Want to relive Outlander Season 4 Episode 10? We do a minute-by-minute reaction to “The Deep Heart’s Core.”
[8:02 p.m.] It’s going to take a whole lot of mountain man whisky to get that image of Jamie bludgeoning Roger out of my head. Oy. I’m accustomed to this era of film & television (heck, and this show itself) never holding back, but the sights and sounds of someone having the smithereens beaten out of them is something I’ve never been able to stomach.
[8:04 p.m.] Drip, drip, here comes the drama. And I’m certain we’re going to need whisky for it.
[8:05 p.m.] Wee accident by the still, eh? And the seal of lies that will flow freely in this episode hath been broken. That was quick.
[8:06 p.m.] For a fleeting second, I thought Jamie was about to take a shortcut on parenting here using the “there, there lass, you’ll be fine in time” variety. Parenting is not for the faint of heart, after all, and these are not shallow waters Jamie’s jumping into with fatherhood. Alas, shame on me for doubting the King of Men. The ‘ol “walk with me?” works every time.
[8:08 p.m.] Da’s about to reverse psychology all over his modern-day daughter to force the fight out of her and prove a point. Effective, I suppose… but tough to watch. Although, I’m glad they’ve opted to bring this scene from the book to onscreen life.
[8:09 p.m.] “It took courage not to fight.” A solid reminder for all of us that knowing when not to fight can sometimes make you more of a warrior than the moments you choose to fight. That whole fight vs. flight thing isn’t foolproof.
[8:11 p.m.] Um, wow. She just Black-Jacked him and went in for the jugular. Claire certainly detailed all she could about Bree and Frank, but I’m wondering now if Jamie ever inquired what she shared with his daughter about him. His face says he’d sort of hoped and assumed she’d stuck to the rosier details and buried the lead of that time he was brutally raped by another man in prison and left naked and for dead, requiring a herd of Highlander coos and comrades to rescue him. Women have a highly journalistic need for having all the facts. Men never seem to get that.
[8:12 p.m.] These two. They’ve known each other all of six weeks and they’ve advanced expeditiously to the head of the class in the school of father-daughter relationships. No casual chit-chat allowed.
[8:13 p.m.] The child head into shoulder, dad forehead kiss. Is there a safer spot in the world?
[8:14 p.m.] Why hello Roger’s shins! Those pants come with short socks – how dashing! Much like the ring, these pants should get a call-out in the credits as a supporting actor.
[8:15 p.m.] Kudos to the makeup department! They’ve nailed Roger’s fresh-but-healing bruises and puffy eyes eerily well. To think, it’s been a week. How the heck could he even see to walk for the first few days?
[8:16 p.m.] “I can’t die like this… not here, not now.” It’s Roger’s mention of the when more so than the where that’s casually lost on his new walkabout prisoner pal, but not on us.
[8:17 p.m.] Speaking of casual chit-chat… except not at all. Please keep your politics and religion off this little recap, but step with me, if you will, deep into Claire’s shoes for a moment and fathom how in the world you’d be able to emotionally handle being the one to end your daughter’s pregnancy with your first grandchild. That’s the level of anguish we’re tackling here, folks.
[8:18 p.m.] That’s correct, Bree. Just like in basketball, you have to dribble before you can shoot. Yes, I just said that..………………….Are you still here?
[8:10 p.m.] Hope you’re enjoying your time in our little mountain slice of heaven – fresh honey, jovial livestock, family meals, fireside sleeping and whatnot. Because up next, and soon, door #1 – terminate your pregnancy. Door #2 – don’t let the standing stones hit you on your way out. Best of luck.
[8:20 p.m.] “Can ye no be smitten with cousins in your time?” Well, in some states, Da… but not all.
[8:21 p.m.] “And I came here to find you, too.” Oh now stop it. This episode has me all hot and then cold, yes and then no, like a circa-2008 Katy Perry.
[8:23 p.m.] That salad-eating hog is living his best life. Also he’s just surpassed me on vegetable intake this week. Go ahead, piggy, rub it in.
