Thank you for this. I've been Watching you for a ...really... long time and the shared memories that you have from old shows is one of the reasons I enjoy your banter. I miss my brother. I love hearing your thoughts on the book and show. Cancer sucks. Just sayin. Been there.
OMG yes to Ian McShane!! I think he'd be a great Father Fogden. He performs a certain wedding ceremony on the beach (on Hispanola) and asks totally inappropriate questions. Remember him? It could be awesome.
Ladies, thank you for another great video. My sides are in pain right now from trying not to laugh out loud during parts of your commentary (my husband has already gone to bed and I didn't want to wake him.) Just a few observations: 1. I agree that Claire doesn't seem to ask Joe ~anything~ about his life in the show version. I miss that extra information about Joe and his family that is in the book. 2. The confrontation between Claire and Sandy in the show seemed like Frank took up with Sandy as Claire was still mourning for Jamie. In the book, Frank was a serial cheater and all I could think about was if they did that in the show they could have used the Carrie Underwood video "Two Black Cadillacs" as the background music. 3. The portrait of Ellen hangs in a museum in England (sorry, can't remember which one was mentioned in the book) and Brianna saw it for the first time there. The second time she saw it was hanging at Lallybroch. 4. I loved Roger in all of this. I gasped when I saw he was watching Dark Shadows. My husband even asked me if I said that - he remembered I was addicted to that a LONG time ago. And after Claire left, when Brianna brought out the food and said they would watch a "Charlie Brown Christmas" - that topped off that scene. 5. Print Shop scene - as you both said PERFECTION!
I enjoy your commentary so much. However, I seem to have trouble hearing Tracey from time to time. I don't know if it is my speakers or her microphone. Anyone else? Carol's volume is fine.
I think it is such a shame that they already mentioned the penecillin. It was such a fun reveal in the book when she really needed it. Really surprised me that they gave such a gem away when it was otally irrelevant . Would have enjoyed to see more conversations with Joe Abarbathy instead of Franks worship and Candy Sandy. Still loved this episode not as much as last weeks , but the ending was absolute perfection and all my outlander viewing guests jumped off their seats when the door opened and we actually followed Claire inside. Perfect ending !!! Great podcast ladies. Always laugh along with you , super fun.
I love the peanut butter sandwich in the book too, Carol! I wanted the Easter Egg to be the wrapping floating off into the landscape. If I remember correctly Claire just tosses it away. Oh well! Only If us fans could have input into the scripts! 😃
Tracey and Carol, thanks for another hilarious recap. Agree that Claire doesn't seem to be all that interested in Joe's life in the show. Did see a wedding ring on Joe's finger though in the scene where they were having a drink then the nurse comes in with reports, so we do find out some things about him even if it's not verbally expressed.
Like Carol, missed the PB & J. Felt like they could've just shown Claire's outfit being procured some other way and give the time to her eating the PB & J with the wrapper floating away. Also, missed Claire's letter of life advises to Bree. But, agree that ending was perfect.
Wow, great episode and awesome recap, again. Love you guys so much. You bring perspective and make me look at things I may have missed. Tears and laughter throughout the episode. I had no idea Claire could sew and sew So fast! The music throughout the episode seemed to dictate my emotions. Cheers! to Bear McCreary! I missed the peanut butter sandwich and my son missed the baggie. Joe should have been more fleshed out although he doesn't really play a major part until MOBY. Candy/Sandy could have been excluded completely but I kept waiting for Claire to let her know Frank never wanted to leave when given the opportunity through the years.
Carol, Tracey, you guys make me laugh and I love the memories you share with us besides the stuff about the show. Thank you again for a great recap!
When Jamie fainted and went to black I yelled" No!"And then "back in two weeks?" what the hell. I've scheduled my physical therapy around this show. Now I have to mark stuff off my calendar
Love the recap! I agree the printshop was perfection. So glad we got a glimpse of Jamie at the end of the show. I also missed the pbj and the wrapper. The Candy/Sandy scene- book Claire would have told her off I was waiting for a little bit of the fiery Claire to come out, but 1960's Claire is so bundled up and measured in all her conversations. How about how Claire tells Bree that Frank planned to marry Sandy and Bree doesn't ask any questions about the affair or Franks plans...just goes into how Frank must have looked at her and saw Jamie. Really? Roger is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I felt like Sophie Skelton's acting in this episode was better, but I agree with Tracy. I'm not a big fan of Bree in the books or the show.
Because DNA testing was not discovered/developed until the 80s(?) a mother and child's entire life could hinge on who the baby looked like. I always felt that is why D.G had large paintings of ancestors who looked exactly like decedents, and children who looked exactly like their parents. Jamie looks just like his mother, according to all who loved Ellen...Jamie children looked so much like him there could be no doubt to parentage. The references are throughout the entire book series.
What a great episode -- also loved your recap! I totally agree about how perfect it was that they cut the ending the way they did. I particularly liked how they let Claire (and the audience) hear Jamie's voice first as you could really internalize what it would have been like to hear him speak after so many years. Even though we just had a Jamie-centric episode last week, it was so great to hear his resonant voice from her perspective. It reminded me of the ending of the Jane Eyre mini series (the Ruth Wilson version) where she sees Mr. Rochester sitting in the chair and he says something thinking it's the servant and she just gazes at him for a few minutes. I've been reading the books but I'm not caught up to Voyager yet so the suspense just took my breath away. I was ready to hear her say "Pilot knows me, sir"!
I was surprised they didn't have Bree write Jamie a letter to have Claire deliver for her (or include a photo album of Bree's pictures -- only so much room in the bat cape I guess!). My husband said she should have packed a camera as well!
From the promo for next time it looks like Claire's hair will be curly again (that Edinburgh humidity!). It'll be agony waiting two weeks but great that it's an extended episode!
Thanks for another fun recap! Regarding Claire's dye job, ground black walnut hulls are suppose to be a natural hair dye. I'm sure Claire would know that.
I'm not as excited about this episode as you are, but vive la difference? For me, this episode was ruined by that homage to St.Frank and that ridiculous b.s. coming out of his mistress's mouth. To make it worse, Claire, who has done nothing wrong, stands there and takes it. I love book Claire. There is nothing cold, meddling, or vindictive about her. She tries to make her marriage to Frank work. She never makes an agreement to have an open marriage. When it looks like her career may be putting Bree at risk, she's willing to throw in the towel. It's only Frank's suggestion that Bree come to his office after school so "there will be less damage to Brianna" (grr, the guilt-shoveling jerk!) that makes Claire continue in med school. When Frank tells her he's pulling Bree out of high school in the middle of her senior year to take her with him to England (with plans to put her in a boarding school), Claire tells him about all the discarded mistresses that have come to her over the years to beg her to let him go. She tells them that she would do it in an instant...if he ever asked. She had tried to get him to divorce her when she first returned, but he wouldn't. I don't understand why this production has chosen to make Claire look the selfish, cold shrew in poor, poor pitiful Frank's suffering love life ("These young girls won't let me be"). So, that part of 305 seriously annoyed me, and likely colored my view of this episode as a whole.
I also don't understand why we didn't learn at least a little bit about Joe's personal life. Even something as simple as a framed family photo on his desk would've been nice.
"Beatific" is the exact word I've been using to describe the rapturous look on Claire's face when she sees the print shop sign. That one expression is beautiful, and worth a thousand words. The one thing I miss the most at the end of this episode is the physical closeness between Claire and Jamie when he faints. I miss that one touch on Jamie's face that causes him to realize that Claire is truly real, not his imagination, and that drops him straight to the ground. I suppose we all have our own mental idea of how that should've played out, but the distance placed between them at that point in the scene jarred me.
They are rushing so much of this narrative, and it saddens me because once they leave Scotland I'm just not as heart-bound to the story. I've continued to read all the books because I'm willing to follow Gabaldon's Jamie and Claire WHEREVER she takes them. I'm just not certain I can say the same about RDM's version. I was so impressed with episode 304, and had hoped for the best with this episode. I wish I had liked it more because I truly want to love this show again. Maybe "A. Malcolm" will be wonderful and more than worth the wait. And maybe the ghost of St. Frank will stay far away. I am still hopeful.
BTW, I have only viewed this episode once. I plan to watch it again in the hope I will be better able to appreciate its positive points. It may help if I skip through the Frank-related parts ; )
I love the way that you said you were not as heart-bound with the story. That is exactly how I feel about the rest of this book. Love anything Diana writes but not as heart-bound with Sailing stuff.
Carol and Tracy, I was laughing without knowing why!
Dolittle, I love your reviews in the comments. "Heart bound" is a very good adjective describing how I feel about the books. The show is not the same for me. I too missed the closeness of Claire and Jamie and her touching him just before he faints. The tv show is not making me "heart bound" at all. I suspect the producer or who ever is just moving things along so they can be on the big sailing ships. I also miss Jamie's long hair. In the book she is always running her fingers thru it and she notices it's pulled back in a green ribbon when she first sees him. I don't get Jamie's messy hair in the tv show. At Hellwater all the other groomsmen managed to comb their hair into neat pony tails and "McKenzie" always looked like he combed his hair with an egg beater. Both Clair and Jamie have a lot said in the books about their hair and I miss that.sigh.
"Like he combed his hair with an egg beater." LOL! Good description! There's a wealth of amazing talent associated with this show, but the most distracting fails - apart from some of the more "creative" writing detours - has been hair. Remember Jamie's Bastille beard? Most of us did an open-mouthed head tilt over that. You'd think hair would be an easy fix. Guess not.
Hmmmm ... I feel as if I might be a bit alone in my take on this episode and this season. Let me preface by saying that I binge read the first three books in the series, 17 years ago. I have never re-read Outlander nor Dragonfly. I have re-read Voyager (like 3x). I recently re-read Drums (I think I originally read it about a year after the others - but maybe not, I did read it at some point). So - all this is to say that I remember the general gist of things from the first 4 books, but am no way a purist when it comes to the books - I simply don't remember them that well. I'm sure this influences my pov of the tv series.
I loved Season 1, thought it was great. I did not enjoy Season 2. I remembered enough to know that Jamie's tv persona was different than his book persona (at least in my mind); but I watched every episode. I am really enjoying Season 3. A lot. I get that many things have been changed or glossed over (yes, Joe's pov, for example AND Frank's multiple affairs) - but it just doesn't bother me. I did not want to wait until Episode 8 for the Print Shop Scene, the abbreviated version of the book has been a-ok with me. I feel like the general concept of their time apart has been covered. I feel their angst. The loneliness, the despair, the feeling of being half-alive. For me, this season is moving along well and I can't wait for October 22nd.
I think that Carol (was it Carol?) might be right - the weight of the printing press was probably the reason for it being on the bottom floor and I also thought of Turn. Yes, would have been nice for Claire to have touched Jamie to bring on the faint, but I also enjoyed his looking to her above and their facial expressions were magnificent.
Thee first reference of Bree's likeness to Ellen occurred in DIA when Claire first tells Bree that Jaime is her father. She tells Bree to go the National Portrait Gallery where they have a picture of Ellen wearing the pearls. She tells her to look at the portrait as she is very much like her grandmother.
Hi guys, funny as usual. So glad you do your recap so quickly. I enjoyed most of this episode. The print shop scene I thought was perfection. Facial expressions, all the emotion was there. Unfortunately, I am really struggling with Sophie Skelton as an actress. I don't know if they are choosing to have her act this way, but not much seems natural. She is a very important character and I can only hope she improves. The Batman stuff I thought was ridiculous. Claire and Bree shopping for dresses was a much better storyline. It just wasn't as smooth flowing this time, other than the end.
