S05.E11: Journeycake

[Athena]

Quote

Roger and Brianna need to decide if they want to stay or return to the future; Jamie discovers a new power that started from an unrest in the backcountry.

Reminder: The is the book talk thread. This can include spoilers for ALL the books. If you wish to remain unspoiled for any of the books, please leave now and head to the No Book Talk episode thread.

[theschnauzers]

This episode was written by Diana Galbadon, her second of the series.

[Quickbeam]

Well, I can feel Diana’s hand all over this. I liked it quite a bit....the emotion of leaving, the jolt of recognition of the status of women of the time.....it was good for me. I hate the Claire kidnapping plot line so am bracing for that. But this was a strong episode that moved the story forward. 

[DietCokeJunkie]

I can’t even talk about Claire yet—need time. I was amused that she was putting back a dislocated shoulder, though. 
 

What do we think happened to Brianna and Roger? Did they end up in the wrong time? They’re not supposed to go back till after Mandy was born, so was this a failed attempt? 
 

Ian is breaking my heart. 

[cardigirl]

That was a great episode but I am so afraid they are going to leave the Roger and Bree cliffhanger til next season and god knows when that will get filmed. 

[sas616]

6 hours ago, cardigirl said:

That was a great episode but I am so afraid they are going to leave the Roger and Bree cliffhanger til next season and god knows when that will get filmed. 

Had that thought too.  For a quick moment, I wondered if they went further back (like book Roger) and next season we'd be seeing Colum and Dougal again.  Then remembered for that to happen they'd have to get to Scotland first.

[cardigirl]

1 hour ago, sas616 said:

Had that thought too.  For a quick moment, I wondered if they went further back (like book Roger) and next season we'd be seeing Colum and Dougal again.  Then remembered for that to happen they'd have to get to Scotland first.

It looked like they ended up in the same place they started (the rock circle in New York) so I can only speculate as to who they could have seen in that would have surprised them so. Both Bree and Roger had the same look so it wasn't like Roger recognized and Bree didn't or vice versa.

My first thought was that they didn't go back far enough, and because Roger was talking about not having parents, etc., maybe they are seeing Frank (which would really drive some fans crazy) and his own father? 

I have NO IDEA, really. Gosh, I hope I don't have to wait TWO YEARS for the answer. 

[morgan]

Great episode!!!!

My guess for Brianna and Roger and Jem is that they landed near a re-enactment or Scottish festival.  With Jamie lighting the fiery cross I feel like it will be a Scottish festival, but I like the idea of a rev war re-enactment totally confusing them at first!

So are they skipping over The details of otter tooth?

Lastly, is this the rape kidnapping from the next book?  

[Ziggy]

I'm so glad that Ian showed them Otter Tooth's book, and they had the scene with the opal.  I was hoping they would get to that this season, but I didn't know if they were going to have Roger and Bree go back.

My husband was asking about their reasons for going back, and I did explain that the reasons in the book were more compelling.  It's interesting that they chose to advance Roger and Bree's story line (thus changing some things around).  I wonder just what they are planning to cover in Season 6.  Will there be aspects of Echo in the Bone?  I think there have to be, at least for Roger and Bree.

[GHScorpiosRule]

51 minutes ago, morgan said:

 

So are they skipping over The details of otter tooth?

Lastly, is this the rape kidnapping from the next book?  

Yeah, it seems like they’re skipping over the dude that also came from the future-the one with the long crimpy hair that spoke in 20th century vernacular.🙄

And yes, Claire’s kidnapping and rape I thought was in buik 7 or 8! I don’t remember because I burned through all of them back to back.

Roberts and company are pulling stuff from other future buiks is making me feel like a non-buik reader!

Just as Bree and Roger don’t return to the future until Mandy is nearly one due to

heart condition

!

They also changed the character of who Jamie and Claire were hiding—that it wasn’t Ulysses, but someone else. And I don’t recall if they hid him or found him. But it wasn’t Ulysses in the buik, that much I do remember.

I know they want next season to be all about the American Revolution, but all 12 or 13 episode episodes cannot be all war.

So much for how this season was going to stick close to the buik.🙄😒 HAH!

