Jamie’s authority is tested when an old rival from Ardsmuir shows up to settle on the Ridge. Claire finds a new way to cope with the trauma of her assault by Lionel Brown.
We open with a lengthy recap of what has happened previous on Outlander. The best part of this was the quote from A Breath of Snow and Ashes. Great book by the way.
Give anything enough time, and everything is taken care of: all pain encompassed, all hardship erased, all loss subsumed. [….] And if Time is anything akin to God, I suppose that Memory must be the Devil.A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES by Diana Gabaldon, “Prologue”.
Then we land in 1753 in Ardsmuir Prison where is seems Jamie just arrived and is learning the ropes. The Governor of the prison isn’t impressed by him and neither is a very Protestant Scot named Thomas Christie who doesn’t look very kindly on his Catholic fellow Scots. Jamie quickly realizes most of the men are looking to him-Mac Dubh (I think that means son of the Black One, which refers to his fathers hair color) – for guidance on pretty much everything. Once he realizes the kind of guidance Christie is offering, “Accept that Scotland’s fate lies in the hands of a Protestant King!” Jamie seems to make a decision to be Laird once again.
Before Jamie leaves Governor’s office, he notices Christie and the Governor exchange the secret handshake of a Freemason.
The next day, out doing more hard labor (that Jamie is exempt from but he does it anyway) the men get riled up again and start singing “Hey, Johnnie Cope.” Christie is not impressed and the Protestants and Catholics devolve into a brawl again. During the fight, a young man, James McCready (which Jamie encountered in the cells), is killed. “Bonnie Prince Charlie” (not really) places a piece of tartan on McCready’s body which the guards immediately find. They threaten to flog the lot of them unless someone confesses to it being their tartan.
The thing here I don’t get is the guard quite literally says if it is the boys there isn’t much he can do because McCready is dead. Instead of telling the guard it was McCready’s, they all look guilty. Tom is about to give up old Charlie but Jamie claims the tartan is his.
In the book, it is a bit different. The guards search their cells looking for contraband and come across the bit of tartan which is a Angus MacKenzie’s. Angus is young and looks to Jamie for guidance a lot. Jamie is in something of a tiff with Lord John who is actually running Ardsmuir at the time. John kind of made a pass at Jamie who nearly violently rebuffed him but rebuffed him he did. Jamie claims the tartan as his own not only to save the boy but out of spite I think. Lord John actually has to have Jamie flogged for this which you can imagine doesn’t go over well.
Anyways, while Jamie is being flogged he sees what seems like the ghost of Claire. Tom looks horrified that Jamie is being flogged and has clearly been flogged before while all the men are also horrified. In the book, Christie called it “an act of extraordinary nobility and courage.” That’s Jamie though.
The next morning, the guard comes to get all the prisoners for hard labor only to be told by Jamie no one will be working because of McCready’s death. Jamie is clearly setting himself up as the leader and the men clearly want him to be. I mean they’ve been looking to him since he arrived. Jamie continually says throughout the episode he just wants some peace but the problem is Jamie is a leader of men and he just can not stop being so.
The Governor is less than amused and when Jamie is brought before him. Jamie tells the Governor the men will listen to him and they just need some peace, Jamie proposes the Governor make him a Freemason so he can unite the prisoners. The next time they are all out at hard labor, Jamie tells them all about becoming a lodge and you can see even Tom Christie knows he is out matched when it comes to Jamie.
1773
Twenty years, later and we find Tom Christie coming to Fraser’s Ridge in need of help from Jamie. Clearly that doesn’t sit well with him.
Jamie comes into the house to find Claire passed out on the surgery’s cot. Jamie shakes her thinking she’s died but Claire explains she was testing ether which can put her patients into a deep sleep so they feel nothing when she operates. Jamie isn’t very impressed with it. Claire tells him, “it’s safer than dying in agony with a ruptured appendix.” For book readers, this is either a nod or more likely some foreshadowing for a future event.
Major MacDonald shows up trying to persuade Jamie to become an Indian Agent for Governor Martin who isn’t so inclined to put of tax day. Jamie bluntly says he will be able to pay their taxes should it come to that and he will not be the Indian Agent.
An Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with aboriginal American tribes on behalf of the government.
An Indian agent’s average duties were as follows: Work toward preventing conflicts between settlers and Indians, -“He was to keep an eye out for violations of intercourse laws and to report them [violations] to superintendents,” Maintain flexible cooperation with U.S. Army military personnel, See to the proper distribution of annuities granted by the state or federal government to various Indian tribes; and this usually occurred through a transfer of money or goods from the Indian agent to the respective chief which would then be distributed to the tribe, although this practice went into decline by the mid-1800s and See to the successful removal of tribes from areas procured for settlement to reservationshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_agent
One can see why the job doesn’t sound appealing.
Jamie and Claire head over to Marsali’s cabin to see how she’s doing… about 8 months pregnant… again! Fergus is apparently minding the still and Marsali is just so happy to have the children gone off with Grandpa Jamie. Claire notices a bruise on Marsali’s wrist which is plays off to clumsiness but Claire clearly suspects Fergus.
On the Ridge, Tom finally shows up at the door and Roger pops out another. Roger introduces himself as Jamie’s son-in-law and brings him inside where Tom tells Roger about being an Ardsmuir man and that he brought his children and some fisher folks who have no place to go.
Tom and Roger also discuss Tom’s indenture as a schoolmaster and both being Protestant though there is no church or schoolhouse on the ridge. That does seem a little odd to me because it seemed those would be some of the first things settlers build.