I am really thankful to the Outlander team for not stringing along the Claire and Jamie reunion. Did anyone notice that Claire became young again while just standing there smiling at Jamie??? In the first and last episodes of Season 2 I was so heartbroken to think that their beautiful time was over, they'd never be young together again. I was surprised that the show did that to me. To be honest, I'm not a fan of the books and began to read them only to find out what happened after I finished Season 1 of the series. I know that's Outlander blasphemy but I just really want DG to have an editor!!! I've loved every episode of this show and have no problems comparing it to the book. I loved episode 4 for the ground they covered, for the miracle of Murtagh being alive, and for the enjoyment of watching Jamie become friends with John Grey. I've loved Roger and have liked him in other things, most recently the war series that was on PBS and isn't going to be renewed -- he played a very serious, scowling doctor and was fabulous. I warmed up to Bree in last night's episode -- the goodbyes between Claire and she were pretty beautiful. I wish Claire had been kinder to Frank's girlfriend because, really, everything she said was true. She didn't love Frank anymore. I can't wait until next week. Poor sweet Jamie!
"I wish Claire had been kinder to Frank's girlfriend because, really, everything she said was true."
Considering only what was shown in the show (a FAR cry from the Claire/Frank dynamic of the book), I wish FRANK had been truthful to his girlfriend and told her that Claire had suggested divorce YEARS ago, and that HE was the one who dismissed it. I wish he had told her that he was staying with Claire until he could take her daughter far away from her. Frank was having his cake and stringing everyone along. And let's not forget that, despite grieving for Jamie, Claire DID try to have a real marriage with Frank again, even going so far as to put herself out there with that sexy little strip tease-ish come on in the living room. It was Frank that stopped it - in the middle of the act! - because Claire wasn't looking adoringly at him. Way to be patient, Frank. Way to appreciate how hard Claire is trying, Frank. Then, because Claire's not a good liar, poor Claire gets no loving for twenty years. But we're supposed to feel sorry for Frank and his mistress? The mistress that shows up at Claire's home? REALLY?
Candy/Sandy knew she was "the other woman," and had NO business approaching Claire. Frank was free to leave anytime, but he used Bree as an excuse. She should've been angry at Frank, because he obviously didn't love her enough to take a chance on leaving Claire. It's a common story, and the wife isn't at fault if the man won't leave. An intelligent woman like Candy/Sandy (along with Mandy/Fancy/Nancy/and Bambi if you're a book reader) should've been smart enough to know that.
Hello, Girlfriends! I was anxious to hear how you felt about 305. My husband I were both crying (mine was more sobbing!) by the time it was over. Loved it! I have a few observations of my own here:
Yes, Carol, I definitely think Bree was missing Frank, due to it being her first Christmas without him, but also, was having a bit of doubts as to whether he really loved her as much as she always felt he did. Was he having to feign love for a child he knew was not his own? These would be some real thoughts that would come up if you learned this at the age of 20, after the man you knew as Daddy had died. The pictures helped - you could see he was just a Dad loving his child. The pipes and chair were more to comfort her - to feel his presence, so to speak.
So "Edge of Night"! I loved this! Our son poured some whiskey into a beautiful decanter that I have had on my buffet for years, just as decoration. I remember telling him that we so had to fetch his Dad a glass when he came in from work some night just like they do in the soaps!
Roger walking in - I would be like Claire in that of course he would be welcome, and must stay, but if my child walked out, as in "I'm moving out!", you can bet I would be chasing behind, crying, "Wait! Let's discuss this! Excuse me just a second, Rog!"
The bones - I think we forget the mystical nature of DG's books sometimes. The solstice, the Druids, the stones. We're talking time travel here, for heaven's sake! It's not a stretch to think that Claire may have some kind of mystical power that even she isn't aware of. Master Raymond, anyone? I believe you both touched on this, and it could bleed over into her medical knowledge, and even a sort of extra-sensory type power.
I looked up Tab, as I remember my mother always being on top of anything "Diet". It was introduced in 1963.
I had to sing "We went to the moon in 1969, not 1968, but one year later" from Even Stevens, my son's fave Disney show, to figure out this was NOT the big one - hah!
I missed the pbj sandwich and the wrapper drifting away. When I told my husband about it, he thought I was being silly. I also told him about the prologue from Claire on how she was always wary of puddles. We both agreed, like you two, that was a perfect transition and call-back.
Perfection, all around. Loved it, and don't even mind the two-week wait! Thanks for another great recap!
I also meant to mention that AFTER finishing book Voyager, and then again during last night's episode, I wondered if part of the reason Jamie fainted, besides sheer joy and disbelief, could have been a big "Oh, Shit!" moment as well. Wink, wink. My husband always asks a million questions, and he doesn't mind book spoilers, but I have saved a book moment here for him to discover himself. If ya know what I mean.
Also.... where is this great ass that Claire has? Just a fun observation from strictly the show. I just heard Joe talk about her great ass and I am like... wait? say what! where??
Carla Hays, with respect, how can you for one second imagine that there was room for "Oh, shit!" in Jamie's mind at this juncture? I know what you're alluding to, but I can't for the life of me think that the broader picture has any relevance at this stage.
Maybe not. It could be that it hadn't had time for THAT to sink in yet, but it IS a pretty big thing that he's gonna have to deal with. Just a little side thought 💠had - no biggie. 😊
When Claire and Bree were walking and talking about Sandy the Professor who was Frank's student, Bree said she saw how Frank looked at her meaning Sandy, the same way Frank would sometimes look at Claire. Bree does take care to look at the way men look at her mom. She did see a different look between someone else and her mother in another time, and this time she completely approved
Hello! You two will have to start a whole series of outtakes for when you get the giggles a la Shawshank Redemption and then again in this vid! Love when that happens and always makes me smile! Thanks for these videos.
I think I get what Carol was saying about Bree and Claire. Maybe Claire felt a bit left out through the years because Bree did get closer to Frank when Claire was deep into med school (Clarie's choice, etc.) But I think there was that moment in this episode where Bree was a wee bit less selfish in letting her mother know that she loves her.
All the Bree/university/bad grades stuff I thought was the showrunners way of compressing all the book stuff about Bree switching from Arts degree to engineering degree? And I think she was older in the books, too, when Claire left and handed over the deed and bank info, etc., and I thought I remembered from the books that Joe helped with that somehow? I'll have to reread the book over the next couple of weeks while we wait for the next episode!!
Thanks, again, for these great videos. If I ever see you in an airport/train station/ public restroom, I am so going to go all OMG, you're famous...and engage you in conversation! LOL! cheers!
Yes it's weird but I saw it to. Actually the left boob when she's facing Jamie seemed to have a nipple looking bent downward. The right one didn't. It looked off. I also think it's strange to notice this. My husband said the same so maybe not. It didn't look natural. They did something which normally ends up looking off. Sorry but it's true. Cave Man wig, Faith beard disaster. Strange hair that grows/shrinks as the camera angle changes, disappearing years, or years that don't count. Again, love this show.
I think this season is the best so far. I was surprised that this was not one of your fav episodes. I think last week's was great and I have watched the episode at least 5 times. Then, I felt that this week was even better. Some of the story line was changed, but I feel the writers moved the plot along without straying from the spirit of the novel. I was so glad that they included the scene with the Caribbean skeletal remains. Also, remember when Bree recited Paul Revere's ride in either Drums or Fiery Cross, I think? I feel that the scene in literature class will come back to us down the road and be significant.
I am really enjoying Bree and Roger. I hope the series follows their romance after Claire rejoins Jamie.
Did they have sewing machines in 1766? If not, Claire would have had to sew her dress by hand. Any one examining her clothes in 1766 and finding the zipper that was mentioned or the type of machine seam stitching, would have been flummoxed. Yes, I agree Claire looked younger the second she laid eyes on Jamie. And in Ep. 4, Willie looks NOTHING like Jamie but is a good child actor.
I used to be in an 18th century reenacting group and they allowed people to used machines because an 18th century seamstress would have sewn the stitches so small that they would look like a machine did it. I have studied 18th century clothing and it is true, though a machine is much more even, of course. But it takes a *lot* of time and practice to get that good. If she did mostly hidden stitches, which is how we mostly sew with machines, it would be harder to tell that it was not hand sewn anyway.
Tracey and Christmas Carole, again you guy said what I thinking. I don’t think we had first Christmas ornaments. On our tree, at some point in my childhood, I put names on ornaments with glitter. Still have them but they are barely readable. It is the memory of making them that means so much. We did have tinsel, so glad they put that on the tree. I sure slept on my share of juice cans to get straight hair. I have a funeral purse with funeral cards in it. Love you mentioning it. I love the call backs in DG’s books. I don’t remember Clair saying to Jamie whiskey and freedom. Wish they would do more callbacks. Again next episode I will be waiting for “There are the two of us now...“Hope I am not disappointed again! I would rather have had the Jessica Gutenberg shopping scene over the sewing. Claire only sees flesh! Plus we will miss the zipper scene in there reunion. One thing that I have always thought was that with Jamie’s mom and then Geneva dying in childbirth wouldn’t Jamie worry that Claire didn’t live? Never heard anyone mention that,anyone else think about it? I wondered and wondered about just where they would end this episode. I thought with door opening. Boy was I wrong and boy did they get it perfect!! I wonder what non book readers thought about Jamie fainting. He has endured sooo much. This was just tooo much! Looking forward to the place they spend their first night together and their visitors there in two weeks! Thanks so much for you insight and humor. I really look forward to watching you each episode. Have a great couple of weeks!
Since I didn't get a chance to comment last week, I wanted to start by saying that I am so sorry about your difficult summer, Carol. But I am happy to hear that your husband is recovering. Prayers that he continues to get better.
I also wanted to say that I thought 305 was the best episode this season so far. Roger and Brianna are my favorite characters in the book, and I really enjoyed their interactions this week, it totally made the episode for me. I thought we saw the beginning of their relationship with their kiss this week and I *loved* the scene with them reading A Christmas Carol on the couch. Best of all, I loved that Roger came to spend his first Christmas without his father with Claire and Brianna. I also loved seeing Brianna on her own, especially her thinking about Frank and growing up. I started crying when she looked at the pictures, it was really the first opportunity that we got to see her mourn him. I also loved her telling Roger about her love of architecture, showing her interest in math and engineering. It was really our first chance to see Brianna as a whole person, not just a daughter.
I think Sophie's comfort with the role of Brianna is improving and it was great to finally see some of the chemistry between Sophie and Rik in this episode.
I was also happy to see more of Claire and Joe's friendship and Claire as a working professional, not just a wife and mother. And the last scene was just as great as I imagined.
First I want to thank you both for the wonderful videos, especially for continuing to give us this joy during your own personal trials. I truly enjoy the interaction between real sisters...this is what makes your videos so funny and enjoyable. I actually loved this episode. There was so much from the book included, from Rogers talk about needing a personal history to Bree feeling her birth father has the right to know that his sacrifice paid off. No, it wasn't like the book but DG can pack so much emotional insight into one sentence... Claire is the best Dr, when it comes to diagnosis, that Dr Joe has ever seen...I think mentioning that would have grounded that scene. And (spoiler alert) who says we want see Joe's face again this season...doing a Tobias?
Okay, first, I just found your web site from a Twitter link. It was tons of fun to watch the recap with you guys, and I'll probably go backwards in time now and watch past episodes.
I listened to the audio book of books 3, 4 and 5 in the past few weeks, so I'm going to be a bit pedantic about bookie stuff.
I'm so unhappy with Sophie's casting. There, I said it. She's not tall enough. She's not (written?) headstrong/stubborn enough even when she's fighting with Claire. I think I wanted her to look like Gwendoline Christie at age 20, where she's clearly feminine but has lots of reasons to feel like she's not Frank's daughter, if she cared to look/think about it. I always imagined her being taller than Frank, if not by much, and that being a constant cause for "talk." So the fact that she's shorter than Claire here even makes me crankier than I thought I would be. I got past Claire's eyes not being the right color, and her hair being too dark, and and and other stuff. But when Cat and Sam are so perfectly cast, I wish that Bree had been, too.
