying, or have her fingers and toes crossed. She is not going to let Jamie die if she can save him.

V: That’s true. But if she goes against his wishes, their relationship would never be the same.

V: Bree, you got that right. He is stubborn as hell.

A: A common Fraser trait.

Ay: Bree and Roger’s relationship is growing in me. They are getting much better at communicating. So happy to see Roger spill the beans about the Bonnet plan.

V: These backwards ass times. How could people believe that shit. What am I talking about? There are people, today, who believe that or that a person, who is raped, should still bear the child.

A: Sadly, these victim blaming ideas have never truly died, just changed in expression.

Ay: An American politician spouted something this ass backwards recently. We are still currently living in backwards ass times. It’s getting better, but so much to go.

V: Bree, have you not been paying attention to the laws around there. Just ask Roger. It is what THEY say is the law. [Whispers: You’re in the 1700s not the 1900s. Possession means absolutely nothing.]

A: Gurl, you should know by now they’re just going to claim you just married Roger to make the kid “legit”.

Ay: There is the law and then there is what’s done.

---

This scene was painful to write. It is hard to believe that women were treated this poorly with so few rights. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

---

Roger lives through a long, long night, keeping watch over his likely-dying father-in-law, desperately trying to absorb Jamie’s last advice and the news that there’s a plan to kill Stephen Bonnet: a mission that will be Roger’s, if Jamie does die. ~ Diana Gabaldon

---

V: The way she is handling that hatchet, I could see her cut Bonnet’s head clean off his neck. But how does she think she is going to find maggots that way.

A: She needs to look for more dirt.

Ay: I like Roger’s line here. “There is nothing dead there.” I thought of their relationship.

V: ‘Looka here’. Josiah knows what he is doing. They could have just sent him and left all those other people at home.

A: He’s the actual hunter; he would know where the forest animals go to die.

Ay: Josiah found a trap that apparently no one came to check. That animal looked to be dead for a minute.

V: O-M-F-G!! Guess who’s coming for dinner. I guess that bison followed them home. Payback is a bitch!

A: At least, it’s just the one and not the entire herd.

Ay: Water Buffalo are known to hold grudges. They remember smells and pass them down among the herd. You attack them, you better be successful because they will remember you.

Are bison the same way?

V: I have no idea, but this thing is ginormous, almost as tall as Lizzie.  Jemmy, I don’t blame you and Lizzy. I’d be screaming too.

Ay: Thank goodness she did too. She alerted everyone all while keeping Jemmy behind her. Lizzie needs a raise.

Ay: Claire moved hella fast to get that gun.

V: She surely did. It must have been close to the door.

V: Oh shit!! He bucked her like she was the matador. Damn, I felt that when she landed on the ground.

A: Special shout out to Bree’s stunt person because that had to hurt!

Ay: Fortuitous for Bree to have them red breeches on. The woman of Fraser’s Ridge kick ass.

V: CLAIRE, you go girl!!! One shot is all it took. She ought to give Roger some lessons. The women are badasses on the ridge.

A: They really are. It also highlights how prepared colonial women were to defend themselves and their family.

V: Is that Jamie crawling on the porch? Where do you think you’re going?

A: Jamie is delusional. He’s going to have so much dirt and splinters from the wood.

Ay: What exactly was Jamie’s plan? Flash the buffalo?

V: Yes, that’s him. He heard a gunshot and wasn’t letting anything stop him from trying to protect his loves. Good grief, he even brought his gun.

A: There’s no need bro; the women have it handled.

V: I seriously can’t take looking at his leg. It’s getting worse.

A: The hole is expanding.

Ay: I so love Marsali; she just adds to any scene.

V: She really does. Bree looked like she was going to throw up.

A: Understandable because you can see them moving.

V: Sick Jamie is even sexy.

Ay: Aye, that his is. That sweaty wig look is on point.

V: That Roger Mac is a great comfort is an understatement. I am so glad we get to see their relationship develop throughout this season.

A: I hope Roger stops doubting himself now.

V: Why oh why, Outlander? Couldn’t we have had another transition?

That was a terrible transition going from Jamie’s infected leg and maggots to them butchering that meat. I know they have to eat, but damn.

A: I have a feeling this was supposed to be jarring on purpose. Maybe leading us to believe Jamie doesn’t deserve the saw.

