Outlander: The Birds & the Bees

"It's good to have family around the table again."

For better or worse, when you're cramming an intricate novel into a single season of television there seems to be a big to do in every episode. This week we stood mostly on the for better side of things.

Too bad we can't stay on the better side of things. Of course if we did, then the show would be called Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Anyway, the Frasers are all together. What could go wrong? Probably everything because this is Outlander. Okay, okay that's a little unfair. Brianna's last name is Randall after all, not Fraser.

The fact that Jamie is relieving himself in the alley when he finally meets his daughter had me laughing out loud. Then he touched her face and I was gagging out loud. Dude, gross. Has Claire taught you nothing about hygiene? Sam Heughan does his best to make up for Jamie's lack of hand sanitizer with insanely evocative face acting. And man, does he deliver. Even without words, it was plain to see every painfully joyous and heightened emotion that a daughter would want their long lost father to feel when meeting him. I'd have fully believed it if Jamie had keeled over right there from heat failure. It was exceptionally well done by both actors but only Jamie broke my heart.

Then Bree got to see her mom and that is when I felt like she could breathe again. After the horror she suffered the night before, I can only imagine that whatever small relief there was for her to have, it would be found in the arms of someone she loves and trusts and had missed so much.

I felt terrible for Brianna pretty much straight through. Every time she jumped or flashed back to the attack or started shaking, but especially when she had to walk through the bar and even speak to someone that could've been listening to her scream just half a day before. The exquisite horrors she was trying to compartmentalize and the struggle to keep it tightly bound was astoundingly acted out. Heartwrenching. Then slowly through the hour, she was able to open up to Claire a little more and a little more. As her physical wounds weren't so raw, the others were able to be dealt with. Or at least exposed.

Apart from the long anticipated meeting and reunion scenes, there were so many other beautiful smaller moments. Like Jamie realizing that he doesn't want his daughter to leave and Claire understanding but realizing that Bree will be practically infinitely safer back in the 1900s. And how great was it when Jamie realized what a great shot Brianna was? And Murtagh giving his godson a little peptalk about parenting. They are interesting parallels as parents, aren't they? Jamie has biological children that he didn't get to raise. Murtagh fathered no offspring but had a hand in raising Jamie and looking out for him and protecting him. I wonder if either would trade places with the other given the chance. Probably not. And I really, really loved the whole bee hunting excursion. Father and daughter talked candidly about the Frank that is between them. Bree was able to make peace with the fact that she has two dads and Jamie got a tiny piece of the kind of parental relationship that he once thought would be his whole life. I mean did you see his face light up when he told Claire that he'd been called 'Da'?

Jamie and Claire who never keep secrets both decided that now is the time. Tsk tsk, you guys. At least I think Claire did. Jamie definitely told Ian and Lizzy not to tell his wife and daughter about the unexpected visitor. If either spouse had spoken up instead of choosing this moment to have simultaneous rebellious streaks, then whatever mess Roger is facing next week could've been avoided. Ruh roh.

I find it painfully unbelievable that Jamie wouldn't outright kill the man he thought raped his daughter. Like 100% I'm not buying it. Sorry.

Gosh, this was good. Was it 4 out of 4 good? I just don't know.

3.5 out of 4 Gaelic nicknames.

Bits and pieces

When people are surprised in TV and movies, they often drop whatever they are holding. It almost never looks natural to me.

Was that silversmith's wife coming on to Jamie a few episodes back so that we'd understand why he would assume Bree is hitting on him here? Still bizarre to me.

One thing did pay off, though, now we know why it was important for Lizzie to see Roger and Brianna arguing. Poor Roger.

I'm not saying I want him dead, because Bree loves him and that's her choice to make (because she's an adult and can her own freaking decisions, Roger!!!) but I got a little kick out of Bonnet threatening Roger. That can't say good things about me.

Jamie took Brianna on a hunt for bees and Bree realized she was pregnant while watching a family of birds. The birds and the bees.

Jamie also took Willie hunting when he visited Fraser's Ridge. Family traditions are nice.

On a side note, most birds really freak me out. The ones in this episode were no exception.

They were all freaking in Wilmington and couldn't stop by for Bree to meet Fergus. Stupid. And dumb. Ugh.

But Murtagh got to meet Bree and tell her stories and share meals and it meant so so much to him. Too cute.

Claire looked downright giddy watching her husband and daughter get to know each other. Cute.

What else was in that issue of the newspaper where the obituaries were found? Is there anything they could use to narrow down when the date will be?

Bree means disturbance (among other things?) in Gaelic.

I couldn't find any pictures of Brianna with either of her parents. Frustration station. Edit: I found one and added it below. I couldn't help myself.

Jamie: "What do ye want here, lassie?"
Bree: "You."
Jamie: "I'm sorry, lass. I'm a marrit man. I meant it. I have a wife."
Bree: "Are you... you're Jamie Fraser, aren't you?"
Jamie: "I am. Who asks? You've a message for me, lass?"
Bree: "My name is Brianna. I'm your daughter."
Jamie: "Brianna? Is it true? It's you?"
Bree: "It's me. Can't you tell?"
Jamie: "Aye. Aye, I can."

Ian: "When it comes to you, Auntie Claire, I've learned it's better not to ask too many questions."

Jamie: "I dinna believe it'll be as simple as that. We havenae had much luck changing history in the past, Claire."
I'm with Jamie, y'all. I'm not convinced that the past is changeable in Outlanderverse. I think that everything that happens is how it will always have happened. BUT just because someone printed their names in a newspaper, doesn't mean they are dead. Or will be dead. Whatever. I think the obits will still get printed but my money says they won't be dying in a fire.

Jamie: "This is Brianna, our daughter. Brianna, this is my godfather, Murtagh."
Brianna: "Hi."
Murtagh: "What took you so long, lass?"

Jamie: "She is a gift from me to you... and you to me. And she called me Da."

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