SassAndSnacks

Holy shit! I need to process... I hadn't seen any trailers or previews before this episode, so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but This. Was. Not. What. I. Expected! To begin, I was in tears at the title card, and I'm not a weeper. Claire in her A. Malcom Batsuit...I was undone from the start. The conversation between Jamie and Bree, where he tells her that she made him whole. Dear God...sobbing. Seeing Jamie with Jem, sobbing. I don't typically get annoyed with Roger, but I was irrationally angry at him through this. Stay in the past, Rog! Let Jamie and Claire be with their grandbaby! They fucking deserve it! But I guess its ok because The scene at the stones was so well done. I actually felt something in a scene with both Roger AND Bree. It must have been the presence of Ian and Jem. John Bell continues his streak of all things awesome. The abduction scene, holy shit. I was on the edge of my seat. This part of the book series is some of Herself's best writing, in my opinion. I was stunned, gutted, and riveted while reading it. I should have hated it because it is truly awful what happens, but the resolution of it really solidifies its significance. I'm anxious to see how the show does it. I hope they leave out some things. The abduction itself was bad enough. I think DG was using this as an opportunity to fix a major plot hole from the book while giving us all a wink. The conversation between Jamie and Bree regarding Willie isn't actually "shown" in the book. You all, I'm just sick over what may happen next week and even sicker that it'll be the last episode for a horribly long time.

In Voyager, didn’t Dr. Abernathy quote that line? Was it during the forensic exam of what turned out to be Geillis Duncan’s bones?

Strong point! Completely forgot this, too!

Preach!!!! Like, televangelist style, PREACH IT! F-ing Frank... Yes to this, as described in the book. Also, LJG was there for it, so I was a little surprised that he wasn’t in this episode. They’ve added him in places where he wasn’t originally and left him out of this. But whatevs. I’m no fan of the saga of Bree and Rog, so this won’t go down as one of my favorite episodes ever. I won’t curse it like I do last season’s Through the Rabbit Hole/Hose-Beast shit-storm, but I won’t be checking this out on re-watch. Ed Speelers is really freaking good at being repulsive, and I commend him for that. The beach scenes were beautifully shot. But the rest... meh.

I hope so. So glad you said this. Thought it was only me. I just can't get into Bree. I like Roger when he is with others, but when the two are together, no thanks.

It's a NordicTrack C700, but the programs are part of iFit.com, which we got for free for a year from buying the treadmill.

This! This is part of what makes Jamie JAMMF. He's flawed and imperfect. He wouldn't be nearly as interesting or relatable if he said everything he was always supposed to say and did everything he was always supposed to do. I thought him fighting to keep his leg was very much within the fiber of who he is, no matter if we thought it was warranted or not. Frasers are stubborn, ye ken? Though Wee Ian didn't lecture him in the book, I thought it worked here. Aaaaannnnnd, I just love John Bell, so I'll take whatever they want to give me with him.

It's really wonderful. First, Graham's voice is commanding, like he's ready to lead you in a charge against the Red Coats. Second, he tells really entertaining stories throughout the trek. And third, the camera pans to various vistas and scenery, so you get to see the brilliant countryside. I'm fairly fit, and the workout killed my legs and even my core a bit. Halfway through, I was wheezing and pouring sweat, but I was entertained throughout, so it wasn't complete misery.

I think there’s a line in one of the books, probably Fiery Cross, where Jamie mentions that he gave her surgery the best light, that it was faced a certain direction (south perhaps?) so that she had the best light throughout the day. It was intentional. He’d seen her work so often by candlelight or poor lighting that he knew she needed better lighting.

I just finished Book 1 last night, and your assessment of those chapters and the aftermath is spot on and so well said. The entire Abbey section of the book so is beautiful, emotional, and haunting. When Jamie was receiving Last Rites, I was openly sobbing. This is my third time through the series, and I don't recall being upset there before. I feel like every time I read through a section, I uncover something new. I started Book 2 right away, and admittedly, this one has always been tougher for me. I'm sick over the way it opens, with the reader knowing immediately that something went down. 20 FREAKING YEARS!!!! I know, I know...it's critical to the story, but Herself almost lost me there during the first go 'round. I'm one of those people that absolutely hates it when Jamie and Claire are apart, so I find myself rifling through any sections/chapters where they are separated. As a whole, this book is most difficult for me (and Season 2 of the show was, as well) because I feel like we are racing toward an impending doom. It makes me anxious and sad. We start right off knowing that something happened and they aren't together anymore, and I always feel that lurking over me as I read through it.