[8:24 p.m.] Yes! More Fraser family meals and farm chores on a running loop to this music! It’s my own personal version of sand raking one of those desktop Zen gardens. Calgon Frasers, take me away. When the soundtrack comes out, I’m going to play this song while I do my “farm chores” – vacuum, stain treat a kindergartner’s clothes, run carpool, the works – and see if it leaves me just as glowy as when the Frasers do theirs.
[8:25 p.m.] Messy cheeseburgers, good music and indoor plumbing. The triumvirate of meaningful life. I love these ladies and their priorities.
[8:26 p.m.] WHY YOU GONNA GO AND DO ME LIKE THAT, OUTLANDER?!? Normally, my essential oil-loving self would recommend she dabble a little lavender oil on before bedtime to help entice slumber. But since I’m already flashing back to when Jamie would dream it was Claire coming to him in his sleep, only to have the face nightmarishly morph into Black Jack’s, perhaps not. *Shudders*
[8:27 p.m.] One has to wonder whether Lizzie will ever feel comfortable losing her own virginity given she’s lived through the agony of her mistress’ assault (and thinking that’s her only experience) in all its painful, graphic detail.
[8:28 p.m.] Bree’s brain is processing at the speed of Alexa, I can see it. Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it…
“FOREBODING MUSIC” – compliments of closed captioning. Ah hell, ya think?
[8:29 p.m.] Me thinks this happy-go-lucky Cracker Barrel breakfast is about to be short-lived. But mmm bacon. I can smell the bacon.
[8:30 p.m.] “I think I’ll, uh, wait outside.” Me too, Murtagh. But let’s grab the ham and biscuits to take with us. How fantastic that Murtagh’s the one with the best social graces of this bunch. I also love that, oh sure, now Ian gets to stay.
[8:31 p.m.] Jamie, stop. Jamie, stop. Jamie, stop. Never mind – Bree handled it. I’m relieved Claire’s not going all Tammy Wynette “Stand By Your Man” here. Because your baby might have a barbed tongue, but your man done mucked things all up to hell.
[8:32 p.m.] And again, FOREBODING MUSIC. “It was him.” This scene. I can’t watch… and yet, I can’t look away. Or rewind it soon enough to watch all over again. And damn that ring again. For real, Frodo, ENOUGH.
[8:33 p.m.] Go back and watch Jamie’s face in reaction to hearing Ian’s admission of selling Roger to the Mohawk. Pretty much this.
Also, for those of you just tuning in, this is not the Golden Globes. That’s on another channel. This is the Golden Gloves. And to catch you up, Bree’s two for three on cold-cocking meddling friends and family members. Lizzie, you might want to join Murtagh and me outside with the ham and biscuits. I’m just sayin’.
[8:34 p.m.] “You do not get to be more angry than me.” Two things are happening here: Bree’s finding that, this time, she’ll resort to the fight. And two, Sophie Skelton is making it abundantly clear why she can hold her own as Bree, thank you very much.
[8:35 p.m.] And we’re walking, we’re walking, we’re walking. I never took Roger the historian for a hike-the-whole-Appalachian-Trail kind of outdoorsy lad, but here he is about to conquer it. In culottes and short socks no less.
[8:36 p.m.] The man came 200 years to look after her, so 700 miles to do the same for him seems reasonable. Plus, she walked all over Scotland with a busted ankle and a visible bosom! Girl’s got this.
[8:37 p.m.] You getting the impression from all the “dear god, seriously?” looks Claire and Murtagh keep tossing about that they just want to go off for a drink together and commiserate on the collective arsehatery that has driven us to this place?
[8:38 p.m.] I love that Bree’s likened her da and cousin to Dumb and Dumber (the haircuts are equally questionable) and knows that their best chance of success is to send a capable, strong woman to accompany them. Well, duh.
[8:39 p.m.] Wait, what? Aunt Jocasta?! Leave them with Murtagh! He’s for sure the best caregiver 18thCenturyCare.com has to offer. Then again, Murtagh seemed mighty intrigued by at the prospect of reacquainting himself with the love of his life’s sister, sooo… chop chop, ladies, time to hit the road!
[8:40 p.m.] Scooch over, Fraser’s Ridge goats – where you sleep, so, too, shall Jamie Fraser tonight. And possibly a few nights thereafter.
