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The revolution is here, Sassenachs! Well, kinda. This season’s fifth episode of “Outlander” has us spend time out of the inter-settler drama happening at Fraser’s Ridge and getting into the sticky political machinations of the upcoming American Revolution, especially for the one and only Jamie Fraser.
This episode has more than just the Scottish Jacobites splitting over what side of the rebellion they should back. It also has burned finger bones, a tar-and-feather attempt, a flashback to Scotland, and someone singing the yet-to-be-written military tune, the Colonel Bogey March.
Let’s get into it! And be warned: Spoilers abound below for the “Outlander” episode, “Give Me Liberty.”
It’s Time To Head Over The Sea, To Skye
This episode, like the premiere episode for this season, starts out back in Scotland decades before Jamie and Claire settle down in Fraser’s Ridge. In it, we see three figures walking on the beach, one of whom we realize is the Bonnie Prince himself — Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the man the Jacobites tried to make their King instead of bowing to England — fleeing in defeat and dressed up as an old lady.
Leading him to safety is Flora MacDonald, a Scottish woman who gets him past some redcoats and onto a boat to cross the sea to Skye. If the last words I typed there sound familiar, that’s because the theme song for this show is based on an 1884 folk song of this very event! Time is a flat circle. To commemorate the occasion, the opening song is sung in Gaelic, and while I don’t speak Gaelic, I’d bet a dram of whiskey that the lyrics are the original rather than the modified ones for the show.
Song over, we jettison back to the “present” day. Jamie has resigned as Indian Agent and the governor is none too pleased. We see the governor, in fact, talking to “Outlander” favorite, the very handsome Lord John. For those who need a reminder, Lord John is a very attractive Englishman who has an unrequited love for Jamie and is also raising Jamie’s son William. The two are close, and Lord John simply cannot believe that Jamie would go against the Crown.
Lord John is going to get a big surprise this episode! The two run into each other at a party that Flora MacDonald is holding (yes, that Flora we met in the flashback) in Wilmington, North Carolina. Lots of people are at this party actually — Aunt Jocasta is there as well, and Jamie can’t help but be upset that she sent Fergus to run a printing press away from Fraser’s Ridge.
To Join The Sons Of Liberty Or Not?
Both Lord John and Aunt Jocasta are not on the same side as Jamie about the upcoming war (and neither is Flora, this whole party is to get Jacobites to stay on the Crown’s side). John is appalled that Jamie is joining the Sons of Liberty and is working against the Crown. Jamie, however, knows how things turn out because his wife and daughter are from the future. He can’t tell John or his Aunt Jocasta that, however, and he can understand their point of view — he even admitted to Claire earlier that he likely wouldn’t have sided with the Sons of Liberty if he didn’t have a future wife.
But Jamie does know, and so he makes connections with the Sons of Liberty to meet in the pub of the inn he’s staying at. His first meeting with their leader goes well, but the group goes sour against him when he and Lord John stop anti-Loyalists from tar and feathering a printer who made some Flora Macdonald flyers at the behest of his Aunt.
Jamie scolds the Sons of Liberty for their point of view and tells them to be better, boys. Let’s hope they listen to Jamie, aka the best man in the world.
There’s one other development in North Carolina — there’s another future person there! A man off-screen gets arrested for trying to steal Flora’s emerald necklace. The man is in jail, but he managed to grab an emerald out of the setting. You need a jewel to pass through the stones, and since he’s whistling the tune to the Colonel Bogey March, we know he’s at least from 1914 or later.
We end the episode with him just about to turn around, so I have a feeling we might recognize him when we presumably see his face next week.
Meanwhile, Back At Fraser’s Ridge
Back at Fraser’s Ridge, Roger eventually realizes he’s spending too much with the widow and that people are using it against him. One of those people is Malva, who Roger catches hanky-panky-ing around with a young Mr. Henderson. Malva says she’ll tell everyone she saw Roger kissing the widow if he tells her father, so Roger reluctantly covers for her. He does stop going to the widows though and has Mr. Henderson help the widow and her son out instead, probably in part so he will have less opportunity to get into it with Malva.
In better news, Bree is pregnant and very happy about it! Roger knows and Marsali figured it out, but Bree wants to be the one to tell her mom.
In less good news, Bree, Lizzie, and Malva find the remains of a love spell in the woods that involved the use of seaweed and finger bones. The charm is called “Venom of the North Wind,” because who doesn’t express their love through venom, seaweed, and burned fingers?
At the end of the episode, we find out that it’s Malva who has been cutting off the fingers of a corpse in the woods. She’s the one casting the spell! Who she’s casting it on, however, remains a mystery. Jamie, perhaps? Or Ian? I’m sure we’ll find out!
Other Thoughts
- There were a lot of Macdonalds in this episode and they all joked about how they’re all kind of related to each other. Flora and her husband were both Macdonalds before getting married, which everyone thought was quite funny. Incest jokes are hilarious.
- There is one (1) Black person in this episode — Aunt Jocasta’s slave, Mary. I know this is a fake show and all, but the absence was glaring, especially in North Carolina.
- Above the fireplace in the tavern where Jamie is staying is a jar that contains “the bollocks of Steven Bonnet.” Jamie seems totally okay with that.
- Claire, Aunt Jocasta, and Flora all have a nice time together at the party until Claire’s PTSD gets triggered when she’s reminded of her rape in France. She hits the ether to calm her nerves — her reliance on it is getting stronger.
- Lord John still loves Jamie so much. “You surprise me at every turn,” he says with puppy dog eyes when Jamie tells him he’s siding with the Sons of Liberty. Poor, sweet, very attractive Lord John.
- Lizzie’s sick again with malaria and Bree gives her an ointment. This is setting something up, I’m guessing, though I have no idea what.
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The post The Revolution is Starting to Get Real in Outlander’s Give Me Liberty appeared first on /Film.
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