That all said, I really enjoyed this episode and now I know why-Gabaldon wrote it. I missed The Who wrote it in the credits, so it was a nice surprise. Because while I don’t care for her style of writing, she does get the emotional beats.

Plus, I just KNEW with all the emotional beats, Claire and Jamie happy times, that it would end on some cliffhanger. I still remember ”Lallybroch”!

Jamie’s way of eating the peanut butter and jelly sandwich had me 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

And also a big GIANT YES!!!!! to most of the episode focusing on Jamie and Claire!

[Ziggy]

5 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

They also changed the character of who Jamie and Claire were hiding—that it wasn’t Ulysses, but someone else. And I don’t recall if they hid him or found him. But it wasn’t Ulysses in the buik, that much I do remember.

And I don't even remember them hiding anyone!  Shows you how well I remember the last 3.  Heck, I've forgotten most of The Fiery Cross, and I just finished that book!

It was kind of fun watching this episode, which was mostly from A Breath of Snow and Ashes, since I only vaguely remember it.  I do remember Claire's kidnapping, but I do not remember the details.

[Miss chi chi]

I have loved most of Season 5 and loved this episode as well. Jamie handled Brianna going back much better than I thought he would. Loved the moment between Jamie and Brianna. I'm glad Ian knows about the time travel. Where/when are are Brianna and Roger? Jamie is going to destroy some people next episode. I'll thank you to take your hands off of my wife....

Edited May 3, 2020 by Miss chi chi

[Fallacy]

I’m so confused! I’ve read books 5 and 6 more than a decade ago, so I admit the details are sketchy, but I know Claire is kidnapped and gang raped in book 6, not 5, and I know that Roger and Bree go through the stones because their baby girl is born with a heart condition. So nothing in this episode made much sense to me. 

Also, is this really the last episode? If so, that was one heck of a cliffhanger to go out on.

[Ziggy]

57 minutes ago, Fallacy said:

Also, is this really the last episode? If so, that was one heck of a cliffhanger to go out on.

No, there's one more episode.  Can they resolve the kidnapping in one episode?  I know it's crazy, but I'm honestly more interested in what Roger and Bree saw!

[morgan]

I’m guessing they are starting to blend storylines between books.  One thing I will miss with Claire’s rescue is Roger playing his drum.  I loved that in the book.  The foreboding!  I swear my heart beat harder/faster as Diana described it and the men started freaking out from it.  

[ruby24]

So, it will be interesting to see how they change Claire's gang rape and kidnapping from Book 6. I can almost guarantee it won't be the same- my guess is it'll probably just be the one guy (if they even let it happen at all- I think one of the producers had said last season they were exhausted of rape storylines, so maybe they'll decide this is just too much).

And frankly, even though Claire is upset by it in that book, I don't think it's even mentioned in Book 7 and 8, so on the show that would probably be construed as really brushing aside something so traumatic. They may not go through with that.

[Clawdette]

I agree that bringing in portions of book six into season five makes me feel like a non-book reader but I'm kind of enjoying that.  I'm a little off-kilter and surprised at the turn of events.  

I loved the scene around the dinner table with the peanut butter sandwiches.  Beautifully filmed and acted.  I also appreciated that Diana wrote Jamie with restraint in his reaction to Brianna, Roger, and Jemmy returning to the 20th century.

I'm looking forward to next week and the kilt!

[Haleth]

I love Ian. The actor bring so much humanity to him.  Boy needs a hug!  I also love Lord John and Marsali.  

Such a heart wrenching episode. I wonder why they decided to move Bree and Roger returning to the future so early?  It doesn’t make sense that they would go before the impending fire.

After Jamie wanting sexual release while dying from a snake bite, I was again rolling my eyes about Claire wanting sex during a hot flash. What is wrong with these people?  She’s lucky she didn’t fall out the window.  😄

Edited May 4, 2020 by Haleth

[Glaze Crazy]

I also feel like a non-book reader with a bunch of familiar characters and slightly familiar individual scenes, LOL.

I vote for Roger and Bree dropping into a Ren Faire or the NC Highland Games/Gathering in the present (1974ish?). Might be easier to pass off their period attire. In the book Brianna sewed up some nondescript shirts and pants for them to wear going back to the future. Or they are right next to the Blue Ridge Highway.

