Synopsis:
Claire and Jamie experience the rising tensions in the colonies first-hand when they attend a Loyalist event in Wilmington in honour of the Scottish heroine, Flora MacDonald.
We are halfway through the season and this episode was jam-packed with storylines that will change the trajectory of the show. The Revolutionary War is in full swing and now is the time for our characters to pick a side.
Loyalists vs. Rebels:
The flashbacks and tie-ins this season have been great because it adds so much more to the current season. It creates a whole series and we get reminded about what the characters have gone through to get to this point. So I was delighted that we finally got to see what happened to Bonnie Prince Charlie after he got defeated in Culloden. Funny that he had to dress like a woman to escape Scotland. And we came to find out that Flora MacDonald was the one to save him.
We got a new intro, which I thought was cool and it was fitting to see the Join or Die symbol before the episode started. That was such a symbolic drawing to showcase the colonies coming together as one.
Jamie struggled to keep a low profile in this episode because many people in his life are loyalists, but because of Claire’s knowledge, Jamie knows that he has to rebel. We already know that Jamie decided to resign as the Indian agent, and what’s interesting, is that his letter reached the ears of Lord John. Also, when visiting Wilmington, we hear about a group of men called the Sons of Liberty, who are against all that the crown stands for. Of course, Jamie decides to be part of the group but has to keep it hush-hush.
At Flora’s house party, who does Jamie run into, but Lord John, who is keeping an eye on him. These characters have been through a lot together, and they always seem to have each other’s backs. John warns Jamie that there’s speculation about Jamie’s loyalty, and since Jamie has to save face all the time, he lies to John, but we see later, that Jamie has to tell John the truth. Thankfully, even though John is disappointed in Jamie, he tells him to be careful. Good thing too, because the British army tries to stop the Sons of Liberty’s meeting, but Jamie being Jamie, knows before anyone else, that they should end the meeting early.
I think we can guess that the Brits will catch on pretty quickly that Jamie is against the crown, and life is gonna get a little harder for the Fraser’s. I’m wondering if we’ll see the actual war go on, or just a lead-up to it.
Flora’s Party:
Being back in Wilmington was a nice change of environment, and we learned a little bit more about Jamie’s past. He and Flora MacDonald grew up together in Broch Tuarach, so they have some history. Aunt Jocasta made an appearance, and while Claire enjoyed her company, Jamie was not as pleased. We find out Jocasta planted a seed in Fergus’s head to start his own printing company in New Berne, and Jamie doesn’t want Jocasta telling Fergus to print her political pamphlets. All he wants is for Fergus to be safe. We saw Claire socializing with Flora and Jocasta, but we saw again, that Claire got triggered by remembering her time in Culloden and Versailles. And of course, she brought some ether with her. At this point, I just want Jamie to find out what’s happening with Claire because it’s getting a little redundant with Jamie constantly asking Claire if she’s ok.
Family of 4:
We see some rockiness in Roger and Bri’s relationship again, but this time, it’s because Roger is spending too much time at Amy’s house. He told her after all, that he wanted to make her feel welcomed along with her son, and since she’s a widow, he volunteered to help around her house. But Brianna thinks he’s spending a little too much time over there. And I agree because there did seem to be a family dynamic when he was over there. Amy wanted to cook for him, and he would spend time with her son. Meanwhile, Brianna is alone or with the other girls, brainstorming ways to make her inventions come to life. While along the river, the girls find an area where someone was creating a love charm. We see later that Malva is the one doing the “witchcraft.” Guess she got that from her mother. Also, Malva’s personality did a 180, because since she heard about how pleasurable sex was from Claire, and saw her and Jamie do it in the stables, she thinks she can create some love potions and get in on the action. But seeing her cut off a dead man’s fingers, was horrifying. I guess she’ll do whatever it takes to get what she wants. She even threatened Roger, when he caught her and Mr. Henderson getting busy in the church. That was ballsy of her to talk down to a man, especially in this era. On a lighter note, Brianna tells Roger that she’s pregnant, and they’re going to be a family of 4.
Mystery Man:
At the end of the episode, Claire thinks she hears someone whistling a song from her time period. She brushes it off, but we see a mystery man at the town prison. He has the emerald that came from Flora’s necklace, but we never see his face. After doing some digging, I found out that the song the mystery man was singing, was the Colonel Bogey March, which was composed in 1914. So that tells us already that this man is from the future. Our second clue is that he has the gem, which he would need to go back through a set of stones. Lastly, seeing the man’s figure at the prison, it looks similar to Wendigo Donner, who worked alongside Lionel Brown, and talked to Claire, when she was abducted. He was indeed a time traveler, and I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of him.
Misc:
I’ve been loving the comical moments this season, and we got another one when Jamie was in the inn. On the mantle, was a bottle that said the bollocks of Stephen Bonnet, which I thought was hilarious. If you don’t know what bollocks are in British slang, it’s the testicles. So when Jamie saw those on the mantle. His face was priceless!