Roger here is amazing. He's the perfect blend of kind and thoughtful, shy and self-effacing despite being aware of his own self-worth. It's so refreshing. And I love that you can kinda SEE how much he respects Claire, even as he's head-over-heels for Brianna.
I wanted Claire to bite back to Candy/Sandy. To tell her that she told Frank to go, but he wouldn't. Sandy, sad as her role is (kinda), acting so put upon by the fact that her man didn't leave his wife for her because of their daughter? That just tells you that he was more devoted to Bree than Sandy, and that is, I felt, as it should be. He wasn't willing to give Bree up, no matter how much he disliked some of his marital conditions. Their couch conversation in past weeks made that clear.
I hope we get Joe in flashbacks, particularly talking about his family, and would LOVE to see "The Impetuous Pirate" scene skipping through Claire's mind while they're on a ship, because it's truly hilarious and says a lot about Joe's character. That she left Bree in his keeping would be a nice anecdote to tell Jamie later, too, because it speaks to how close they really were.
In hindsight on second watch, I wish the opener had been that little piece of plastic blowing away from her PB&J.
The puddle transition was inspired. I loved that when she stepped in the puddle, the water just beaded off her skirt. I might have laughed to myself when I thought of the (holy cow, how many coats did you buy?!?) fabric being Scotch Guarded. Ha.
I'm mixed on the levels in the print shop. I never imagined the building to be as upscale as it looked in the show. It was so NICE, it looked like he'd set himself up a really lovely, involved business, and I didn't imagine it being something that he'd built up to that degree. As the scene played out though, it was pretty darn near perfect. And yes, Sam's facial expressions before he goes down (heh heh) were amazing.
The painting of Ellen is something Bree sees in book 4 in its original location. It's also mentioned there that Bree saw it at the museum, but it doesn't say when (and that might be in book 2, but I don't have that one digitally to check).
Hi, Carol and Tracey. I read the script that was posted in Outlander Community today (well, really yesterday) and they had included a conversation of Claire and Joe about his family but that apparently didn't make the final edits. I'm glad that we FINALLY got some good BFF times with Claire & Joe, though, but I've been waiting all season for the scraps we finally got. But in the book, she told Joe SPOILER ALERT
about going through the stones, but not in the TV show. Didn't she?
My grandmother was a huge Dark Shadows fan whereas it scared the crap out of me. I knew the second that the 1960's tv screen came into view that it was Dark Shadows. I gave me the same chills I had when I was 5 years old.
Oh, and Tracey, the "What?" moment for me came when you said, "Winter's Bone? Eh, i didn't like it." That was the movie that made me take notice of Jennifer Lawrence. But that's what I love about film. It totally subjective.
First of all, I want to thank Tracey & Carol for doing these podcasts. I think I look forward to your videos as much as I do the show. Carol, I can relate to husband's health issues, and I will keep you all in my prayers.
I know some had questions/issues on the print shop being two levels, but I think it was perfect as it added to Jamie's confusion/amazement and overall being gobsmacked. LOL He saw her from above, saw her lit and aglow with this overall back light, and had to really be wondering if she were real or imagining her as his "angel" as he's done before. Perfect IMO.
I'm enjoying the entire season so far. It has been a bit more "Frank-centric" for my tastes. I think that was because TPTB have so much love and admiration for Tobias that they wanted to showcase him as much as they could. I get that and I agree TM is amazing. But I would much rather have that been abbreviated in this episode and more of Claire's actual journey back shown. I would preferred the award ceremony and Sandy/Candy be cut and more of Claire's talks with Joe included. I also would have liked to see Claire added as after she stepped into the puddle, it could have been outside of the town & shown her eating the PBJ, which then could have then transitioned into being in town & finally to the print shop. They also could have shortened all the time spent on her sewing the batsuit. I don't know if they threw that in to bring some lightness to it, but it was kinda weird. I did, however, love the Dark Shadows part. I was a huge fan of the show back in the day and what better way to remind us it is the 60's than to reference that incredibly popular show. But it's hard to find much fault with it. I understand how hard it must be to condense these books into a tv show & they've done an amazing job of doing it, so no complaints and when they've changed a bit here & there, I've been ok with it so far anyway.
Because I was never much of a fan of Brianna, I just can't get into her yet. I did begin to warm to her a bit at the end of this episode though and hopefully it will get better as she ages. She was always such a brat in the books. That said, I adore Roger. The casting here is stellar as has been for most all of the series. Regarding Bree's hair, I too figured it was because of the 60's when so straight was in style, but it is very distracting to me. I can't really concentrate on the character because all I see is hair. LOL Hoping they will soften her up soon.
Ok, let me just say that I truly enjoy everyones comments here, even when they are different than my own. I love discussing these books and show, and love Tracey and Carol's take on things! This review is just my opinion, it's not the rule of law. I know many will not agree with me here, and that's fine with me. Outlander episode 305 “Freedom and Whisky”
Well, if I hated episode 304, which I did purely for the story itself and not the performances, then I really enjoyed episode 305. It was just so refreshing to watch Outlander and not feel depressed or enraged after it ended. When can I say that happened last? Episode 7, Season1?? Yeah, probably. lol
I’m going to start with the positive and end with my criticism; yes, I did have some as always lol.
Firstly, Joe Abernathy. I love him!! I love his relationship with Claire. He’s just a good friend with no strings attached, and his relationship with Claire is purely based on respect and admiration; no sexual undertones (I guess you can guess what I’m thinking here...)
Claire was like I have never seen her before, so vulnerable and humble. I really liked this Claire, she was endearing, but it concerns me for future episodes. We have seen her suffer over the loss of Jamie. We have seen her shut down her sexual desire because of Jamie. We see Claire throw caution to the wind, and give everything up for Jamie. Claire never moved on from her love of Jamie for 20 years, but what of Jamie?? What has he given up for her? We see Jamie move on from Claire in episode 303, and father a child with another woman in 304. I’m not feeling Jamie’s burning desire for Claire here, I’m not even feeling his loss for her and their child.
These last 5 episodes have done a great job of showing Claire’s emotional arch during her separation from Jamie. In Jamie’s story though, I feel like the focus has mostly been on his physical journey. Every episode, Jamie has been in a different place, interacting and forming relationships with different characters; because of that we have not seen a lot, if any, of his grief over loosing Claire. And then, there was the sex scene from hell... So I feel like Claire has a lot more to loose than Jamie, and I’m worried Jamie’s reaction to Claire may come off somewhat disingenuous. I still have some trepidations for the print shop.
Ok, Bree. I liked her in this episode. I loved her interaction with Claire. I felt like that relationship was nicely flushed out. I liked her time with Rodger too. It’s a very slow burn, but I’m starting to feel some chemistry there. When the three of them were celebrating Christmas together around the tree, I felt like I could envision them all on Frazer’s Ridge in the future.
Rodger!!!!!! Oh lord! I love Richard Rankin as Rodger. He is so sweet and has a humble charm about him. I can’t wait to see what he does with his character’s arch next season; it should be interesting. I’m actually already starting to think about next season! I did not think I would.
Claire making the “bat suite”! When was the last time we saw such a cute/fun scene on Outlander?! It helped to create some much needed levity. Really! How refreshing was this?! I loved it! Again, just another reason to love Claire:) the woman can do anything lol. Same thing with the opening credits, Claire making Bree’s first Christmas ornament was so sweet. Claire’s heart really showed in this episode.
I think they all did a pretty good job of convincing the audience that Claire could leave Bree without too many reservations. I didn’t feel like Claire was out right abandoning Bree, yet I felt the sadness of both of their loses. The only thing that felt off to me, was that Bree’s future was left up in the air. Did she move out? What is she going to do if she doesn’t stay in school, get a job? I know the answer of course, but the show audience doesn’t; that felt off.
I thought the transition with the “puddle story” was well done. I really didn’t need to see Claire at the stones again; been there done that. It was fresh and new, and got the story to move forward more quickly. The print shop. What can I say, it was shot perfectly. Claire’s face was amazing! Every emotion was right there, spot on. Caitriona Balfe is a superstar, and the production’s best asset (so is Sam Heughan). These two actors are keeping this show afloat. That scene played out just as I saw it in my head. Thanks to that, I am looking forward to the reunion again, but I am still a bit skeptical.... One wrong step from Jamie, and I’ll be yelling at my TV lol.
Criticisms-
I would have liked a little more of a back story about Joe. Sophie was much better to me, but she still needs some work. I hope she gets there before season 4, because that’s a big one for her. Petty, but Claire’s costume seems a little frumpy to me, but the fact that she made it is adorable. I’m also bothered by the fact that it has a strong resemblance to Geneva’s riding suite. I don’t need any parallels to that episode; which leads me to... Thanks to the way they structured the story, the last time we saw Jamie, he was passionately deflowering a 17 year old girl, getting her pregnant and helping to raise their bastard son. The next time we see him, he’s in the printshop. Now he’s going to get it on with Claire. I know it’s been something like 10 years since Geneva in the story, but it’s only been an episode in TV/real time. I feel like Jamie’s story is rot with sexual undertones this season. He’s either bedding another woman,, fighting off sexual advances, or making indecent proposals. Really, he kinda feels like a man-whore to me, and now he’s going to be reunited with his supposed “soul-mate”?? I’m going to have a hard time buying it, even with that great intro for the printshop.
My final criticism really bugs me to hell. What the f**k with Frank’s mistress coming up to Claire and chastising her for being selfish and not letting Frank go??!!! Does this woman not understand that she was the one in the wrong?? She was the one committing adultery with Frank??? How the hell does she get off making herself and Frank the victims, and Claire the villain in all this?? I”M TIRED OF THIS WRITING TEAM MAKING THE FEMALE LEAD OUT TO BE THE BAD GUY, WHILE THE MALE LEADS CAN DO NO WORNG; THEY ARE EXONERATED FROM THEIR IMMORAL CHOICES!!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PROGRESSIVE SHOW THAT CELEBRATES FEMINISM, BUT YET IT COMPLETELY OPPRESS THE FEMALE LEAD!
My point- When Claire goes back to Frank she tells him, point blank, that she fell in love with another man and is carrying his child. She does not deceive Frank in any way; Claire is upfront and honest. Frank takes her back, thinking she will love him again eventually, because that’s how self-centered he is. Frank has no respect for Claire’s feelings. Claire tries to move on with Frank, but can’t commit fully to him sexually. Why?? BECAUSE SHE IS STILL, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, IN LOVE WITH JAMIE! You know, she feels like it is some kind of betrayal to give all of herself to another man when she can’t stop thinking of her true love. So how do they write this leading lady moving forward?? Oh right, she shelves her sexual desire for 20!!!! years, because hey, she’s a woman and obviously doesn’t need sex like a man. But Frank?? Oh well, he’s a man, and has his needs. So they write this cockamamy plot twist that Claire agrees to enter into an open-marriage with Frank so he can commit adultery without consequences and still come out smelling like the victimized rose that he is. Message to women- it’s ok for men to break their marriage vowel and fornicate with women other than their wives.... Great message Outlander/the ridiculous Hollywood community (big eye-roll here).
Now what about Jamie?? Oh yeh, his adulterous ways either come off as sweet and endearing (aka. Mary MacNabb), or he’s a saint/hero for teaching a poor victimized young girl the ways of the flesh. Jamie is committing an egregious crime when he agrees to deflower Geneva, 3 days before her wedding to another man no less. In 18th century Scotland, this is a crime punishable by a prison term. Jamie was more at risk of getting caught and going to jail by fornicating with an unmarried woman, than he was of being found out by Lady Dunsany- which turns out to be an empty threat. Do people hold Jamie accountable for his dishonorable behavior?? Hell no!! It was corrosion, he was so sweet to show this poor girl a good time!! And what a passionate, sexy, intimate good time it was too!! Jamie had no problem being with Geneva, a matter of fact, production decided to shoot that scene in such a sexy way, that viewers were actually praising it as the best Outlander sex yet. Really?? Is that what they want??? “The best sex” is with the male lead and the “other woman”, and under corrosion and basically a rape?? Wow! Message to women- even though you should stay true to your love and shelve your sexual desires, a man is given the freedom to move on and have hot sensual sex with other woman with out a signal thought of you, or any legal or moral consequences. Jamie can do no wrong! But Claire?? Oh yeah, she’s a cold heartless bitch to poor Frank and his mistress, because she honor’s Jamie love by being a “monk” for 20 years... because, you know, woman just don’t need it like men.
