A dysentery epidemic spreads on the Ridge, and Claire falls deathly ill. She is almost recovered when the Christies arrive and drop a bombshell. As nefarious rumors spread like wildfire on the Ridge, tragedy strikes.
This episode brings us some serious movement in the story. Illness comes to the ridge, in a way Claire has yet to deal with, only to fell her as well. This episode was fantastic. Major book events. Lots of twists and some mystery. I loved every minute of this episode from Claire cursing because of the MacNeills sickness to her comments about her hair.
The World Turned Upside Down opens on Roger giving a sermon to the congregation about not needing to be noble to believe in God. After the sermon Roger asks after the MacNeills who aren’t present and who typically never miss a Sunday. Bree and Claire enlist the help of Lizzie and Malva to go with them to the cabin.
The quartet approach the cabin talking and laughing when Lizzie comments about the awful smell. Malva says something has died and they all make their way into the cabin to discover all the MacNeills are ill. Claire instructs them to open the windows and doors and not to touch their faces. Bree rushes to get boiled water at Claire’s instruction while they try to help the family.
Claire is cursing the entire time as they discover some have already died. Malva tries to keep the baby alive but doesn’t succeed and Mrs. MacNeill expires with her baby. Lizzie is trying to help one boy but tells Claire to stop cursing in a comment that is very unlike Lizzie.
So back at the church, Jamie mentions Fergus at the print shop and how he knows he’ll thrive. I’m glad he has confidence in Fergus and I hope we start seeing that line of the Fraser’s soon.
Everything from the MacNeill cabin is very much like the book though I believe Marsali was with them not Malva. This is an understandable change because Malva is apprenticing and Marsali and Fergus have moved to New Bern which happens in a different order in the book but again not biggie.
Claire cursing has always bothered me. I mean I can see it but she knows when she is and all her cursing will never go over well.
The Big House
Claire is showing Malva the amoeba which has caused the dysentery. Penicillin isn’t effective against it so they only have herbs to treat it. Malva is baffled that something so small could cause such trouble is a person.
Lizzie rushes in with news that Mrs. Ogilvie has fallen ill as well. The sickness is spreading and they must find the source. Claire and Malva grab supplies for healing while Jamie goes to search around the MacNeill property for a possible source of illness. Claire is telling people how to prevent illness which is all you can do and knowing it is an amoeba it is highly preventable if you have been taught by Claire. Notice her family and immediate household members aren’t getting sick because they are doing as she said.
The line about there being no cure seemed like a covid drop which was unnecessary. I say this because these people have ingested parasite. Amoebic Dysentery is caused by fecal matter getting into your food or water. You must ingest it. Even now it can be dangerous though we have anti-parasite medications and we can be hydrated in a hospital which is a huge step up from what Claire was dealing with here. Still not comparison to covid.
The Ridge
Funerals. A lot of them. Claire is getting sick of funerals which I think is a line in the book though not really that important. Claire seems off and Brianna notices though Claire insists she’s fine [Doctors are the worst patients!]. But Claire goes down for the count, burning up with fever. Notices she doesn’t have the other symptoms of the bloody flux (bloody diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain – she does have a fever). Anyways, Claire is sick and Jamie carries her home.
The Big House
Brianna and Malva are working to bring down Claire fever while Jamie looks on with worry. Later, Allan shows up to take Malva home but Malva protests leaving Claire. Jamie believes Claire would be more comfortable in her own bed and carries her upstairs.
Malva not returning with her brother seemed strange in the fact that Allan didn’t make a stink about Malva leaving with him.
We watch as time passes and Claire is struggling with fever. Then Malva offers Jamie willow-bark tea which is something Claire uses for fevers (she should be getting it). Claire gave it to Jamie after his snake bit so I’m baffled as to why Malva is offering it to Jamie but it seems only to reminisce about things. This girl is manipulative. She proceeds to ask after Lord Lovat too. Malva is so after Jamie.
We see Claire in bed having nightmares of thunder and lightning, snakes, amoebas and holding her own heart. Gross. She opens her eyes and sees Jamie at the window drinking. Malva approaches and she knows there are words but she can’t make them out.
A week later, Roger is sitting at Claire’s bedside when she wakes weak and missing nearly all her hair! Apparently, Mrs. Bug and Malva thought cutting off her hair would relieve the fever and no one was around to stop them. Brianna was furious. Claire doesn’t want Jamie to see it but Roger tells her he has seen it. Jamie didn’t say anything about her hair, “He just cried.” This is very much from the book, Jamie’s reaction. I loved that Roger tells her, “Nothing could ever make you less beautiful.” Roger also tells Claire she’s one of the last to get sick.
