S05.E01: The Fiery Cross

[toolazy]

On 2/17/2020 at 8:37 AM, GHScorpiosRule said:

It’s Roger. No “d” in his name.😉

I did find it amusing that the baby kept interrupting Jamie and Claire’s loving time.😆

 

I think that was intentional to show us that Jamie and Claire never got to raise a baby together and never had to deal with such things.  It was sweet.

[toolazy]

8 hours ago, SandyToes said:

Was there any mention of Frank at all at the wedding? Yes, Jamie is Brianna's father, but for 18, 19 or so years, if she thought about getting married, it was probably Frank she pictured walking her down the aisle. Of course, I was at a large watch party and no closed-captioning, so it might have been there.  Just struck me as kind of sad.

Claire and Brianna discussed Frank briefly, while Claire was helping her dress.  

[tennisgurl]

Count me among the people that love the new opening song, it sounds very Celtic and lovely, especially for the time period. 

I thought this was a really strong start to the season, and thank GOD they cut down on The Gathering and gave us a sort of greatest gathering hits instead of the meandering page after page of chit chat that seemed to last for a million years. The wedding was really nice, and I thought that Bree and Roger had probably some of the most chemistry that they have had yet. It also allowed for a lot of funny and sweet moments among the whole cast, and I really loved all the scenes with Roger and Jamie and Claire and Bree especially. It was sweet when Claire and Bree talked about Frank, and how happy he would be that she is marrying an Oxford man! 

Then the fun gets spoiled for poor Bree hearing that nasty ass Bonnet is out causing shit again. Ugh. 

The opener with tiny Jamie and Murtagh! Oh my heart! Then the end where Jamie released Murtagh from his promise, oh this is just going to be so painful! I am really interested in seeing what the show does with Murtagh now that he is around and fighting the red coats on a whole new continent! Jamie pulling out the kilt (ohhhhh yeah) and doing a whole ceremony from the homeland to call upon the allegiance of his friends, family and neighbors. It was very powerful, and will certainly be important coming up. Jamie might have to play nice with the British for now, but he is inevitably going to end up switching sides, not only to the side he is more likely to support, but the one he knows is going to win. It sucks that he cant just tell everyone. I especially loved when Jamie called Roger to pledge to him, and was going to help him with the pledge, but he already knew it. That history major is really paying off! Roger claiming the baby was very moving, this was a good Roger episode in general 

Claire and Jamie have really settled nicely into older married couple life, complete with babysitting the grand baby!

Edited February 19, 2020 by tennisgurl

[Clawdette]

I’m sad to see that so many of our Scots-in-arms seem to have drifted away from the forum.  It has been at lot of fun to share thoughts, opinions, and even snark.  But life is full of competing interests.  I guess they told the bees goodbye.

[Haleth]

9 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

It sucks that he cant just tell everyone, especially Murtagh, what he knows about the future (its not like Claire could have brought back a bootleg copy of Hamilton to let everyone catch the ending of the war before it really gets going) and that, unlike the last time he and Murtagh fought the British, this one actually ends well,

Am I imagining it or did Jamie not tell Murtagh to lay low for a few years because there is a revolution coming?  I could swear he did.

[nodorothyparker]

9 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

It sucks that he cant just tell everyone, especially Murtagh, what he knows about the future (its not like Claire could have brought back a bootleg copy of Hamilton to let everyone catch the ending of the war before it really gets going) and that, unlike the last time he and Murtagh fought the British, this one actually ends well, but time travel is complicated like that.

They actually did have that conversation.  It was one of my complaints about the back half of last season in all the drama over Murtagh's extracurricular activities that they were acting like they didn't have more than one time traveler right there who could tell them how things were going to play out longterm so they could plan accordingly.  In their parting talk, Jamie reminded him they'd be on the winning side this time if Murtagh could just lay low for awhile and wait for it, but Murtagh wasn't willing to do that. I suppose lacking any useful details at all about the Regulators or the how and when specifics, Murtagh figures that a very generalized knowledge about the Rising didn't help them much and he might as well follow his beliefs in the meantime.