I liked all the beats they hit with this one. It sure looks like a bunch of stuff is getting gathered together to move the story right into the American Revolution. I might be worried about William though, he should be a little older than that miniature portrait shows him as, if he's going to come back with the army next season.

I'm also wondering which of Claire's kidnappings this is. There is the first (book) one, from the whiskey still, that results in the rape, and the second one, and after Bree and Roger are gone, I think, where the Committee of Safety, headed by the older Brown (the creepy one is dead after the first kidnapping) are taking Claire to be tried for murder of the creepy brother and/or Malva, Jamie goes along to protect her and Brown abducts her on the road, while his men hold Jamie off. He dumps her at a city on the coast, where the new Governor, Martin, is at to get her tried for murder. I think it's going to go this way, since the previews show Claire in a paneled room, crying or something. No murder is involved, so I guess it will have to do with dispensing birth control information, if that was actually an outlawed practice back then. Or it's some other reason yet to be revealed. Again, fun that it could go anywhere at this point, for this book reader.

Oh and we saw Wendigo Donner. He's the guy with the long curly black hair that was with the Browns. He had a line and there was an extended shot of Young Ian looking at him, specifically, as he walked away. The name was in the credits. I'm guessing we are going to see some version of his story next season.

The window sill scene and the microscope scene/convo are some of my favorite book scenes. I'm glad Diana Gabaldon was able to write those for this episode.

[ruby24]

I'm surprised and happy that they sent Roger/Bree back the future (present) already. I had advocated for that before this season even. I suppose it's too much to hope that they may not be around much next season? I think their stuff in 1980 takes up a fairly minimal amount of time in Book 7, if I remember correctly. And frankly, their present day stuff with those guys trying to steal the gold gets a little ridiculous. 

I'm gonna go ahead and predict they're planning to combine Books 6/7 next season. They want to get to the war stuff with Lord John and Claire's affair (my guess). As they should, because that stuff is great, lol.

[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 

Spoiler

they're coming back.  Or are they now?  And what about Mandy? Love her.  Little spitfire.

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.  

[SassAndSnacks]

12 hours ago, Ziggy said:

Will there be aspects of Echo in the Bone?  I think there have to be, at least for Roger and Bree.

Seems like they’re setting the stage for the Willie plot line. Hopefully, we’re spared the Dismal Swamp exploits.

[ruby24]

Well, since they sent Roger and Bree back early maybe they won't even have another kid? It's possible.

I guess they figured they weren't really losing anything by sending them back now that they finished the Bonnet stuff. The only significant story for them in Book 6 is probably Roger's becoming a priest, and maybe that wasn't all that significant anyway. I liked that they said he'll go back to being a professor, because I always thought it was sort of strange in the books that he suddenly has this ongoing crisis over what he's meant to do with his life even AFTER they go back to 1980. Really dude? Just go back to teaching, you were perfectly happy with it before. It seemed contrived to get him to have reasons to wind up time traveling AGAIN later on, so I'm glad this Roger has never wavered on the fact that he and Brianna belong in their own time. It makes more sense to me- he's only ever experienced misery for the most part in the past.

1 minute ago, SassAndSnacks said:

Seems like they’re setting the stage for the Willie plot line. Hopefully, we’re spared the Dismal Swamp exploits.

I think they're going to combine Books 6 and 7. We may never get the storyline with the Christies, for example. It's just as well, I mean that stuff was fairly good, but I think sticking with our main characters from this point on would be better.

I never liked Rachel the Quaker in the books, but I can imagine possibly liking them giving Ian a romance on the show, because I really like Show Ian. I never liked Book Ian that much, so that made it even harder to care about him and Rachel. Maybe they can do that right on the show though, depending on if they cast her well.

[Linderhill]

7 minutes ago, SassAndSnacks said:

Seems like they’re setting the stage for the Willie plot line. Hopefully, we’re spared the Dismal Swamp exploits.

yes, this please.  The Dismal Swamp seemed to go on forever -- along with the interminable Quaker stuff.  I was surprised that they completely skipped poor little Mandy since she was a great reason for Roger and Bri to go back to the present.  

