Young Ian is adorable!

That is all - for now lol


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Recap time....finally! S04E10- The Deep Heart's Core

First off, I have to say that viewers have GOT to remember that Jamie is a 18th century man.
He's been "schooled" by Claire and has made a lot of progress but he still is a man of his time, not the 21st century, and we can't always expect him to behave as we'd hope someone would today. Nuff said.

We start out with a lie. Jamie comes back from beating Roger to a pulp and lies about his hand saying he had an accident at the still. Day by day, Brianna is coping. She's fallen into the routine of life but is still processing her sexual assault. Jamie asks his daughter to go out with him to check some traps and she admits to him that she wants to kill her attacker. Yet she also feels that it was partly her fault because she didn't fight hard enough. It's hard to convey on the show, but Brianna is as strong willed as her Da and once she gets a notion in her head we see why it's said the Frasers are as stubborn as rocks. Not having had any experience at fathering a daughter and perhaps feeling that she wouldn't believe him anyways, he decides to show her something. He starts by baiting her, saying maybe it wasn't rape at all and she wanted it, blah, blah to where Bree gets so angry she goes for Jamie. He easily overpowers her, puts her in a head lock and tells her he could kill her if he wanted. In the books it was a bit more graphic but then when she hollers uncle, he lets her go and tells her she wouldn't have been able to fight her rapist off so she needn't blame herself. She gets it, but then she asks him some uncomfortable things about what happened to him and Black Jack. He's surprised at first that she knows but answers her truthfully finally telling her she won't forget but time will heal her.

Meanwhile, we find out Ian sold poor Roger to a traveling band of Mohawks for some bling. He's a captive and like all captives, he's not exactly treated with kindness or respect, duh, but they aren't overly cruel either. He and another poor soul are made to walk behind the horses, their hands tied with rope that one of the natives is holding while riding. Neither of them are in good shape and it's rather hard to keep up. Roger tries to help his fellow prisoner, but the man eventually succumbs to his injuries and the hardships of the trek. That leaves our Roger on his own but he's determined he's not going to die like this, here in that time. He will get back to his wife.

Up on the Ridge, Brianna is having a dream that Roger has returned but then he turns into Bonnet who tries to rape her again. She wakes up in a sweat and Lizzie, ever mindful of her mistress, tries to comfort her by telling she doesn't have to worry because the man who hurt her will never do it again. Come again? Bree is surprised that Lizzie knows what happened and she finally gets out why the girl is so sure that they're safe. Suffering succotash! Bree races up the cabin to find out what happened to Roger. Murtagh has enough good sense to leave but Bree insists that Ian stay behind because he was involved. There's hollering, slapping and hurt feelings, and it finally comes out just who did the deed. Jamie is devastated. Claire and Jamie are miffed at each other because they hid things from one another but Jamie vows that he'll get Roger back. Unfortunately, the Mohawks live in upstate NY, and have about a weeks head start. Bree wants to go with them but being pregnant she'll only hold them back. Claire wants to stay with her, but Bree begs her mom to go because Roger will need to see a friendly face he can trust and he'll no doubt need some doctoring. Claire refuses to leave her alone with Lizzie in the woods so Murtagh offers to take her to River Run to Aunt Jocasta's where she can stay while everyone else is away.

On the trail to NY, Roger finally gets an opportunity to escape. Of course, his captors take off after him but he runs into the underbrush right into something he never expected to see. Drawn by a buzzing sound, he finds himself in a primitive stone circle smaller but similar to the one in Scotland. All sorts of emotions go through Roger. He's standing there with the gems in his possession he got from Bonnet, and he knows he'll really get away from all this shit and back to his time if he only stretches out his hand to the big rock but what about Brianna. Will he go or will he stay? The screen goes black.

Side notes of interest:

We got some nice scenes of Bree and Claire together. One where they're talking about all the things they miss from the future and a more serious one concerning whether or not Bree should have an abortion. Claire says she can do it if Bree wants but it won't be easy or safe in this time period. Bree finally decides she wants to keep the baby.

Ian who apparently has a crush on his cousin, valiantly falls to his knee and proposes to Bree before they leave on their separate journeys in case Roger can't be found. Goes over as expected, like a lead balloon.