I really hate that they changed the dynamics of Frank and Claire’s marriage. I truly think it would have been better if they continued to have sex throughout their marriage (like in the book!), and just had Frank committing outright adultery. But Hollywood doesn’t want to send that massage, aka. “Men committing adultery is wrong.” They want to validate it some way, but in doing so they are oppressing women by sending the message that it’s ok for your spouse to fornicate with other woman, and if you don’t like it, you are a cold hearted b*tch. If you think I’m wrong, I would erg you to look at what’s going on in Hollywood right now. Henry Wienstine has gotten away with sexual assault for YEARS and everyone knew it!
I read all these books so long ago. It's very hard to keep it all separated into individual books. If I say something that might be a spoiler, I apologize in advance.
I've watched this episode 3 times loved it from a 60's point of view. I love their outfits, the hair, all the Christmas decorations, the tree, how the house is a mixture of 60's vibe and older. The outside shot of the hospital looked just like the now torn down hospital in the town I grew up in. Being born in 1967, I missed all the fun fashion of this era. MCM is def my spirit animal.
I did feel Joe got the raw end of the scripting and it showed Claire's semi narcissistic behavior by not ever having a conversation with Joe that was centered on him. The only time she seems interested in him is when he is looking at Geillis's bones but then it's really about her. LOL I also thought in the book, the thing about the bones was that one of the teeth had a silver filling or a silver tooth. Therefore, when Claire saw it, she immediately knew it had to be someone who had traveled through the stones.
Even in the books, Bree was never my favorite character. She is self-centered, shallow and well a teenager or a young adult who lived her life in the bubble of the upper middle-class lifestyle of her time. It takes her awhile to come into her own and find out what she is made of and capable of. I agree with the others, I don't find her casting to be of my taste but then I suppose it might be hard to find such a person in real life to match the book Bree in looks and size. I love Roger. His clothes, his accent, that fact he is a history buff. I love history so we are kindred spirits. His personality is just lovely.
The Candy/Sandy scene I was expecting Claire's claws to come out a little. It's not so much like her to keep her mouth shut. What Candy/Sandy said was true and Claire took the high road. None of it matters anymore anyway. Frank died and with it so did their passive aggressive marriage arrangement. I don't like how they played out their marriage in the show and I thought Frank died of a heart attack instead of a car accident. Also, when Claire see's Frank after he has died, she smells his neck... Bree smells his pipe. Smell is one of the great ways we remember things and trigger memories. It's also unlikely Frank would have been faithful to Candy/Sandy either.
The time line for the show seems very scattered to me. In episode 2 with Fergus, hadn't six years gone by making Fergus like 16 or 17 instead of still a young boy looking like he was twelve or however old he was in France?
The bat suit was cool. I agree that multiple rain coats would be needed to create it. I suppose if you had everything you needed, one could possibly create an outfit such as that in a very long day. I can't recall how much time there was between when Claire decided to go back and when she actually left. I thought it showed once she made up her mind, she was all in and was going to do whatever it took to stay focused on her end result.
The stepping in the puddle was very well played out and was glad they didn't drag out that part. The print shop was perfect as was the acting. I suppose printing equipment of that era was very heavy, large and cumbersome to move around and therefore, would need to be on the main floor. I thought my husband was going to faint waiting for this moment. I am glad they did not fade to black when Claire opened the door and took the scene further. Otherwise, my husband was going to start sending hate mail and nasty grams. :) The look on Jamie's face was priceless. One can only imagine the thoughts filtering across his mind in those few seconds. Shock, surprise, joy, oh shit and on the floor he went. Not quite how Claire thought it was going to go.
Can't wait for the next sex-pisode. Not sure I am old enough to watch it play out in real time.
How does the presumed skeleton of Geillis show up in Joe's office in 1968 when Geillis is alive in Inverness in 1968 (last season Claire, Roger and Bree saw Geillis going thru the stones and tried and stop her). Does being alive and dead at the same time break some time travel rule? Perhaps I have the timeline wrong or my presumption that the skeleton is Geillis is incorrect. I hope someone can answer this - driving me nuts.
1. Why is Claire still wearing Frank's wedding ring? 2. Where did Claire leave her luggage of contemporary clothes, when it was unlikely that she would ever come back for them? 3. Did she really have time to make the 18th c. underpinnings? 4. Why would she put a zipper in the corset when she knew it was historically wrong? 5. Just watched the 5th episode for the second time and decided Bree does look like Jamie. 6. Even the dialogue on the Dark Shadows clip was well-chosen to reflect Claire's situation. 7. It's interesting how we take to certain actors and not to others. Roger (wish he'd shave) and Joe I find instantly likeable but not Bree. Didn't like her in the books but am slowly warming up to her in the show. Her wig is awful. Hair was long then; I was 18. But hers is just too much. 8. Guess Claire didn't have to wait for the solstice or other significant date to go through the stones. 9. Love Claire's hair. She sure is gorgeous.
Hi Trish, I saw your comment via email; don't worry about it! :) As long as you give a spoiler warning, people will know to skip your comment and move on to the next one.
Spoiler ahead:
I HAD to address your question because I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED THAT, TOO! I don't think they ever went there (much like I don't think Jamie ever really told Claire *why* he had sex with Geneva, did he??) and it drives me batty. Frank loved researching BJR and being his ancestor (not knowing what a freak he was) so I figured she might have told him. BUT - I guess it was pretty painful to even go there...so maybe she didn't. Either way, GREAT QUESTION!! :)
Thanks for another great video. Every episode I have to go back and re-read some of the parts in Voyager. Part of me wants the show to be like the book, yet, I like most of the changes so far. Do you like where the episode ended with Jamie fainting? How funny! The lighting behind Claire, when she saw Jamie, was like heavenly light behind her. One of the first things I noticed was that Claire was wearing the ring from her marriage to Frank. Do you think that will play out some way in the future? Maybe she will use use it for some kind of payment in the 18th century? Kathie
So....just found you ladies online. 23 year book fan. Lost my Jamie very suddenly and heartbreakingly in 2013. While reading the first book in 1993, pregnant with my first child, I turned to my husband and told him this woman had written a book about him. Corny, I know. Wasn't sure I could even watch the show, but after a few weeks back in '14, I did. Wedding episode originally aired on my late husbands birthday. Always thought that was cool. So I am slow to the fan group game...as I navigate back to reality. Happened upon your channel on accident, actually a recommendation from one of my teen daughters. I have so enjoyed the videos I've watched so far. I've decided that at some point I will go back to season 1 and enjoy you in order. Might be a great way to endure the next Droughtlander. I would never leave a nasty or negative comment, as we all have our own opinions. My daughter's have put up with my "this was not in the book!" rants enough. We all have something we would like to see, and just have to appreciate the closest adaptation that we are given for the day. Thank you for having a great place to land when you need to get away from the realities of life....much like the books and show (and all my other favorite shows of escape) A fellow widow friend sent me a note about the Outlander wines. Thought of you gals, you should help yourself to a case. With fond appreciation, Janet C
Janet, I am so sorry, it sounds like you had am amazing relationship with your own Jamie that was cut too short. 💔Diana's books have such a way of bringing people together, and I'm so glad to hear you have people in your support circle who love Outlander as well. I have many favorite shows of escape, too; one of these days I have to start blogging about them a little more often! Poldark, Versailles, The Halcyon (that's a new one for me), to name a few. Thank you for saying, "Hello" and welcome to our (not so) little circle of Outlander fun! 💕
The moment when Claire is standing, looking through the Print Shop door, I was literally jumping up and down, yelling, "Go Through the door, GO THROUGH THE DOOR!!!!!" Got some pretty funny looks from my kids and husband, but I was not to be discouraged...as soon as I heard Jamie's voice, I was undone...it makes me tear up just thinking about it...all the heartache and lonesome torture DIA and the first 1/3 of Voyager put us through is so worth it just for the glory that is the Print Shop...I'm rereading Voyager now, because I need my Print Shop fix!!
So true! Your comment reminded me of when I was reading the moment in the book and had to put an index card under the sentences so my eyes would not jump ahead and spoil any of the details!! What a roller coaster fun moment.
I know why they focused on Paul Revere because the professor says history is determined by who writes it, and it is subjective. Then she picks that theme up again when she is with Roger at Harvard and she says you can't trust history. Then she talks about the beauty of architecture and how exact that is. I think we are getting set up for her to decide to become and engineer and not be a historian. More like the books. I think there is a point, and it's not just filler. -Z
I have to say, for how much I love Roger Mackenzie, I don't like Bree. I'm not sure exactly why, but she's just not growing on me yet.... but Roger is just perfect. It will take a little longer for me to be able to root for their relationship. I'm actually glad that Claire is going through the stones so I get a break from Bree! (how horrible is that!?!?!)
The last 5 minutes of this episode made it worth while. The making of the dress/coat with the batman music was a little corny, but I can let it slide. The transition from current to the past was beautiful. I really loved the use of the puddles and it was just a wonderful transition.
Having Claire be above Jamie was a great idea. I loved the idea that she could look down on him, and that when he looked up at her she did have the light behind her (for that angelic look). And him passing out was perfect. Tracey - I love your take on the switch of the roles. I never thought about it that way, but now that you've described it, I can't believe I didn't see it before. I'm very excited for the next episode!!!
Does any of the Sophie haters actually saw any of her interviews? She read the books and based her performance on Sam's and feels protective of the character, so if there's a problem, it's not her, but the character. If you watched any of Sophie's roles, you would notice how different she is in other films. The character of Bree as portrayed by Sophie has lotsof layers, the same ones Sam gives to Jamie. Yet you criticize Sophie for the same thing you praise Sam for. That's quite hypocrite and a way to try to turn Sophie into Outlander's black sheep. I discovered the show because of her so it pains me that you people attack her, trying to say "everyone on the show are good but her".
Ladies keep an eye out for the lady that belongs to the bones.....
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. I've been Watching you for a ...really... long time and the shared memories that you have from old shows is one of the reasons I enjoy your banter. I miss my brother. I love hearing your thoughts on the book and show. Cancer sucks. Just sayin. Been there.
ReplyDeleteYou both had me laughing so hard.
ReplyDeleteOMG yes to Ian McShane!! I think he'd be a great Father Fogden. He performs a certain wedding ceremony on the beach (on Hispanola) and asks totally inappropriate questions. Remember him? It could be awesome.
Yes, he would be perfect!
DeleteHe could even bring a bit of Al Swearengen to the role. :)
DeleteLadies, thank you for another great video. My sides are in pain right now from trying not to laugh out loud during parts of your commentary (my husband has already gone to bed and I didn't want to wake him.)
ReplyDeleteJust a few observations:
1. I agree that Claire doesn't seem to ask Joe ~anything~ about his life in the show version. I miss that extra information about Joe and his family that is in the book.
2. The confrontation between Claire and Sandy in the show seemed like Frank took up with Sandy as Claire was still mourning for Jamie. In the book, Frank was a serial cheater and all I could think about was if they did that in the show they could have used the Carrie Underwood video "Two Black Cadillacs" as the background music.
3. The portrait of Ellen hangs in a museum in England (sorry, can't remember which one was mentioned in the book) and Brianna saw it for the first time there. The second time she saw it was hanging at Lallybroch.
4. I loved Roger in all of this. I gasped when I saw he was watching Dark Shadows. My husband even asked me if I said that - he remembered I was addicted to that a LONG time ago. And after Claire left, when Brianna brought out the food and said they would watch a "Charlie Brown Christmas" - that topped off that scene.