[8:41 p.m.] I really wanted Bree to pull out one of those big head caricature drawings of Roger you’d get on the streets of New York or at a carnival. After all, he certainly acted like a clown. On the other hand, I’m just glad she possesses some drawing skills. If I were in her shoes, I’d be like – here’s my husband… have you seen him? Well, have you, have you?
[8:42 p.m.] That’s a heck of a talk track Bree just tasked Claire with delivering upon finding Roger. “Oh hey, it’s you. What a relief. So glad you’re [sort of okay]. Bree? Um…oh…right…about her. See, here’s the thing. Bree’s not with us. She’s hundreds of miles away gestating your baby. Well, we think it’s yours. Because an hour after you deflowered her in the Pep Boys, she was raped. And you weren’t there because you all got in a tiny scuffle and you ran off like a temperamental toddler. Hrrmph. Walk [700 miles] with me?”
[8:43 p.m.] Oh Ian, this is North Carolina, not Arkansas.* Also, file this dialogue under “unnecessary”– book scene or not.
*I love you, Arkansans.
[8:44 p.m.] Blink and you missed it, but in the middle of this warm matronly embrace, Jamie just skirted right around the back of that horse. And after how badly he’s botched this whole Roger thing, every part of me was hoping that horse would kick him in a few precarious places.
[8:45 p.m.] So many road trips! I wonder if they waited until the last minute to pack like I always do. Also, I hope they’ve loaded up plenty of snacks. I prefer Combos and Smartfood, but based on their earlier conversation, I’m guessing that’s not an option. But going with Uncle Murtagh so makes up for it.
[8:46 p.m.] Alternate titles for this episode included “Roger’s A Walk in the Woods,” “Roger’s A Walk to Remember” and, my personal favorite, “We’ve Burned One Quarter of a Precious Episode Showing a Man Walking.”
[8:47 p.m.] Wow, was that spring water Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth perhaps? Roger fell much further than Bree did and look at him go! Not a limp to be had! So spry and Baywatch-like! Only 700 miles to go!
[8:48 p.m.] This can’t end well for you, lad. And not just because I’ve read the books. More so because, unlike The Hunger Games, the odds are not ever in your favor. The Redcoats Mohawk are on your tail, Claire Roger.
[8:49 p.m.] Sooo, this is your great aunt’s house. I spent my whole life in love with her sister, your grandmother. It’s been 50+ years since I saw her. Yep, she has slaves. Caught up? Let’s head inside unannounced!
[8:50 p.m.] Oh my, Murtagh, what wonderful hands you have. Ahhh love, exciting and new. Come aboard… we’ve all sort of been expecting you, you re-imagined Drums of Autumn storyline, you.
[8:51 p.m.] “Um yep, what she said.” We’re with you, Ulysses – that’s one hell of a letter, written or paraphrased verbally.
[8:52 p.m.] “Of course you may stay with us.” Take the purple room, Bree! Purple for days!
[8:53 p.m.] Honeyyyyyy, get the Epipen! No wait, it’s just another one of those damnable standing stones (now that’s convenient!). Same buzzing difference. Side note – are those the same stones from the crazy premiere opener?
[8:55 p.m.] Unlike two episodes ago, I find myself now yelling “Roger, touch nothing!” loudly at the screen. But I empathize with his angst of what to do, all the way down my full-length pants and into my toes. It’s like watching Claire all over again… sort of.
Closing Thoughts:
JHRC, what a doozy! We’ve been left with a cliffhanger the size of the Fraser’s Ridge Olan Mills backdrop, though I suspect with two seasons still to go, Roger’s about as likely to go through those stones as Bree is to marry her prepubescent-looking cousin (sorry, John Bell). Also, who knew that inadvertently spending a few days with Laoghaire would be the least traumatic thing Bree would experience in the 18th century?