When Murtagh gets Bree to River Run, they're welcomed. Aunt Jocasta and Murtagh talk about old times and things seem to be quite friendly, if you get my drift. Stay tuned.

 

Images from Episode 10

 

More:

 

This viewer doesn't have any problem remembering that Jamie is of his time, so much so that I can't understand why Bree doesn't seem to have a clue. Her persistent umbrage seems ridiculous to me, especially since she is supposed to have some academic grasp of History. I'm getting to where I wish she would disappear from the show. Her attitudes pop me out of the century of time I want to immerse myself in.

That opening scene of Roger was so well done. I didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about how it ended up. Either way, there would have been no happy solution for Roger in that moment.

 

Oh, I know you understand. I felt compelled to start with that because I sometimes like to read what the professional recappers have to say about the episodes. I'm always amazed to find that some are always outraged at the way some of the characters act or react. They must be very young. You never know who may be reading this so I figured I'd add a reminder.

As far as Bree's character goes, I will say that I feel that the writers haven't really fleshed out her character the way it is in the books. They've watered down or condensed into what amounts to two minutes of conversation things that took pages in the text. The only way I can wrap my mind around this show Bree is to tell myself, based on what they gave us on the show, that she really doesn't comprehend much about this time period. I can believe that. My daughter took history but can't always grasp some of the things I tell her about what life was like "back in the day" for women as I lived it and we're not going back all that far, lol.

We know Bree started out in college as a history major to honor Frank but switched to Engineering. That may say something right there about the way her mind works. Compared to her mother who was raised by an anthropologist Uncle who took her around the world with him, Bree had been raised by two comfortable professionals in an upscale Boston suburb. I'm going to say she was probably spoiled in some ways as the apple of both her parent's eyes. It really is a fish out of water story for her and it will take some time for her to adjust. She does love Jamie but let's face it, he was basically a stranger and it will take time to develop the relationship. She's all up in her own head now with Roger gone and being pregnant. I think she's getting the picture though as this weeks episode shows us. I'll recap tomorrow.

I think what's important about this show, and one reason I like it so much is that while there are conflicts and bad shit happens, basically the people love each other and find a way to overcome anything thrown at them. Family is the top priority in their lives and they muddle though, many times imperfectly, with twists and turns and nail biting from the viewers but there's always a payoff in the end.

 

S04E11 If Not For Hope

This episode had several threads showing us what was happening with Roger, Bree, Murtagh and Fergus and of course Jamie, Claire and Ian. Rather than go back and forth as the episode does I'll tackle it in groups.

Murtagh, having delivered Bree safely has gone back to Wilmington, where he hides out with Fergus and Marsali Fraser, all the while holding these secretive regulator meetings in their house which makes Marsali understandably nervous. Fergus tells her to chill cause if the tables were reversed Murtagh would do the same for him.
Dear Fergus has been going out daily looking for work but the guy only has one hand and so far no job prospects. He's getting a bit dejected but has been keeping his ear to the ground to accomplish his second mission which is to find Bonnet. Last week, before Jamie left, he told Murtagh to find Bonnet so he can kill him. Bonnet's been out to sea so Fergus, while job hunting, has been gathering information. Marsali can see the spirit going out of her husband cause he feels like he can't provide for his family. She secretly asks Murtagh to ask Fergus to join his insurgents. She'll have a whole man or none at all she tells him. OK then, Murtagh does ask the young man who tells him that while honored he feels his place is with his family (good boy) but he did hear that Bonnet's ship will be in port shortly.
They find him in a tavern hitting up some poor bar wench for a tumble. Later Murtagh goes to his room and clobbers him over the head. Fergus and he drag the unconscious Bonnet out, ready to haul his nasty carcass off to the Ridge for a come to Jesus reckoning when the colonial "cops" stop them. Murtagh slugs Fergus in the gut to make it look like he's not in on it and tells him to get back to his family. The "cops" want to know what the hecks is going on to which Murtagh tells them that he's apprehended the wanted pirate Bonnet. Great, but unfortunately they also recognize him from a wanted broadsheet as well and haul them both off to jail presumably. Me thinks If Murtagh gets himself hanged in service to Jamie, Big Red will never forgive himself.