For sure! Or maybe make it a Top 12...Top 15? Agreed. Mini-quibble about this adaptation, but I do find the poverty-stricken, struggling to get by Frasers slightly more endearing.

Never have I gagged so much during an episode of Outlander and never have I cried so much during an episode of Outlander. That was SO good. I have an irrational, yet mortal fear of snakes. When I read this part in the book, I didn’t sleep after. I think I’ll be ok tonight because 1. The snake looked blatantly fake; and 2. The episode was so freaking good. Loved: - More Ian! - FERGUS!!!! With more than 1 line!!!!! And holding babies!!!!! - Bonding between Jamie and Roger! - And of course, Claire and all of the emotions and the dialogue with Jamie, and just holy shit, those two are so great portraying this story. Did this just become my favorite episode?

No one in my life watches it. Clearly, I need to hang out with better people! 🙂 I talk about it All. The. Time. with the hubs. This is typical - "Well in Outlander..." and then I proceed to make a tie in from the books/show to something in our everyday lives. I got him to watch the pilot a few months ago, but I had to sit with a pillow in front of my face the whole time to hide my expressions, particularly after Claire goes through the stones. I also kept watching him for reactions, which he found to be off-putting. We haven't watched another episode together since. Honestly, I kind of like that this is my own thing that I love and can be all giddy about. THOUGH, after his initial workout with Graham the other day, he's done the other Highlands hikes in the series. They are his favorite because they are at a 10% grade. Last night at dinner, he was like "After this [the pandemic] is all over, we should definitely go to Scotland and do those hikes for real." Um...YES! What have I been saying for the last however many years?!

Not another role per se... Right before the quarantine started, we ordered a treadmill for our home. It arrived last week, and we assembled it and started using it (of course). It has this really fun, interactive feature where you can take pre-programmed runs and hikes all over various worldwide locations. For instance, I hiked Mt. Fuji last week. Yesterday, I heard a familiar voice coming from the room where we put the treadmill, so I walked in and found my husband hiking through the Scottish Highlands with Graham McTavish. Well, I squealed in excitement, but my husband, who is a non-watcher, wasn't nearly as pumped about touring Scotland with Dougal MacKenzie.

I read an article about his post this morning. I don't understand the motivations of people. I don't get the hate-watching of the show (or any show) or the nasty comments the actors and others get while living their own lives. Frankly, I don't care where, how, or with whom he chooses to spend his time. I don't care when he got there or under what circumstances. Even if I did care, I wouldn't feel compelled to leave nasty messages for him. I guess the argument is that when someone puts their lives out there for others to see, they should have an expectation that people can comment/criticize/judge/say whatever they want about it. I don't know - I've never felt it necessary to say something negative to a celebrity, politician, or other public figure, even if I did feel negatively. I think sometimes people like to be outraged for the sake of being outraged, and social media platforms give people the perfect outlet for it. Bullying takes multiple forms, and these people are truly no better than what we typically see as traditional bullies.

Book 8 is great. Fast-paced, yet hits those emotional moments so well. I actually enjoyed Claire's time as John's wife, as well, mostly because we as readers know our guy is coming back, so I was able to just sit back and be entertained by it. For anyone following along with my journey back through the stones (er...I mean the books), I hit the mother-load of amazing scenes yesterday/last night. I had forgotten what a page-turner the first book is. I started last night with The Garrison Commander chapter and couldn't put it down until Claire was taken to Fort William. Holy smokes, there are some serious gem moments in those chapters. - The Wedding - I mean, what can I say? The show portrays it beautifully, but the book adds a softness and sweetness to it that wasn't captured on the screen. What I forgotten from my first two reads through was that Claire was very much into Jamie at that point and was emotionally invested in the wedding night. She mentions several times how she admires him, desires him, wants to be with him. I found myself actually preferring this version of it, which seemed a bit less romantic and sexualized (though there was plenty o' that) to the show version, which seems almost blasphemous to say! - The "Honeymoon" - These are the chapters immediately following the wedding night, and I absolutely love them. Jamie and Claire basically idling about the immediate Scottish countryside, making out and more for 3 days warms my frosty heart. Some snippets - Jamie tickling fish, the "What is it between us?" conversation, which I think comes off much more heart-felt from Claire here than in the show, dancing at the inn where they were staying, Jamie's comments on the merits of brown hair (as a brunette here...swoon), and this classic- Then let amorous kisses dwell, On our lips begin and tell, A thousand and a hundred score, a hundred and a thousand more. Most importantly, these chapters convey the moments of Jamie and Claire just getting to know each other, and we are lucky enough to witness them truly falling in love. I've always thought Book 6 was my favorite, but damn, the moments so far in this one are so embracing and lovely. The Wentworth chapters may change my mind again. Stay tuned!

