S05.E03: Free Will

[Athena]

Quote

The growing Regulator threat forces Jamie, Claire and Roger to embark on a mission to raise a militia.

Reminder: This is the No Book Talk topic. No discussion of the books is allowed including saying "in the books..." Posts may be removed without warning.

[ferjy]

Probably a lot of viewers didn’t care for the episode because it was slow but I loved it. I thought it was sufficiently creepy and I always enjoy episodes with Claire’s healing. And, it didn’t center on Roger and Brianna! That’s always a plus for me. 

Fergus ran off with Claire’s penicillin progress notes! That can’t be good. 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

This episode felt like a creepy horror movie. And like the typical girl in a horror movie, Claire decides that the best thing to do when she's in a creepy house of horrors is to go upstairs to see what fresh hell she can find. After she called Jamie upstairs, I was sure that Fanny was going to lock them both up there.

It was hard for me to feel bad for the unrepentant asshole who beat a boy deaf and murdered his first four wives so I guess Claire is a better person than I am.

[butterly17]

This felt like one of those stand alone episodes that I will skip on rewatch. Well done, just didn't have all that much momentum for the core characters.  Maybe I was spoiled with the first two episodes of the season.

 

I did like the campfire scene with the group chatting reminded me of young Jamie and Claire out collecting rents in Scotland.

[BitterApple]

I have mixed feelings on this episode.

I liked that we had minimal Brianna, the everyday life scenes at Fraser's Ridge, and the creepy horror movie turn the episode took once things shifted to the Beardsleys. 

However the action got a bit ridiculous when the wife turns out to be pregnant, Claire delivers the baby, the kid turns out to be bi-racial and the wife bails. I know Fanny is a sturdy girl, but my lady parts hurt thinking about a woman fleeing one day after giving birth. 

As far as the husband, I'm not sure what Claire was planning to do with him? Who in town would've been willing to provide 24/7 care to a vegetable? Did they have formal hospitals in those areas back then? The whole time that drama was playing out I was thinking, "just dump some poison down the bastard's throat and call it a day." 

Overall I'd say it was a solid episode as long as you don't think too hard about some of the logic.

[Scarlett45]

6 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

As far as the husband, I'm not sure what Claire was planning to do with him? Who in town would've been willing to provide 24/7 care to a vegetable? Did they have formal hospitals in those areas back then? The whole time that drama was playing out I was thinking, "just dump some poison down the bastard's throat and call it a day." 

Or smother him. I was yelling at Jaime not  to waste gun powder on him. 

[Cdh20]

33 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

 

 

 

 

Quote

As far as the husband, I'm not sure what Claire was planning to do with him? Who in town would've been willing to provide 24/7 care to a vegetable? Did they have formal hospitals in those areas back then? The whole time that drama was playing out I was thinking, "just dump some poison down the bastard's throat and call it a day." 

 

Lol, I thought the same thing! 

 

I liked the creepy horror movie parts! I loved Jamie coming home to Claire, & Claire saying she was going along- just how it should be. Notes of earlier seasons there, in a good way!

 

It is so cute that Germain calls Jamie grand-pere.

We couldn’t understand a word anyone said around that campfire! 

Edited March 2, 2020 by Cdh20
Adding thoughts

[Bulldog]

Was I the only one who didn't realize the woman was pregnant until she went into labor?  I thought she was just fat. 

[BitterApple]

9 minutes ago, Bulldog said:

Was I the only one who didn't realize the woman was pregnant until she went into labor?  I thought she was just fat. 

I didn't either. 

[Scarlett45]

6 hours ago, Bulldog said:

Was I the only one who didn't realize the woman was pregnant until she went into labor?  I thought she was just fat. 

I think that was intentional. 

[ferjy]

13 hours ago, BitterApple said:

"just dump some poison down the bastard's throat and call it a day." 

lol Claire had no trouble administering a dose to Colum, who she cared for but she had doubts about this monster? Yeah, have to roll your eyes sometimes. Especially as others have said, as if anyone back then had the time to care for a stranger in that shape. Not to mention they were on a mission and didn’t have extra time to spare. Claire needs to sort out her priorities!

 

[Cdh20]

16 minutes ago, ferjy said:

lol Claire had no trouble administering a dose to Colum, who she cared for but she had doubts about this monster? Yeah, have to roll your eyes sometimes. Especially as others have said, as if anyone back then had the time to care for a stranger in that shape. Not to mention they were on a mission and didn’t have extra time to spare. Claire needs to sort out her priorities!