Let's carry on to the long trek of Jamie, Claire and Ian. It's been frosty for sure, to the point where Ian feels compelled to beseech Claire to go to her husband. He tells her he hates to see them both suffering so. Although Claire tells the lad she's not angry at Jamie, she doesn't go out of her way to show it. They come across the body of the man that was captive with Roger because Rollo digs up one of his bones and Claire recognizes it as human. Ian identifies the body as the man that was already with the Mohawks when he sold Roger. Not finding any evidence of a second body, they carry on. Later Claire comes to the realization that the big spring thaw in her marriage has to begin with her. Jamie is already in bed when she undresses and joins him. They finally talk and Lordy what a talk that is. The chemistry between these two actors is so good it breaks your heart. Jamie has been beating himself up all this time because of what he did and said, thinking Claire feels the same way as Bree. She tells him she feels bad as well for not telling him about Bonnet which might have averted all this. I won't go into everything that was said but that scene is golden, trust me. They reconcile and seal it with a little make up nookie.

Back at River Run, Bree has been spending her time at Aunt Jocasta's being moody and drawing. Pheadre comes into her room one day all giddy telling her that she's been told to fit Bree for a new dress cause Aunty Jo is having a big dinner party and Bree needs to look her best. Bree's all I don't think so and rather than let Pheadre do her job has her just sit there so she can draw her portrait. Well, Jo isn't gonna stand for that so she goes to have a talk with Bree herself, bringing along a pair of beautiful earrings with her. She gets her involved in a convo bringing it around to her Grandmother Ellen, telling her how much she reminds her of her sister. Bree is fascinated, of course, and finally agrees that good conversation might lighten her mood after all. Jo tells her that she's going to have one of her own dresses altered to fit her and shows her those gorgeous earrings that she can wear with it. Off Bree goes to get fitted.
The dinner party date finally arrives and we see Bree descending the staircase to the awed looks of the guests below. Don't you know, but Jo has invited some unattached bachelors that she knows as guests. As other recappers have said, it looking like a version of Ye Olde Bachelorette, lol. There's Lt. Wolff, Neil Forbes and his sister, and Judge Alderdyce and his mother plus a special guest who hasn't arrived yet. Now for a bit of exposition from the book. You may wonder why there would be any men interested in an obviously knocked up woman? Is Aunt Jo trying to put one over on them? It might have seemed that way from the show but in the book it's obvious that she's preggers and they know, cause gossip travels faster than you can believe in small settlements. Since Jamie has refused to become her heir, Jo has it in mind to leave her plantation to Bree upon her death as her next living relative. That's an enticement to any man to marry the young woman rather than woo Aunty Jo herself.

From the Drums of Autumn:
"Your daddy and them hadn't been gone but a week, before Miss Jo sent for Lawyer Forbes and had her will changed. When Miss Jo dies, they's some little bits of money goes to your daddy, and some personal things to Mr. Farquard and some of her other friends--but everything else, that's yours. The plantation, the timber, the sawmill.."
"But I don't want it!"
Phaedre elegantly lifted eyebrow expressed profound doubt, then dropped, dismissing it.
"Well, it ain't what you want, I reckon. Miss Jo is kind of inclined to get what she wants."