[SassAndSnacks]

6 minutes ago, ruby24 said:

I think they're going to combine Books 6 and 7. We may never get the storyline with the Christies, for example. It's just as well, I mean that stuff was fairly good, but I think sticking with our main characters from this point on would be better.

Absolutely HATED the Malva Christie storyline. I place her in the same category as Laoghaire. Loathe... Very optimistic that we won’t go there, especially if the show wants to focus on the Revolution. 

[Ziggy]

13 minutes ago, SassAndSnacks said:

Absolutely HATED the Malva Christie storyline. I place her in the same category as Laoghaire. Loathe... Very optimistic that we won’t go there, especially if the show wants to focus on the Revolution. 

I'm with you here.  Laoghaire's story was and continues to be present.  I don't think the Christie storyline really matters.  I could easily see them dropping that story.  Let's hope!

[Linderhill]

I'm guessing that they never found the the Ocracoke stones in this story because I distinctly remember Roger, Bri, Jemmy and Mandy going back thru the stones in NC.  I just had a scary thought, I'm hoping Laoghaire doesn't pop up again with that infernal alimony plotline.

[CarpeFelis]

2 hours ago, Haleth said:

I was again rolling my eyes about Claire wanting sex during a hot flash. What is wrong with these people?  She’s lucky she didn’t fall out the window.  

I have to admit that made me think of a certain scene from Reign...

[theschnauzers]

I think a couple of storylines will still need to be addressed that have been mentioned this season, and I think I see the chess moves necessary to bring them about in season six.

First,  the Fraser Gold mentioned very early this season that involved Aunt Jocasta, and Ulysses and a river Run.

spSecond, it’s possible Bree, Roger and Jemmy ended up in Scotland in 1772 or 3 or 4. That would tie in to Brianna first arriving there and going to Lallyboch lat season, and now that Ulysses, Lord John, and William are all there, that might have that meeting take place in England rather than Fayetteville. And then the MacKenzies go forward to the 20th Century. 
 

That may also set the stage for Claire and Jamie to travel back to Scotland for the Murrays and that printing press.

[Haleth]

5 hours ago, theschnauzers said:

First,  the Fraser Gold mentioned very early this season that involved Aunt Jocasta, and Ulysses and a river Run.

Which book does this come into play?  I thought it was this one but realized they were running out of time for that plot.  Must be next season?  Mrs Bug got a name check in the first episode (?) and then disappeared.

I only vaguely remember the kidnapping, rape plot.  I hope this is disposed of quickly and without much melodrama since a whole lot of the audience is sick to death of watching Claire (and Bree) in danger time after time.

Not missing the Christie subplot but I've been waiting for Lizzie and the twins.  Maybe that will be next season too?  I guess the writers felt there wasn't time to make Mandy's birth and health an issue and she'll be born in the 20th c.  I hate, hate the storyline with Bree in the 20th c.  As if she wasn't a special snowflake enough she gets a job for which she is eminently unqualified.  So stupid.

[theschnauzers]

10 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Which book does this come into play?  I thought it was this one but realized they were running out of time for that plot.  Must be next season?  Mrs Bug got a name check in the first episode (?) and then disappeared.

 

In the books, it actually goes back to Young Ian’s kidnapping from Scotland when Jamie was taking som gems for something or other after Jamie was freed from Helwater. Aunt Jocasta was one of the three MacKenzie sibling who share the gold shipment after Culloden. It came up again after we met Jocasta at River Run, and Ulysses was involved, and the Bugs, and at some point Jamie takes what’s left and hides it at the cave in the Southern Appalachians the cave was called Spanish something or other. But that was how the books were dealing  with it. That’s the best I can do without rereading the Companion volumes at a minimum.

[Haleth]

1 minute ago, theschnauzers said:

It came up again after we met Jocasta at River Run, and Ulysses was involved, and the Bugs, and at some point Jamie takes what’s left and hides it at the cave in the Southern Appalachians the cave was called Spanish something or other.

Yeah, this is what I mean.  It must come up in the next book, after the fire?

[Biggie B]

OK, I get that Claire needed something viable to look at under the new lens Lord John brought her, but the mental image of her extracting Jamie's semen out of herself was really...just...yeah, I did not need that. 