Bree comes in excited she’s awake and tells her she’s not allowed to die on her and then gives her the news of her new grandchild which makes Claire happy.
Bree trims Claire hair to improve it. I’m going to miss Claire cascading hair. It was lovely. Jamie asks after a cap which is right from the book.
“I dinna suppose ye’d think of wearing a cap?” he suggested, diffidently fingering a muslin specimen that Marsali had brought me. “Only until it grows out a bit?”A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 64, “I Am the Resurrection, Part II”.
Claire wants to know what has happened. Jamie found and elk upstream from the MacNeills in the river so the water coming down was contaminated. He goes on to tell her Kenny lost his youngest wee Bobby, three of the fisher folk died but most are mending. But Tom Christie is still bad, last he heard. He had fever and headaches-much like Claire.
Apparently, Claire was delirious and she reminds us that in France when she had a fever after Faith she say blue herons and Master Raymond said blue is the color of healing. This time she saw snakes which Jamie assures her that any that cross the threshold will part with his head. He asks if she tried to die on him which echoes when Jamie was sick after his snakebite.
Jamie then says, “I would have been so angry, Claire, if ye’d died and left me.” She promises she won’t. Then the scene takes on a lighter note when Jamie comments she has hardly any ass left. Its a little disappointing just because I recall in the book, Claire’s illness was very emotionally challenging for Jamie. He was terrified of losing her. Remember when she went to the future Jamie pretty much ceased living so for her to die… pretty much the same.
Sneaking Out
Claire is in bed with Adso at her side but then sneaks out of the house to check on Tom. When she takes off her hat he is shocked to see her hair saying she looks like a monk. She tells Tom she didn’t have what the others on the Ridge had. Tom’s illness was also different and more like Claire’s (suspicious!). There is only one way to figure out if they had the same thing and that is with a sample of fecal matter…. which upsets Tom very much and he sends her away.
You’d think Claire would realize who she was talking too at this point but apparently not. There is no way Tom would think that is in anyway decent.
When Claire returns, Jamie isn’t exactly pleased with her for sneaking off. She’s far too weak to be going out. Claire has lost so much weight her rings barely stay on. Jamie goes on about the sun coming up and going down being a comfort and hearing her in her surgery rustling around also gives him comfort…
“If ye were no longer there–or somewhere–” he said very softly, “then the sun would no longer come up or go down.” He lifted my hand and kissed it, very gently. He laid it, closed around my ring, upon my chest, rose, and left.A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 66, “The Dark Rises”.
This is a great scene in the book and I’m glad it is pretty much word for word.
Later, Claire wakes to Jamie thumping around having trouble sleeping on the floor. This calls back to Jamie sleeping on the floor in Rent. Loved the call back. Claire tells him to come to bed and then they go over her womanly virtues. I adored that she says gentle and patient and he is just blurts out she is neither but she is brave, bold, fierce, kind and clean. You can tell Jamie really thinks the world of her. But to Jamie her most endearing trait is her loyalty… though first he says, “Ye think I’m funny.”
Time Passes
Claire tells us the sickness went away and they continued on with the war getting closer. We even see a broadsheet saying to refuse British goods.
Jamie, Roger and Bree are loading up the wagon to set off for New Burn. They are going to attend the Provincial Congress (this is where they select the Continental Congress delegates). Roger is excited to see history being made. Claire says she’ll go to the Continental Congress.
The Christies arrive wanting to speak with Jamie but Jamie wants Claire present. Young Ian watches them enter looking concerned. They go into the sitting room where Tom let’s spill Malva is with child. Jamie and Claire are stunned. Jamie convinces Malva to tell him who the father is and she names HIM! Crazy bitch! She goes on to tell them Jamie turned to her when Claire was sick. She references the night Claire woke and saw him at the window with Malva. Claire remembers seeing them but, of course, her vision of them was just them talking. After slapping Malva, Claire runs from the house.
Mrs. Bug also heard everything and FYI she’s a horrible gossip which means the news will be everywhere. How ungrateful, I say, Jamie and Claire have taken them in and given them jobs because they are older and it would be harder to work the land.
Malva actually tells Jamie about the scars on his body which is shocking and seems damning. Book readers have often wondered how she new about them but there are many ways according to the show. Not only has Malva watched Jamie and Claire having sex but if Claire is drawing her medical adventures; one would expect Jamie’s snake bite is in there and the resulting scar. In the book, we don’t get this information and I don’t know if we are ever told how she knows though Jamie often works in only his shirt and the men from Ardsmuir know about his lash scars.
