Outlander: America the Beautiful (4x01)

We're back! I'm getting ready to do a re-read of the Outlander books pretty soon, so I was excited to warm myself up for that by watching the show again. Drums of Autumn begins the Frasers' time in America. This is the stuff I love from the books. I like the first three novels a lot, don't get me wrong, but the stuff leading up to and through the revolution is what I live for!

Cons:

The final scene of this episode is a horrific attack, which takes place silently, while "America the Beautiful" plays over it. It was... a little bit too on-the-nose for my taste. I know they've employed similar stylistic choices in the past, playing an anachronistic song over a scene in the eighteenth century, but for whatever reason, this time it really took me out of the moment. Thankfully, the acting and blocking of the scene was still able to get the intensity through, despite the misstep with the music.

This is a problem not just with this episode, but one I notice occasionally on this show. It's never a huge problem, but it does crop up a lot: the dialogue can be a little bit unnatural. Usually this problem goes hand-in-hand with Claire's voice-overs, which are almost always distracting, and could probably be cut entirely. So, for example, there's a moment when Claire tells us, in voice-over, that they need to sell gemstones in order to get passage home, and then the very next scene is Jamie and Claire having a conversation about how they need to sell gemstones in order to get passage home. You don't need both, and it makes the conversation feel very... scripted. Which, I know it is, but still. Also, Jamie and Claire's scenes are all very romantic and pretty and all that, but I wish they talked a bit more about normal, mundane things and felt like partners instead of just this intense, passionate married couple. It's not always like that, but in this episode I felt like the relationship was too... romantic. I don't know. Maybe that's a silly thing to say.

Pros:

Overall, however, I'm happy to report that this was a strong first episode to the season. Rather than recap the plot, let's just talk about a few aspects I really enjoyed.

First of all, Ian. They addressed the fact that Geillis raped him, and it was one of the most moving moments in the whole episode. Seeing Jamie comfort his nephew and share his own trauma was incredibly powerful. I can't think of many other shows that address rape with a male victim like this. I do have a problem with how many of Diana Gabaldon's characters end up getting raped, but that's a different conversation. In this instance, I really admire how the aftermath is depicted. Ian is shaken, and Jamie knows what that feels like. I like that there's simple physical affection between these two men, and it's not seen as a weakness that Ian cries and needs a hug.

Stephen Bonnet is one of the series' most sinister villains, and so far, I'm very pleased with how he's been cast and the direction they're taking him. He's undeniably sinister, but when you first meet him he just seems like a slime-ball. Nothing too special or important. The whole time Jamie and Claire are helping him, you keep waiting for him to try and rob them, or do something bad, but then he's gone, and the episode spends most of its time distracting you from him. He's not really important. So, when he pops back up at the end, it's a genuine surprise and it makes the scene all the more jarring.

Talking more about that scene, I want to praise Caitriona Balfe's acting in particular. The anguish and panic on her face, all of the emotion she manages to impart without a single line of dialogue, all of it is so well executed. I also like that the ending shot has Jamie running into the room and taking stock of the situation, but we don't get to break the tension, so to speak. We don't see Jamie rushing over and pulling Claire into his arms, we don't get to hear them speak. We're still in the moment as the episode ends. Stephen Bonnet has taken their money, and more than that, he's taken Claire's wedding ring. One of them, anyway. She manages to save Frank's, but not Jamie's, and it's so heartbreaking when you see that little circle on her palm.

In Fergus and Marsali news... turns out little Germain Fraser is already on his way! Or... um... whatever this little baby is going to be named. I like that the show seems to be expanding Fergus and Marsali's roles a little bit. I love Fergus with all my heart, but he never has as much to do in the later novels, so I'm glad to see effort being put in to changing that for the show. The moment when Fergus and Marsali announce that they intend to stay in the New World with Jamie and Claire, and announce the pregnancy, is really sweet. Claire is congratulatory, but cautious. She knows that there are going to be hard times ahead, and they aren't exactly in the most stable situation for bringing a child into the world. Jamie, on the other hand, is just ecstatic. He tells Fergus he'll make a great father, pulls him in for a hug, all that good stuff. I'm all about it. I'm emotional. There's a thing that happens in a later book between Fergus and Jamie that is truly beautiful, even though it's horrible at the same time. Book readers might know what I'm talking about. I hope we do get to see that scene eventually, because it would really enforce the power of Jamie and Fergus' relationship.

One last thing - let's talk about the Frasers' decision to stay in the colonies. It's a big moment, a big shift in the books, the realization that we won't be heading back to Scotland to settle back in Lallybroch. Jamie's reasoning? Well, this place will one day be Brianna's home. If he can do something to make it a good place, then he'll be able to be a part of her life in some way. That's beautiful. And perfect. Claire knows that they're going to be embroiled in yet another massive conflict very soon, and she once again knows the winning side. I love when Jamie and Claire go into "power couple" mode and start discussing the future and how they're going to fit in to events. I expect that we'll get more of that this season, and I'm all about it.

Okay! That's all I have for this one. It wasn't the most brilliant, strong, flawless episode I've ever seen, but it had a lot of powerful moments, and I'm still beyond thrilled to see what this season brings us!

8.5/10