I read all the books a million years ago, and while I recall the general overall story lines, the details escape me, and I have zero recollection of what happened in what book, etc. That said - and since this is the book thread - can someone refresh my memory as to where Roger, Bree, and their kid(s) actually did "land" when they returned to the 20th century? I can't remember.

I wonder if everyone to whom goodbyes were said would expect some updates on Roger and Bree, especially Marsali and Fergus - surely they would ask Jamie and Claire if Roger and Bree had written any letters? And Lizzie, too - I'd think she'd be asking often for updates. How's that gonna work? I guess Jamie and Claire will just fabricate a tale of their well-being.

The actor who plays Ian continues to shine. When Claire and Bree told him, by the river, that it wasn't possible for him to travel, I truly felt his despair. Even his body language was on point - the way he turned from the women and walked back towards the river's edge, and stumbled to his knees in grief was so well done and added even more poignancy to the situation. Ian was always one of my favorite characters in the books.

I'm looking forward to the finale but am sad that it will such a long time before we see any more of this enjoyable work.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, Biggie B said:

since this is the book thread - can someone refresh my memory as to where Roger, Bree, and their kid(s) actually did "land" when they returned to the 20th century? I can't remember.

They all landed in Boston, I believe. There was no WTF? Where are we? But then again, I skimmed all over their parts, because, so not interested.

[SassAndSnacks]

So, in the last 12 hours, I've processed this episode, and I'm still teary.  Is it the Covid? Am I PMS-ing? Am I eating my feelings? (Spoiler alert - yes!)

For me, the most emotional episodes have been Faith, Dragonfly in Amber, and Of Lost Things. All dissolved into full-on sob fests.  As one who is an avid re-watcher, I've never repeated Of Lost Things after the first time through, and I've only done Faith and DiA twice each.  I prefer the more light-hearted, J&C love-filled, heart-bursting episodes.  

Am I alone in my feels?  Yes?  Fine, I'll just sit here and gorge on mac and cheese and maybe make some brownies.

P.S. - Loved the scene with Claire fixing the dislocated shoulder.  Shows how tough our guy is.  He didn't squawk like the chap last night. 

And, I think Jem saw a car.  Bree and Roger looked suprised because it actually worked.  (Though, we did miss Roger carving cars for the kids...the "vrooms"...which is how they recognized them when they saw them when they went back through.)

 

Edited May 4, 2020 by SassAndSnacks

[iMonrey]

It seems to me that these people make a lot of dangerous assumptions about time traveling. This is a completely different stone circle than the one they used in Scotland. What on earth makes them so sure it will take them to their own time? What if they wind up 200 years further in the past? They'd be even worse off than they are now, there wouldn't be anyone there! Or what if they go so far into the future that they're the ones who are out of place? This seems like a crazy risk to take.

Furthermore, how on earth could Roger possible find his way back to those stones? He only stumbled upon them when he escaped from the Mohawks. How would he have even know where he was, let alone how to get back there again? It's not as if there are road signs. {STONE CIRCLE NEXT EXIT}

[Ziggy]

12 hours ago, theschnauzers said:

Second, it’s possible Bree, Roger and Jemmy ended up in Scotland in 1772 or 3 or 4.

I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that you stay in the geographical location of whichever stones you go through.  So if the stones are somewhere on the way to New York, that's where Bree and Roger still are ... just at a different time.

[toolazy]

3 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

They all landed in Boston, I believe. There was no WTF? Where are we? But then again, I skimmed all over their parts, because, so not interested.

They eventually ended up in Scotland, at Lallybroch.  They did pass through Boston, though, to visit Claire's doctor friend, who is clued into what's happening.

Edited May 4, 2020 by toolazy

[kwnyc]

Quote

So if the stones are somewhere on the way to New York, that's where Bree and Roger still are ... just at a different time.

I kept thinking that even if they landed in the same physical place, 200 years later there's no guarantee that there wasn't a highway buzzing through there. The stones themselves might be long gone, due to "progress."

[aemom]

33 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

It seems to me that these people make a lot of dangerous assumptions about time traveling. This is a completely different stone circle than the one they used in Scotland. What on earth makes them so sure it will take them to their own time? What if they wind up 200 years further in the past? They'd be even worse off than they are now, there wouldn't be anyone there! Or what if they go so far into the future that they're the ones who are out of place? This seems like a crazy risk to take.