This show does quiet moments better than anything else I've watched. The small things the actors put into the scenes, either by direction or intuition, put these moments on par with Darcy's hand stretch from the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, which is one of the greatest movie scenes in the history of movies!

I've really loved this season so far, so I feel bad for being critical about how the hanging was portrayed. As I mentioned, the acting was tremendous. I didn't physically feel Roger's hanging the way that I did when I read it, though, and that feeling was so suffocating to me, I could barely breath while reading and felt frantic along with Claire, Jamie, and Bree while the tried to save him. I love that you said this. I think this was a critical miss. Jamie KNEW what to say. He is an empathetic person because he has been through so much. This was a much needed turning point for Roger and Jamie. Instead, last night we got a caption and then Jamie griping about how much noise Roger was making while working on the stairs. This bugged me, too, and I don't think it did anything to show how strong their relationship is supposed to be. Three months isn't that long to simply get over a near-death experience. In an episode so focused on PTSD, it came off to me as really callous. That said, I truly am so happy that many people are raving about it. I want people to like the show and think it's wonderful. Ratings equal renewals, and I want to see this story play out to the end.

Rik Rankin and John Bell are the pairing I didn’t know I needed, but now that I’ve had it, I want more. They were so freaking good. I really enjoy how Richard Rankin brings such warmth to Roger’s character. Even though he was going through something so horrific and so traumatic, you could still feel how loving of a person he is with his interactions with people. Me too! It feels like fan service. Unpopular opinion alert - I didn’t like LJG in the books, though he did grow on me by MOBY. He’s grown on me in the show, as well, but he just randomly pops in and it’s nonsensical. So he stopped by to drop off the astrolabe? Ok... I have mixed emotions about this one, but I really appreciate that so many others were moved by it and enjoyed it. For me, this section of the book was so harrowing - the group finding Roger, Bree holding him, Claire frantically trying to save his life, Jamie’s reassurance that all would be well. I miss that we didn’t get to see their reactions. Thrilled that Young Ian is back, though!

I love the snakebite aftermath. I’m not a weeper, but I broke down with Jamie. I also love the entire Abbey section, as well. Claire’s confession was so beautifully done, and I felt relieved with her. Their time in the hot spring felt cleansing to my soul, too. So, I’m doing a thing. We’re a month into Stay-At Home orders here, and like everyone else, we’ve been anxious, scared, bored, stressed, yet feeling blessed and thankful to be together and healthy. I have been in the midst of another book, but with all of these emotions flying around, I just can’t do it. I picked up Book 1 yesterday, cracked it open and immediately felt a sense of solace. I’m going to read through the whole series again and really embrace and immerse myself with the sections I love. I’ll share as I come across them. Last night, I hit my first fave and perhaps the biggest mystery of the series, Frank seeing the ghost of the Highlander staring at Claire. With the benefit of knowing more of the story now, I love that section even more. I actually squealed last night, and said “There’s Jamie!!”

I feel the exact same way. I really didn’t like her in the books, and I think she came across much more manipulative and conniving there. In the show, I find her to be almost sympathetic at times, which makes me feel...uncomfortable.

Watched this one again last night. Now that I realize who is playing Buck, I could actually focus on the fight scene between Roger and him, instead of sitting there trying to figure out why that guy looked so familiar. That scene was so very good. Further evidence that Rik Rankin is the jam whenever he shares the screen with a character not named Bree. The fight rolled right into Claire's "JHRC!" at seeing Jamie in the red coat, making for 5 minutes or so of completely epic Outlander.

Yes! I feel the same and couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I thought it was mentioned in the books that Claire had either placenta previa or placenta abruptia. She knew that if she had another pregnancy it would be high risk and mentions that had she not gone through the stones just before Culloden both she and Bree would likely have died.

For what it’s worth, I like the way Book Roger is written better than the way Show Roger is written. However, I like the way Rik Rankin portrays him better than the Roger I had in my head while reading. So somewhere in all of that, I think things equal out. I also think Rik Rankin is really attractive, and more so than they make him up to be on the show. Roger’s hanging was one of the most surprising, stomach clenching, gasping reads for me in the whole book series. Right up there with Jamie’s time in Wentworth, Jamie fighting at Culloden, Claire with the Brown’s, and what happens to Claire in Book 8. (I’m sorry. I don’t know why I feel the need to keep organizing and ranking things. Maybe I’m trying to bring a little bit of order to the chaos of the world. Sure, that’s it…)