[SassAndSnacks]

The new opening credits are actually my favorite so far.  The first time I watched this episode, the clarity and purity of the vocals made me teary.  The second time through was no different.  I particularly enjoyed the soft refrain from the original theme that played over the title card.  Very moving.

I'm so excited for this season.  Aside from Book 1, Books 5 and 6 are my favorites.  I love seeing Jamie and Claire together, establishing the life they so deserve to have with each other.  Yeah, there are a lot of new characters to get to know and the Gathering is the longest, muddiest shindig ever, but I love the quiet moments with our two.  Plus, Brianna isn't quite as insufferable going forward.  

[areca]

On 2/15/2020 at 1:43 PM, nodorothyparker said:

The whole section beginning with the breaking out of the kilt to the non-clan call up was so well done it gave me the chills.  Between this and the addition of Murtagh as a disgruntled former indenture, I really love how the show is emphasizing that all of these people were dispossessed by the British and are still living with the consequences of the failed Rising that will eventually lead to revolution. 

I've always hated this.  The majority of the Scots in America (they were the majority population at the time of the revolution) fought on the side of the British.  They'd no interest in losing again to the king.  I did love the fact that Jamie went all laird right in front of the redcoats though.  You could see them thinking "Personal fealty...was not what the Governor had in mind..."

[areca]

9 hours ago, Clawdette said:

I’m sad to see that so many of our Scots-in-arms seem to have drifted away from the forum.  It has been at lot of fun to share thoughts, opinions, and even snark.  But life is full of competing interests.  I guess they told the bees goodbye.

The series has lost the charm of the books (a lot of which *was* the minutia of 18th century frontier life and the struggles of the modern crew to settle in) and it won't be long now before cancellation.  Probably season 6, then done.  Things never go well when the actors become producers.

Edited February 19, 2020 by areca

[tennisgurl]

6 hours ago, nodorothyparker said:

They actually did have that conversation. 

 

6 hours ago, Haleth said:

Am I imagining it or did Jamie not tell Murtagh to lay low for a few years because there is a revolution coming?  I could swear he did.

I think I phased that poorly, I do remember that Jamie told Murtagh about his future knowledge, just that its too bad he doesn't know the particulars, like what happened to this particular bunch of people. Sorry I didn't make that more clear!

[theschnauzers]

Murtaugh is one of those who knew about Claire and Brianna, not sure if he knew about Roger as a time traveler. I don’t think particulars were shared with him. But it’s implied Jamie has been told more than the basic generalizations. His decision to have a Gathering type oath taking by the Ridge community and the use of the fiery cross becomes sheer genius.

Given the need for a surgery for Claire to treat patients, I can see an in story explanation for the size of the house. The BTS images of the interior are just breathtaking not in any sense of grandeur but the attention to detail.

[Cdh20]

7 hours ago, theschnauzers said:

Murtaugh is one of those who knew about Claire and Brianna, not sure if he knew about Roger as a time traveler. I don’t think particulars were shared with him. But it’s implied Jamie has been told more than the basic generalizations. His decision to have a Gathering type oath taking by the Ridge community and the use of the fiery cross becomes sheer genius.

Given the need for a surgery for Claire to treat patients, I can see an in story explanation for the size of the house. The BTS images of the interior are just breathtaking not in any sense of grandeur but the attention to detail.

He knows Roger is a time traveller too. He said  "they all came from another time, so now you have everything you've ever wanted!"

[Scarlett45]

On 2/18/2020 at 5:23 PM, toolazy said:

I think that was intentional to show us that Jamie and Claire never got to raise a baby together and never had to deal with such things.  It was sweet.

I thought that too. 

[sas616]

21 hours ago, areca said:

The series has lost the charm of the books (a lot of which *was* the minutia of 18th century frontier life and the struggles of the modern crew to settle in) and it won't be long now before cancellation.  Probably season 6, then done.  Things never go well when the actors become producers.