Furthermore, how on earth could Roger possible find his way back to those stones? He only stumbled upon them when he escaped from the Mohawks. How would he have even know where he was, let alone how to get back there again? It's not as if there are road signs. {STONE CIRCLE NEXT EXIT}

Once they realized that was their ticket home, they probably wrote down some very detailed directions.

As for getting to the right time - they haven't really focused on that too much on the show, but the idea is that you are supposed to think about the time that you want to be in when you go through the stones.  Not sure how that would work for Jemmy, but I guess we have to hand wave that away.

That's how Claire wound up in that time.  She was thinking about Frank's ancestors at that time when she first touched the stones.

[Cdh20]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 

Furthermore, how on earth could Roger possible find his way back to those stones? He only stumbled upon them when he escaped from the Mohawks. How would he have even know where he was, let alone how to get back there again? It's not as if there are road signs. {STONE CIRCLE NEXT EXIT}

I said the same thing- how would he remember where it was? But he did.

[cardigirl]

1 hour ago, aemom said:

Once they realized that was their ticket home, they probably wrote down some very detailed directions.

As for getting to the right time - they haven't really focused on that too much on the show, but the idea is that you are supposed to think about the time that you want to be in when you go through the stones.  Not sure how that would work for Jemmy, but I guess we have to hand wave that away.

That's how Claire wound up in that time.  She was thinking about Frank's ancestors at that time when she first touched the stones.

That's also partly why Bree was upset when she saw that Roger had followed her to the 1770s because he was supposed to be her "anchor" back in the 1970s, and without him in the "present" to draw her back to that time, she wasn't sure she could get back. That's why I'm wondering if they didn't get all the way back to 1970, with all the talk of Roger's parents. But his parents would not have been in America, I don't think. And it was clear to me that they were still at the stones in New York. I don't know who they were thinking of to pull them toward the 1970s. (I am basing this on a few things Claire has said about how she thought time travel might work.)

Roger told Fiona where he was going, she might be taking care of things for him, I don't know. She understands about time travel I think, as she is the granddaughter of Mrs. Graham who spoke to Claire a lot about her "adventure" in the 1700s. But I don't think they would have been thinking of Fiona or other friends to get back to their own time. 

 

 

[Glaze Crazy]

 

  

  

 7 hours ago, Biggie B said:

since this is the book thread - can someone refresh my memory as to where Roger, Bree, and their kid(s) actually did "land" when they returned to the 20th century? I can't remember.

 

They go through a circle on Ocracoke Island, make their way to a road/highway and hitch a ride to town, make a collect call to Joe Abernathy who then wires them money to get to Boston.

10 hours ago, Haleth said:

 I hate, hate the storyline with Bree in the 20th c.  As if she wasn't a special snowflake enough she gets a job for which she is eminently unqualified.  So stupid.

Curious why you say this. Brianna has an engineering degree from MIT (in the book) and some consulting experience after they get back to the present. I also have an engineering degree (not MIT, LOL) and experience in my field. I was an inspector/quality assurance person for years.

Edited May 4, 2020 by Glaze Crazy
struggling with multiple quotes and formatting.

[Haleth]

1 hour ago, Glaze Crazy said:

Curious why you say this.

She has a bachelors degree, zero work experience, and a gaping hole in her resume, yet is put in charge of building an enormous (hydro electric?) plant?  But oh, those wacky Scots would rather hire an American kid with questionable credentials than someone who has, you know, a track record.  Must be that Fraser charisma. 🙄

[Sew Sumi]

8 minutes ago, Haleth said:

She has a bachelors degree, zero work experience, and a gaping hole in her resume, yet is put in charge of building an enormous (hydro electric?) plant?  But oh, those wacky Scots would rather hire an American kid with questionable credentials than someone who has, you know, a track record.  Must be that Fraser charisma. 🙄

Didn't work on the disgruntled guy who kidnapped Jem. 

[SassAndSnacks]

3 hours ago, Glaze Crazy said:

 

14 hours ago, Haleth said:

 I hate, hate the storyline with Bree in the 20th c.  As if she wasn't a special snowflake enough she gets a job for which she is eminently unqualified.  So stupid.