 

Colum did ask her to! And this turned out the same with Jamie asking Mr Beardsley what he wanted.

[ferjy]

39 minutes ago, Cdh20 said:

Colum did ask her to! And this turned out the same with Jamie asking Mr Beardsley what he wanted.

Yes of course but if she was that true to the Hippocratic Oath, she wouldn’t have helped Colum. My point was that was a lot more difficult for her so in this circumstance she should have offed the old coot (Beardsley, not Colum 😀). 

 

[Wouldofshouldof]

15 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I know Fanny is a sturdy girl, but my lady parts hurt thinking about a woman fleeing one day after giving birth. 

On horseback no less!

[Ziggy]

6 hours ago, ferjy said:

Yes of course but if she was that true to the Hippocratic Oath, she wouldn’t have helped Colum. My point was that was a lot more difficult for her so in this circumstance she should have offed the old coot (Beardsley, not Colum 😀). 

 

She wasn’t a doctor when she helped Colum, so she hadn’t taken the Hippocratic Oath.

[Mrs. Hanson]

My hubby asked: "Is this the X files?"  I did like how Fanny did not try to cover up paternity:  "She ain't yours!!!"

[wovenloaf]

I found this episode a bit boring.  I actually am tired of the constant plot lines where Claire has to drop everything to "heal" some random person they come across.  We get it...she's a doctor.  And the whole "this person is repugnant but Claire still has to provide care!" thing has been done multiple times throughout the series already.  I find the penicillin plot line kind of goofy, but at least it's different. 

I wish they'd focus on the Regulators stuff more.  It's more interesting and compelling, actually involves characters I know and care about, and moves the story forward. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I got a huge laugh when Claire pulled out a black baby. 

You'd think with everything going on though (regulators, Jamie having to raise and army, being on the 'losing side' so far) that Claire would get some perspective and not have to do everything about everything all the time. It's a harsh world. Good job trying to invent antibiotics, but you don't have to stop for everybody. 

[toolazy]

On 3/15/2020 at 12:02 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

I got a huge laugh when Claire pulled out a black baby. 

You'd think with everything going on though (regulators, Jamie having to raise and army, being on the 'losing side' so far) that Claire would get some perspective and not have to do everything about everything all the time. It's a harsh world. Good job trying to invent antibiotics, but you don't have to stop for everybody. 

What was she supposed to do about the baby? Not deliver it? Not make sure it was taken care of?  Or are you saying that they shouldn't have tried to buy out Jo & Kezzie's indenture?

[DoctorAtomic]

Yes, just walk away for once. They're living in hard times. Now they have another mouth to feed. They have to establish some priorities. There's lots of bigger issues to deal with.

[Iguessnot]

On 3/20/2020 at 4:53 PM, DoctorAtomic said:

Yes, just walk away for once. They're living in hard times. Now they have another mouth to feed. They have to establish some priorities. There's lots of bigger issues to deal with.

The delivery and infant care I didn't mind. But her going all out for the wretched old coot was Claire following her script to a fault. That was a no brainer mercy kill situation.

[Camera One]

We interrupt our regularly scheduled time-sensitive military mission for... The Mystery of the Creepy Cabin featuring The Man Who Wasn't Worth Saving.  

Of course, Claire just HAD to go upstairs.  Did med school not have a course on common sense?  

Why did Jaime use a gun and why did he have to do that inside?  What a mess.  Good thing they ended the episode there, or we would have to watch the clean-up.

Hopefully the two boys can eventually live in that cabin.  They'd have the deed, and all that merchandise they could sell.  

When Claire reassured Jaime she hadn't heard about the regulators so they wouldn't amount to much, I was thinking they really should ask Brianna, who actually studied American history.  But clearly, Brianna knew nothing either.  Regardless, men were going to die.  Plus I'm surprised Jaime was so comfortable with Brianna being all alone with zero protection with Bonnet alive and well.  

[gingerella]

This season is proving to be only slightly less sucky that the last two, mainly because many of the scenes have the feel of the old Scotland scenes from S1 & 2, so I'm enjoying those for what they are I suppose.

Liked the penicillin experiments but how will she turn mold into something that people can take in - will they eat it? And how is it that their house has soooo many rooms AND she has tons of shit everywhere. I mean, that mobile with the little orbs over her work table, where does she get all this shit from? Is there a swap meet in the next county with good shit on weekends? Does Jocasta send up crates of stuff? It's decorated like Better Huts & Cabins already, it always takes me out of the moment noticing all the stuff they have.

