"Sometimes the truth really does hurt."
Hello everyone!
I hope you're staying safe, wherever you are. A lot of people still seem to believe this is some sort of time for vacation and visiting with friends you haven't had the chance to see because of work and other family matters, but, really.
It ISN'T.
It's the time to practice social distancing, washing your hands often (for 20 seconds if at all possible), using hand sanitizer when you can (as often as possible) and just keeping to yourselves so everyone can stay safe.
Please, PLEASE listen to the guidelines given by health care providers and officials! They're there for a reason, not to wave your hand at and say 'eh, I'm healthy as a horse'. It doesn't work that way. What if you just become the carrier, and pass it on to someone elderly, or someone with an autoimmune disease?
Think about it. And stay at home.
While you're there, a good way to pass the time is Outlander; if you've caught up with all the old seasons, check out the newest episode, Perpetual Adoration.
In our fifth episode of the fifth season, things are finally starting to come to a head, even if, as many reader and watcher has commented before, The Fiery Cross is probably one of the most ambling novels Diana Gabaldon has written. It reflects in the show, as well.
Personally, I don't really mind. I enjoy reading about life on the Ridge.
Plus this show isn't all about sex and action, either.
But I digress!
Our storyline is fractured, and we actually get to see flashbacks this time. Colour me confused when the episode opens and there sits Claire, in a cathedral, in her American garb!
But through these flashbacks, we learn that she was working with a patient, Graham Menzies (a Scot), preparing him for his gallbladder surgery, but unfortunately he passes before she can get there. The reason: he was allergic to penicillin, the very remedy Claire is desperate to hasten the discovery of in the 18th century in her surgery.
She explains it to Bree when they meet for lunch that there's a VERY small chance of a false negative on the test they administer before giving a patient penicillin, and unfortunately Menzies fell into that category.
The lesson here is: you just never really know. And Claire is well aware of it, even as she tests Kezzie and Josiah Beardsley, before attempting to remove their tonsils.
Marsali is her staunchest supporter, however: she says that good things happen more often than not when Claire holds her scalpel, and she has to have faith in that. Indeed, this entire episode is very heavily faith-centric, much more than any other Outlander episode previously (at least from memory).
Considering she promised, either way, Claire proceeds to successfully remove the tonsils, although everyone else around her (maybe not Marsali and Arch Bug, though) is pretty freaked out by the blood involved.
Did nobody inform them this stuff is usually bloody?
Not quite as bloody as what's happening in Hillsborough with Himself, however.
The militia receive a lukewarm welcome, even after they introduce themselves as loyal to the Governor, and you can clearly see lines being drawn and sides being taken, which will have a massive effect later during the Revolution. Jamie meets up with Knox, who is dismayed that the Governor has disbanded the militias and will pardon the Regulator leaders.
All of them? asks our Jamie.
All, answers Knox, save Murtagh Fitzgibbons.
Mmph, is Jamie's very Scottish response to that one, and he can see trouble a-brewing when Knox admits he's sent for the prisoner rolls of Ardsmuir, to see if any name pops up on there that might reveal a potential ally for Murtagh in the colonies.
And we all know whose name is on that list.
Jamie knows, too.
He tells Knox himself.
In a bold move, Jamie reveals that he's a pardoned Jacobite; I'm a little hazy on the details, but wouldn't Governor Tryon already know about all this? Or did John Grey somehow bury that information so deep it couldn't be reached? Apparently that's not the case, given how easily Knox received the name roll, so again: correct me if I'm wrong, but Tryon should already know all of this, and his biggest issue is that Jamie is a Catholic (Catholics being by law forbidden to hold any land).
So then, what IS the issue?
I do seem to be missing something, because if Tryon knew about Jamie already, then Knox's threats should have only elicited a laugh from our Fraser and a shrug, but that's the catalyst which results in Jamie suffocating Knox to death, to prevent him from sharing what he found out.
He then proceeds to destroy the evidence, start a fire, and hightail it out of there, finding a kitten in the alleyway on his way out - the fact he threatens to throttle an inarticulate little cutie is kind of funny on top of all that.
I'm on the fence whether it would have been better if he'd rushed over to help the men with Knox or just left like he and Fergus ended up doing - I've read too much Agatha Christie.
BUT, that aside, Jamie then returns to the Ridge and presents Claire with the little Adso, probably the cutest cast member of all time, because that kitten is EVERYTHING.
Jamie also has a lot to tell his wife - and she him.
Because she's been busy, too.
Quite besides operating on the twins, Claire also had a little heart-to-heart with Roger, who got into it with Bree.
Why did he do it, you ask?
Well, his initial return was joyful - and sexy - but afterwards, he discovers a gem he knows belonged to Stephen Bonnet. When confronting Bree about it, she admits that Bonnet gave it to her in prison, where she'd gone to visit him, as a means to give herself some closure, and Bonnet peace.
Unfortunately, this is a bit of a controversial and delicate topic to begin with, and there are lots of people who agree it wasn't the smartest thing for Bree to do, BUT that aside, the bigger problem is something else.
Bree was very willing to tell Bonnet the child she was carrying at the time was his - as a sense of peace and closure for the man before his death.
However, Roger points out - and rightly so - that she's never ACTUALLY said those words to him.
Then he storms off.
I get him, I really do. Even when directly confronted, even though all she had to do was open her mouth, Bree couldn't bring herself to say she thought Jemmy was Roger's, whereas she'd been pretty easy on the confession to Bonnet. Naturally, this hurts Roger a hell of a lot, although (also naturally) this gets somehow turned around into more victimizing for Bree and Roger apologising to her after speaking with Claire (and Claire imparting that she doesn't believe the truth is always the right thing to say, which UGH gives me hives because that's such a bad thing to impart!).
The young-uns do seem to be on the same page about getting the hell out of the 18th century now, however, as Bree reveals she believes Bonnet is searching for her and Jemmy. So there's a silver lining there.
But that whole storyline left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth, though at least the action is moving forward now. The following looks to be another explosive one, so you don't want to miss it.
Until next week, clan!
xx
*images and video not mine
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