Outlandish Thoughts on Outlander: “If Not for Hope”

Argh!  Only two more episodes to go this season and there’s so much still to resolve.

While Claire, Jamie and Young Ian are off tracking Roger, Bree is living with Aunt Jocasta and what a great game of chess that’s turning out to be. Right?

Things are little strained between our trio, and Ian being such a sweet lad, tries to convince his Aunty not to be mad at his Uncle.  However, Claire isn’t upset at Jamie, she’s just upset in general, frustrated and angry at the whole situation.  Later that night she approaches Jamie in their tent to let him know that she’s not upset with him and to heal the breach, and thus another outstanding moment of acting between Sam and Caitriona.  These two can say so much with their eyes, barely uttering a word, and it is magical to watch.  Some of the best moments of the show are just these two staring at each other.  The show should seriously try it, and we’re not being facetious, we mean it.  An entire episode where Sam and Caitriona just stare at each other and we bet it’d be award season gold.

So now that Claire and Jamie are back on track, they’re going to continue tracking Roger.  Speaking of poor Roger, being dragged into the middle of an Indian village and running a gauntlet of strangers beating you does not sound like a great ending to a journey that was already not fun.  We just hope our intrepid trio get there before his vacation into the 18th century becomes even more unpleasant. Considering what he’s been through so far, that would be exceptionally bad.

Back in Wilmington Murtagh and Fergus are working to track down Stephen Bonnett to get revenge for what he did to Brianna.  They eventually find him, but in the midst of trying to sneak him away to do who knows what, Murtagh is caught – so now the locals will get to enjoy two hangings…YIKES!  Murtagh helped Fergus get away unseen, so while Jamie and crew are too far away to do anything, hopefully, Fergus will figure something out!

Meanwhile, Jamie has sent Brianna to his Aunt Jocasta.  Yes, River Run seems like a good choice, but this is Aunt Jocasta and if she can’t use Jamie for her own purposes, what’s to stop her from using Brianna?  So in true Jocasta style, she sets up a dinner with some eligible men so she can set up Bree with one of them. Of course, this isn’t altruism on Jocasta’s part to help her pregnant, unwed, great niece.  She’s hoping for an alignment between landowners.

But low and behold who is one of these suitors? Lord John Grey! The other suitors are none to happy about having such a charming rival.

Brianna does her best to not encourage any of the men, but that doesn’t go so well.  However, she does catch Lord John and another of the suitors pursuing each other instead.  So now she knows John’s secret and tries to use that to blackmail him into marrying her so she doesn’t have to marry Jocasta’s choice.  Needless to say, John is less than impressed, but eventually – after he and Bree have some heart to heart moments – he agrees to her scheme.  Not that he intends on actually marrying her since he’s convinced Jamie will find Roger and bring him back.  But we all know he still loves Jamie, so of course, he’ll do anything he can to protect his daughter.  Just like John protected Jamie’s son by claiming him as his own.

 

This is one tangled web.

But how much do we all love Lord John Grey?!?!?!?!  Seriously, the more he’s on the show the more we look forward to him appearing.  He’s such a great character in the books and David Berry is doing an outstanding job bringing him to life.

So let’s take an inventory:

  1. Bree and Lord John are now engaged, and may have to get married if the Fraser crew can’t return Roger to her. Which means Jamie’s daughter would be the step-mother to her own brother.  Wrap your head around that.
  2. Murtagh and Stephen Bonnett are in jail and will likely be hanged.
  3. Roger is now a prisoner of the Mohawk and who knows how long he’ll survive that.
  4. Claire, Jamie and Young Ian are trying to make their way North to find the village Roger is being kept in without a guide and without GPS or Google to help them get there.

That’s a lot to tackle in the next couple of episodes, so let’s see what Episode 12 will bring us: “Providence”

Brianna confronts a violent figure from her past in an attempt to cope with her trauma. Roger befriends a fellow captive and endeavors to escape the Mohawk Village, while Fergus and Marsali plan a dangerous mission to save an old friend from the noose.

Buckle in – we’re due for a wild ride!

Also, here’s your moment of adorable Young Ian:

 

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