Jamie and Claire return. Jamie is stunned to find Tom in his home and when Roger explains he invited him to stay because he’s and Ardsmuir man; Jamie is clearly not that happy about it but acts as gracious as he can. And the side-eye he gives Roger is priceless.
Claire and Bree gather some things for the new comers before heading down to meet everyone. I do like that Brianna tries to discuss Claire’s rape with her. She’s trying to be very supportive and you can see Claire is just trying to shove it aside.
That night Jamie and Claire are discussing Tom and how he was in Ardsmuir. Jamie can’t tell the Ardsmuir men they have a place with him except Tom so they are stuck with him.
The next day, Malva sneaks up on Claire who thinks she’s Brianna and asks how she did with the phosphorus. Malva is immediately intrigued because she knows it means light bringer and she talks about Lucifer and wants to know if they are starting a fire with phosphorus. Claire looks very put off but this discussion but humors Malva who is clearly interested in everything Claire is doing. I don’t know about you but Malva came off as creepy to me.
Jamie, Claire, Roger, Bree and company come down to the fisher folk to find Tom breaking bread and everyone praying. Tom says it is what they do and Jamie tells them he’ll teach them what they do. Work begins on the new cabins.
Marsali meets Amy McCallum (from the books, she comes up again) who lost her husband in the ocean crossing. Roger and Bree want to do stuff to help her which leads to Roger telling her son Aiden later that he can help Roger build his family a cabin. FYI this becomes important later. I’m excited for this story.
While everyone is working, Fergus shows up clearly drunk. Jamie seems put out but is tactful with him. Tom looks concerned but also I wonder if he’s judging Jamie here.
Young Ian and Allan go hunting but it seems more like Ian goes hunting and Allan brags about his abilities and then complains about his father. Ian sympathizes a bit before they are shot out by the Browns who insult Ian and essentially threaten them. One of the Browns notice the powder horn Allan was bragging to Ian about earlier, he claimed he made it. I for one do not believe he made that thing… my first assumption was he stole it…
Tom comes to Claire’s surgery at Malva’s insistence after slicing his had opened. Claire notices his other hand is curling into itself (Dupuytren’s contracture). Then pretty much what happens is straight from the book.
Tom doesn’t hold with strong drink and Jamie quotes the Bible and then brings Tom some wine. Tom fainted before Jamie’s arrival and after he fights not to scream out or faint because Jamie is present. Jamie knows this and it is why he stays. Tom drinks as Claire tends his hand. When finished Jamie opens the door…
“Go on, then, Tom,” he said. “It’s naught to trouble ye. No but a wee nick. I’ve had worse.”
The words were spoken casually, but they might as well have been written in flaming letters a foot high. I’ve had worse.…
“Aye,” he said. “Well.” He was breathing deeply. “I will, then.” He rose abruptly, knocking the stool aside, and headed for the door, a little off-balance, like a man worse for strong drink…
“At least,” he said, breathing so hard that he stumbled over the words, “at least it will be an honorable scar. Won’t it, Mac Dubh?”From A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 21, “We Have Ignition”.
Clearly on the show, Tom isn’t stumbling link in the book (he’s very jittery from the “surgery” rather than drink) but the sentiment is the same. Tom is insulting Jamie’s scars because he assumes Jamie did something to deserve them.
Claire is not amused by this but also isn’t very amused that Jamie stayed to kind of needle Tom.
It’s party time and Major MacDonald is there to tell Jamie he has offered the job of Indian Agent to Richard Brown (really bad idea). The Christie’s arrive and Allan tells Jamie he lives like a king. It does seem like it at times. In the book, things are much more modest. Jamie and Claire are always bargaining and trading for things whereas the show it just seems like for stories sake Jamie and Claire are rolling in it.
Fergus and Marsali show up and clearly Fergus is drunk. Marsali feeding him and taking his flask is just so humorous even if their circumstances really aren’t. Lizzie’s comment about two hands is taken amiss by Fergus who is clearly having a pity party.
Question: Does anyone really think Fergus is abusive?
Everyone is getting into the festivities when the Browns “Committee of Safety” shows up. They have a real reason to be there namely the theft of a powder horn (looks at Allan Christie). Tom is very willing to have Allan punished which is disturbing but not wrong per say. The guy needs to be punished. Tom and Brown settle on 10 lashes which Jamie ends up dishing out with his belt. After Jamie tells McDonald he will be the Indian Agent because he can’t let it be Richard Brown.
Jamie walks Tom out to the barn/stables (seriously Jamie and Claire didn’t have this nice of a stable) and tells Tom on his land his word is law to which Tom says, “God’s word is law.” Well, not wrong but he knows what Jamie means.
We see Marsali and Fergus discussing how much he embarrassed her. “I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment.” Seriously what is happening with Fergus?
Later, Claire wakes from a nightmare that is mixed with Lionel Brown, Black Jack Randall, Geillis, Dougal, and Philip Wylie… seems like every bad thing is catching up to her. She tells Jamie she’s fine and goes down for some tea but becomes distracted by her ether setting a candle near it… fyi ether is highly flammable.
Claire proceeds to self-medicate which is extremely concerning.
Overall we have a great start to the season. Jamie and Tom are going at it and I’m curious about how things will develop with Malva and Allan. I can’t wait to see some Young Ian and Jamie adventures which it looks like we will be getting.
I’m worried about Claire but hoping Brianna, Roger, and Jamie will be watching for her troubling behavior.
My major concern is Marsali and Fergus. I don’t like the turn in Fergus but let’s see where this takes us and how things progress.
TV Watchers: Any ideas as to Fergus’s problem?
Show Watchers: Any question I posed which is explained in the books is purely for the show watcher. I know who, what, when and where about the Outlander series. I just want to get us all discussing.