In between a few throw-away moments (cough, Ian, cough; walk, Roger, walk), the Outlander powers that be doled out some dynamic gems. Chief among them were father and daughter comparing grief and recovery paths in the wake of an assault, Claire’s tender but direct care of her daughter and that entire ensemble scene in the cabin (how was the ham, Murtagh?). I can imagine the challenge show producers and writers face today with trying to strike a delicate balance between giving a storyline the runway needed for it to play out completely and rushing a conclusion too quickly. Similarly, I suspect the Outlander team – with only 13 hours at their hands to bring a rather dense book to screen – felt tasked with the same. I worried we’d trudge through too many episodes with the secrets of last week still hanging in the air like the stench of Roger’s well-worn socks. For this reason, I’m relieved we didn’t have to live out the “she knows he knows, but does he know she knows we know?” nonsense too long and cut right to the chase of airing everyone’s dirty laundry this week.
I know we all suspected our days of staying cozy in the homestead on the ridge eating various pork byproducts and watching Claire garden her days away were numbered, but I’m still going to miss this middle part of the season immensely. The part where trouble and trauma befell our beloved crew, but they tackled it at home with meaningful conversation, time spent together and comforting hugs. Oh so many hugs. With only three episodes to go, I’m not sure I’m ready for the obligatory “Quick! Run over here… now let’s go there! Wait, now here!” part that accompanies every Outlander season to kick in and suck up the rest of our precious time in Season 4. I better start stretching and hydrating now. So. Much. Walking.
Until next week, friends…
If you’ve missed any of our Season 4 episode recaps, you can catch up with them here:
Episode 4.01: “God Bless America”
Episode 4.02: “Do No Harm”
Episode 4.03: “The False Bride”
Episode 4.04: “Common Ground”
Episode 4.05: “Savages”
Episode 4.06: “Blood of My Blood”
Episode 4.07: “Down the Rabbit Hole”
Episode 4.08: “Wilmington”
Episode 4.09: “The Birds & The Bees”
A complete library of recaps from Seasons 2-3 is also available here.
I just found you this season…I love it! I had to go back and read all of the past (especially the reunion “I canna breathe”). But this one? Funniest. Yet. Thanks for the laughs!
And you’re not even finished. I didn’t realize this was truly real time! I watched in on demand ?
Well now I find myself smiling like Ian, Kate. Thank you! And yes, they are often in real-time. I took a break in December (llama llama holiday drama and whatnot) but am back! Thank you!
I love your play-by-play commentary. It’s so refreshing, and your comments are HILARIOUS. I’m trying to find out how you felt about J&C’s perfectly constructed cabin in the woods. Shouldn’t it have been a bit more rustic? It looks better than my present house, lol. Thank you for what you do!
Love your blog! Thanks so much for the weekly connection.
I agree! Dear Outlander: Please don’t spend our precious hour on anything but the meat – #rogerwalksonandonandon.
Love you Bree/Sophie!! Wow!! And Claire standing by her girl – as a Mama should.
Murtagh. That’s all, just wanted to say it!
Mary, love your comment and the new hashtag #rogerwalksonandon. Fantastic. Thank you!
Love your blog, glad I found it! All that slapping by Bree had me feeling all kinds of emotions. Bree has a sharp tongue and now a quick hand, it was a bit much. And poor Roger…I wouldn’t blame him to go back in to his time.
#PoorRoger is catching on. It’s just not his year – and I don’t mean the passage of a year so much as the actual year he jumped back into. So glad you found the blog posts!
The ‘let all the hair fly’ moment in the cabin was hard to watch because Bree was so bratty and on a high horse with Jamie about Roger’s beating. I understand why she’d be angry when he learns that she had sex with Roger and erupts, but it bothered me that she acted as though her anger was justified when we all know (and Jamie says) that he didn’t know it was Roger. Of course he flew off into a rage to protect Bree. I would think that would occur to her. I felt they wanted to show Bree as “strong” (slap here, punch there) but I felt she was out of control.
I didn’t feel Jamie deserved this high-handed wrath.
I know the show crew wanted to show Claire being loyal to Bree in this moment, but it felt just awful that she didn’t at least tell Bree, ‘look, I’m concerned about Roger too, but your father was just trying to protect you’. The secret Claire kept from Jamie felt much worse than Jamie keeping a secret about the beating. I liked that Jamie confronts her on keeping this knowledge from him. Though uncharacteristically, they don’t talk about it (or confront each other) right then and there.