Did you see the 92Y panel from Season 5 press tour (and the numerous other interviews as well)?   Sam and Cait talked about their producer role and how with all the new writers/directors, etc., they are they the two "constants" remaining and they want to ensure their characters stay true to the books.  Diana also mentioned that season 5 will be truer to the books.   So I'm hopeful that it will be this season will be a good one.   Not that I had too many complaints about 1 through 4.   

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On 2/15/2020 at 11:57 AM, WatchrTina said:

Well I cried a bit when Jamie, wearing that kilt, called Roger the "son of my house," which is one of my favorite moments from the book.  And I loved, loved, LOVED that Jamie was prepared to coach Roger through the oath but didn't need to.  It's a great reminder that Roger is a Scot to his core (and a historian to boot).  Of COURSE he would know the oath. 

And Roger was paying attention when the first man made the oath, so he remembered the words.

On 2/15/2020 at 11:57 AM, WatchrTina said:

I was a bit confused, however, about the FIRST guy who took the oath.

I think Morton going first was just a demonstration that there were people at Fraser's Ridge who were grateful to Jamie for giving them a community and wanted to show their loyalty. That works best if it's *not* someone familiar to us. Don't know why people are questioning it, to be honest.

On 2/15/2020 at 11:57 AM, WatchrTina said:

And I'm going to have to hand-wave where all those settlers came from, since we never saw or heard about Duncan Innes traveling up and down the coast looking for Scots to come settle Frasers' Ridge (unless that happened on camera last season and I've forgotten it.)

Yes, it was said last season that that was going on.

On 2/15/2020 at 3:40 PM, WatchrTina said:

The saying is: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue (and a sixpence in your shoe)".  I’m pretty sure the writers (or possibly Sam) screwed up that scene because why would you “borrow” a flower?  The whiskey is new and the flower is blue.  The pearls are both old and borrowed.  I think that is what the writers intended and it got lost somewhere in translation.

Since Ellen's pearls are a family heirloom given by Jamie to Claire and then Claire to Bree as her inheritance, they aren't borrowed.

On 2/15/2020 at 3:40 PM, WatchrTina said:

At one point the closed captions said Brianna called Jamie “Dad” and I hope that is wrong and she actually called him “Da.”

The caption was wrong.

On 2/16/2020 at 6:43 PM, iMonrey said:

Was Jamie in open defiance of the Red Coats during his closing speech or weren't they there? Or were they there but didn't understand what was going on? I'm not sure I understand what was going on there.

The lieutenant and the redcoats were there and didn't catch that Jamie intended to eventually rise against them. Since he didn't announce that. He's going to go on a military operation soon, so rallying everyone isn't suspicious in and of itself.

On 2/18/2020 at 12:57 PM, cardigirl said:

That he had been concerned about her growing up in Boston and ending up with a Chad or (something else).

A Chad or a Chip, it was.

Edited March 18, 2020 by Noneofyourbusiness

[Maisiesmom]

Hello I'm back. Burned through season 4 in a hurry. Some of it was good, some not so much. I thought this opening episode was pretty good, the wedding was very nice, they got Sam a better wig, and Murtaugh and Jocasta getting it on yeah baby. I like Jocasta for her strength even tho she does have slaves (I like Ulysses too, so dignified). And Jaime in his kilt !!! I want to know how did they build that huge house so quickly? It sure is nicely appointed for back in the day. I really don't care about Roger and Bree that much and get bored with their scenes together but at least they are married now and Roger accepts the child as his.The cross burning thing didn't bother me since it is a Scottish tradition and not the fucking KKK (who probably stole the idea). It was a fun party, but I felt sorry for Lord John who didn't really have anyone to hang out with. Maybe they will find him someone as the season goes on. Sorry about any misspellings but my insomnia is catching up to me today.

[Noneofyourbusiness]

On 8/6/2023 at 1:03 PM, Maisiesmom said:

I want to know how did they build that huge house so quickly?

There was a bit of a time-skip between the end of last season and the wedding.

Glad you're enjoying the show!

Edited August 9, 2023 by Noneofyourbusiness