5. Print Shop scene - as you both said PERFECTION!
I enjoy your commentary so much. However, I seem to have trouble hearing Tracey from time to time. I don't know if it is my speakers or her microphone. Anyone else? Carol's volume is fine.
Did you guys mention how the bones were Geillis Duncan from a cave in the Caribbean? Also I loved the ending so awesome and I also hated Candy, Sandy.
ReplyDeleteNo, else they would have given a spoiler alert on that for the non book readers.
DeleteNot leaving Jamie on the floor for 5 months like he was sitting in the window at Wentworth
ReplyDeleteAlso book Brianna was not a history major she was an engineering major
ReplyDeleteShe started out as a history major but changed majors after Frank died and Claire went through the stones.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNot leaving Jamie on the floor for 5 months like he was sitting in the window at Wentworth
ReplyDeleteI think it is such a shame that they already mentioned the penecillin. It was such a fun reveal in the book when she really needed it. Really surprised me that they gave such a gem away when it was otally irrelevant . Would have enjoyed to see more conversations with Joe Abarbathy instead of Franks worship and Candy Sandy. Still loved this episode not as much as last weeks , but the ending was absolute perfection and all my outlander viewing guests jumped off their seats when the door opened and we actually followed Claire inside. Perfect ending !!! Great podcast ladies. Always laugh along with you , super fun.
ReplyDeleteI love the peanut butter sandwich in the book too, Carol! I wanted the Easter Egg to be the wrapping floating off into the landscape. If I remember correctly Claire just tosses it away. Oh well! Only If us fans could have input into the scripts! 😃
ReplyDeleteThat is perfection! I also wished they would have shown the plastic wrap floating away. That would have been an amazing easter egg.
DeleteTracey and Carol, thanks for another hilarious recap. Agree that Claire doesn't seem to be all that interested in Joe's life in the show. Did see a wedding ring on Joe's finger though in the scene where they were having a drink then the nurse comes in with reports, so we do find out some things about him even if it's not verbally expressed.
ReplyDeleteLike Carol, missed the PB & J. Felt like they could've just shown Claire's outfit being procured some other way and give the time to her eating the PB & J with the wrapper floating away. Also, missed Claire's letter of life advises to Bree. But, agree that ending was perfect.
Oh, that PB&J! It was so symbolic! Mark the loss of Bree and the modern conveniences for Claire. I missed it!
ReplyDeleteWow, great episode and awesome recap, again. Love you guys so much. You bring perspective and make me look at things I may have missed. Tears and laughter throughout the episode. I had no idea Claire could sew and sew So fast! The music throughout the episode seemed to dictate my emotions. Cheers! to Bear McCreary! I missed the peanut butter sandwich and my son missed the baggie. Joe should have been more fleshed out although he doesn't really play a major part until MOBY. Candy/Sandy could have been excluded completely but I kept waiting for Claire to let her know Frank never wanted to leave when given the opportunity through the years.
ReplyDeleteCarol, Tracey, you guys make me laugh and I love the memories you share with us besides the stuff about the show. Thank you again for a great recap!
When Jamie fainted and went to black I yelled" No!"And then "back in two weeks?" what the hell. I've scheduled my physical therapy around this show. Now I have to mark stuff off my calendar
ReplyDeleteLove the recap! I agree the printshop was perfection. So glad we got a glimpse of Jamie at the end of the show. I also missed the pbj and the wrapper. The Candy/Sandy scene- book Claire would have told her off
ReplyDeleteI was waiting for a little bit of the fiery Claire to come out, but 1960's Claire is so bundled up and measured in all her conversations. How about how Claire tells Bree that Frank planned to marry Sandy and Bree doesn't ask any questions about the affair or Franks plans...just goes into how Frank must have looked at her and saw Jamie. Really?
Roger is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I felt like Sophie Skelton's acting in this episode was better, but I agree with Tracy. I'm not a big fan of Bree in the books or the show.
Because DNA testing was not discovered/developed until the 80s(?) a mother and child's entire life could hinge on who the baby looked like. I always felt that is why D.G had large paintings of ancestors who looked exactly like decedents, and children who looked exactly like their parents. Jamie looks just like his mother, according to all who loved Ellen...Jamie children looked so much like him there could be no doubt to parentage. The references are throughout the entire book series.
ReplyDeleteBtw. That's just a random thought...way my mind works. What do you guys call it..."squirrel"??
Delete
DeleteSQUIRREL! :)
What a great episode -- also loved your recap! I totally agree about how perfect it was that they cut the ending the way they did. I particularly liked how they let Claire (and the audience) hear Jamie's voice first as you could really internalize what it would have been like to hear him speak after so many years. Even though we just had a Jamie-centric episode last week, it was so great to hear his resonant voice from her perspective. It reminded me of the ending of the Jane Eyre mini series (the Ruth Wilson version) where she sees Mr. Rochester sitting in the chair and he says something thinking it's the servant and she just gazes at him for a few minutes. I've been reading the books but I'm not caught up to Voyager yet so the suspense just took my breath away. I was ready to hear her say "Pilot knows me, sir"!
ReplyDeleteI was surprised they didn't have Bree write Jamie a letter to have Claire deliver for her (or include a photo album of Bree's pictures -- only so much room in the bat cape I guess!). My husband said she should have packed a camera as well!
From the promo for next time it looks like Claire's hair will be curly again (that Edinburgh humidity!). It'll be agony waiting two weeks but great that it's an extended episode!
Hi gals!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another fun recap! Regarding Claire's dye job, ground black walnut hulls are suppose to be a natural hair dye. I'm sure Claire would know that.
I'm not as excited about this episode as you are, but vive la difference? For me, this episode was ruined by that homage to St.Frank and that ridiculous b.s. coming out of his mistress's mouth. To make it worse, Claire, who has done nothing wrong, stands there and takes it. I love book Claire. There is nothing cold, meddling, or vindictive about her. She tries to make her marriage to Frank work. She never makes an agreement to have an open marriage. When it looks like her career may be putting Bree at risk, she's willing to throw in the towel. It's only Frank's suggestion that Bree come to his office after school so "there will be less damage to Brianna" (grr, the guilt-shoveling jerk!) that makes Claire continue in med school. When Frank tells her he's pulling Bree out of high school in the middle of her senior year to take her with him to England (with plans to put her in a boarding school), Claire tells him about all the discarded mistresses that have come to her over the years to beg her to let him go. She tells them that she would do it in an instant...if he ever asked. She had tried to get him to divorce her when she first returned, but he wouldn't. I don't understand why this production has chosen to make Claire look the selfish, cold shrew in poor, poor pitiful Frank's suffering love life ("These young girls won't let me be"). So, that part of 305 seriously annoyed me, and likely colored my view of this episode as a whole.
I also don't understand why we didn't learn at least a little bit about Joe's personal life. Even something as simple as a framed family photo on his desk would've been nice.
"Beatific" is the exact word I've been using to describe the rapturous look on Claire's face when she sees the print shop sign. That one expression is beautiful, and worth a thousand words. The one thing I miss the most at the end of this episode is the physical closeness between Claire and Jamie when he faints. I miss that one touch on Jamie's face that causes him to realize that Claire is truly real, not his imagination, and that drops him straight to the ground. I suppose we all have our own mental idea of how that should've played out, but the distance placed between them at that point in the scene jarred me.
They are rushing so much of this narrative, and it saddens me because once they leave Scotland I'm just not as heart-bound to the story. I've continued to read all the books because I'm willing to follow Gabaldon's Jamie and Claire WHEREVER she takes them. I'm just not certain I can say the same about RDM's version. I was so impressed with episode 304, and had hoped for the best with this episode. I wish I had liked it more because I truly want to love this show again. Maybe "A. Malcolm" will be wonderful and more than worth the wait. And maybe the ghost of St. Frank will stay far away. I am still hopeful.
Dolittle
BTW, I have only viewed this episode once. I plan to watch it again in the hope I will be better able to appreciate its positive points. It may help if I skip through the Frank-related parts ; )
DeleteI love the way that you said you were not as heart-bound with the story. That is exactly how I feel about the rest of this book. Love anything Diana writes but not as heart-bound with Sailing stuff.
DeleteCarol and Tracy, I was laughing without knowing why!
DeleteDolittle, I love your reviews in the comments. "Heart bound" is a very good adjective describing how I feel about the books. The show is not the same for me. I too missed the closeness of Claire and Jamie and her touching him just before he faints. The tv show is not making me "heart bound" at all. I suspect the producer or who ever is just moving things along so they can be on the big sailing ships. I also miss Jamie's long hair. In the book she is always running her fingers thru it and she notices it's pulled back in a green ribbon when she first sees him. I don't get Jamie's messy hair in the tv show. At Hellwater all the other groomsmen managed to comb their hair into neat pony tails and "McKenzie" always looked like he combed his hair with an egg beater. Both Clair and Jamie have a lot said in the books about their hair and I miss that.sigh.
"Like he combed his hair with an egg beater."
DeleteLOL! Good description! There's a wealth of amazing talent associated with this show, but the most distracting fails - apart from some of the more "creative" writing detours - has been hair. Remember Jamie's Bastille beard? Most of us did an open-mouthed head tilt over that. You'd think hair would be an easy fix. Guess not.
Hmmmm ... I feel as if I might be a bit alone in my take on this episode and this season. Let me preface by saying that I binge read the first three books in the series, 17 years ago. I have never re-read Outlander nor Dragonfly. I have re-read Voyager (like 3x). I recently re-read Drums (I think I originally read it about a year after the others - but maybe not, I did read it at some point). So - all this is to say that I remember the general gist of things from the first 4 books, but am no way a purist when it comes to the books - I simply don't remember them that well. I'm sure this influences my pov of the tv series.
ReplyDeleteI loved Season 1, thought it was great. I did not enjoy Season 2. I remembered enough to know that Jamie's tv persona was different than his book persona (at least in my mind); but I watched every episode. I am really enjoying Season 3. A lot. I get that many things have been changed or glossed over (yes, Joe's pov, for example AND Frank's multiple affairs) - but it just doesn't bother me. I did not want to wait until Episode 8 for the Print Shop Scene, the abbreviated version of the book has been a-ok with me. I feel like the general concept of their time apart has been covered. I feel their angst. The loneliness, the despair, the feeling of being half-alive. For me, this season is moving along well and I can't wait for October 22nd.
I think that Carol (was it Carol?) might be right - the weight of the printing press was probably the reason for it being on the bottom floor and I also thought of Turn. Yes, would have been nice for Claire to have touched Jamie to bring on the faint, but I also enjoyed his looking to her above and their facial expressions were magnificent.
So - one happy camper here. Bravo!
Thee first reference of Bree's likeness to Ellen occurred in DIA when Claire first tells Bree that Jaime is her father. She tells Bree to go the National Portrait Gallery where they have a picture of Ellen wearing the pearls. She tells her to look at the portrait as she is very much like her grandmother.
ReplyDeleteHi guys, funny as usual. So glad you do your recap so quickly. I enjoyed most of this episode. The print shop scene I thought was perfection. Facial expressions, all the emotion was there. Unfortunately, I am really struggling with Sophie Skelton as an actress. I don't know if they are choosing to have her act this way, but not much seems natural. She is a very important character and I can only hope she improves. The Batman stuff I thought was ridiculous. Claire and Bree shopping for dresses was a much better storyline. It just wasn't as smooth flowing this time, other than the end.
