"Sing me a song of a lass that is gone ..."
Hello everyone!
Listen, I have nothing against Outlander. In fact, it's one of my absolute favourite shows, and the cast has wormed its way into my heart and lives there on a permanent basis.
But it's no secret that I haven't been a massive fan of season six.
In fact, this is a season I've loved the least of the lot, despite the fact that there's definitely been questionable choices made back in the day in previous ones.
The problem has to be in its relative shortness, which I know couldn't have been prevented given circumstances - however, coupled with that came what the writers and producers wanted the story to focus on, which didn't help progression any.
When you have books as massive as the Outlander Series, then you need to pick and choose actions and situations which will help you move forward. I'm not convinced that season six managed.
Let's have a quick look at the finale, I Am Not Alone.
The drama continues right where we left off, in that the Brown Committee of Safety (or, self-appointed ass hats) have come to take Claire in for trial, considering she's been accused of murder, and I still don't know just how Richard Brown managed to get there so fast.
In any event, Jamie says hit the road, the house servants scatter for reinforcements, and he and Claire end up under siege in the Big House because it takes these reinforcements FOREVER to arrive. While waiting, they discuss a great number of things, including but not limited to the fact that Himself apparently has nine lives, like a cat, so hopefully this isn't the end for him.
It might have been uglier still even WITH Jamie's reinforcements, and it's not a lot of them, either (you'd think, once they've sworn an oath to their Laird, they'd come, but oaths apparently mean nothing these days), so Jamie makes the decision that he and Claire will go with the Browns.
Tom Christie's going, too. To ensure no more harm is done, considering his fisher folk also came to throw stones, since all of them are so completely innocent and pure (read with sarcasm).
So our duo is packed up in a wagon, and it becomes obvious that Brown's men didn't sign up for this, not the long haul to Wilmington because no other court is either in session, or will do because of connections; thankfully, Young Ian gets the low-down from Lizzie, and he tracks this group down, informing his uncle that he's there, he's not alone, and all Jamie needs to do is give the word.
Jamie doesn't get the chance. Brown separates him from Claire, and it VERY soon becomes obvious he's still salty about his brother even though he talks a big game (listen, anyone who can support the actions of one Lionel Brown is lesser than a cockroach). So he delivers Claire to Wilmington, where Tom promises he'll stick around, while Jamie is apparently being sold as an indentured servant? Slave? Something?
Either way, it's SOMETHING, alright, and honestly did the Brown people REALLY think it would all just go that smoothly? I get that it was the colonies, and they were rumbling with war, but unfortunately for them, Jamie Fraser isn't just some rando they picked off the street - he's a noted landowner, with connections in high places, and people would have missed him. Enough of them would have kicked up a stink about it, too.
I swear, this writing has neither head nor tail, but luckily, Ian and the Cherokee are there to save the day, because Ian isn't stupid and went to get the best help he could; Chief Bird tells Jamie that he promised him he'd fight with him, regardless what the reason is, and before the last of the idiots dies, Ian also promises that the Cherokee know where Claire is.
And I mean, why wouldn't they? Does Jamie really think that Wilmington ISN'T the final destination? What's happened to the usually super smart man???
Meanwhile, Bree and Roger are off on their second honeymoon on the way to the seminary, and they discover that Jemmy has a birthmark that he shares with Roger - and it happens to be hereditary. So, you know, proof positive back in the 18th century that ROGER is the kid's biological dad, not Stephen Bonnet.
Huzzah!
The season ends here, and honestly, it SUFFERED for its shortness. Too much time was spent on Claire's inner monologues and not enough on all the actions around the Ridge that helped bring the conflict to center stage. Personal and historical walk hand-in-hand in the books, and a lot of outside influence actually does influence the Ridge as well, so it doesn't simply become this petty, personal drama.
Plus, so much was left out, and a lot was crammed into earlier seasons, but mostly I'm just really upset how they've chosen to push this forward. A lot feels like it's actually missing, and this season feels more disjointed than the rest, even though it's short.
Not to mention, Show Claire is literally responsible for everything that happens to her because she refuses to adapt to the century she's living in. At least Book Claire has the brains to at least partially accommodate all the backwards stuff going on, not that it helped her, but Show Claire feels like she's a magnet for trouble because she apparently still hasn't learned a thing.
Fingers crossed that the seventh season - currently filming - can fix some things!
xx
*images and video not mine
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