It’s been a while since we’ve spent a lot of time in the past-future, but it’s quickly becoming my favorite.
It’s not surprising since it’s more familiar in terms of both society and sentiment.
I’d venture to guess not many of us have ever found ourselves struggling in times of war, but many of us have lost loved ones and grieved their loss or found it trying to fit in at a new job.
So, instead of starting in the present and saving the big finish of the past for last, this time out, we’ll tackle the past first with Outlander Season 7 Episode 5.
Frankly, there’s not much going on back there worthy of discussion.
Claire and Jamie have been through this so many times you ache for them.
They’ve said goodbye to loved ones, packed up, and gone to war.
That could be why it seems so easy breezy for them this time around.
By now, Claire has battled men who think her sex makes her unworthy of most tasks as often as she’s proven them wrong. She’s even already done it, attending to soldiers on the battlefield.
Jamie Fraser, a natural-born leader, is used to being the strongest with the nimblest mind. He understands men and how they think without the conceitedness that comes with high stature.
Even when Jamie was acting as a lord, he never lorded. He prefers to work with people rather than force his opinion on others.
But he does draw the line when lives are at stake, and let’s face it, he knew how the battle at Fort Ticonderoga would end thanks to his charming wife. Having that foresight makes it more difficult to hold back because his soul wants to ensure lives are saved, and the battle won.
It also seems like Jamie takes the knowledge of the future as a challenge to turn it around. He wanted to change the outcome of that battle, and if they had bothered to listen, he could have changed history.
Unfortunately, history is not eager to change, and even Claire’s ether was eventually burned to the ground. Change will happen when it’s ready and not a second before.
What we learned about William during his travels with Rachel and Denzell is that he’s not prepared for war, but he’ll do what’s necessary when the time comes.
The most interesting part of those scenes comes from his single question: Which side?
William Ransom seems to be questioning his loyalty to the crown. He’s seen enough of both sides by now to consider that maybe there is some reason for separation.
Of course, nasty Mr. Johnson was not the right person to ask, and had the question been parsed to another person who didn’t use murder and theft as a hobby, the answer might have been different.
I haven’t read this far in the books, so I don’t know what comes of William and this war, but something tells me that by the time the story is over, William and Lord John will both embrace the separatist attitudes.
Finally, we come to dear Young Ian, who has found someone he would consider courting if only he didn’t hold himself accountable for the death of his child.
Claire was incredulous that Ian asked about why children come about, but when he shared how Wakyo’teyehsnonhsa’s grandmother talked about the process of conceiving a child, it’s no wonder.
If he couldn’t beg off the assigned mission, then at least he had a chance to visit Wakyo’teyehsnonhsa to apologize.
That apology changed his life.
Young Ian has a son with Wakyo’teyehsnonhsa, Swiftest of Lizards (in English), and the same grandmother that blamed Ian for losing one child sings his praises to the boy.
No wonder Ian had recently come to understand William’s origins and how Jamie felt about him being raised by another. Talk about timing!
Wakyo’teyehsnonhsa wanted Ian to choose an English name for their son so that he could walk among Ian’s people, and the name he gave was Ian James. The boy approved.
That opened the door for Ian to court Rachel, and he came face-to-face with her right after he returned. I look forward to seeing him get a little happiness.
And then we swing to the future, where Brianna is on the job as a plant inspector, but she’s got a lot of roadblocks.
Speaking of blocks, she’s a chip off the block in that regard. She’s got her mom’s courage and tenacity, and even when her new coworkers locked her in a dam without a light of communication, there was no doubt she’d come out the other side unscathed.
But what was that wormhole-like thing doing in the middle of the tunnel? I thought she might have mistakenly gone through it, but then I remembered that going through it with purpose makes the difference.
Claire stumbled through it the first time, having no idea where she was going, but that doesn’t seem to be the norm. Is that how they’ll go back and get the Jacobite gold?
Having that so near makes traveling a lot easier. It’s almost a gateway to the other side you can use at will (although I don’t think that’s how it works either).
It’s so weird seeing Jimmy and Mandy growing up so fast, but their aging shows how long it’s been that they have chosen not to find Claire and Jamie’s graves.
The care with which they’re reading the letters, allowing their relationships to unfold over time instead of gobbling it all up at once, is impressive. I could never have done the same.
I would be much more like Spencer and Alex in 1923. Once the letters were on the table, I’d read every one of them until I had digested all of the history in one sitting.
She’s got the benefit of those stones, though.
When the rest of us lose someone, we know it’s forever. For a while, at least, Brianna knows she can go back if she needs to, which makes facing their loss a little more complicated.
At what point do you face that they’re gone, and there is no going back? It’s almost like they’re missing instead of truly gone, and even when time passes beyond the point they’re alive, you would convince yourself, true to not, that you could find a way to travel to a time when they were still alive.
Jemmy has been to the place in the graveyard he’s chosen as Jamie’s many, many times. There is a beautifully crafted stone mound showing how much solace he takes in talking with Grandma.
That’s so sweet and should give Brianna comfort that even when someone is gone, they’re not really gone.
There is something afoot at Lallybroch that seems unrelated to time travel.
Roger spotted a lot of trash on the property, which was concerning, given Lallybroch’s location. When Mandy saw someone outside the window, my first thought was that someone had come through the portal and made their way to Lallybroch.
But the reality is that the future isn’t always safer than the past, even in times of war. Will they encounter a threat that will send them back to the past?
With the portal nearby, the story opens for a wide array of considerations. What are your thoughts?
Thanks for dropping by, and since you’re already here, I’d love to know what you think!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.