Back to the party. Bree is beautiful and the men can see this isn't going to be much of a sacrifce at all if she picks one of them. They each try to curry her favor and one guest, Billy Boyd as Forbes, knocks it out of the ball park with his best Pepe La Pew, lol. Dude even brings gemstones which he intents to have one of them made into an engagement ring. Bree only has to pick the one she likes. Just in the knick of time however, in walks the mystery guest....LORD JOHN GREY!!!! Yea! And what a dashing sight he is at that! At dinner he regales everyone with tales from his time in Jamaica but eventually passes the conversation buck to Bree. She tells everyone she can't match John's witty stories but does have one party game up her sleeve. She tells them to close their eyes and imagine that they are with someone in a forest and then to picture an animal. She'll interpret the meaning of what they see. Judge Alderdyce goes first. What Bree tells him so upsets him that he excuses himself from the table. A little awkward pause and Bree starts to talk with John who she knows by now is a friend of her parents. At one point she stands up and becomes faint. Jo has her brought to the parlor and John comes in to see how she's doing.
In runs Lizzie and leave it to her to spill the beans about the pregnancy. John gives her a letter that Jamie wrote before he left but she puts it away in her pocket.
She confronts her aunt about the dinner and the suitors. Aunt Jo tells it like she knows it, that Bree must marry to keep the child she carries from being born a bastard, a terrible stigma in that time. It will also be for her own security as well. She even adds that even if her parents find Roger it will be no good because from what she knows of the Indians, he's not coming back. I imagine, she believes that as he was sold as a slave to them, it must be similar as the Africans that were sold to her. He's stuck. She tells Bree she can't live on hope.
Later that night, she gets up to do some midnight noshing and while down in the kitchen she hears some strange noises. She investigates and sees John and Alderdyce engaged in flagrante delicto if you will, but so engrossed they don't realize they've been discovered.
The next morning, Phaedre announces that Forbes is going to propose. Shaken, Bree tells the slave to announce that she's gone on a morning walk and to ask Lizzie to get LJ to meet her. On their walk, she asks John to marry her. When he refuses, for obvious reasons, she even threatens to expose him as a sodomite if he won't do it. They go back and forth, and Bree admits she would never have done it and tells him all the circumstances of her pregnancy. In the end she admits that she'll do what she must for her baby, even if that is to marry Forbes.
She goes into the house but before Forbes can open his mouth, John enters and says,"Have you told everyone our good news?" He announces that he's asked Bree to marry him and she has accepted. Crushed, Forbes takes off but Aunt Jo is estastic. Whispering she tells her niece she doesn't know how she managed that but she must be a MacKenzie. It's a ruse, of course, but it gives Bree a little breathing room. The next day, John soothes Bree's nerves by telling her about William, well not all, lol, but that he's adopted and he loves him very much. He's sure Roger will feel the same way about her baby. He has faith that her parents will reunite the two.

Roger.......in the beginning of the episode we see him being led away by the Indians telling him never to try to escape again. IT WAS NOT A DREAM SEQUENCE as some have suggested when he found the stones. He just couldn't go through with it, leaving Bree behind, and allowed the Indians to recapture him. They get back to their village and the first thing he has to endure is a run through the gauntlet, which is apparently the Native Welcome Wagon. We leave him thus....

 

Images from epi 11

 

I have seen the latest episode which I thought was very good. Hope to recap and provide some textual exposition tomorrow or Thursday.

 

Recap S04E12 - Providence

Here we come to the next to the last episode in this season. I'm going to say that I believe because so much action has yet to happen that they will not end the season with the book ending but carry it over to start season 5 which will leave the non book reading viewers with a little bit of a cliff hanger. This episode belonged to Bree, Roger, Lord John, Fergus and Marsali , Murtagh and of course Bonnet.

Let's start with Bree and Lord John. LJ tells Bree that Bonnet has been sentenced to hang for his various crimes of smuggling, piracy and murder. She wants to know if rape can be added to the charges but John tells her that wouldn't be a great idea as it would only bring shame to her and he's gonna pay the ultimate price for ALL his crimes. She tells him that she'd like to visit Bonnet before it happens because she wants to talk to him so she can gain some sense of closure and to try to grant him forgiveness as Jamie advised her in his letter. John doesn't think she should go but she insists and he agrees to take her to Wilmington. Once there, LJ uses his connections to gain an audience with the captive. Unbeknownst to them, Fergus has been hatching a plot to free Murtagh from the same jail that is holding Bonnet. Marsali discovers his plans but rather than try to dissuade him she gives him her full support since they're a team. She's gonna drive the get away carriage.

Inside the prison, Bree goes to speak to Bonnet. John wants to accompany her but she tells him no, she must go herself. He tells her he'll be right outside if she needs him. Oh, that Lord John, like Bree says earlier, he's impossible not to like. She confronts him. At first Bonnet claims not to remember her but then it dawns on him who she is. She shows him her belly, and tells him that if it's any comfort to him to know that a part of him will be left after he's gone then he's welcome to the knowledge. However, the child will never know who his father is and Bree will bring him up to be a good man. Bonnet reaches into his mouth and pulls out a gem stone, a black diamond in the book, and gives it to her for the child's maintenance.

