Richard Brown and his Committee of Safety arrive to arrest Claire for murder. However, due to the rising political tensions in the colonies, Brown’s plan to find a judge for a trial does not go as expected.
I Am Not Alone opens where the previous episode left off. Jamie is facing down the Committee of Safety headed by Richard Brown who had a very specific reason to dislike the Frasers. He is there to arrest Claire for the murder of Malva Christie. How he heard about it one has to wonder but my assumption is Allan.
As Claire peers out from a doorway, Mrs. Bug approaches to see what is amiss. Claire whispers for her to go and get help while Jamie confronts Brown. Jamie is not going to give Claire up to them. Claire rushes inside to their gun cupboard to get a weapon but is confronted with one of Brown’s men in the house. He tells her to hand him the rifle and when she does she pulls a pistol shooting the man. When Jamie hears the shot, Brown’s men try to subdue Jamie but Claire appears with the rifle startling the men. Jamie and Claire flee inside and start locking and closing everything up. Brown’s men fire on the house causing lots of damage. Jamie says they need more guns and we see Jamie has created a priest hole under the rug in the foyer. He goes below where he has a very impressive stash of weapons.
Outside, Brown’s men topple tables and move wagons to give themselves cover while Jamie and Claire take sides of the house to defend. Brown has his men surround the house and after lot of shooting from both sides Richard Brown raises a white flag, walking out to speak to Jamie who is having none of it. Instead, Jamie fires at the mans feet while Brown tells him they only want to take her to Salisbury for trial but Jamie fires again saying that is his answer.
On the Road to Edenton
Brianna and Roger are talking about the battles happening right at that time. Lexington and Concord, the Siege of Boston. All these historic moments have happened and while Roger would have loved to see them he know has better things to worry about namely his family. They discuss when they should tell Jemmy about being time travelers and come to the conclusion it isn’t really a good idea to tell such a young child because he wouldn’t understand not to tell others.
At the Big House
Claire goes through the upstairs, securing things and comes down to supply Jamie with water. Jamie suspects they may fire the house to get them out. Claire wonders if this is the house fire in the newspaper Brianna told them about. It was supposed to be in January but it is currently May (that means Jamie just had a birthday). Jamie thinks Mrs. Bug will tell Arch Bug and Arch will go for some of his Ardsmuir men. Lizzie went east after he saw her at the stables… she’d go find Robbie.
Jamie asks after food, he starving. They’ll need their strength to survive what is coming.
Outside, Brown’s men are hunkering down for the night.
On the Road to Edenton
Brianna tucks a sleeping Jemmy in and then returns to Roger who has a Vroom which he proceeds to run along Bree. They talk about their trip to the Highland Games and their breakup and him following her through time. The foreplay begins and the two make love.
At the Big House
Claire is talking about condemned prisoners in the future who get a last meal of anything they want within reason. She would want a cheeseburger, fries and a coke from Carmi’s which was a dinner she and Bree would go to when Bree was little. Jamie is good with any meal with Claire in their home. This explains the title card which was definitely out of time with the rest of the episode, but now we know it is a memory of Claire’s.
As the two, try to relax together and prepare for what is to come, Jamie wonders how many times he’s been close to death: After Wentworth, after Culloden, when Laoghaire shot him, snake bite, his back.. so at least five times. Jamie tells her when he was in France there was a old palm reader who told him he had nine lives like a cat. So I’m guessing this means Jamie will come close to death four more times. No please.
I did love hearing Jamie’s prayer. We see him cross himself a lot but most of Jamie’s faith from the books is just kind of missing. A lot of Jamie’s perspective is colored by the shades of his faith so when it is absent it is obvious.
We do see Adso is very much okay and like most cats concerned over his stomach.
The calm before the storm is short lived as fisherfolk show up increasing the hostility. Hiram Crombie is with them insisting Jamie put and end to the siege. The woman who laid into Fergus early on in the season about his drunkenness and little Henri-Christian is back spreading her vileness. Claire tries to proclaim her innocence but Brown says then she shouldn’t be afraid to go before a court. Ummm sure, yeah right. I listen to crime podcasts. Claire should definitely be afraid, pretty sure justice hasn’t change in 200+ years.
Jamie makes the case of Brown’s motives to harm Claire because of his brother. Brown lays the charge of adultery at Jamie. Allan also puts his two cents in which can’t help matters. Hiram suggests Jamie go along with Claire to ensure her safety but seriously one man against all of Brown’s men? I mean King of Men or no there is no way.
Jamie’s Ardsmuir men finally show up with Mrs. Bug and Lizzie but it is too late. Jamie can’t see a way out of this. He tells if anything happens to them in will be on Hiram Crombie’s head and he will answer for them on the Day of Judgment. Tom steps forward to answer for this lives. He will go along to ensure not further evil will be done. Jamie agrees. Lizzie is upset by this. Tom tells them they will leave in the morning and they should rest in their own beds.
It seems Claire’s sense of security is shaken and who can blame her with Brown’s men camped outside of her home and her home a mess of bullet holes, shot and glass.
Rest doesn’t seem possible. Claire is clearly terrified and turns to Jamie. Jamie and Claire make love as though it is their last day. It’s comfort and sadness and the title of this episode I Am Not Alone. Claire isn’t alone. Jamie is determined to be by her side and save her however possible.
The next morning, they set off for Salisbury. Jamie and Claire are confined to a wagon under guard. Claire takes one last peek at the Big House. Jamie does his level best to comfort Claire. the party stops and Claire considers tending their wounds but Jamie doesn’t really see the point. Tom brings food to Claire and Jamie tells her to take it with the kindness in which it was given. One has to believe Tom doesn’t believe the allegations. Jamie watches Tom intently and I imagine he’s wondering why Tom is being so kind.