Jamie’s anger and barely controlled rage is great in this scene and I personally think Sam did a fantastic job.
Allan tried to physically take on Jamie which is a mistake in the extreme. Jamie literally bats him away like a midge.
The Barn Confession
Claire is in the barn, reeling from what she heard. One would think she wouldn’t believe it though she seems to be somewhat in doubt. I think Frank’s infidelities are clouding her judgment here and she’s trying to figure out if she could be wrong about both the men she’s loved. If he did cheat on her then everything they have is a lie and Claire isn’t willing to concede that.
Claire yelling to Jamie she isn’t supposed to be in this time: Bree, Roger, Jemmy… none of them are from that time but all are there because of her love for him. Seriously, if Jamie was guilty he’d be the biggest loser of men because after all Claire has gone through to be with him that would be just wrong…. but we know Jamie and there is just no way. Jamie literally let’s Claire come to her own conclusion and I for one am happy he didn’t try to make her believe he would do that.
Jamie does have something to tell her and he apologizes. He says he did do something with someone. When Claire asks who, Jamie tells her Mary McNab when she was gone. She is baffled because she doesn’t remember Mary McNab. He references the happenings of Surrender when Mary came to give him some comfort before she goes off to jail.
One might wonder why Jamie would tell her now. But he has always felt guilt over it and now he can unburden himself and by this prove how unwilling he would be to have had an affair with Malva. Jamie being a fairly honest man, this shows his honesty. Claire now is definitely in the camp that Jamie didn’t lay with Malva and not only because of his confession. She knows he’d want that baby if it was of his blood, hence, Willie. He had to confess that from her return because there is no way Jamie would give up knowledge of his child.
Roger & Bree
Roger and Bree are walking through the woods and Bree is very upset about Mrs. Bug’s gossiping. Bree is a little unsure about Jamie’s character but Roger knows Jamie wouldn’t. I don’t think Bree really believes it here either. She has doubts like Claire did all because of Frank.
Bree tells Roger about Sandy and knowing Frank has a serious relationship with the woman.
I love how sure Roger is about Jamie. I really hope we get the Jamie and RogerMac relationship of father and son like the books because I recall as time went by Jamie and Roger became closer and really loved each other.
Fisherfolk’s Camp
Claire goes to the fisherfolk’s camp to talk to Malva. She tells Malva she believes Jamie completely. They have been things she couldn’t even imagine together. Claire is willing to listen to him. Malva tells her Tom made her stand in front of the congregation and confess to her circumstances. Claire is trying to help but Malva is lashing out. Claire tells her she cares about her and what she sees in her and Malva seems to waver until Allan appears to run off Claire. Allan accuses Claire of being a witch with her potions and Malva does another 180. Something is very wrong there.
Claire tells them to stay away from her family.
The Ridge
Ian gets into a fight with Obadiah Henderson over Obadiah’s spouting off about Jamie being with Malva. Like this man has a right to talk. I mean he could totally be the father.
Claire is in her garden when she looks up and sees Lionel Brown. She looks down and then we realize it is Ian outside her garden. He confesses he has been with her and he will confess to being the babies father to save Jamie. He believes he broke Malva’s heart when he told her he couldn’t be with her because he was still in love with Emily. So sad. Poor Ian.
Later, we see Claire leaving the church and the other residents of the Ridge gossiping and avoiding her.
Two Months Later
Jamie is telling Claire about the Provincial Congress. He says Roger clearly didn’t realize how it would be done.
Cut to Roger listing all the alcohol consumed during said Congress. Jamie apparently was pretty bold and declared himself a rebel. He, however, was not chosen as a delegate because of Malva.
Bree says the settlers have been awful to Claire, which seriously? Claire wanted to believe it would pass.
Later, Claire is feeling lonely not having any patients, when Lionel Brown appears again. Claire goes to leave but sees Malva approaching. Claire turns to the ether again and has nightmares of Malva coming to her and telling her she’s old and Jamie would turn to her. Claire threatens Malva in her dream.
When Claire wakes up, she goes out to her garden only to discover Malva with her throat cut. Claire tries to save the baby by cutting it out only the baby is also not breathing.
Thoughts
Good episode. So packed full of stuff but really good. But now we have something of a mystery. Who killed Malva? Could it have been Claire? I think not. Even with the dreams we’ve never seen a ether patient move around. So what happened.
It seems like Malva was coming to talk to Claire, about what I have no idea, but someone killed her while Claire was drugged. Question is did this person kill Malva so the truth wouldn’t come out of because of one of the many things Malva has done?
Claire is definitely going to have to confess to dosing herself.
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.