Loved the quick shot of Marseli practicing sewing stitches on a deer haunch!

Does their house have no locks on the damn doors? Jamie just waltzes in during the night and Claire wakes up ready to sex it up?! I'd be scared to death hearing someone walk into my home in the middle of the night.

Why would Claire go into a dark, creepy barn of a 'nasty man'? And why would she go upstairs in a dark, creepy horror house too?  They should have put that guy down much sooner, he wasn't going to get better, obviously, and it's not like he has an HMO or a PPO that will cover someone caring for him 24/7 so...And maggots Show, seriously?! Fuck you for that. Also, I did NOT need to see a baby head crotch shot. I.DID.NOT.NEED.TO.SEE.THAT. Other than getting the indentured papers for the boys, I just don't know why we got dragged through all that. And then the baby too? Just to give it to the childless couple whom we have known for a second and whom we will probably never see again?

Last but not least, the birds/sky scenes were ridiculous and looked like bad GoT-level CGI. Bad, hokey. Blech.

[SassAndSnacks]

On 2/3/2022 at 3:17 AM, gingerella said:

And how is it that their house has soooo many rooms

I think I mentioned in the S5.1 thread that this house really bothers me.  It is beautiful, but completely unrealistic for this stage in their lives on the Ridge.  I know, I'm complaining about something being unrealistic in a show that is slightly about time travel.  

On 2/3/2022 at 3:17 AM, gingerella said:

And why would she go upstairs in a dark, creepy horror house too?

I'm not sure if I caught this the first time around, but I definitely noted this time that she smelled the rotting body.  As a surgeon, she would have been familiar with that smell and it would have provoked her to go take a closer look.  Not that Claire needs much provoking to be impulsive...

Gross stuff aside, I did really like this one.  Loved seeing Marsali starting to "get it" and take an active role in the healing of the Ridge.  Loved seeing Roger Mac settle in with the group of men. 

Most of all, I really appreciated Jamie and Claire working together to help someone, which was so reminiscent of Season 1.  They make a great team, and that's why I'm here.  It was also touching to me that Jamie put the pieces together from his father's death, so at the end we have a further understanding of why he's so unsettled by what happened in the cabin. Added bonus, this one reminded me a lot of The Garrison Commander from Season 1, in that it was largely set in one location, full of tension, and well-acted.  

[Camera One]

On 2/3/2022 at 12:17 AM, gingerella said:

I.DID.NOT.NEED.TO.SEE.THAT.

That is this show's alternate tagline.

[mythoughtis]

How could they sleep in that awful cabin?   The barn would have been better 
There was nothing Claire could do for that man.  Yet she stood there and made plans for him to continue on that condition.  Jamie, even being Catholic, understood what needed to be done and granted the man a merciful death. 
Interesting that Claire promised Jamie she’d help him die if it happened to him.   I don’t believe her, not after watching this episode. 
i guess there was some  plot behind the woman being pregnant with another man’s child.  ( seems a lot of that happens in this show).  However, given how evil this man was, it’s hard to believe that the woman would have had the opportunity to get pregnant by another man.  

Edited August 30, 2022 by mythoughtis

[Scarlett45]

On 8/30/2022 at 12:12 AM, mythoughtis said:

i guess there was some  plot behind the woman being pregnant with another man’s child.  ( seems a lot of that happens in this show).  However, given how evil this man was, it’s hard to believe that the woman would have had the opportunity to get pregnant by another man.  

The guy was evil but he was also elderly. He likely slept quite a bit and didn’t do any of the manual labor he expected her to do. Quite easy to have sexual relations away from the main house if you’re expected to be farming, tending to the animals and there’s no chance he’s going to walk in on you. 

[Paloma]

I'm 2 years late in reading this forum, having recently started bingeing the series on Netflix, but I'm surprised no one has commented on what Claire will do with the mixed-race baby, or even why Claire didn't mention this issue. They are living in a slave-holding state, and I can't imagine that any of the white settlers on Frasier's Ridge (or elsewhere in that area) would be willing to raise a baby that looks even part-Black. I guess Brianna and Roger could raise the baby, but what happens if they go back to their own time and the baby is not a time traveler?  

It's not that I expect or even really need to know the answer to this question, but I do question why the writers (or DG) thought to make the race of the baby a plot element here, if no follow-up is intended.