Synopsis:
At Ticonderoga, Jamie and Claire prepare for an imminent British assault. Roger compiles information about time travel while Brianna earns the respect of her coworkers.
This episode seemed extremely slow to me, with several storylines taking place at once. I would say, though, that this was a build-up for the next episode.
Jemmy & Mandy:
There is more development taking place for Bree and Rogers’ kids, and we see that Jemmy is bullied at school. The kids like to sneak around the grounds at Lallybroch, and we find out they’ve been walking to the graveyard to talk to Jamie. We’ve seen this before when Claire talked to Jamie at Culloden. It’s nice that Jamie brings comfort to his family, even if he’s not there in person. Jemmy gets in trouble at school for speaking Gaelic at school, and I wanted to know the history behind it. Apparently, Gaelic was banned after the Jacobite rebellions and was frowned upon because it was the language of the Catholics from the Highlands. But what makes this storyline not accurate is that by the 1980s, children were allowed to learn Gaelic again. So technically, Jemmy wouldn’t have gotten into trouble for speaking the language. We hear about the Nuckelavee again from Mandy, and this time, we get a sense that something lives in the woods near Lallybroch. Trash has been left on the property, so I wonder who it is.
Bree:
Bree was put through the wringer in this episode, but she came out on top. First off, she and Roger read another letter from Jamie and Claire and learn they went to Ticonderoga. We didn’t get to watch Bree and Roger mull over the contents of the letter, but we do see that Bree doesn’t want to know what happened in the aftermath. She has her first day of work and gets hazed by the men. We meet Rob Cameron and others, and I’m sure we’ll get more episodes with them. In addition, I am sure that their opinions of their new superior will also change. They lock Bree in a tunnel, and while escaping, she comes across something very interesting. She hears buzzing and sees a blue fog-like barrier and runs through it. How convenient that she found another portal. I hope she tells Roger in the future. To end her day, she lied to her family about having an excellent first day, and I felt sorry for her. Thankfully, Roger saw right through her and asked what had happened. She didn’t elaborate but just said it was a terrible day. I was proud of Roger at this moment. This is because he finally stepped up and said he really was proud of her and even gave her a pen as a gift. To end Bree’s storyline, she addressed the issue head-on and confronted the men. This is one quality I love about Bree. She is just like Claire, who doesn’t get pushed around and stands up for herself. She specifically talked to Rob and threatened to fire him and his men if they behaved that way toward her again. After, she takes a page out of her children’s book and talks to Jamie about her day. She tells him that she and Roger bought Lallybroch.
Jamie:
I was irritated by how people treated Jamie. He gave his insights about how to handle the British, but no one listened to him. That resulted in everyone evacuating, and that could have been prevented if they had listened to Jamie. We see that Jamie has a major role in the war as a Colonel. We also see that Jamie and Claire are working with the French again. Except General Fermoy is the worst! He doesn’t care about anyone else’s point of view, and that worries me. A person like that won’t help win a war. Another fact that we learn is that one of Jamie’s relatives is helping the British troops. If they meet head-on, it should be interesting. Jamie knows his second cousin Simon will try to attack the fort. With Claire’s knowledge of WWII, when the Japanese took over Singapore, Jamie tries to communicate to General Fermoy that they need men on Sugar Loaf. He thinks it’s a terrible idea and scolds Jamie. Little does he know that Jamie was right, and the British start setting up on the hill to attack Ticonderoga.
William & the Hunters:
While on their way to Albany, a man tells them they’re heading in the wrong direction. They get invited to stay at the Johnsons, and it turns into a disaster. While asleep, the husband and wife come down the stairs to attack the trio, and thankfully, William is awake. William kills the husband and saves the Hunter’s lives. Rachel tells William that the wife confessed that she and her husband have previously lured people to their house to steal their valuables. What a way to live. William tells Rachel that that’s the first time he’s killed someone, and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. I feel like this might be an issue in the long run since William is supposed to fight in the war. Will he adapt to killing people or back out? We see the trio part ways, and I think Rachel had some feelings about leaving her new friend.
Ian:
Ian reunited with his tribe and had mixed emotions. His assignment was to deliver a message to the head of the Mohawk tribe, and Ian opted to decline. Because of how things ended between him and Emily, he thought it would be an unwise idea to see her again. Before heading out, he talks with Claire. It was an unusual conversation, but Ian wanted to know if something was wrong with his sperm. He wanted to know if he was the reason his and Emily’s child died. Thankfully, Claire reassures him that nothing’s wrong, but it’s all scientific. Women losing children are more common than you think. Reaching the Mohawk, Ian saw Emily again. Even though it was awkward, he found out that Emily now has a son and a daughter. He met her son, and it was not what I expected. The boy had blonde hair! Could this be Ian’s son, and Emily didn’t realize she was pregnant again before he left? We get a sweet moment when Emily asks Ian to give her son an Americanized name, and he names him Ian James. When Ian returns, he runs into Rachel at Fort Ticonderoga, and the sparks were flying again. Ian was happy to see her again and had a big smile on his face.
Claire:
Besides helping Jamie out, Claire tried to assist in the medical tent. Like Jamie, Claire wasn’t treated right by one of the Lieutenants because she was a woman, but thankfully she met Denzell. I really liked seeing them together. Both used their medical knowledge to help Walter. Claire explains that medical instruments need to be disinfected first before surgery, and Denzell was totally on board, even though he had heard this idea for the first time. They also discuss the best plan of action for amputating Walter’s leg. After surgery, Walter is thankful. However, when everyone has to evacuate, Claire tells Walter that he has to stay because he would tear open his stitches. I felt so heartbroken for Walter because, after all, he had been through, he thought he would get back to his wife. Claire reassured him that the British would pardon him, but I don’t know if that is a guarantee. This is a war, after all. I hope Walter makes it.