Curious why you say this. Brianna has an engineering degree from MIT (in the book) and some consulting experience after they get back to the present. I also have an engineering degree (not MIT, LOL) and experience in my field. I was an inspector/quality assurance person for years.

During her interview for the job, doesn't Bree call out the hiring director, telling him that she knows no one else even remotely qualified applied for the job?  She also dedicated a great deal of time studying up on the plant's construction and operations prior to the interview.  

I'm absolutely not a Bree fan, but I found her to be less insufferable in the 20th C.  This was the only time in the whole series that I enjoyed a Roger/Bree storyline.  

[WatchrTina]

On 5/3/2020 at 8:20 PM, Glaze Crazy said:

I vote for Roger and Bree dropping into a Ren Faire or the NC Highland Games/Gathering in the present (1974ish?)

I LOVE this idea.  Oh PLEASE let that be the case.

 

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Furthermore, how on earth could Roger possible find his way back to those stones? He only stumbled upon them when he escaped from the Mohawks.

I assumed that was the other reason Roger asked Ian to go with them -- for help finding the stones (Ian having much better woodland skills than Roger.)

 

Well, that was a lot to take in in one episode. I hate the Claire-gets-kidnapped plot line and this time she's kidnapped not by a group that was raiding the still but by a shitty guy who has a personal grudge against her for giving his wife birth control advice.  The kidnapping in the book never made sense to me and this one makes even less sense.  What is he planning to do with her?  I don't even want to imagine.

I love this show.  I really do.  But right now it is stressing me out.  Or maybe the pandemic is stressing me out and that makes me less open to these kinds of action-adventure-women-in-peril story lines.

I think I need a dose of Call the Midwife now (though actually that show goes pretty damned dark from time to time as well. Okay, reruns of The Big Bang Theory here I come!)

[theschnauzers]

Diana mentioned in her weekly Parade piece that 80 percent of her script was used as written. The remainder were changes made to prior and subsequent episodes. The flashback about Claire’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich when she returned to the 18th century was Diana’s doing, she wanted to fix that omission from season three.

[Haleth]

I liked the call back to the scene where Claire loses the saran wrap in the 18th c.  Oops.

[nodorothyparker]

11 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

I hate the Claire-gets-kidnapped plot line and this time she's kidnapped not by a group that was raiding the still but by a shitty guy who has a personal grudge against her for giving his wife birth control advice.  The kidnapping in the book never made sense to me and this one makes even less sense.  What is he planning to do with her?  I don't even want to imagine.

This.  This is about where the books lost me and the show very well may too if it tries its usual mad rush to the finish line to barrel through yet another damn rape that will only contribute to the Rapelander moniker and "eww, why does anyone still watch that awful show where everybody gets raped every other episode?" chatter that surrounds it.  I'm seriously just that over it.

There was some nice character work in this one, but otherwise I was sorely aware of just how much of a nonissue Brianna and Roger leaving seemed to be for all the tearful farewells and entire episode dedicated to it.  There was no real discussion or debate and no big compelling reason for it beyond Roger wants to go, which is legitimate given the time he's had in the 1700s, but it played out very much as a plot point being checked off.  Show Roger apparently never connected on any level with any of these people as he was all but booking it out of there and the rest of the family barely seemed to manage more than "Oh yeah you. I guess you're leaving too."  I've always had mixed feelings about book Jamie offering Claire a gemstone during the sweaty menopause window sex as it seems just a little too good to be true for a character who's lost as much as he has to be so willing to offer her an out when the rest of them go, but at the same time I realized in watching this that I was missing it here.   In framing staying or going as entirely a safety issue with a war looming, though, it felt like they missed a prime opportunity to acknowledge the earlier choice in a very similar situation Jamie and Claire made that led to both the family as it is and so many years of grief and heartbreak.

I did quite like Jamie's farewell talk with Brianna.  It's always seemed obvious that in casting her, the show's primary concern was in matching the actress well with Sam, and it shows.  In this version, Jamie choosing to tell her about William actually makes all the sense and I'll take this as the book scene we never got of them discussing it.  On the page, we're only told that Jamie "explained it." 

John Bell wasn't at all what I would have envisioned in casting Ian, but he's really so very terrific in this role.