Also, why didn’t Claire tell Jamie the full story about how Roger was there and that he and Bree were handfast and then had sex just before she was raped? If he had known, he wouldn’t have said what he said to Bree in the cabin and Bree call him “a savage.”
I agree about Roger’s endless walking. A waste of time. I noticed Claire is wearing that big gem around her neck. That portends something, I’m sure.
I agree Lauren! You’ve said it very well.
From my point of view, Bree is behaving like a spoiled brat. She didn’t seem to have the inner strength or maturity to take any degree of responsibility for the situation.
Yep, me too. Some sloppy writing in this episode during that scene. Bree could’ve still raged but the conversation clearing everything up needed to be made by CLAIRE. She let her two loves misunderstand each other, that’s bad management…..
Writers must’ve been behind on deadline or just lazy to not give this draft a thorough character glance.
Show Claire and book Claire wouldn’t let the bad blood exist between these two.
I just don’t think we can fathom how we might react if we’d been through what she’s gone through. She did come off like a spoiled brat… but then I had to think – well hell, would I act much better (I hope so, but who knows) if I’d found out my already-dead parents were going to die, jumped back in time, walked across a country, traveled months by boat to find them, found the love of my life unexpectedly first, married him and lost my virginity before getting raped in the same night, then found my parents and settled in, only to figure out I’m pregnant and my dad beat the hell out of my likely baby daddy b/c he didn’t have all the facts. After everything that came before that last part, I hope I would act better but I just don’t know.
Completely agree with your take on this episode. Bree came off as a modern day spoiled brat.
Your comment about how Claire could have headed this off at the pass is so true. But… Hindsight, right? In the moment, we have a knee-jerk reaction. Interesting, though, that she left it at – she was raped and now she’s pregnant. You’d think Jamie of all people would understand the unfortunate combo of love/lust experiences mixed in with traumatic ones.
The issue for me was in that moment in the cabin was that Bree already knew that Jamie got the wrong information from Lizzie about the man he beat up. Lizzie had just told Bree that. But instead, Bree acted as if Jamie knew that it was Roger that he beat up. She acted as though Ian knew too. They didn’t know, and Bree knows that.
Bree should have reigned herself in and stop blaming and hitting Jamie and Ian when they were innocent of what she accused them of and instead they thought they were protecting her. I blame this partly on the writing. It made Bree look clueless and bratty. And then she continued to be haughty in the fireside scene, demanding that they all just leave Fraser’s Ridge without a thought about what that means for their life there. Also, she’d had time to think about it, and still blames them. Hadn’t she reflected at all on the fact she blamed innocent parties? It was Lizzie that needed to a talking to. Bree needs to apologize to Jamie.
Claire really shouldn’t have kept that secret from Jamie. That’s no small broken trust between them. It really hurt Jamie and you could see that in both of their faces (his cold, hers sorrowful) at the end. In the script it says Jamie was going to tell her that he didn’t tell her about the beating because he didn’t want her to fear the rapist was nearby. At least you can see his reasoning.
Cracker Barrel Breakfast = A +
Husband portrait =A++
Loved this! Any chance you ever do live watch along recordings? I’d love to hear you say all this stuff in my ears while I do my “farm chores.”
Jess, HA! For all the magic that Bear McCreary’s music does to your ears, I assure you that having my rattly, snarky voice coming at you while you watch would do the EXACT opposite.
Hi Ashley!
How are you? Oh I just love your thoughts and observations!
Wow, I had to laugh at your “Waste of time, Roger’s walking.” I thought the exact same thing!
One scene would have been more than enough. In Season 1 there were too many voiceovers, and I think in this season they are not enough: Much of what we are seeing could be done in voice over so we don’t have to waste gobs and acres of time on mundane or stupid stuff and get to the meat and potatoes of what we want to see.
Just some thoughts.
There were a couple of giggle moments: Ian mostly. With him getting down on one knee to propose to Bree and Jamie telling him “Get up you idiot,” well, it had me chuckling. (marrying your first cousin is downright wrong)
Jamie has such a wonderful sense of humor, and they don’t showcase it well enough to suit me, especially this season.