About this time Fergus and the other regulators have begun their plans to spring Murtagh. To create chaos and a diversion, they put explosive powder all around the perimeter of the jail and then break into it to get Murtagh out of his cell. Of course, they run into LJ and Bree...well it's a small world, and at first Murtagh wants to take Bree with him but agrees that she's safer with Lord John. They rush out of the jail as the powder has already been lit and Murtagh gets into the back of the wagon that Marsali has ready for them, under a blanket and she quietly slips out of town with the men. In the confusion before the jail blows, the cell keys end up on the floor and within reach of Bonnet who we see trying to get at them. When everything goes blooey, the viewers don't know if he was successful in freeing himself or not. You know the saying about a bad penny. Stay tuned. Later when LJ is questioned about what happened at the jail, did he see anything or hear anything, he pulls a Sargent Schultz....I know nothing, lol. We love you John.

Meanwhile at Shadow Lake, NY things pick up with Roger where we left him. Being an English historian and not an expert on the traditions of the American Natives, he has no idea what the hell the gauntlet is. All he knows is that he's getting beat up for no reason. Actually if he had successfully run it they would have adopted him into the tribe but since he was a bit wimpy and gets himself hurt they call it off and tell him he will remain a captive. The even dub him Dog Face because of his full beard, lol. They order him around to do chores like carry firewood but otherwise leave him alone. He meets an Indian woman with a baby who seems friendly enough. She shows him her child, who she says has the same eyes as his father, which oddly enough are blue....hmmmm. Kaherton, the native man who basically was in charge of bringing him in, warns the woman not to speak to Roger. He couldn't have been a good man since his own people sold him. Ok, I could see why he might think that. Later, Roger makes a social faux pas and gets taken to what basically equates to a native version of a holding cell.

Lo and behold, inside the hut Roger finds that he isn't the only one who is being held there. There is a white man who we find out is Father Alexandre Ferigault. Of course they talk. The priest tells Roger that he had been working among the Natives for a number of years, making converts to Christianity, when he fell in love with a native woman who tended him when he had an illness. They had a child together which actually wasn't the problem. Seems however when it came time to baptize the baby he refused to do it because he as the father was in a state of sin for having forsaken his vows of celibacy. Roger tells him not to be an idiot. The natives know nothing about the rituals of the church. He can mumble anything over the baby, sprinkle some water on his head and they won't know the difference. The Father refuses because he feels this is his punishment for his sins. They talk about how love has done them wrong, have a little pity party. During all this, the Natives come to take the father away to try to persuade him to do what they see as his duty to the baby. They strip him naked, and you know this isn't going to be good. It is not friendly persuasion. When he returns he is missing an ear. Roger on the other hand persuades him to escape with him. You see he's started digging a tunnel and if they can get out they can take the woman and his child and get the hell out of Dodge. The priest says they only have one night. If he doesn't acquiesce to the Elder's demands they're going to slowly roast him in a fire.

The next morning the hole isn't quite big enough for them to wiggle through and they take Farigault away. He tells Roger at least he'll be able to get out because all eyes will be on the spectacle. Roger does just that but as he runs away he hears the Father's screams. Man, he does not want to go back. Be smart, he tells himself but in the end he returns to the village where he grabs a barrel of what is probably alcoholic and throws it in the fire causing it to blaze up engulfing the priest. Whoa....you thought he was going to rescue the guy but knowing he couldn't he caused a quicker death than the slow way the Natives were going to do it. As the fire rages, we see tears running down the face of the Indian woman with the baby. She kisses the baby, sets him down and walks into the fire to join the man she loves to the horror of Kaherton who picks up the baby.
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In the book, Jamie and Claire had already reached the village when this all occurred. In the to do that this caused they were able to locate Roger and secure his release. We'll have to see how the writers, since they changed things a bit, decide to do this.

Some text from the book that I liked but didn't come out exactly in the TV script.
This is what the priest said, in part, to Roger about why he wouldn't baptize his baby.
From The Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon:

"The difficulty was that I had always, as a priest, refused to baptize infants unless both parents were Christian and in a state of grace. This is necessary, you understand, if the child is to be raised in faith---for the Indians are inclined otherwise to view the sacrament of baptism as no more than one of their pagan rituals."
Alexandre drew a deep breath.
"And of course I could not baptize this child. This offended and horrified Kennyanisi-t'ago, who insisted that I must do so. Upon my refusing, he ordered me to be tortured. My --the girl--interceded for me, and was abetted in this by her mother and several other influential persons."............................Roger scratched at his beard; perhaps the Indian dislike of hairy Europeans was the association with lice.
"I am afraid I don't quite understand," he said carefully. "You refused to baptize your own child because the mother was not a good Christian?"
Alexandre looked surprised.
"Ah, non! She retains her faith---though she would have every excuse if she did not," he added ruefully. He sighed. "No. I cannot baptize the child, not because of its mother---but because its father is not in a state of grace."......................................................................
"Even though I confess, I will not be forgiven. There must be true repentance in order to obtain absolution; I must reject my sin. And that I cannot do.............................My sin was to love her," Alexandre said, very softly, "and that I cannot stop."



