Jamie and Claire help civilians flee Ticonderoga after the fort falls into British hands. Roger discovers the identity of the mysterious ‘Nuckelavee’.
Where the Waters Meet opens at Fort Ticonderoga. William arrives, meeting up with Brigadier General Simon Fraser who is in command of the British troops. The two speak and the General finds William to be very perceptive.
1777
Across the water, the fleeing boats from last week’s episode have come ashore. They are mostly women and children who are in need of rest but with the British pursuing them they must continue on even if Jamie has to carry them.
Mrs. Raven freaks out when seeing Ian believing he will harm her. Rachel consoles her and assures her Ian wouldn’t do such a thing.
Time seems to have passed as they walk through the forest. They hear what sounds like Indians but when Ian goes scouting he comes back saying it is the Red Coats pretending to be Mohawk. The refugees move on going deeper into the wood while Jamie and Ian try to draw them away. Claire discovers, shortly after their departure, Mrs, Raven is missing. She doubles back in search of her and finds her just in time for Mrs. Raven to shoot herself in the head. Claire is justifiably stunned but the shot attracts the attention of the British and she is captured.
Denzell finds Jamie and Ian and reports that Claire went after Mrs. Raven when she was discovered missing. They go looking for her.
Meanwhile, Claire is taken back to the fort, which appears to be a couple days away? She is put with other refugees in what looks like an animal pen with the shortest fencing ever. Clearly it is not meant to keep someone in because Claire looks like she could step over it if she wasn’t in skirts. There she finds Walter Woodcock who appears to be doing poorly despite the stump from his amputation healing well.
Claire tends to the other refugees who are all very hungry. She appeals to a soldier for water. The soldier isn’t willing to go because he needs to keep the prisoners there. Claire wonders if it is also their order to let them all die?
Claire goes back to helping Walter and considering his symptoms she believes he has a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in the lungs. It isn’t good.
William is reporting to Captain Richardson about his failure to complete the missing. William conveys what he learned about the men he was supposed to meet. They are all rebels. Richardson wonders if William considered they are spies for Richardson and the Crown. Richardson is assured William can make up for his mistake at another time.
Richardson seems like he’s being, well kind isn’t the word, but there is something about this guy. He seems sketchy to some degree. Especially when he asked if William read the messages and cracked the cipher. I keep wondering if Richardson is a spymaster or a spy himself?
Back at the prisoner’s camp, there is no food and Walter’s condition is rapidly deteriorating. When Claire sees the blood Walter coughs up she goes after a British officer for supplies. Turns out it is William, but Claire hasn’t seen him in a minute so she doesn’t recognize him but William remembers the woman who saved his father (Lord John). He reminds her of their acquaintance and she is shocked to be looking at Jamie’s son.
Claire asks for the supplies she needs to help the prisoners and William promises to deliver what he can. He is reasonable, gentle and kind and you could just see Claire thinking about his similarities to Jamie. But I think the best part is how dead on this is from the book. The conversations, the emotions. It is beautiful.
Outside the Fort, Jamie and Ian are ready to go in after Claire. Jamie wants to rush in but Ian reminds him that the Mohawk are with the British so he wouldn’t be suspicious if he were to go in. Jamie reluctantly stays behind with Ian’s bow.
The only thing that gets me is that Claire walks right out of the prisoners area without being stopped. I thought these people were prisoners?
Inside the Fort, Claire is giving orders to the able body woman to boil water. A British soldier approaches with a parcel containing herbs and gives her a flask of brandy from William. Claire wonders how he knew who she was. He says, “He said you’d be the curly-wig giving orders like a sergeant-major.” He is William. Gosh William knows her. And I love it.
Claire checks on Walter but he is fading fast. Claire stays with Walter as he dies. It is a sad scene but I love how Claire is with her patients.
Ian arrives and tries to avoid running into William but it can’t be helped. William thanks Ian for saving his life. William starts to walk away but remembers Ian is the nephew of James Fraser from Fraser’s Ridge where Claire is from. Claire confesses she is Ian’s aunt. William knows that they are Rebels. He isn’t happy Ian is there. Ian has just come to get Claire and tries to convince William to just let them walk away. William is upset and doesn’t know what to do.
But then Jamie starts shooting flaming arrows into the Fort. William knows this has to do with Ian and Claire. Ian reminds William that he owes him a life and William feels he owes Claire. He lets them leave but tells Ian they are even.