ReplyDeleteI am really thankful to the Outlander team for not stringing along the Claire and Jamie reunion. Did anyone notice that Claire became young again while just standing there smiling at Jamie??? In the first and last episodes of Season 2 I was so heartbroken to think that their beautiful time was over, they'd never be young together again. I was surprised that the show did that to me. To be honest, I'm not a fan of the books and began to read them only to find out what happened after I finished Season 1 of the series. I know that's Outlander blasphemy but I just really want DG to have an editor!!! I've loved every episode of this show and have no problems comparing it to the book. I loved episode 4 for the ground they covered, for the miracle of Murtagh being alive, and for the enjoyment of watching Jamie become friends with John Grey. I've loved Roger and have liked him in other things, most recently the war series that was on PBS and isn't going to be renewed -- he played a very serious, scowling doctor and was fabulous. I warmed up to Bree in last night's episode -- the goodbyes between Claire and she were pretty beautiful. I wish Claire had been kinder to Frank's girlfriend because, really, everything she said was true. She didn't love Frank anymore. I can't wait until next week. Poor sweet Jamie!
ReplyDelete"I wish Claire had been kinder to Frank's girlfriend because, really, everything she said was true."
DeleteConsidering only what was shown in the show (a FAR cry from the Claire/Frank dynamic of the book), I wish FRANK had been truthful to his girlfriend and told her that Claire had suggested divorce YEARS ago, and that HE was the one who dismissed it. I wish he had told her that he was staying with Claire until he could take her daughter far away from her. Frank was having his cake and stringing everyone along. And let's not forget that, despite grieving for Jamie, Claire DID try to have a real marriage with Frank again, even going so far as to put herself out there with that sexy little strip tease-ish come on in the living room. It was Frank that stopped it - in the middle of the act! - because Claire wasn't looking adoringly at him. Way to be patient, Frank. Way to appreciate how hard Claire is trying, Frank. Then, because Claire's not a good liar, poor Claire gets no loving for twenty years. But we're supposed to feel sorry for Frank and his mistress? The mistress that shows up at Claire's home? REALLY?
Candy/Sandy knew she was "the other woman," and had NO business approaching Claire. Frank was free to leave anytime, but he used Bree as an excuse. She should've been angry at Frank, because he obviously didn't love her enough to take a chance on leaving Claire. It's a common story, and the wife isn't at fault if the man won't leave. An intelligent woman like Candy/Sandy (along with Mandy/Fancy/Nancy/and Bambi if you're a book reader) should've been smart enough to know that.
The scene of Claire exiting the taxi/carriage gave me a chuckle when the picture pulled to the back of the carriage. Oh Claire brought her luggage.
ReplyDeleteTracey and Carol -
ReplyDeleteHello, Girlfriends! I was anxious to hear how you felt about 305. My husband I were both crying (mine was more sobbing!) by the time it was over. Loved it! I have a few observations of my own here:
Yes, Carol, I definitely think Bree was missing Frank, due to it being her first Christmas without him, but also, was having a bit of doubts as to whether he really loved her as much as she always felt he did. Was he having to feign love for a child he knew was not his own? These would be some real thoughts that would come up if you learned this at the age of 20, after the man you knew as Daddy had died. The pictures helped - you could see he was just a Dad loving his child. The pipes and chair were more to comfort her - to feel his presence, so to speak.
So "Edge of Night"! I loved this! Our son poured some whiskey into a beautiful decanter that I have had on my buffet for years, just as decoration. I remember telling him that we so had to fetch his Dad a glass when he came in from work some night just like they do in the soaps!
Roger walking in - I would be like Claire in that of course he would be welcome, and must stay, but if my child walked out, as in "I'm moving out!", you can bet I would be chasing behind, crying, "Wait! Let's discuss this! Excuse me just a second, Rog!"
The bones - I think we forget the mystical nature of DG's books sometimes. The solstice, the Druids, the stones. We're talking time travel here, for heaven's sake! It's not a stretch to think that Claire may have some kind of mystical power that even she isn't aware of. Master Raymond, anyone? I believe you both touched on this, and it could bleed over into her medical knowledge, and even a sort of extra-sensory type power.
I looked up Tab, as I remember my mother always being on top of anything "Diet". It was introduced in 1963.
I had to sing "We went to the moon in 1969, not 1968, but one year later" from Even Stevens, my son's fave Disney show, to figure out this was NOT the big one - hah!
I missed the pbj sandwich and the wrapper drifting away. When I told my husband about it, he thought I was being silly. I also told him about the prologue from Claire on how she was always wary of puddles. We both agreed, like you two, that was a perfect transition and call-back.
Perfection, all around. Loved it, and don't even mind the two-week wait! Thanks for another great recap!
Carla
I also meant to mention that AFTER finishing book Voyager, and then again during last night's episode, I wondered if part of the reason Jamie fainted, besides sheer joy and disbelief, could have been a big "Oh, Shit!" moment as well. Wink, wink. My husband always asks a million questions, and he doesn't mind book spoilers, but I have saved a book moment here for him to discover himself. If ya know what I mean.
DeleteAlso.... where is this great ass that Claire has? Just a fun observation from strictly the show. I just heard Joe talk about her great ass and I am like... wait? say what! where??
DeleteCarla Hays, with respect, how can you for one second imagine that there was room for "Oh, shit!" in Jamie's mind at this juncture? I know what you're alluding to, but I can't for the life of me think that the broader picture has any relevance at this stage.
DeleteMaybe not. It could be that it hadn't had time for THAT to sink in yet, but it IS a pretty big thing that he's gonna have to deal with. Just a little side thought 💠had - no biggie. 😊
DeleteWhen Claire and Bree were walking and talking about Sandy the Professor who was Frank's student, Bree said she saw how Frank looked at her meaning Sandy, the same way Frank would sometimes look at Claire. Bree does take care to look at the way men look at her mom. She did see a different look between someone else and her mother in another time, and this time she completely approved
ReplyDeleteHello! You two will have to start a whole series of outtakes for when you get the giggles a la Shawshank Redemption and then again in this vid! Love when that happens and always makes me smile! Thanks for these videos.
ReplyDeleteI think I get what Carol was saying about Bree and Claire. Maybe Claire felt a bit left out through the years because Bree did get closer to Frank when Claire was deep into med school (Clarie's choice, etc.) But I think there was that moment in this episode where Bree was a wee bit less selfish in letting her mother know that she loves her.
All the Bree/university/bad grades stuff I thought was the showrunners way of compressing all the book stuff about Bree switching from Arts degree to engineering degree? And I think she was older in the books, too, when Claire left and handed over the deed and bank info, etc., and I thought I remembered from the books that Joe helped with that somehow? I'll have to reread the book over the next couple of weeks while we wait for the next episode!!
Thanks, again, for these great videos. If I ever see you in an airport/train station/ public restroom, I am so going to go all OMG, you're famous...and engage you in conversation! LOL! cheers!
Yes it's weird but I saw it to. Actually the left boob when she's facing Jamie seemed to have a nipple looking bent downward. The right one didn't. It looked off. I also think it's strange to notice this. My husband said the same so maybe not. It didn't look natural. They did something which normally ends up looking off. Sorry but it's true. Cave Man wig, Faith beard disaster. Strange hair that grows/shrinks as the camera angle changes, disappearing years, or years that don't count. Again, love this show.
DeleteI think this season is the best so far. I was surprised that this was not one of your fav episodes. I think last week's was great and I have watched the episode at least 5 times. Then, I felt that this week was even better. Some of the story line was changed, but I feel the writers moved the plot along without straying from the spirit of the novel. I was so glad that they included the scene with the Caribbean skeletal remains. Also, remember when Bree recited Paul Revere's ride in either Drums or Fiery Cross, I think? I feel that the scene in literature class will come back to us down the road and be significant.
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying Bree and Roger. I hope the series follows their romance after Claire rejoins Jamie.
Did they have sewing machines in 1766? If not, Claire would have had to sew her dress by hand. Any one examining her clothes in 1766 and finding the zipper that was mentioned or the type of machine seam stitching, would have been flummoxed.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree Claire looked younger the second she laid eyes on Jamie.
And in Ep. 4, Willie looks NOTHING like Jamie but is a good child actor.
I used to be in an 18th century reenacting group and they allowed people to used machines because an 18th century seamstress would have sewn the stitches so small that they would look like a machine did it. I have studied 18th century clothing and it is true, though a machine is much more even, of course. But it takes a *lot* of time and practice to get that good. If she did mostly hidden stitches, which is how we mostly sew with machines, it would be harder to tell that it was not hand sewn anyway.
DeleteThe real problem is the fabric (and the zipper).
Gail
Thanks, Gail. I appreciate your feedback.
DeleteLinda
That's funny! I thought Willie did look like Jamie...the way he carried himself maybe?
DeleteTracey and Christmas Carole, again you guy said what I thinking.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think we had first Christmas ornaments. On our tree, at some point in my childhood, I put names on ornaments with glitter. Still have them but they are barely readable. It is the memory of making them that means so much. We did have tinsel, so glad they put that on the tree.
I sure slept on my share of juice cans to get straight hair.
I have a funeral purse with funeral cards in it. Love you mentioning it.
I love the call backs in DG’s books. I don’t remember Clair saying to Jamie whiskey and freedom. Wish they would do more callbacks. Again next episode I will be waiting for “There are the two of us now...“Hope I am not disappointed again!
I would rather have had the Jessica Gutenberg shopping scene over the sewing. Claire only sees flesh! Plus we will miss the zipper scene in there reunion.
One thing that I have always thought was that with Jamie’s mom and then Geneva dying in childbirth wouldn’t Jamie worry that Claire didn’t live? Never heard anyone mention that,anyone else think about it?
I wondered and wondered about just where they would end this episode. I thought with door opening. Boy was I wrong and boy did they get it perfect!! I wonder what non book readers thought about Jamie fainting. He has endured sooo much. This was just tooo much!
Looking forward to the place they spend their first night together and their visitors there in two weeks!
Thanks so much for you insight and humor. I really look forward to watching you each episode. Have a great couple of weeks!
Oops ... sews flesh not sees flesh.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSince I didn't get a chance to comment last week, I wanted to start by saying that I am so sorry about your difficult summer, Carol. But I am happy to hear that your husband is recovering. Prayers that he continues to get better.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say that I thought 305 was the best episode this season so far. Roger and Brianna are my favorite characters in the book, and I really enjoyed their interactions this week, it totally made the episode for me. I thought we saw the beginning of their relationship with their kiss this week and I *loved* the scene with them reading A Christmas Carol on the couch. Best of all, I loved that Roger came to spend his first Christmas without his father with Claire and Brianna. I also loved seeing Brianna on her own, especially her thinking about Frank and growing up. I started crying when she looked at the pictures, it was really the first opportunity that we got to see her mourn him. I also loved her telling Roger about her love of architecture, showing her interest in math and engineering. It was really our first chance to see Brianna as a whole person, not just a daughter.
I think Sophie's comfort with the role of Brianna is improving and it was great to finally see some of the chemistry between Sophie and Rik in this episode.
I was also happy to see more of Claire and Joe's friendship and Claire as a working professional, not just a wife and mother. And the last scene was just as great as I imagined.
First I want to thank you both for the wonderful videos, especially for continuing to give us this joy during your own personal trials.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoy the interaction between real sisters...this is what makes your videos so funny and enjoyable.
I actually loved this episode. There was so much from the book included, from Rogers talk about needing a personal history to Bree feeling her birth father has the right to know that his sacrifice paid off. No, it wasn't like the book but DG can pack so much emotional insight into one sentence...
Claire is the best Dr, when it comes to diagnosis, that Dr Joe has ever seen...I think mentioning that would have grounded that scene.
And (spoiler alert) who says we want see Joe's face again this season...doing a Tobias?
Okay, first, I just found your web site from a Twitter link. It was tons of fun to watch the recap with you guys, and I'll probably go backwards in time now and watch past episodes.
ReplyDeleteI listened to the audio book of books 3, 4 and 5 in the past few weeks, so I'm going to be a bit pedantic about bookie stuff.