V: We’ve rarely seen Claire vulnerable. I feel for her. She’s healed all these other people, but there is nothing she can do to heal him.

---

Going into this episode, we knew that the audience would never believe that Jamie would actually die, but it would have been plausible for him to have to lose his leg. We spent a lot of time discussing what his real stakes would be. Ultimately Claire is forced to give Jamie her word that she will not amputate. Of course, when push comes to shove, she will do what she must to save his life, even if it means violating his trust. The dilemma creates heavy emotional stakes for our characters. ~ Shaina Fewell, Annotation

---

A: She’s likely thinking about all the times she was able to help him heal.

Ay: I’m just glad to know she will break her word and cut his damn leg off, if it means saving his life.

V: Have I mentioned that I love when Jamie calls him Roger Mac.

A: Yes.

V: But you ‘best’ believe Claire is going to shit a brick when she finds out Roger moved Jamie.

A: They’re not ready for Angry Claire.

Ay: How come Roger gets to avoid all the work? He straight reading while ridge folk are working hard.

V: Did you not see Jamie get out of bed to get that saw or crawl out on the porch? Nah, somebody has to stay with his ass and who better than Roger. Everybody knows their lane.

V: It is also time for Caitriona to win some damn awards. Hell, I was ballin’ because I could feel her pain at the thought of an amputation.

A: The awards are rigged against this cast. It’s that simple.

V: Dammit Bree, we don’t have the luxury of time. Figure this shit out! It’s your damn turn. Get your brain fired up!

A: You can do it Bree!

What good am I without a leg?  

V: Look at these two. And here comes Ian. It’s not funny, but I loved their reaction to Sam saying the only cure Claire had was cutting his leg off. Did you see the exchange between Ian and Roger and how they started hurrying to get him to his bed?

A: If this was a different episode, it could have easily been a comedy.

Did ye ever say that to my father?  

Or to Fergus?

V: Ah Jamie, do you not see Ian standing right in front of you? How could you say that?

Ay: Oh okay, Jamie is asking for it. I think Young Ian is about guilt trip this mofo into getting his leg amputated as needed.

V: Here we go . . . Ian, the man, speaking the truth. Ooh-wee, he read him something fierce, like no one else could. Roger is like, I’m not getting in the middle of this shit. I’m out. 

No. Stay. I want someone else to hear this…
There were times I felt guilty when I was young…
for wishing that you were my father. I admired you so much.
I ran away to Edinburgh to be with you.
But, ye’re right — now I do see how courageous my
father was and is…

A: Ian needed to read him the riot act. Jamie is giving up too quickly.

Ay: Are these walls the same color as the blue vase Claire wanted in the first episode?

V: No, I think that vase was royal blue. These walls look teal to me.

V: Uh-oh. I wonder what was going through her head when she didn’t find Jamie in her surgery.

A: I’m sure Claire’s about ready to flip her lid.

V: How is it that Roger is always in the middle of somebody’s shit?!

A: Another clue to his future career?

Ay: Roger’s exit had me, for real, laughing. His name is Bennett and he’s not in it. I think that stemmed Claire, because she was ready to go off.

V: That was sweet and thoughtful that he didn’t want her uncomfortable in a chair or on the floor. He wanted her in bed with him . . . in their bed!

A: Agreed, he wanted to be comfortable and not alone.

Ay: The bed in the kitchen looks larger and it’s closer.

Ay: Fergus comes to the Ridge, his parents’ home, empty handed, but is going to leave with a couple sacks of food. In many ways, times haven’t changed all that much. I hope to get an episode that focuses heavily on a day in Marsali and Fergus’ lives.

V: I’m with you. It’s time to have more Fersali scenes. F-I-N-A-L-L-Y! Fergus has some lines.

A: I wasn’t as angry compared to other fans that he was missing lines, but now it’s good to see Fergus has some development.

Ay: Oh shit! I’m about to have a heart attack. FERGUS has a whole damn scene, with words and everything. Someone pointed out that the lack of Fergus could be story driven.

I, for one, hope so. I hope this crew has that foresight. I just wish it was more shown on screen, like the hints that were made last season through Marsali and her worry for him.

V: Ian is one of the most reasonable one there. I see some resemblance of the old Ian. Yes Fergus, you and all those damn babies.

Ay: I like Ian reaching out here to his brother/cousin and preparing him for the state of Jamie’s mind.

