Outlander: Muskets, Liberty, and Sauerkraut (8x04)

Lots of dramatic stuff happening here! Let's dive in.

Cons:

So, the bit where Fergus says that it's the dream of every orphan to learn that he is the son of a great man, but that he doesn't need that because he already is the son of a great man? That line is in the books and Fergus says it directly to Jamie! I get why that couldn't happen here but I was a little sad to have missed that opportunity.

There's a moment where Fanny is talking about the things Jane would say about their parents, and then later a moment when Jamie asks Ian to go to the brothel to try and learn more about Fanny and Jane's family... I hate both of these moments on principle because I hate the idea of Jamie and Claire doing research about their miraculous daughter Faith. Because it's dumb.

I thought the moment with Captain Cunningham going to collect his mother from Claire was a little on the nose? Whether it happens this way in the book or not, the directness of the threat sort of took me by surprise; it seems maybe a little much for him to be overtly talking about how she's so alone in the house right now. Get a grip, dude.

Pros:

For some reason I'm always surprised that more stuff doesn't get cut out of the books, like, the fact that the Fergus subplot with his parentage actually stayed in, really surprised me. I like the way Fergus played it, I loved that juicy moment when Percy used the name "Claudel" and Fergus disallowed him the privilege, and I loved the way Fergus and Marsali talked out the implications of this revelation together. It was so sweet and sad to hear Fergus recounting his childhood in the brothel, and perhaps the one moment of real connection he ever had with his mother, even if he didn't know it.

Another story I'm almost surprised they didn't cut is Ian and Rachel going off with the baby to try and find Ian's old family, after news of raids that may have displaced or harmed them. Rachel wants to be with Ian as he goes to find his first wife and his son. I maintain a slight degree of irritation that Swiftest of Lizards is definitively Ian's child in this version instead of leaving it a bit more ambiguous, but whatever. I'm excited to see where they go with this, because I have ended up finding Ian and Rachel to be a very sweet part of the show.

Everything about Brianna going to see John and William made my heart sing! I love how awkward and pleased Bree and William were to see one another, to the degree that Amaranthus incorrectly clocked them as former lovers, and William had to spill the tea about his parentage to sooth her jealousy. I loved the talk between John and Brianna, where he remarks on the stubbornness of Frasers, and admits his real motivation for inviting her is to talk to William about their shared experience of finding out Jamie Fraser is your father. The way these two families are twisted together brings me endless joy, I find all of the stuff to do with John and his genuine affection for Brianna and Claire to be very sweet. Now if only he and Jamie could make amends...

Roger goes to meet with the continental army outside the city, hoping to buy guns for a militia on Fraser's Ridge. Jamie has determined that a lot of the people on his lands are indeed loyalists, and he wants to be able to defend himself and his loved ones against Cunningham's plans. Roger runs into a road block, since Jamie's reputation as the general who resigned in the middle of battle has preceded him. Roger is not given the guns he desires, and in fact is barred from going back into the city to meet with Brianna. He agrees to stay and fight with the patriots. That means Roger is about to be attacking a city where his wife is staying as a guest with a loyalist noble British family. The drama!

I enjoy the acerbic Mrs. Cunningham more and more, there's a real charm to this actress's performance, and I see a real affinity between her and Claire. It's complicated by Captain Cunningham's animosity, and the obvious loyalty between father and mother that is going to be stronger than any friendship Claire might be able to offer her. I liked Mrs. Cunningham having a dirty mouth while in pain, and Fanny sharing some rather revealing anecdotes about brothel living...

The threat of Frank's warning about the battle to come is hanging over Jamie's head this whole episode, as you would expect; I love that he shared a bit with Ian, and Ian promised to guard Jamie's life the way he would his own father's. So sweet!

I remember having conflicting feelings about Murtagh's survival in the story after the point at which he'd died in the books. I liked having him around, I felt uncertain about some of the stories they gave him, I hated the stuff with Jocasta... and now here we have something similar happening with Buck, who turns up to reunite with the Frasers. This does not happen in the books, to my recollection. So far I'm happy: this is a reunion I'm looking forward to, I thought it was so sweet how excited Jem and Mandy were to see their uncle, and I can't wait for Roger to see him again as well! But we'll have to see what else they have for him to do in the story before I make up my mind...

8/10