Now, I loved the scene in which Jamie literally pulls Bree out of her helplessness and tells her that it often takes more courage not to fight, but to survive.
The mention of Black Jack’s rape of Jamie was a kind of bonding between father and daughter. Good God, any rape crisis counselor should charge all the Frazier’s the family rate!
Wow, the episode unraveled though with the knock-down-drag-out in the cabin.
I mean this in a good way: Lizzie and Ian were there almost to break the tension, yet there is often comedy in stressful situations like this.
I’m in the minority here once again: I loved how Bree handled this. I don’t think she was being bratty at all.
Lizzie, Ian and Jamie needed that come-to Jesus talk.
As a modern woman of the 1970’s (and that was a time where the women’s movement was strong–what the hell happened? It’s 2019 and…?)
But all of the men: Jamie and Ian were making all of the decisions for her, without even consulting Bree or ascertaining any of the facts.
I would have been shouting too. And I’m sorry, Jamie Frazier might be the king of men, but he was acting like a dick.
He deserved much more than one slap if you ask me: His attitude was right out of The Reckoning, That just because Bree had had sex before she was raped, somehow she deserved it?
I would have slapped him again.
I thought Jamie learned more sensitivity: He was quite kind to Mary Hawkins when she had been raped, and didn’t make ignorant or insensitive comments.
Bree was 100 percent right when she told Jamie, “In no way do you get to be angrier than me.”
Oh but she knows how to aim that dart when she told Jamie “My father would never have said those things to me.”
She knew it would hurt Jamie. And yes, I think Frank would have been strong, supportive and sturdy for Bree, letting her cry it out, and then he would have searched for Bonnet going all Black Jack and interrogative on him.
I swear at the end I mostly thought of a swarm of bees when Roger approached the standing stone
Crazy the stuff you think of.
Just some thoughts of mine
Dawn – LOVE your thoughts and I’m in your camp this week. There are so many could’ve, would’ve, should’ves that played into how everyone reacted and behaved in this scene – Bree, Claire and Jamie primarily. Ian and Lizzie did as they should – the oh sh*t, we’ve done it now look.
Hello there, Ahley! So…
Roger leaves Bree at night on her own and doesn’t show up again til the next day. Initially, she doesn’t tell Jamie and Claire she was raped by Bonnet. Subsequently, she tells Claire, but Claire doesn’t share that with Jamie. Lizzie (Lizzy?) talks plenty, but based on false assumptions, and she is the one who got this whole bloody mess rolling. Yet, now Jamie is the one in any trouble here. Yep, I get that he’s the one who pummeled Roger, but he thought Roger was Bree’s rapist, and only because of YOU, Lizzie. In the book, when Jamie realizes this was in error he is shocked, mortified. And if I remember correctly, Bree did not berate him with my father this and that, and you’re a savage, Jamie. That reeeeally crossed the line for me. That whole Frank reference was unnecessary and I’m losing my patience with them interjecting that, especially without one peep from Claire, other than, “Bree…” Instead, a number of times they had Claire standing there, practically mute. Really, Claire? You can’t jump in there with some let’s have cooler heads prevail, and a here’s how/why speech; aren’t we all a bit duplicitous line? Are we supposed to believe that she has no inkling of interjecting something here to get things right, especially between the two she loves most in the world? The two she has gone through hell for? Not saying Bree doesn’t have a right to be upset, but the self righteousness is not appealing. And a mute Claire? Puh-leeze!
