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Outlander: A Hundred Thousand Angels

As a fan and reader of the book series, this television adaptation rarely surprises me. This time it most certainly did.

Before I move on to matters of Faith, I want to acknowledge the early scene where Jamie helped Claire pee in a bucket and refused to leave her alone to do it. One thing I love about Outlander is that it's an adult story. We saw Jamie and Claire fall in love while in their twenties, and now they're hovering around sixty, growing old together. Helping your injured spouse pee is what genuine love is about.

I also liked that Claire insisted on thanking Lord John for saving her life even though it pissed Jamie off, especially when John kept pointedly calling her "Missus Fraser." Was it me, or did that feel like the last time we will see Lord John?

This episode was very much about family connections, including family not of your blood. William went to his adopted father John to find a way to free Jane. When that didn't work, William went to his biological father Jamie, and of course, Jamie agreed to help... after having an overdue discussion with William about Geneva and the circumstances of William's birth.


William may have told Jamie, "I will never call you father," but he has clearly acknowledged the truth to himself. He has seen paintings of the old Earl and his young, beautiful mother, and the answer was obvious. "She was reckless." Jamie didn't even hint that it wasn't his own choice. He also didn't tell William that he stayed on as a groom for years just to be near him, and left only to protect him. Maybe at some point they can talk about this. But not yet.

Faith, and Book Versus Series

Jane Pocock sacrificed herself to save her little sister, and courageously went to her death on her own terms. If Jane was also somehow Jamie and Claire's granddaughter, her life and death was even more tragic.

How could Jane and Fanny possibly be Faith's daughters? This did not happen in Diana Gabaldon's book series, although Gabaldon's short story "The Space Between" confirmed that Maître Raymond is an active time traveler who has "sons and daughters" who also travel. I don't want to go too far into spoiler territory – feel free to look online, of course – but apparently this possible twist is the brainchild of showrunner Matt Roberts, and Diana Gabaldon did not object to it.

It would also mean that William slept with his niece. How could he know?

The rest of the episode was pretty much in line with the books. Jamie and William did try to rescue Jane and she had indeed taken her own life. Jamie and Claire did informally adopt Fanny Pocock. And I again have to praise young Florrie Wilkinson for an exceptional performance as Fanny, as well as Silvia Presente, who was wonderful and memorable as Jane.

Jane's death made me cry. So did the flashbacks to Claire and baby Faith. But Rollo's unexpected departure may have hit me the hardest. Animals do seem to know sometimes, and I can totally believe that Rollo was waiting until Ian wasn't alone before he decided to leave this earth. Just typing this made me cry again. Rollo has been part of the story since the beginning of season four. I'll miss him.


It's not a question of where we belong. It's when

Bree, Jemmy and Mandy reuniting with Roger in front of Lallybroch made me cry, too. (This was definitely a four-hanky episode.)

Bree got to meet and talk with her grandfather Brian, the man she was named for, and he was even wearing Jamie's coat at the time. Brian saw the resemblance, of course. It's a shame Bree couldn't tell him, but he wouldn't have believed her.

And now what? The MacKenzie family is back together, but there is still danger out there in the form of Rob Cameron. It isn't a matter of where do they go, but when.

How about Fraser's Ridge in 1778?

Bits:

— The opener showed a meadow of dragonflies and two girls that could have been Jane and Fanny running to a woman who looked like Claire. Dream? Fantasy? Reality?

— The post-credit scene was the northern lights, a hundred thousand angels dancing who will reach down and carry you to heaven. Jane waved to them and smiled.


— Denzell acknowledged how difficult it was to operate on family, on someone you love. It's not just that Ian has married Denzell's sister; Denzell loves Claire like family. I'm very fond of Denzell.

— The flashbacks to the earlier episodes "Faith" and "Of Lost Things" were more effective than flashbacks have any right to be. Especially Claire singing "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside," written in 1909, to baby Faith. Having Fanny sing it too was a shock.

— Claire's dream about Maître Raymond was also a shock. Of course, this is not the first time that dreams in this show turned out to be real. He asked her forgiveness, presumably for taking Faith. 

— Lafayette inherited Jamie's troops. It doesn't appear that Jamie will be executed for abandoning the battle. I assume.

— I've grown very fond of Buck MacKenzie. Where will he go? Can't we keep him? Couldn't he travel to 1778 with them and start a new life at the Ridge?

Quotes:

Brian: "When Ellen died, I never changed the locks. (Bree looks confused) In grief, some folk find a way to close the door to their hearts, but mine is still wide open, and memories come unbidden even after all this time. So I find myself open to catch a glimpse of her, somewhere. Today, I have seen her in you. I swear you could have been a daughter of ours."

Ian: (to Rachel) "He waited, I think. Until he ken you were here for me."

An unexpected end to the season with as much closure as there were unanswered questions. Four out of four hankies, and please tell me how long we have to wait for the final season?

Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

2 comments:

  1. Jane's death was very sad, although I loved the idea of the Northern Lights carrying her home.

    The reveal that Faith is alive--or was alive, rather--was really shocking to me. It makes me very, very angry at Maitre Raymond. Claire and Jamie carried that grief for so long, and now they'll just grieve that they never knew her.

    Denzell goes to the Ridge too, right? Right?

    I'd also like to keep Buck.

    Congrats on another season wrapped up, Billie! I'm going to cancel my Starz subscription now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just cancelled my Starz subscription, thanks for the reminder. I'm mildly tempted by the new Sam Heughan series, but not right now.

      I'm honestly confused by the possibility that I won't know what they're going to do in the final season. I have some re-reading to do!

      Delete

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