Synopsis:
Claire makes a startling discovery about Roger and Brianna’s newborn daughter; a familiar face returns to the Ridge with explosive consequences.
Watching this episode felt like a chapter closed in the series. We keep losing more of our characters and have returned to Jamie and Claire being the only ones in the past.
Allan Christie:
I was surprised to see Allan Christie again at the beginning of the episode. I thought we had closed the chapter on the Christie’s. We see that he is upset and depressed about losing Malva, and he tells Claire shocking information. We find out that Tom was innocent after all, and that Allan killed Malva. He had this weird obsession with her and this incestuous relationship with her that looked like she didn’t consent to. It was sad to see that Malva wasn’t all that bad. She was confused and treated terribly. Allan had gotten her pregnant and we found out that Malva’s story about Jamie being the father was all Allan’s idea. It all backfired when Malva slept with young Ian. Jealousy got the best of Allan and Malva’s attempts to push Allan away led him to slit her throat. Learning about this made me hate Allan and I didn’t care if he died. Even though Claire prevented Allan from killing himself, I was really taken aback when Allan got shot in the back by Ian. I wasn’t expecting it. I feel like Ian has become ruthless. Probably from all the harm he’s seen to the ones he’s loved.
Bree:
Bree gave birth to her daughter, Amanda. It was sweet that after birth, Jamie and Claire had their own agenda. Jamie showed Amanda the horses and said she would become an exceptional equestrian. Claire showed the baby her surgery room and thought maybe one day her granddaughter would become a surgeon. It was cute that they both already had ambitions for their new grandchild. It’s kind of funny that we didn’t see any of that with Jemmy. While with Claire, she notices Amanda has a heart defect. Of course we get another obstacle thrown our way. Since Claire isn’t a heart surgeon, Bree and Roger decide to travel back through the stones to save their daughter. Sometimes I forget that Claire isn’t proficient in all types of medicine, because she seems to know everything and how to treat it. She’s cured so many people that when it came to her granddaughter’s condition, she couldn’t treat it. I’m guessing Claire will have Bree and Roger find Joe Abernathy.
While in Wilmington, Bree sees Lord John Grey and William. She finally meets her half-brother and has an interesting conversation with John afterwards. She thinks John should tell William that Jamie is his real father. She explains her relationship with Frank and that she didn’t want to believe Jamie was her real father. However, she soon accepted both men into her life. I agree that John should tell William the truth. However, at the same time, we’re dealing with people from the past and they might not be as open-minded as people who are in the future. Like Jamie explained to Claire that he was a bastard. He was ashamed of his lineage, even though Claire was more accepting. Lineage isn’t as critical nowadays as it was then. If William found out he wasn’t part of a noble family, that would crush him.
A pleasant departure from the drama, Jamie and Bree have a heartfelt conversation in the woods. It was funny seeing Bree try to explain to Jamie what Disneyland was. Being that Jamie still lives in a time where electricity wasn’t invented, he probably couldn’t imagine what a theme park ride would be like. But it was funny that he couldn’t even grasp the concept of a mascot like Mickey Mouse. Seeing Bree try to explain the concept to Jamie really showed how bizarre it all is. To us, Mickey is well known and accepted as this friendly creature. However, from Jamie’s perspective, what child would want to interact with a giant mouse? Especially a mouse that a person dresses up as.
We finally saw the MacKenzie family say their goodbyes to Jamie and Claire. There was a lot of emotion watching them say goodbye to each other. It was a nice touch to have Bree quote her own father. Saying that “nothing is lost. Only changed.” I don’t know if we’ll see them return down the road, but I think one day. Maybe when their kids are older.
Jamie and Claire:
The couple had a hard time breaking off connections, but also had to deal with Wendigo Donner. In Wilmington, Jamie finally had the chance to see Bree and William interacting and I’m sure he was happy to see his children together. He also got to reconnect with John Grey. John told Jamie that William decided to join the army and is stubborn, just like his father. We saw some of that previously, when Jamie saw William as a young kid. Despite being on opposite sides of the crown, Jamie thought it is wise to sever ties with John. We’ve seen them say goodbye to each other so many times that I’m sure they’ll see each other again. For now, it might be best for political reasons. As a gift, John gives Jamie back the sapphire he found long ago. It was interesting how emotional Jamie got after leaving John’s room. I didn’t think he would be on the brink of tears like that. Him and John have had a long relationship, but it has always been in passing. As for John, it would make sense for him to get emotional since he’s loved Jamie for so long.
After talking with Bree, Jamie tells Claire that he wonders about travelling to the future. He reveals that he’s dreamnt of her in the future, which makes me curious about “Jamie’s ghost” in season 1. Are they connected in some way? We still don’t know how Frank saw Jamie that night in Inverness. Jamie gave Claire a gemstone he kept for emergencies. In case he died unexpectedly or in this case, if Claire wanted to go back with Bree and Roger. Thankfully, Claire knocks some sense into Jamie and tells him she’s not leaving him. I think Jamie has a hard time accepting that Claire intends to stay with him in all circumstances. He wants the best for her, but all she wants is to be with him.
After saying goodbye to their family, it was devastating to see Claire so torn apart. Everything came crashing down so quickly around her. Realizing that Fergus and Marsali had left, that the whole Christie family had disappeared and now, that Roger, Bree and the kids were gone. It was like being an empty nester, but in the worst way. Claire didn’t know when she would see her family again. It was her and Jamie against the world again. Poor Jamie tried to calm her down, but all he could do was comfort Claire and let her cry for her loved ones. I think Jamie would have cried along with her, but he had to be strong in that moment. Know that Bree and Roger and the kids were still alive and that Amanda was going to be ok.
The next day, Claire watched Jamie walk one of the horses and it was a flashback to season 1 all over again. When Claire watched Jamie at the stables in Castle Leoch. It just shows how long this journey has been. From when they were young to now, all grown up and living on their own land. But of course all the pleasantries stop when Wendigo shows up. He will not leave the Frasers alone. He’s determined to go back through the stones and since Roger didn’t help him, he’s turning to Claire. He needs more gemstones and he’s not playing nicely. He has a crew of men rough up Jamie and Wendigo even threatens to shoot Claire. To make matters worse, Wendigo’s men start digging through Claire’s surgery room and break the glass of ether. Not being too smart with flammable substances, Wendigo lights a match and the house explodes. Was this supposed to be the house fire that killed Jamie and Claire? All I could think about was that besides Jamie and Claire’s safety, all of Claire’s medical instruments, her ingredients and her penicillin were destroyed in the fire. To get the medicine, Claire had to grow the mold for so long. Also, their house was destroyed. It will take a while to rebuild it. I hope that after all of this, Wendigo dies because he’s just another person that needs to take a hike. He really isn’t necessary for this story.