A: Obligatory “the grand kids are cute” comment.

V: Wow, that’s the first time I’ve heard Fergus refer to Jamie as his father. *Tears*

A: Such a tender moment.

Marsali and I try not to think  

about what we lack… but about  

what we have… You and I have a  

father and an uncle… We should  

be there for him when he needs us.  

That’s all we can do.

V: Okay, after last week’s episode, we don’t need any delusional flashbacks with Jamie. H-e-l-l-o!

Ay: Didn’t he move to this room so that Claire doesn’t have to sleep in a chair? Vida, if I’d heard that projector sound, I was going to storm out.

V: Oops, Ayana, I guess they forget that was a few scenes ago. Hell, I would have been storming out with you!

V: JAMIE!!! JAMIE!!! You’d better not leave us. OMG!

A: Don’t give up!

V: Lord, the man is dying. CLAIRE do sumtin’. Oh, she’s not going anywhere.

Ay: Hold the fuck up. Did his heart stop? Wait, is he dead? Claire needs to do something. I know this story, why am I scared?

V: At first, I didn’t think it had stopped, but slowed down. Then, it seemed like she could not find his pulse. I saw where some people said her taking off her nightgown threw them off, but I got. He said he was cold; his body was shutting down. That was not only the quickest way to warm him up, but also to get his heart pumping faster.

Why did I just jump? But these two, right here, are acting the hell out of this scene.

A: This was definitely the scene referred to in PR interviews as “making love without making love.”

V: It was a beautifully shot and acted scene.

A: Agreed. Great chemistry and a great range of emotions.

Ay: WOW. This is the Jamie and Claire we have come to love. It’s sad that the awards are rigged against Outlander. I hope to see this director again too. Now for the elephant, more like maggots, in the room. Are they too under that sheet?

V: They have had several outstanding performances this season. I really don’t understand why they haven’t won, but they truly deserve to win. You are too funny, Ayana. No, I don’t think they are. They would have done all they could by the time this scene happened, and Claire would have taken them off. Or, they certainly would have fallen off when Roger and Ian moved him. This is a money shot here. It is all that and then some.

V: I am glad he came to his senses and gave her permission to amputate his leg.

A: That was the first rational decision Jamie made in quite a while.

Ay: I’m messy. I would have informed Jamie that I was going to take the leg regardless of my word. But again, I’m a mess. Cause you know, secrets but no lies.

V: Yes Ayana, we know. Lol

Ay: Good looking out Roger, keeping that snake head.

Oh shit, Brianna is about to engineer some shit.

V: That’s right Bree, I can see that little hamster is now running around on that wheel in your head. Now, DO SOMETHING!!

Ay: Is it just me that yelled “Careful?” at Bree when she touched the fangs? There could still be venom in those hollow fangs. All we need is another victim.

V: Yes, because it’s been dead for some days now.

V: I love hearing Fergus speaking in French. I wonder what their kid’s accent will sound like when they grow up.

A: Probably a fun mix of all the accents around them.

Ay: I especially enjoyed that as well, ladies. I’m keen to note another talking Fergus scene too.

V: God, Marsali is h-u-g-e!! That baby is about to come! And yes, Mr. Man, you’re going to have to help deliver that child . . . in the woods! Can you imagine giving birth in the woods?

A: I can’t.

I’ll fetch Milady?  

Ay: There were just enough laughing moments to make this episode perfect. When Marsali is moaning “you’re not going anywhere”, the camera pans back to Fergus and kids. Check out baby Joan’s face. Her, “Oh shit”, look is for real.

There’s no time! This one’s no’  

dilly-dallying! Ye’re not going  

anywhere…

V: Ian, you were right. You were the only one who could get through to him and wasn’t afraid to do so either!

A: Jamie wouldn’t listen to anyone else. Maybe Fergus, but that’s not really his style.

V: I love seeing Ian back as Claire’s assistant. In Marsali’s state, I don’t think she could have handled it; that is, if she wasn’t delivering a baby in the woods somewhere. Bree would have passed the fuck out.

A: Bree could assist Claire with other matters, not this.

Ay: I actually think Marsali could have handled it. Bree, nope. I agree with you ladies there. I haven’t realized how much I have missed Ian. It’s so good to have him back.

