Claire is in danger as the American Revolution reaches the pivotal Battle of Monmouth. Lord John Grey and Ian race to save William. Brianna makes an important decision.
Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. A life can be snatched away; frittered or thrown away; ended peacefully in one’s bed; or in horrific pain on the battlefield. Lives lost in conflict. Needless bloodshed. How many people had died that way? How man more still would? It doesn’t stop. It doesn’t get better. As Murtagh once said, “There’s always a war coming.” War is inevitable, and death is too.
I absolutely loved the beginning voice over with the flashbacks of the battle and characters from the past.
American Camp 1778
Claire wakes to find Jamie contemplating thing before he goes off to battle. Jamie says the only time he’s without pain is in her bed.
Jamie has been thinking about his mother and seeing her in her coffin. He relates when his mother died his father refused to have her hair braided but wanted it undone. Jamie says his wee brother was under her hair and he removed it from him but then thought maybe he’d want to be under it. She didn’t have one white hair. (She died when she was 38.)
Jamie appreciates Claire’s grey hair because it means she lives. Jamie and Claire hold each other in bed (on a cot).
The next day, Claire sends Jamie off. Jamie’s worried he’ll never get to tell William he loves him. As he goes to walk away Jamie promises Claire it won’t be today (he isn’t going to die).
Flashback
We see Claire and Jamie sitting at a fire. Claire tells her there is something gnawing at her and it feels different this time.
Scotland 1739
Buck is realizing time travel is hereditary. He wonders if his father was also a time traveler. Roger admits he knows who Buck’s parents are and his mother was the time traveler. Buck is upset, Roger didn’t tell him earlier his parents names. Roger didn’t tell him to prevent him changing history. Buck thinks they should have left Jerry to his own devices then. Buck stomps off making the comment they should go visit his parents.
Roger remarks he shouldn’t have let Buck come. Buck points out that because of them his parents met. If they hadn’t come looking for Jem Dougal and Geillis may never have met and none of them would be there.
Roger wants to try something else.
American Field Hospital 1778
Claire and Denny fight with Dr. Leckie, who doesn’t believe Claire is a capable doctor. Denny defends her saying she’s the most skilled surgeon he’s ever seen. Leckie then questions Denny’s own qualifications which are he was educated by his cousin John Hunter and John’s Hunter’s brother, accoucheur to the queen. Claire relents so Denny isn’t kicked out as well.
Flashback
Claire is saying it is what happens after death and the idea that nothing you do mattered. Jamie tells her a warrior doesn’t fear death so much as they know their death will matter.
American Field Hospital 1778
Claire and Rachel are preparing while Claire gives her their action plan.
Claire and Rachel share their fears: That Jamie will go above the call of duty and lose his life doing it. That Ian will hesitate to kill and lose his life over her principles.
Spotswood 1778
Lord John and Young Ian come into the Hessian camp with the story they’ve come on Richardson’s orders to collect William. Oberst von Schnell wants payment, but Ian wants the captive first.
William is brought out in irons. Ian demands the key, but von Schnell wants the payment. Von Schnell is wise to their ploy and tries to kill William. John kills von Schnell’s men and Ian takes on von Schnell himself. Ian gives the man his life, but von Schnell isn’t grateful and threatens Ian.
John let’s William in on Richardson plan. The two say goodbye to Ian who is contemplating the issues that could arise from letting Schnell go.
American Field Hospital 1778
Claire is sorting patients when one man come in with a sucking chest wound. She takes him inside to deal with him, but Leckie takes offense. Claire is working on the man when Leckie tells her there is no need for hysterics. Claire punctures the man’s chest to let the excess air out and Leckie looks dumbfounded. Leckie comments on the other injuries the man sustained, and Claire contradicts him telling him he’s wrong. He goes off to do his own work.
Spotswood 1778
Schnell is walking through the woods when Ian attacks and kills him, saying he would have regretted giving him his life. Clearly, he’s not willing to have another Arch Bug to deal with.
British Camp 1778
William’s anger, over the circumstances of his birth, rears its head again. John tells William he could have done worse in terms of sires. William isn’t impressed with a groom for a father. Not sure why people don’t tell him Jamie isn’t a groom. John does tell William; Jamie is an honorable and courageous man. He’s a Scot and a rebel. A damn fine swordsman. He knows his horses. One of the best men he’s ever met.
William says he will never betray his king and country. John tells him not to trifle with the word never.
Lallybroch 1739
We find Brian working in much the same clothes as Jamie worked in a few years from then when Claire and he come home to Lallybroch.
Buck writes a letter of thanks to Geillis.
Roger writes a letter for Bree and puts it in the secret desk drawer in the study.
Roger thanks Buck for his help.
Buck explains he’s not a good person. When he met Morag (his wife) he knew she was in love with another man, Donald. When Donald ended up with someone else, he was with Morag and ended up married to her. He moved them to the Colonies because she couldn’t forget Donald. But because of the problems in the Colonies, he brought her home to Scotland and then disappeared. He doesn’t think he should go back.
Buck offers to go back to Brianna and tell her what happened. It is something he can do for his family. Roger doesn’t understand saying Buck knows where his family is; but Buck means they are all his family: Roger and Jem. They are all his.
Lallybroch 1980
Brianna is in the study looking at Frank’s book The Soul of a Rebel. She writes a letter for Roger and goes to put it in the secret drawer, finding Roger’s note.
British Camp 1778
Fanny comes to William crying because Jane has been arrested for the murder of Harkness. She fears they will hang her. William rushes off.
Craig Na Dun 1980
Brianna is preparing to go through the stones with the kids. She wants them to think of their father and hold onto her. She gives them a gemstone and then Mandy calls out to her dad and runs into the stones.
American Field Hospital 1778
They are evacuating because the British are coming. Claire isn’t willing to leave her patients and stays. Leckie admits she a “bloody good surgeon.” She refuses to leave and Leckie wishes her good luck, calling her Dr. Fraser.
Jamie gets word the British are approaching the church/hospital.
Claire watches the British pass while patching up Bixby. Bixby tells her of Jamie’s deeds.
Jamie and his men approach, watching as the British continue to retreat. They enter the church yard, and words are exchanged between the Continentals and the British. They start firing at each other and Claire is hit.
Jamie takes Claire into the church, but Leckie says there is nothing he can do. The ball has penetrated too deeply. Leckie leaves and Jamie curses him, “May the devil ear your soul and salt it well first, you whore!”
Claire is amused he called Leckie a whore.
Jamie pleads God for her life. His aid comes in to tell him Lee wants him, but Jamie won’t leave. Bixby is trying to get the aid to leave.
Flashback
They are looking at the stars. An abyss. Claire says they are burning out according to the third law of thermodynamics. Jamie tells her men can make all the laws they like but God made hope.
American Field Hospital 1778
Jamie tells the aid to take off his shirt. In blood he writes out his resignation on the man’s back sending him to Lee with the message.
Bixby clearly sympathizes.
Claire asks for Denny and Bixby goes off to find him.
Jamie prays over Claire, telling Him angels have no dominion there and they can’t take her. He won’t let them.
Denny arrives with Rachel and the two get to work. Lafayette heard about Claire and sent some cheese to them. Claire tells Denny the cheese has mold for the penicillium in it. Make a poultice.
Jamie begs Claire not to go.
Denny sets to work.