I watched this episode a few times before I could even see straight! It wasn’t the worst, by far, and if you go online and read the script for this episode as it was originally written, more things make sense, but then it is verrrry frustrating that it was omitted, to say the least. They deleted some key scenes that would’ve added greatly to the narrative, and I too could’ve used a lot less Roger walking in the woods. IMHO this was not the best written episode, but adding the kind of editing they did on top of that made it less palpable for me. Don’t think this writer “gets” Jamie… Remember what a dream #409 was?! You know, JUST LAST WEEK?! My frustration since Season 1 (and, sorry Starz, but that set the bar, and made me subscribe to your network for the first time ever) is that the subsequent seasons have writing that is uneven, from writer to writer. I’m not married to the books, so it doesn’t have to necessarily follow them to a “T”, but just show continuity with the characters. As a matter of fact, I typically really enjoy the series story changes, so that has never been my issue. I get to be surprised as well! The casting, and acting on this show are brilliant! Bottom line for me has been, and will continue to be, dodgy writing/editing. Oh sure, for anything I watch, but this is Outlander, freakin’ OUTLANDER, and it is the first time in my considerable number of years that I would even have thought to have a conversation about it! Because I, as always, love all things OUTLANDER. Regardless…
Kimber, Actually Bree does put the Frank jab at Jamie in the books. It’s a much more intense shouting match between Bree and Jamie in the book – two Frasers going at it (remember Jamie and Jenny?) with no possibility of anyone else getting a word in or being able to get them to reason. The writers should have had Claire trying to intervene more however unsuccessfully and show her complete distress at the two she loves most tearing each other apart. I understand time constraints and maybe this was the case in the script but the editing didn’t help – I should read the script to see. There is blame to go around and this is what happens when truth comes to light. Glad the show stuck to that. Also in the book, it was a month or so before Roger even showed up on the Ridge and everyone was looking out for him since Bree knew he would come w/ gemstones (which is why he left her in the first place – to steal gems from Bonnet). So they changed that in the show and Roger looks more of a jerk as well as everyone else. More drama I guess.
I rather liked the episode since I’m a book reader and knew to fill in the blanks left by the constraints of a TV show. Agree less Roger walking (same w/ Bree walking – waste of time).
Thanks for expressing your thoughts, Cindy! I’m an older bookreader, and read the early books years ago, none of them recently. Again, I’m not married to them, so that doesn’t matter to me. In past wks I’ve expressed what an amazing job they’ve done, over the years, condensing hundreds of pages into 13 episodes! This show, like any, are all about filling in the blanks so that is not unique whether you’ve read the books or not. As always we are clearly free to differ in not only what we glean from the show, but in expressing what we prefer or what are looking for in watching it. Happily will stick with my own preferences, books or no. Difference. It’s what helps the world go ’round!
Butting in here just to say that I love everything about this friendly banter. So fun to read different perspectives. And I enjoy that you’ve found a home for them here.
Totally get it! As I just said to Martha (pasting here) – I just don’t think we can fathom how we might react if we’d been through what she’s gone through. She did come off like a spoiled brat… but then I had to think – well hell, would I act much better (I hope so, but who knows) if I’d found out my already-dead parents were going to die, jumped back in time, walked across a country, traveled months by boat to find them, found the love of my life unexpectedly first, married him and lost my virginity before getting raped in the same night, then found my parents and settled in, only to figure out I’m pregnant and my dad beat the hell out of my likely baby daddy b/c he didn’t have all the facts. After everything that came before that last part, I hope I would act better but I just don’t know.
I sincerely hope the Season 4 DVD comes with one whole disc of Fraser Ridge moments played out to that music. I will live in it for days.
Right? I’ll find me a Clarence and a pig to play with and tend to if it means I get to live in that on repeat.
In defense of Jamie, Brianna and Clair withheld info from him. Brianna withheld info from her maid. It was all a bad misunderstanding, and hardly all Jamie’s fault.
Frankly, it’s my opinion that it’s all Rogers fault for leaving her. And then not leaving a note for her before boarding Bonnet’s boat. That said, Brianna and Roger have all the sex appeal of congealed scrambled eggs. And I’m losing interest. They’re annoying me because they’re infantile. Their love science left me cold.
scen, not science. Sorry
correction:scene, not science. Sorry
Pamela,
I so agree about Roger and Bree. They aren’t interesting and they are sure not believable as being in love. It feels like this relationship is being pasted on to the show, and they’re spending way too much time with it. Time taken away from Jamie and Claire. I hold my nose when I watch Bree and Roger scenes.
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, medicine goooooo downnnnnnnnnnn. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Pamela – I had some actual, serious replies to give you… but then snort laughed at “all the sex appeal of congealed scrambled eggs” and none of it matters anymore. LOLOLOL!