I'm so unhappy with Sophie's casting. There, I said it. She's not tall enough. She's not (written?) headstrong/stubborn enough even when she's fighting with Claire. I think I wanted her to look like Gwendoline Christie at age 20, where she's clearly feminine but has lots of reasons to feel like she's not Frank's daughter, if she cared to look/think about it. I always imagined her being taller than Frank, if not by much, and that being a constant cause for "talk." So the fact that she's shorter than Claire here even makes me crankier than I thought I would be. I got past Claire's eyes not being the right color, and her hair being too dark, and and and other stuff. But when Cat and Sam are so perfectly cast, I wish that Bree had been, too.
Roger here is amazing. He's the perfect blend of kind and thoughtful, shy and self-effacing despite being aware of his own self-worth. It's so refreshing. And I love that you can kinda SEE how much he respects Claire, even as he's head-over-heels for Brianna.
I wanted Claire to bite back to Candy/Sandy. To tell her that she told Frank to go, but he wouldn't. Sandy, sad as her role is (kinda), acting so put upon by the fact that her man didn't leave his wife for her because of their daughter? That just tells you that he was more devoted to Bree than Sandy, and that is, I felt, as it should be. He wasn't willing to give Bree up, no matter how much he disliked some of his marital conditions. Their couch conversation in past weeks made that clear.
I hope we get Joe in flashbacks, particularly talking about his family, and would LOVE to see "The Impetuous Pirate" scene skipping through Claire's mind while they're on a ship, because it's truly hilarious and says a lot about Joe's character. That she left Bree in his keeping would be a nice anecdote to tell Jamie later, too, because it speaks to how close they really were.
In hindsight on second watch, I wish the opener had been that little piece of plastic blowing away from her PB&J.
The puddle transition was inspired. I loved that when she stepped in the puddle, the water just beaded off her skirt. I might have laughed to myself when I thought of the (holy cow, how many coats did you buy?!?) fabric being Scotch Guarded. Ha.
I'm mixed on the levels in the print shop. I never imagined the building to be as upscale as it looked in the show. It was so NICE, it looked like he'd set himself up a really lovely, involved business, and I didn't imagine it being something that he'd built up to that degree. As the scene played out though, it was pretty darn near perfect. And yes, Sam's facial expressions before he goes down (heh heh) were amazing.
The painting of Ellen is something Bree sees in book 4 in its original location. It's also mentioned there that Bree saw it at the museum, but it doesn't say when (and that might be in book 2, but I don't have that one digitally to check).
I love your idea about the pbj wrapper!
DeleteAgree about your Bree casting. Several other Outlander sites commented she just not the right fit. And that wig.....
DeleteHi, Carol and Tracey. I read the script that was posted in Outlander Community today (well, really yesterday) and they had included a conversation of Claire and Joe about his family but that apparently didn't make the final edits. I'm glad that we FINALLY got some good BFF times with Claire & Joe, though, but I've been waiting all season for the scraps we finally got. But in the book, she told Joe SPOILER ALERT
ReplyDeleteabout going through the stones, but not in the TV show. Didn't she?
Loving your recaps. Good luck with The Cansah!x
Correct me here, if I'm wrong. SPOILER -
DeleteI thought waay later, Bree tells him when she enlists his help with the kids
I loved the transition with the puddle...amazing!
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother was a huge Dark Shadows fan whereas it scared the crap out of me. I knew the second that the 1960's tv screen came into view that it was Dark Shadows. I gave me the same chills I had when I was 5 years old.
Oh, and Tracey, the "What?" moment for me came when you said, "Winter's Bone? Eh, i didn't like it." That was the movie that made me take notice of Jennifer Lawrence. But that's what I love about film. It totally subjective.
Keep up the good work!
First of all, I want to thank Tracey & Carol for doing these podcasts. I think I look forward to your videos as much as I do the show. Carol, I can relate to husband's health issues, and I will keep you all in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteI know some had questions/issues on the print shop being two levels, but I think it was perfect as it added to Jamie's confusion/amazement and overall being gobsmacked. LOL He saw her from above, saw her lit and aglow with this overall back light, and had to really be wondering if she were real or imagining her as his "angel" as he's done before. Perfect IMO.
I'm enjoying the entire season so far. It has been a bit more "Frank-centric" for my tastes. I think that was because TPTB have so much love and admiration for Tobias that they wanted to showcase him as much as they could. I get that and I agree TM is amazing. But I would much rather have that been abbreviated in this episode and more of Claire's actual journey back shown. I would preferred the award ceremony and Sandy/Candy be cut and more of Claire's talks with Joe included. I also would have liked to see Claire added as after she stepped into the puddle, it could have been outside of the town & shown her eating the PBJ, which then could have then transitioned into being in town & finally to the print shop. They also could have shortened all the time spent on her sewing the batsuit. I don't know if they threw that in to bring some lightness to it, but it was kinda weird. I did, however, love the Dark Shadows part. I was a huge fan of the show back in the day and what better way to remind us it is the 60's than to reference that incredibly popular show. But it's hard to find much fault with it. I understand how hard it must be to condense these books into a tv show & they've done an amazing job of doing it, so no complaints and when they've changed a bit here & there, I've been ok with it so far anyway.
Because I was never much of a fan of Brianna, I just can't get into her yet. I did begin to warm to her a bit at the end of this episode though and hopefully it will get better as she ages. She was always such a brat in the books. That said, I adore Roger. The casting here is stellar as has been for most all of the series. Regarding Bree's hair, I too figured it was because of the 60's when so straight was in style, but it is very distracting to me. I can't really concentrate on the character because all I see is hair. LOL Hoping they will soften her up soon.
Ok, let me just say that I truly enjoy everyones comments here, even when they are different than my own. I love discussing these books and show, and love Tracey and Carol's take on things! This review is just my opinion, it's not the rule of law. I know many will not agree with me here, and that's fine with me.
ReplyDeleteOutlander episode 305
“Freedom and Whisky”
Well, if I hated episode 304, which I did purely for the story itself and not the performances, then I really enjoyed episode 305. It was just so refreshing to watch Outlander and not feel depressed or enraged after it ended. When can I say that happened last? Episode 7, Season1?? Yeah, probably. lol
I’m going to start with the positive and end with my criticism; yes, I did have some as always lol.
Firstly, Joe Abernathy. I love him!! I love his relationship with Claire. He’s just a good friend with no strings attached, and his relationship with Claire is purely based on respect and admiration; no sexual undertones (I guess you can guess what I’m thinking here...)
Claire was like I have never seen her before, so vulnerable and humble. I really liked this Claire, she was endearing, but it concerns me for future episodes. We have seen her suffer over the loss of Jamie. We have seen her shut down her sexual desire because of Jamie. We see Claire throw caution to the wind, and give everything up for Jamie. Claire never moved on from her love of Jamie for 20 years, but what of Jamie?? What has he given up for her? We see Jamie move on from Claire in episode 303, and father a child with another woman in 304. I’m not feeling Jamie’s burning desire for Claire here, I’m not even feeling his loss for her and their child.
These last 5 episodes have done a great job of showing Claire’s emotional arch during her separation from Jamie. In Jamie’s story though, I feel like the focus has mostly been on his physical journey. Every episode, Jamie has been in a different place, interacting and forming relationships with different characters; because of that we have not seen a lot, if any, of his grief over loosing Claire. And then, there was the sex scene from hell... So I feel like Claire has a lot more to loose than Jamie, and I’m worried Jamie’s reaction to Claire may come off somewhat disingenuous. I still have some trepidations for the print shop.
ReplyDeleteOk, Bree. I liked her in this episode. I loved her interaction with Claire. I felt like that relationship was nicely flushed out. I liked her time with Rodger too. It’s a very slow burn, but I’m starting to feel some chemistry there. When the three of them were celebrating Christmas together around the tree, I felt like I could envision them all on Frazer’s Ridge in the future.
Rodger!!!!!! Oh lord! I love Richard Rankin as Rodger. He is so sweet and has a humble charm about him. I can’t wait to see what he does with his character’s arch next season; it should be interesting. I’m actually already starting to think about next season! I did not think I would.
Claire making the “bat suite”! When was the last time we saw such a cute/fun scene on Outlander?! It helped to create some much needed levity. Really! How refreshing was this?! I loved it! Again, just another reason to love Claire:) the woman can do anything lol. Same thing with the opening credits, Claire making Bree’s first Christmas ornament was so sweet. Claire’s heart really showed in this episode.
ReplyDeleteI think they all did a pretty good job of convincing the audience that Claire could leave Bree without too many reservations. I didn’t feel like Claire was out right abandoning Bree, yet I felt the sadness of both of their loses. The only thing that felt off to me, was that Bree’s future was left up in the air. Did she move out? What is she going to do if she doesn’t stay in school, get a job? I know the answer of course, but the show audience doesn’t; that felt off.
I thought the transition with the “puddle story” was well done. I really didn’t need to see Claire at the stones again; been there done that. It was fresh and new, and got the story to move forward more quickly. The print shop. What can I say, it was shot perfectly. Claire’s face was amazing! Every emotion was right there, spot on. Caitriona Balfe is a superstar, and the production’s best asset (so is Sam Heughan). These two actors are keeping this show afloat. That scene played out just as I saw it in my head. Thanks to that, I am looking forward to the reunion again, but I am still a bit skeptical.... One wrong step from Jamie, and I’ll be yelling at my TV lol.
Criticisms-
I would have liked a little more of a back story about Joe.
Sophie was much better to me, but she still needs some work. I hope she gets there before season 4, because that’s a big one for her.
Petty, but Claire’s costume seems a little frumpy to me, but the fact that she made it is adorable. I’m also bothered by the fact that it has a strong resemblance to Geneva’s riding suite. I don’t need any parallels to that episode; which leads me to...
Thanks to the way they structured the story, the last time we saw Jamie, he was passionately deflowering a 17 year old girl, getting her pregnant and helping to raise their bastard son. The next time we see him, he’s in the printshop. Now he’s going to get it on with Claire. I know it’s been something like 10 years since Geneva in the story, but it’s only been an episode in TV/real time. I feel like Jamie’s story is rot with sexual undertones this season. He’s either bedding another woman,, fighting off sexual advances, or making indecent proposals. Really, he kinda feels like a man-whore to me, and now he’s going to be reunited with his supposed “soul-mate”?? I’m going to have a hard time buying it, even with that great intro for the printshop.
My final criticism really bugs me to hell. What the f**k with Frank’s mistress coming up to Claire and chastising her for being selfish and not letting Frank go??!!! Does this woman not understand that she was the one in the wrong?? She was the one committing adultery with Frank??? How the hell does she get off making herself and Frank the victims, and Claire the villain in all this?? I”M TIRED OF THIS WRITING TEAM MAKING THE FEMALE LEAD OUT TO BE THE BAD GUY, WHILE THE MALE LEADS CAN DO NO WORNG; THEY ARE EXONERATED FROM THEIR IMMORAL CHOICES!!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PROGRESSIVE SHOW THAT CELEBRATES FEMINISM, BUT YET IT COMPLETELY OPPRESS THE FEMALE LEAD!
ReplyDeleteMy point- When Claire goes back to Frank she tells him, point blank, that she fell in love with another man and is carrying his child. She does not deceive Frank in any way; Claire is upfront and honest. Frank takes her back, thinking she will love him again eventually, because that’s how self-centered he is. Frank has no respect for Claire’s feelings. Claire tries to move on with Frank, but can’t commit fully to him sexually. Why?? BECAUSE SHE IS STILL, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, IN LOVE WITH JAMIE! You know, she feels like it is some kind of betrayal to give all of herself to another man when she can’t stop thinking of her true love. So how do they write this leading lady moving forward?? Oh right, she shelves her sexual desire for 20!!!! years, because hey, she’s a woman and obviously doesn’t need sex like a man. But Frank?? Oh well, he’s a man, and has his needs. So they write this cockamamy plot twist that Claire agrees to enter into an open-marriage with Frank so he can commit adultery without consequences and still come out smelling like the victimized rose that he is. Message to women- it’s ok for men to break their marriage vowel and fornicate with women other than their wives.... Great message Outlander/the ridiculous Hollywood community (big eye-roll here).