As I wrote earlier, Jamie and Claire were already at the camp when the burning went down. Jamie told Roger what had happened--- from The Drums of Autumn:

Fraser hadn't known what they meant to do when the drums began to sound, and everyone went out to gather by the great fire. There was plenty of talk, but his knowledge of the Mohawk tongue was insufficient to make out what was happening, and his nephew, who spoke the tongue, was nowhere to be found.
The whites had not been invited, but no one made any move to keep them away. And so it was that he and Claire had come to be standing on the edge of the crowd, curious onlookers, when the sachem and the Council came out and the old man began to speak. Another man had spoken, too, very angrily.
"Then they brought the man out, naked as a tadpole, bound him to a stake, and started in upon him." He paused, eyes shadowed, and glanced at Roger.
"I'll tell ye, man, I've seen French executioners keep a man alive who wished he weren't . It wasna worse than that---but no a great deal better." Fraser drank again, thirstily, and lowered the cup.......................................................................................................................
"I didna take heed of the girl, in such a crowd. I couldna even say what she looked like. It was only at the last that I saw her."
Claire had been by his side, white-faced and rigid in the press of shouting, swaying bodies. When the Indians had nearly finished with the priest, they untied him from the stake and fastened his hands instead to a long pole, held above his head, from which to suspend him in the flames...........................................................................................................................
Shocked, he had looked to Claire. It was then that he had seen the Indian girl standing on Claire's other side, with a cradleboard in her arms.
With great calmness, the girl had handed the board to Claire, then turned and slipped through the crowd.
"She didna look to left or right, but walked straight into the fire."
"What?" Roger's throat closed with shock, the exclamation emerging in a strangled croak.
The flames had embraced the girl in moments. A head taller than the folk near him, Jamie had seen everything clearly.
"Her clothes caught, and then her hair. By the time she reached him, she was burning like a torch." Still, he had seen the dark silhouette of her arms, raised to embrace the empty body of the priest. Within moment, it was no longer possible to distinguish man or woman; there was only the one figure, black amid the towering flames.
"It was then everything went mad." Fraser's wide shoulders slumped a little, and he touched the gash in his temple. "All I ken is one woman set up a howl, and then there was the hell of a screech, and of a sudden, everyone was either fleeing or fighting."

Next week is the season finale.

 

Some images from Providence, episode 12

 

Oh, my goodness. As bad as it was to watch the burning, the written version is even more horrifying....

 

Alas we have the season 4 Finale, Episode 13- Man of Worth

There's often a nugget in that opening scene and we see a 1970ish woman sitting on a bench with some children in dress up Indian attire chasing one another. Another man who's been reading the paper puts it down annoyed and we see he's Native American with a stone around his neck. Ahhhh......

We open in 1770 NY, in the Mohawk village. Jamie, Claire and Ian have finally arrived. They attempt to trade for Roger (aka Dog Face), Ian translating. It's seems to go ok until Claire undoes her scarf that one of the people show interest in and it's revealed that she's wearing a stone around her neck. That starts something and our trio is told unceremoniously to leave.

Having no choice, they retreat not far away where Jamie says he's gonna go back under cover of darkness and steal Roger away ala Wentworth. Claire reminds him that he had help then and knew the layout of the prison. She's not sure that they'll even be safe where they're camping out that night. Sure enough, they're set upon by a small band of Indians. Jamie is able to subdue one and they discover that what they're after is the stone. Claire says she'll be happy to trade the stone for Roger if they will help rescue him. She also wants to know why the stone is so important to them.