Hey Ashley, another great recap and they just keep getting better! I’m so glad I found out about it and I can get my coffee time + outlander recap time! Yay!
Man, this episode got me all like… to quote Captain Ray Hold from the hit comedy Brooklyn Nine Nine: “HOT DAMN, HOT DAMN, HOT DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!”.
The stone(s), the SLAPS (at one point I thought Bree is gonna come out of my TV and slap me too), the incestuous proposal, Jamie’s reverse psychology stunt, the: can’t you be smitten with you own cousin (of course not!! wth! marrying your cousin? What the actual f*&* 18th century people?), Roger’s pants again (I’m with you on that Ashley). Great episode all in all, can’t wait for the next one and seeing how all of this works out.
Nancy, I love that we get weekly coffee dates together!
Women have a highly journalistic need for having all the facts. Men never seem to get that. So on the money!
Right? I send my husband into every situation (more so the ones that involve planning or resolving conflict with his side of the family) with this, “Get Ashley-level details please.” I’m female with a degree in journalism – the request is steep, I know, but necessary.
I agree with Lauren on every point. Claire didn’t support Jamie and talk Bree down off the wall. I felt that Bree acted like a spoiled brat. Once she understood why Jamie beat up Roger, she should have had a change of heart. All that wrath towards her father who was attempting to defend her honor was inappropriate. Roger’s trip…all the walking…way too much air time on it.
There have been only a few episodes that I felt had a weak script. This is one of them.
But…it doesn’t matter. I adore Outlander and will be sad when this season ends.
I love reading these recaps! I totally agree with “We’ve Burned One Quarter of a Precious Episode Showing a Man Walking.” Seriously a scene or two would have been fine. This season has overall been disappointing to me, not nearly enough Jamie and Claire, and I really don’t love the Bree/Roger relationship. I didn’t like it that much in the books, but I like it less in the show.
Thanks for reading the recaps! See, I do love this season. It’s the closest to the quality of S1 I feel like we’ve seen. At least parts of it – namely the Fraser’s Ridge life parts. I’m not live-or-die for Roger/Bree but hoping it comes at some point as they factor largely into future seasons.
I had a thought on the Roger walking scenes: Yes, I think it was there to show that Roger was making his way to New York (and years ago it was referred to as New Amsterdam)
But also I think from a television standpoint, it might have been that the powers that be wanted to end the scene with Roger at the stones: The will-he -or won’t he go through. (and we’ve seen that several times before)
Maybe the show was running a little too short.
Does anyone wonder what Ian and Lizzy thought about Brianna’s comment about her “father” never would have said that? What if anything do they know about Frank?
MG – So. Damn. Valid. Fair warning – your thought is in the start of this week’s recap, giving you full credit.
Love the recap Ashley and the comments. I just really have to say I’m SO disappointed in this entire season. The endless minutes wasted on Roger walking in this last episode!!! And yes…the pretty ridiculous scene in the cabin where Bree did act like an immature teenager and Claire staying quiet while her husband and daughter continue to misunderstand each other…unrealistic. Writing this season is different, dull!!! And if upcoming seasons focus is on Bree/Sophie and Roger/Richard…they are going to lose many viewers. These two have ZERO chemistry and their love story is boring and not believable. I haven’t read the books, but I hope and pray that future seasons stay focused on Claire and Jamie. They are Outlander!
I agree that the writing is quite different: The writers did seem to take the focus off of Jamie and Claire.
I do like the simple, quiet moments between them. I do love the homey Fraizer’s Ridge stuff.
But in the name of God, the only sex scene to speak of was Bree and Roger and last night’s Lord John with some BORING idiot with mommy-issues.
And then there was Bree’s rape.
Would it kill the powers that be to put in a hot sex scene for Jamie and Claire? Sex is so much a part of who they are, it’s electric when they are together.
The Jamie and Claire of past seasons would have had sex all over the mountains by now, if their house was filled with other people.
I’ll be happy to write something, if they’d like… (wink)
Dawn, I mean I won’t complain if more of your gripe finds its way into lovely show scenes by the end. 🙂