ReplyDeleteNow what about Jamie?? Oh yeh, his adulterous ways either come off as sweet and endearing (aka. Mary MacNabb), or he’s a saint/hero for teaching a poor victimized young girl the ways of the flesh. Jamie is committing an egregious crime when he agrees to deflower Geneva, 3 days before her wedding to another man no less. In 18th century Scotland, this is a crime punishable by a prison term. Jamie was more at risk of getting caught and going to jail by fornicating with an unmarried woman, than he was of being found out by Lady Dunsany- which turns out to be an empty threat. Do people hold Jamie accountable for his dishonorable behavior?? Hell no!! It was corrosion, he was so sweet to show this poor girl a good time!! And what a passionate, sexy, intimate good time it was too!! Jamie had no problem being with Geneva, a matter of fact, production decided to shoot that scene in such a sexy way, that viewers were actually praising it as the best Outlander sex yet. Really?? Is that what they want??? “The best sex” is with the male lead and the “other woman”, and under corrosion and basically a rape?? Wow! Message to women- even though you should stay true to your love and shelve your sexual desires, a man is given the freedom to move on and have hot sensual sex with other woman with out a signal thought of you, or any legal or moral consequences. Jamie can do no wrong! But Claire?? Oh yeah, she’s a cold heartless bitch to poor Frank and his mistress, because she honor’s Jamie love by being a “monk” for 20 years... because, you know, woman just don’t need it like men.
I really hate that they changed the dynamics of Frank and Claire’s marriage. I truly think it would have been better if they continued to have sex throughout their marriage (like in the book!), and just had Frank committing outright adultery. But Hollywood doesn’t want to send that massage, aka. “Men committing adultery is wrong.” They want to validate it some way, but in doing so they are oppressing women by sending the message that it’s ok for your spouse to fornicate with other woman, and if you don’t like it, you are a cold hearted b*tch. If you think I’m wrong, I would erg you to look at what’s going on in Hollywood right now. Henry Wienstine has gotten away with sexual assault for YEARS and everyone knew it!
I read all these books so long ago. It's very hard to keep it all separated into individual books. If I say something that might be a spoiler, I apologize in advance.
ReplyDeleteI've watched this episode 3 times loved it from a 60's point of view. I love their outfits, the hair, all the Christmas decorations, the tree, how the house is a mixture of 60's vibe and older. The outside shot of the hospital looked just like the now torn down hospital in the town I grew up in. Being born in 1967, I missed all the fun fashion of this era. MCM is def my spirit animal.
I did feel Joe got the raw end of the scripting and it showed Claire's semi narcissistic behavior by not ever having a conversation with Joe that was centered on him. The only time she seems interested in him is when he is looking at Geillis's bones but then it's really about her. LOL I also thought in the book, the thing about the bones was that one of the teeth had a silver filling or a silver tooth. Therefore, when Claire saw it, she immediately knew it had to be someone who had traveled through the stones.
Even in the books, Bree was never my favorite character. She is self-centered, shallow and well a teenager or a young adult who lived her life in the bubble of the upper middle-class lifestyle of her time. It takes her awhile to come into her own and find out what she is made of and capable of. I agree with the others, I don't find her casting to be of my taste but then I suppose it might be hard to find such a person in real life to match the book Bree in looks and size. I love Roger. His clothes, his accent, that fact he is a history buff. I love history so we are kindred spirits. His personality is just lovely.
The Candy/Sandy scene I was expecting Claire's claws to come out a little. It's not so much like her to keep her mouth shut. What Candy/Sandy said was true and Claire took the high road. None of it matters anymore anyway. Frank died and with it so did their passive aggressive marriage arrangement. I don't like how they played out their marriage in the show and I thought Frank died of a heart attack instead of a car accident. Also, when Claire see's Frank after he has died, she smells his neck... Bree smells his pipe. Smell is one of the great ways we remember things and trigger memories. It's also unlikely Frank would have been faithful to Candy/Sandy either.
The time line for the show seems very scattered to me. In episode 2 with Fergus, hadn't six years gone by making Fergus like 16 or 17 instead of still a young boy looking like he was twelve or however old he was in France?
The bat suit was cool. I agree that multiple rain coats would be needed to create it. I suppose if you had everything you needed, one could possibly create an outfit such as that in a very long day. I can't recall how much time there was between when Claire decided to go back and when she actually left. I thought it showed once she made up her mind, she was all in and was going to do whatever it took to stay focused on her end result.
The stepping in the puddle was very well played out and was glad they didn't drag out that part. The print shop was perfect as was the acting. I suppose printing equipment of that era was very heavy, large and cumbersome to move around and therefore, would need to be on the main floor. I thought my husband was going to faint waiting for this moment. I am glad they did not fade to black when Claire opened the door and took the scene further. Otherwise, my husband was going to start sending hate mail and nasty grams. :) The look on Jamie's face was priceless. One can only imagine the thoughts filtering across his mind in those few seconds. Shock, surprise, joy, oh shit and on the floor he went. Not quite how Claire thought it was going to go.
Can't wait for the next sex-pisode. Not sure I am old enough to watch it play out in real time.
How does the presumed skeleton of Geillis show up in Joe's office in 1968 when Geillis is alive in Inverness in 1968 (last season Claire, Roger and Bree saw Geillis going thru the stones and tried and stop her). Does being alive and dead at the same time break some time travel rule?
DeletePerhaps I have the timeline wrong or my presumption that the skeleton is Geillis is incorrect. I hope someone can answer this - driving me nuts.
1. Why is Claire still wearing Frank's wedding ring?
ReplyDelete2. Where did Claire leave her luggage of contemporary clothes, when it was unlikely that she would ever come back for them?
3. Did she really have time to make the 18th c. underpinnings?
4. Why would she put a zipper in the corset when she knew it was historically wrong?
5. Just watched the 5th episode for the second time and decided Bree does look like Jamie.
6. Even the dialogue on the Dark Shadows clip was well-chosen to reflect Claire's situation.
7. It's interesting how we take to certain actors and not to others. Roger (wish he'd shave) and Joe I find instantly likeable but not Bree. Didn't like her in the books but am slowly warming up to her in the show. Her wig is awful. Hair was long then; I was 18. But hers is just too much.
8. Guess Claire didn't have to wait for the solstice or other significant date to go through the stones.
9. Love Claire's hair. She sure is gorgeous.
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ReplyDeleteFYI,I deleted the comment because I was afraid it was "spoiler-ish"
ReplyDeleteHi Trish, I saw your comment via email; don't worry about it! :) As long as you give a spoiler warning, people will know to skip your comment and move on to the next one.
DeleteSpoiler ahead:
I HAD to address your question because I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED THAT, TOO! I don't think they ever went there (much like I don't think Jamie ever really told Claire *why* he had sex with Geneva, did he??) and it drives me batty. Frank loved researching BJR and being his ancestor (not knowing what a freak he was) so I figured she might have told him. BUT - I guess it was pretty painful to even go there...so maybe she didn't. Either way, GREAT QUESTION!! :)
This is a link to a great read regarding the show's portrayal of Frank. Copy. Paste. Enjoy! ; ) https://justagirlwithspirit.wordpress.com
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great video. Every episode I have to go back and re-read some of the parts in Voyager. Part of me wants the show to be like the book, yet, I like most of the changes so far. Do you like where the episode ended with Jamie fainting? How funny! The lighting behind Claire, when she saw Jamie, was like heavenly light behind her. One of the first things I noticed was that Claire was wearing the ring from her marriage to Frank. Do you think that will play out some way in the future? Maybe she will use use it for some kind of payment in the 18th century? Kathie
ReplyDeleteYes, Kathie, now you've reminded me that the ring does come into play in a future book.
ReplyDeleteSo....just found you ladies online. 23 year book fan. Lost my Jamie very suddenly and heartbreakingly in 2013. While reading the first book in 1993, pregnant with my first child, I turned to my husband and told him this woman had written a book about him. Corny, I know.
ReplyDeleteWasn't sure I could even watch the show, but after a few weeks back in '14, I did. Wedding episode originally aired on my late husbands birthday. Always thought that was cool.
So I am slow to the fan group game...as I navigate back to reality. Happened upon your channel on accident, actually a recommendation from one of my teen daughters. I have so enjoyed the videos I've watched so far. I've decided that at some point I will go back to season 1 and enjoy you in order. Might be a great way to endure the next Droughtlander. I would never leave a nasty or negative comment, as we all have our own opinions. My daughter's have put up with my "this was not in the book!" rants enough. We all have something we would like to see, and just have to appreciate the closest adaptation that we are given for the day.
Thank you for having a great place to land when you need to get away from the realities of life....much like the books and show (and all my other favorite shows of escape)
A fellow widow friend sent me a note about the Outlander wines. Thought of you gals, you should help yourself to a case.
With fond appreciation,
Janet C
Janet, I am so sorry, it sounds like you had am amazing relationship with your own Jamie that was cut too short. 💔Diana's books have such a way of bringing people together, and I'm so glad to hear you have people in your support circle who love Outlander as well. I have many favorite shows of escape, too; one of these days I have to start blogging about them a little more often! Poldark, Versailles, The Halcyon (that's a new one for me), to name a few. Thank you for saying, "Hello" and welcome to our (not so) little circle of Outlander fun! 💕
DeleteOH. MY. GOD. OUTLANDER ISN'T ON THIS WEEK. WHAT THE....???????????
ReplyDeleteLOL Colleen...I'm still laughing at this comment! 😂
DeleteThe moment when Claire is standing, looking through the Print Shop door, I was literally jumping up and down, yelling, "Go Through the door, GO THROUGH THE DOOR!!!!!" Got some pretty funny looks from my kids and husband, but I was not to be discouraged...as soon as I heard Jamie's voice, I was undone...it makes me tear up just thinking about it...all the heartache and lonesome torture DIA and the first 1/3 of Voyager put us through is so worth it just for the glory that is the Print Shop...I'm rereading Voyager now, because I need my Print Shop fix!!
ReplyDeleteSo true! Your comment reminded me of when I was reading the moment in the book and had to put an index card under the sentences so my eyes would not jump ahead and spoil any of the details!! What a roller coaster fun moment.
DeleteI know why they focused on Paul Revere because the professor says history is determined by who writes it, and it is subjective. Then she picks that theme up again when she is with Roger at Harvard and she says you can't trust history. Then she talks about the beauty of architecture and how exact that is. I think we are getting set up for her to decide to become and engineer and not be a historian. More like the books. I think there is a point, and it's not just filler. -Z
ReplyDeleteI have to say, for how much I love Roger Mackenzie, I don't like Bree. I'm not sure exactly why, but she's just not growing on me yet.... but Roger is just perfect. It will take a little longer for me to be able to root for their relationship. I'm actually glad that Claire is going through the stones so I get a break from Bree! (how horrible is that!?!?!)
ReplyDeleteThe last 5 minutes of this episode made it worth while. The making of the dress/coat with the batman music was a little corny, but I can let it slide. The transition from current to the past was beautiful. I really loved the use of the puddles and it was just a wonderful transition.
Having Claire be above Jamie was a great idea. I loved the idea that she could look down on him, and that when he looked up at her she did have the light behind her (for that angelic look). And him passing out was perfect. Tracey - I love your take on the switch of the roles. I never thought about it that way, but now that you've described it, I can't believe I didn't see it before. I'm very excited for the next episode!!!
Does any of the Sophie haters actually saw any of her interviews? She read the books and based her performance on Sam's and feels protective of the character, so if there's a problem, it's not her, but the character. If you watched any of Sophie's roles, you would notice how different she is in other films. The character of Bree as portrayed by Sophie has lotsof layers, the same ones Sam gives to Jamie. Yet you criticize Sophie for the same thing you praise Sam for. That's quite hypocrite and a way to try to turn Sophie into Outlander's black sheep. I discovered the show because of her so it pains me that you people attack her, trying to say "everyone on the show are good but her".
ReplyDelete