Cons:
Now, as a caveat, it has been a minute since I read the books, but I'm almost sure the scene with Ian meeting Emily's son goes a lot differently. For one, Ian is the one to name the kid Swiftest of Lizards, and Emily actually asks Ian to name her daughter, but he feels a connection to the older boy, and names him instead. It's left incredibly ambiguous as to whether or not this really is Ian's biological son, although later events strongly suggest this to be the case. In the show, they cast a little white kid to play Swiftest of Lizards, so it seems pretty clear we're not supposed to have any doubt. And he already has his Mohawk name, and Ian gives him an English one: Ian James. I'm... not sure how to feel about this. I liked the subtlety, the ambiguity, in the book. And I liked that Ian claimed the right to name him in the Mohawk fashion, instead of being handed the opportunity by Emily. It makes Ian's connection to his Mohawk identity stronger, that he names this child of his spirit in the tradition of one of his chosen people, instead of the people of his birth. I don't know, it just felt a little too neat and tidy, the way this played out.
Another change from the books is that I think Brianna realizes that the hazing is something they've done to the other people a little sooner? She doesn't go home and talk about how this was an act of sexism with Roger, and get his reassurance. I don't... mind that, strictly speaking, but I do think the stuff with Roger works a little better if he's not quite so perfect at atoning for his mistake of not supporting her perfectly. He's got a lot of sexist ideas that he has to work to overcome consistently.
Pros:
I will say, Bree and Roger are a lot easier to like as a couple in the 1980s than they were in the past. I don't know why, exactly, but something about Sophie Skelton's acting style (she's still a weak point in the show for me) works a little better in a more contemporary setting. And gosh, Roger looks handsome with his 80's haircut and clothes, holding his daughter in his arms... I also like the sinister hints that something's going on, with the food wrappers, and Mandy seeming to see someone lurking outside.
I'm glad they kept in things like Jem talking to his grandfather in the graveyard, and Brianna wondering if her parents might be buried there at Lallybroch. She's afraid to look. And the bit about Jem speaking Gaelic at school and getting in trouble for it - it's so wild to me that things like that can happen. How evil do you have to be to actively try and stamp out language and culture like that? It's cool that we're keeping these little subplots in, when there's so much else we need to cover. Another highlight is Brianna weeping over her parents and deciding to read another letter. The device of having Claire's narration come through the form of letters to Bree and Roger works better than just the out of nowhere narration that the show has been struggling with since day one.
Meanwhile, the Hunters and William are traveling together, and they stop for the night with a couple who lures them off the road and tries to murder and rob them in the dead of night! William saves them by killing the man and incapacitating the woman, but he has complicated feelings about having killed someone for the first time. I loved that the scenes with them started with a moral debate over the merits of taking a human life. Obviously the Quakers are anti-violence, but William points out that part of what allows them their stance is that they depend on others to enact violence on their behalf. Denny used medical cadavers for his research, and they were executed criminals! How does he circle that square?
I will also say, in contrast to my thoughts last week, I was a little bit charmed by Rachel here. I thought she had decent chemistry with William, and I also thought the moment when she and Ian ran into each other was pretty sweet. I've found that when Ian gives a big smile, it makes him look young and boyish and super charming in a not-conventionally-attractive way. (The scene between Ian and Claire about his chances to father children in the future was very sweet, too.)
I was excited for Claire and Denny's team-up as surgeons at Fort Ticonderoga, it was super refreshing to have him show up and immediately respect her opinion, the same way she respected his. They work together to amputate a man's leg, but are forced to leave the injured man behind as the British approach to take the fort, meaning he'll end up a prisoner of war. Book readers know that this man has a role to play later on, so that'll be interesting to see.
Meanwhile nobody takes Jamie seriously about his worries that the British army will approach from over the water and take the high ground, and even after he tries to convince the higher-ups, they ignore him. Turns out, he was right, and the Americans are forced to flee and let the British take the fort. You should always listen to Jamie Fraser, he knows what he's talking about here! I like that we're seeing some of Jamie's tactical brilliance, but also the way he stays cool under pressure, and has learned how to keep his mouth shut when he's being disrespected. He will lead the men under his command with honor, he'll fight for what he thinks is right, but he's also got his survival, and that of his family, front of mind. It's a good balance for his character!
So there ya have it. Lots of stuff going on. I know I keep saying this over and over, but it impresses me how little they're cutting out of the books. Every time I realize we're getting a particular scene or a setup for a character to arrive, I find myself a little surprised, thinking about all the stuff that could have been cut off to make room for the main plot. There wasn't a lot of Claire in this episode compared with most of the other characters, and I think that's okay - she has plenty of time to shine later on!
8.5/10
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