The woman in charge tells them the story of Otter Tooth, a man who came to their village back in the days when her grandfather was a young warrior. They never quite knew where he came from but he would constantly tell them that they should kill all the white men and drive them from the land otherwise their way of life would disappear and the great Iroquois nation would be no more. He even make some converts who went out and brought back some white scalps. This angered the chief who thought that it would bring the white soldiers down on their village in retribution. They expelled him from the village but he would return saying the same things. Eventually they thought he was possessed by an evil spirit and marked him for death. He escaped but was captured and killed by the warriors of the tribe. His words still rang in their ears so they cut off his head and carried it far away to be rid of his evil. They buried his head with his stone. The Native woman asks Claire if she has seen him because it is thought that whoever possesses the stone will know the future of their people. Claire tells them she did indeed see Otter Tooth, and that she believes ghosts have a purpose in that they have a message or warning to give.

Later that night, the small band of Indians along with Jamie, Claire and Ian attempt a rescue. They get Roger out of the hut but are discovered and set upon. After a brief skirmish, our group is held captive. The chief tells them that it isn't their fault that Otter Tooth's stone has once again brought dissension among the people. He expels the woman who led the rescue and tells our group they can leave in peace - oh, just not with Roger because there has been no fair trade. Yikes. Right away Jamie offers to trade places with Roger. Claire is aghast but he tells her he'll find a way to get back to her. He asks Ian to make the trade. Ian in a scene right out of The Last of the Mohicans, trades himself instead. There's heartbreak all around but Ian insists he wants to do it. He asks his Uncle not to come back for him because he gave his word, Tears and hugs ensue. When we last leave Ian, we see that he is made to run the gauntlet. Unlike Roger, he runs it's successfully and the Mohawk chief declares they will adopt him into the tribe. Ian doesn't seem disturbed at all (In the book it's because he falls for a little girl in the village and she wants him to move into her long house, lol).

Heading for home, Roger lets out his anger and frustration on Jamie, hitting him repeatedly. Jamie lets him cause he kinda deserves it. Roger finds out that it wasn't Bree who asked her Da to do this and he's relieved alright, "Having me beaten to death or sold into slavery seemed a trifle extreme, though, even for a woman with her temper." (D.O.A) They tell her about the pregnancy and the rape. He shows them the stones he received from Bonnet and how Bonnet dragged him back to the ship before he could return to Bree after their argument. Jamie lays it out straight. Can he go back to Bree and love her and the child knowing the baby might not be his? He tells Roger that his daughter doesn't need a coward but Claire intercedes saying it's a lot to take in and Roger needs time to think, and think he should because he must be sure as they don't want him changing his mind and breaking their daughter's heart all over again.

Back at River Run we have a couple of things going on. Murtagh has gone there to check in on Bree but he and Jo get into a heated battle of words which results in Jo throwing her good whiskey in his face. Scottish foreplay? Dunno but next thing we see is Jo the next morning standing before her window in her bed clothes, her hair undone and who do you think is in her bed? You guessed it, that silver fox we've come to love. Come back to bed Murtagh tells her, breakfast can wait. And she does. Niiiiice.

Secondly, Bree goes into labor and births a beautiful baby boy. He's two months old when news comes that some riders have been spotted. It's Jamie, Claire and uh nobody. Bree is devastated but they tell her he's alive and that they told him about the baby. Things are tense around the ole plantation but Bree appears to be accepting things. Claire tells her that they'll all go to the Ridge where she'll be with family and they will take care of her. As she's packing to leave, she looks out her window and sees a lone rider coming down the road. She drops everything and runs out to meet him!!! It's Roger of course. He's made his decision. They run into each others arms and he tells her he might be stubborn but he's not stupid. He loves her and will love the baby. She's overjoyed. Take me to see my son he tells her.

Before they can go, soldiers come riding to River Run. Jo tells Murtagh (who apparently has been there all along, knocking boots with the Mistress) to hide in the slave quarters. It turns out they're looking for Jamie as they have a decree from the Governor. In it he commands Jamie to form a militia to fight the Regulators and to capture the criminal Murtagh Fitzgibbons. What will Jamie do???????????????

We won't find out until season 5 naturally. The droughtlander will be long.

 

She writes a good story. I'm going to print the book version of Otter Tooth's story. Some things were left out so I'm not sure the writers here will pursue that angle but never the less it's very interesting from a time traveling stand point.

 

Images from the season 4 finale- Man of Worth

 

Thank you!