William isn’t really happy about it but he owes Clarie and Ian a life and he calls this even. He also won’t hesitate in the future.
Outside the Fort, Claire and Jamie reunite. When they kiss Jamie says she tastes like brandy and wonders where she got it. “Your son. He gave it to me.” Jamie is stunned and wants to hear all about him when they have time.
They reunite with the Continental Army. Ian finds Rachel who has Rollo (I don’t understand why Rollow isn’t with him. Maybe to protect him), they two awkwardly flirt over while petting Rollo. Ian tells her she can take Rollo any time. And now I’m wondering if Ian left Rollo to protect Rachel.
Jamie comes into camp with a dead turkey he shot through the eye. Col. Daniel Morgan is impressed by Jamie’s skill with a rifle and kind of recruits him.
Later, Jamie tells her he will be fighting with Morgan which is some comfort to Claire as “snipers” fight from a distance. They are bound for Saratoga which Claire recalls was “a turning point for the American cause.”
As they lie in bed, Claire tells Jamie about William, “Clearly a man of honor.” I love how she recounts William’s kindness and stubbornness but especially the fierceness of the Highlander hidden behind the courtly manners.
1980s
Roger has gone to speak with Jem’s headmaster, Lionel Menzies, about Miss Glendenning’s treatment of Jem and the gross overreaction to the Gàidhlig. When the headmaster tells Roger what Jem said to Miss Glendenning, Roger tries not to laugh and then says his father-in-law taught Jem that. He’d never.
Menzies explains that people don’t want their kids to speak Gàidhlig but to learn English and move away from the Highlands. Roger is disappointed because Scots have been speaking Gàidhlig since before the Rising. Menzies totally agrees and becomes excited at the prospect of having Roger teach a Gàidhlig class. Roger seems intrigued.
While this scene was done well, I loved the version in the book because you can see Jamie’s influence on Roger. Roger objects to the teacher’s assault on Jem. Menzies promises it won’t happen again and Roger knows it isn’t Menzie’s fault but leaves him with:
“If it does,” he said evenly, “I won’t come back with a shotgun–but I will come back with the sheriff. And a newspaper photographer, to document Miss Glendenning being taken off in handcuffs.”
From An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 29, “Conversation With a Headmaster”. Copyright © 2009 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.
You can just see Jamie’s influence there. Jamie knows who is in the wrong and who is just having to deal with it but he lays down the law usually in a suggested manner. I do think Jamie might have said something more like; he’d come back as the law though.
Also the conversation about the class comes up later in the books but it is great that they combined it here because it really is the perfect opportunity.
Back at Lallybroch, Roger and Bree are trying to figure out what she encountered in the tunnel. They come up with a portal at the junction of ley lines.
Bree reminds Roger about his Gàidhlig class and Roger rushes to ready himself while Bree hurriedly gathers papers and books for the class (you see the Guide he’s making go into the bag).
At the Gàidhlig lesson, Roger passes out books from Rev. Wakefield’s collection with old Gàidhlig songs in them. Roger teaches them a song and then it cuts to the end of the class. Rob Cameron comes up to Roger and informs him he got Roger’s guide to time travel and asks if Roger is writing a science fiction book. Roger is really relieved by the excuse and says he’s dabbling with it. Rob wants to read it when Roger’s finished.
Rob and Roger talk and it is clear Rob knows Roger could be angry about the whole Brianna locked in a tunnel thing but he charms Roger and then invites himself over for dinner. And now I’m positive there is something up with Rob.
The end scene from the episode is Roger back from the store, putting away his groceries when he catches a man peering in through the window. He pretends not to see the man and acts though he’s going to put something else away. When he gets near the door he tears after the man.
Is it the Nuckelavee the children have been telling Brianna and he about?
Roger catches up and turns the man around. It is Buccleigh “Buck” MacKenzie the man who had Roger hanged and who is Roger’s ancestor (like 5 or 6 times great-grandfather). Roger says, “you!” And then punches Buck in the face, which is much deserved.
Overall, one of the better episode and the reveal of Buck at the end is great for book fans. I can see TV fans not knowing who the guy is because when we last saw him in season 5 he was played by Graham McTavish who also played Dougal MacKenize (Buck’s bio-dad).