Richard Brown returns from Salisbury but there is no court because of the political unrest. They are going to go on to Wilmington which is 200 miles away and not Cross Creek because of Jocasta’s sway there. Brown tells them he made sure he spread the word that Claire was guilty of her crime.
I’m sorry but how have things changed? That is media? Not they are accused and we will have to see the evidence.. not people are guilt and they influence everyone around them to believe it.
At the Big House
A pregnant Lizzie runs out from the Big House when she sees Ian approaching. She tells Ian (who is with John Quincy Myers) that Claire and Jamie were taken. Ian wants to know what happens and we can presume she tells them but before she does it cuts away.
On the Road to Wilmington
Jamie comments Brown is loosing control of his men as they expected to hang them and loot their homes rather than this. They arrive in a small community and are announcing the depraved murders but the people start throwing stones which not only hit Claire but Brown’s men and Brown himself. Tom tries to stop it but the people attack the wagon and Jamie and Claire fight to save themselves. Tom fires off a gun to break it up. But the best part is when Claire punches someone trying to get at them. Good for Claire.
On the Road to Edenton
Roger and Bree have to stop for some cows in the road. Roger shares Fergus’s first foray into the printing of a paper and gives her the copy of L’Oignon (The Onion). Roger says Fergus explains in the “Remarks of the Proprietor” and something to do with onions having many layers.
Jemmy gets close to tell the baby inside of Bree, “I love you a lot!” which is just too adorable for words but then Bree notices the horror of horrors…. Jemmy has lice. They have to stop.
Bree goes about cutting off all of Jemmy’s hair and notices a mark on Jemmy’s head. Roger comes to inspect it. It is a nevus (non-cancerous skin that is made up of the color-producing cells of the skin). Brianna says he wasn’t born with it. Roger says it doesn’t develop until they you are around two years old. A doctor told him once as he’s had one since he was a kid. Roger then says they are hereditary which is something of a miraculous bomb to Brianna whose eyes widen. Roger then looks dumbstruck as they both realize this means Jemmy is his biological son. Roger volunteers to have his hair cut off as well… like father like son.
On the Road to Wilmington
Brown’s men are camped for the night. Jamie is tending to Claire’s hand. It isn’t broken but he advises her to hit the soft parts of a man. Jamie is telling her he loved seeing her punch that guy and he’ll treasure it while outside Tom brings her food and overhears their tender moment together. He listens and then moves away.
Jamie goes to pee and when he approaches the foliage, Young Ian appears. He has tracked them from Fraser’s Ridge (which probably wasn’t hard). Ian tells him he has not come alone and just to say the word and they will come out (again the title of the episode). Jamie asks him to wait and Ian complies.
The next morning, a new man in a blue coat is in camp. The resume their journey but must stop a while later when the man Claire shot at the beginning of the episode succumbs to his injury. They tie the man to his horse and continue on.
Later, they stop again and the guard lets Jamie out of the wagon to get water only it is a ruse to separate Jamie from Claire. The men capture him and drag him away. The party moves on with Claire, Tom following to ensure her safety despite Claire’s plea for him to help Jamie.
As they arrive in town, Claire can see through the wagon’s canvas that they are in a large town which is clearly leaning towards the rebellion. They appear to be in Wilmington. The wagon pulls up the the jail there and Claire is taken inside to the a cell where she is incarcerated. Tom give her a small bag of coins for her maintenance telling her to, “trust in God.” Brown on the other hand seems to give the jailer some coin and tells Claire he’ll see her at the gallows.
On the Beach
Jamie’s head is uncovered and he’s tied to a post in the sand. The man holding him is the new man to the party. He won’t tell Jamie about Claire but informs him he will be bound to Scotland where Jamie will never see Claire again. One of Brown’s men approaches to hit him with the butt of a rifle but an arrow kills him. Ian and the Cherokee are on the cliff above there to help Jamie!
The Cherokee and Ian ride down and cut Brown’s band of misfits down while the man in blue flees to the water, swimming towards the ship at anchor.
Jamie’s captor points a gun at Jamie. Ian, Myers and Chief Bird all point guns at the man. Jamie doesn’t want them to shoot as the man knows where Claire is. Ian says, “So do we, Uncle,” and Bird kills the capture and says, “I told you I would fight with you, Bear-Killer.”
Jamie and Ian look gratefully at Bird and then the lot ride to find Claire.
Thoughts
I am so happy they included this nevus which was in the book and one of my favorite moments even if it happens in the Big House. But we got it. We get to see the reactions of Brianna and Roger as they realize the truth. It was great. I do have to wonder if the choice of Jemmy having blonde hair was just to make us think it was possible for Stephen Bonnet to be his bio-parent – I just can’t call him a father. I mean sure the blonde could come from Bree or Roger but in the book, Jemmy looks like Jamie making it impossible to know.
When we see Lizzie run to Ian, for some reason, I keep thinking, “I hope Lizzie is cleaning up the house.” I don’t know why.
I never realized how far Wilmington is from the Ridge.
So what of Tom? What did you think of him in this episode? He’s so calm and kind to Claire. Does he not believe the accusations? Does he know something we do not? What’s up?
Ian finally came into his own in this episode. We get a lot of speculation that the Mohawk are fierce warriors and Ian was among them even if briefly. Ian is supposed to be a very different person after his time with them and yet to don’t see it much. This episode shows us the new Ian. He is fierce and capable and has Jamie’s back in a fight.
BUT Chief Bird for the win here. Not only did he keep his word but he just shoots that guy. Bam! The dude got what he deserved and thank you Chief Bird!
This finale was good but it was hard knowing there is so much left of this book. I just wanted them to resolve this situation already and move on but with everything that has been going on it wasn’t going to happen this season which is why it is exciting we are getting sixteen episodes next season!
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.
