Outlander: Common Ground (4x04)

Once again, and to my considerable shock, I found myself more gripped by the 20th century material than the 18th century material, even though there wasn't much of it.

Cons:

I don't feel equipped to speak on how the representation of the Cherokee went in this episode. Clearly a lot of research went into it, and I know they consulted people so that their portrayal would be accurate in terms of language, dress, etc. That's great. Just as an outside observer, though, I do note that our first glimpse of the Native Americans in this show is extremely... othering. They appear in a creepy, sinister fashion, with stoic faces. Jamie and Claire are clearly very scared of them. Fair enough. People are afraid of what they don't understand. But at the end of the episode, Jamie encounters a member of the tribe who speaks perfect English, as the truth of the "bear" that has been hurting people comes out. If the Cherokee were trying to warn these newcomers of danger, why not bring along the English-speaking guy to explain the situation? It comes across very strange to me, like the scene was constructed just so the natives could at first appear to be spooky and otherworldly.

Also... just... the scene from the book has Jamie wrestling with an actual bear, and here we have a guy dressed as a bear. I'm not sure which is more silly. I think the scene would have been kind of too much for TV either way. There are some things that just don't work as well in adaptation, unfortunately.

Pros:

I do like the scenes of Jamie and Claire and Ian starting to settle down and build a home for themselves. It was extra adorable to see Jamie lifting Claire over the threshold of their new cabin's foundation. I've always been a fan of stories like Little House on the Prairie, so scenes that focus on gathering materials and making plans to survive are really interesting to me. I hope we see a little more of this as Jamie and his family continue to settle.

I also like that relations with the Cherokee end on a tentative peace. Much like with the slaves on the plantation, Outlander had a weird line to walk with these issues. The show really isn't about race relations or tensions between different people in the new world. It's not about those things, but it would be really, really bad not to address them at all. I think ultimately making the Cherokee an ally, at least for the time being, will help to smooth over some of the really uncomfortable tropes that we often see with such a story.

We get some brief moments with Fergus and Marsali, and my love for Fergus is just as unending as ever. We get a hug between him and Jamie, which never fails to warm my heart. Particularly moving was the conversation between Marsali and Claire, though. Marsali confides to Claire that she misses her mother, and Claire comforts her and tells her she's going to do a great job with her child. I love that Claire can look past her own distaste for Laoghaire and form a bond with this young woman. I'm also appreciating the casting they did for Marsali for the first time - she really does look a great deal like Laoghaire!

Marsali also serves as something of a bridge between the 18th century story and the 20th, as Claire thinks of Brianna after talking to Marsali about her mother and her baby. She wonders if leaving Bree was a mistake - she won't get to be there for Brianna should she ever have kids of her own! But not so fast, Claire - you may be wrong, if your daughter has anything to say about it.

I'm really loving Roger a lot, you guys. The poor guy is pining over Brianna, and it was enough for me to forget how crappy he was acting in last week's episode. I'm weak like that. He discovers proof that Claire made it to Jamie, and shares it with Brianna. He later finds out from Fiona that Fraser's Ridge will burn down in a fire, and that Jamie and Claire will die. He calls to tell Brianna, only to discover that she has gone to Scotland, to visit her mother! Dun, dun dunnnn! Now Roger will need to go back in time as well to warn Bree and her parents about the fire.

I think this goes down a little bit differently in the books, but I'm actually quite a fan of the shortcuts being taken here. I love that Roger briefly considers hiding the truth from Bree, but comes to his senses very quickly and decides to call her. I also love that the two of them are so clearly crazy about each other, but these very mundane, practical concerns are keeping them apart. Once they've traveled back a couple of centuries, I think they might gain some clarity on those points! I'm excited to get these two back in the same time as Jamie and Claire. There are some dark times ahead, but also some exciting story elements to explore!

A few final notes: I really like Fiona. She's not a big character in the books or the show, but I like that she has a lasting presence here. The reveal that she already knows about time travel is kind of wonderful. Roger's reaction, trying to hide his consternation and act innocently confused, was absolutely endearing.

I'll stop there. I was skeptical going in to this episode about the portrayal of the Cherokee characters, and I'm still not totally clear on how I feel about it all. But if we look at this season as a whole, I'm generally pretty pleased about the way things are shaping up.

8/10