V: At this very moment, Marsali is having her baby in the woods. If she were there, there is no way Claire would be able to amputate Jamie’s leg AND delivery Marsali’s baby. All hell would have broken out in there.

Ay: This surgery is amazing. She has two hospital beds and a surgery table. That Big House is huge.

V: Yeah, I’m going to need Jon Gary Steele to show us the floorplans STAT!

V: Steady your hand, Claire. See, this is why surgeons never operate on their loved ones.

Ay: Bear did a wonderful job on the music here. It’s pulsing with that drum beat and the layering of instruments is laying my worry to rest.

A: I’m so glad Bree figured out a way out of this! Roger was also smart for saving that snake’s head.

Wait!  

Did you know pit-vipers have  

beautiful engineering. Their fangs  

are connected to a venom sac in  

their cheek, and so when they bite  

down, the cheek muscles squeeze  

venom out of the sac… and down  

through the fang into the prey.

V: Saved by Bree. That’a girl. Now, you can get to making more things around there.

Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ. You  

made a syringe —  

Ay: Aye, looka here, the engineer engineered some shit, a syringe to be exact.

---

Finally, Brianna’s nascent role as an engineer buds into life, when her invention saves her father’s life–and by extension, preserves the lives of all the people who need and depend on him. It’s a neat circle, that leaves everyone (mostly) intact, emotionally and physically, and has lifted Roger into a new role within the family. ~ Diana Gabaldon

---

V: Look at the proud (and grateful) Da of his bairn’s mighty brain!

Ay: Vida, check out that proud face. Did Claire just say brace yourself? The man was braced to have his leg sawed off; I think he’s braced for another fang prick.

V: Now they are talking about engineering in front of Ian? And look how Ian is looking at Bree. Do they want e’rybody to know they are from a different time!

A: I’m starting to believe, in the show verse, it’s a poorly disguised secret.

Ay: Ian was giving Jamie the side-eye last episode about secrets. What better way to say “you’re trusted and you’re family” than to talk so openly? Let’s just hope they are not taking this act off Fraser’s Ridge though.

V: The wide-angle shoots are breathtaking.

V: What a cute baby.

A: Felicité is quite adorable!

Ay: Aww, so precious. I need the scene where Marsali asks for more birth control tea.

We’re going to call her Félicité.

V: What is she going to do with it? She asked about ways not to have a baby from the get-go and was pregnant soon after Claire gave her advice.

---

That’s a huge element of season five… Roger and Jamie’s story this season is a very exciting one, it’s a lot of fun, they – I’m not gonna give anything away particularly but it’s a huge aspect of season five, and Sam [Heughan] and I have had a lot of fun playing it this season. ~ Richard Rankin

---

V: Roger Mac has, indeed, turned into a constant companion.

A: I loved seeing Roger read to Jamie.

Ay: I’m here for Roger’s “I told you so”.

V: Is it me, or was that a quick recovery? His complexion is even better.

A: Penicillin might be a skin clearing remedy.

Ay: The infection was the issue. All he needed to do was break a fever. He already fought off the venom.

I know, but... I still want to go  

with you to Wylie’s Landing. I  

want to be there when you… meet  

Bonnet.

V: So now he wants to be with Jamie and meet Bonnet. Are you willing to kill him?

A: I hope he is because that’s likely what it will take to get rid of him. He’s already escaped jail.

Ay: That’s the question, Vida. It doesn’t sound like Jamie’s plan needs an extra body, just because. He needs an extra body willing to kill Bonnet.

V: OMG, I am in love with Adso!

A: I always go into a high-pitched squeal when I see Adso.

Ay: Adso is no longer a kitten. I’m not a cat person, but I can admit he’s cute. He would be an outside cat though. I’m just saying.

V: Okay seriously. Somebody, please tell me that it took more than a night for him to recover. I love seeing him in his specs.

A: I like Jamie’s Ben Franklin glasses.

Ay: Jamie is hot in glasses. He doesn’t look fully recovered, just less sweaty.

V: Everybody who has a near death experience talks about a door of some sort. I’ve always wondered if that was true. But I loved his explanation as to why he came back.

A: I’ve also heard that comparison and I’ve also wondered if it was true.

It was as if there was a — it wasna a door
exactly but a passageway of some kind. And I
could go through it, if I wanted.
And I did want to. I knew what lay behind me,
too, and realized in that moment,
I could choose: go forward — or turn back.