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S07.E02: The Happiest Place on Earth

Athena

By Athena
in Outlander

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Ziggy

Ziggy

11 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

At that time, ether wasn't well known and wasn't yet used medically, so the idiots didn't know ether was flammable.

 

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Didn't the 1970s guy light the match though? He would have known when Clair said it was ether.

I hate to admit it, but the only reason I know that ether is flammable is because Claire told me.

 

22 minutes ago, domina89 said:

I wasn't thinking of travel, specifically.  I was thinking of how they would prove Amanda was a US citizen to get her a birth certificate, SSN, etc. - things she would need to have medical treatment.  Plus it won't help their situation if Roger gets deported.  I'm sure I am thinking about this WAY more than the writers will.  Lol

I would be willing to bet that Joe could sign off on a birth certificate for Mandy, but I don't know that a hospital would require that.  They might today, but I don't know that they would in 1980 (ish).  Getting a Social Security Number at birth didn't begin until the late 1980s and didn't become common until 1991.

Also, I realize that illegal immigration is a concern today, but I wouldn't think a hospital would automatically report a father just because he had a Scottish accent.  Even if a patient's mother/father appeared to be from a country south of the US (not to be racist, just because that's what we hear about most in the news), I don't think employees routinely called INS.  I don't think Roger would really be in danger of being departed, even today.

DoctorAtomic

DoctorAtomic

I was just saying moving around in the general population in 1976 that I don't see them running into much of a problem. 

I'm assuming Joe is the fix-all to this issue to do the surgery on the baby, and they just need to get to him. Certainly there could be problems along the way; a chatty traveler asking too many questions, someone picking a fight with Roger and the police getting involved. 

Roger's been in the US in the 'present' so he might actually have a visa on file. 

I mean, we all know without being spoiled that this is largely going to play out. The drama probably will be when they return and see the ruined house and maybe not knowing where Claire went if they left the ridge.

taanja

taanja

12 hours ago, Ziggy said:

I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to imply that you needed to read the books or that the show didn’t need to explain it. I thought I was responding to your comment, “I suppose the book explains things better?” I just meant that if you were curious, I would be happy to tell you.

Hah! No offense!

I am glad this show is back but it frustrates me sometimes because it seems to "assume" all viewers are also book readers.

Season 3 was soooooooo loooooong ago I have obviously forgotten many details!! 😄 

I figure the show probably won't "show' Roger and Bree reintegrating with the future --we will just have to assume everything went smoothly. They remembered every telephone number and the person they were calling answered on the first ring and accepted all long distance charges. They are able to board a train and go to a certain hospital and baby gets operation with no questions asked - no complications. Easy breezy!

  • Like 1
tennisgurl

tennisgurl

I was so shook seeing those shots of Disney World in the opening credits, its been so long since we were in the 20th century that it gave me serious whiplash. I like when the show leans more into the time travel aspects of the story, I really liked when Bri was talking to Jamie about Disney World. Jamie looked so concerned about these kids in the future being allowed to play with a human sized rat, I guess that would seem rather weird without any context. Its too bad that the stones don't let Jamie travel into the future, I would love to have his take on the 70s. That's why he cant go to the future right? How the stones work is never exactly consistent. 

I wish that Jamie could tell Lord John about what's coming and that he's on the losing side, but not only would that possibly mess up the timeline, there is only so much he can really do. It sucks that they're on opposing sides for now. 

Allen's confession and death were so hilariously abrupt. It felt like "well that takes care of that, lets be done with this plot" and the show moves on as quickly as possible.

I'll miss Bri and Roger in the past, on the one hand it will be nice to have more scenes in the future, but on the other, everything happening in the colonies is really interesting and I am worried that the 70s parts wont be as interesting. I'm glad they left to save baby Mandy and didn't have her survive through some miracle, I think that they'll be fine. Its the 70s, they can just say they were on some commune in the highlands or something! You couldn't throw a stick in the 70s without hitting a few communes. 

Wendigo certainly turned out to be a dick as well as a moron. Claire probably would have given him the stone if he gave her a second, but then he had to turn on the smug asshole and bring in a bunch of thugs to threaten her, like a creep. Cant they ever meet a time traveler that doesn't end up being a creep? Then he sets the house on fire, what a dumbass. Yet another rough patch for Claire and Jamie.

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Hanahope

Hanahope

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

I really liked when Bri was talking to Jamie about Disney World. Jamie looked so concerned about these kids in the future being allowed to play with a human sized rat, I guess that would seem rather weird without any context.

I was thinking how could Bri adequately explain DisneyLand to Jaime:

"you see there are rides, um, like on a horse, but its made out of metal and it goes around in a circle and goes up and down, and you do it if for fun.  or you are like in a carriage that is on a metal track, and you ride past fun scenes of pretend characters. "

Its just not something I think Jamie can even comprehend.  

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Athena

Athena

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4 hours ago, taanja said:

They remembered every telephone number and the person they were calling answered on the first ring and accepted all long distance charges. They are able to board a train and go to a certain hospital and baby gets operation with no questions asked - no complications. Easy breezy!

I don't know about the other older people around here, but back when we used landlines, I memorized the phone numbers of my close friends and family. As technology has evolved, people don't need to do it anymore so they tend to forget that info since technology takes care of it easily. Also, people did answer the phone after a couple rings or they had a service or office to pick up the message. Joe is a doctor who works at a hospital. The operator or an assistant will be able to get their message to him and Bree knows to make sure they can be available if at a store. Landline phones had to be everywhere in urban areas.

  • Like 5
domina89

domina89

(edited)
2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Allen's confession and death were so hilariously abrupt. It felt like "well that takes care of that, lets be done with this plot" and the show moves on as quickly as possible.

I really feel like last season would have been so much more cohesive if the first two episodes of this season had been included.  It would have felt more like a proper ending to those storylines within the same season, and the house explosion would have been a perfect cliffhanger to carry into this season.  I know they had complications that prevented it, but in my canon, these first two episodes will be included in season 6.

Edited by domina89
  • Like 3
DoctorAtomic

DoctorAtomic

36 minutes ago, Athena said:

I don't know about the other older people around here, but back when we used landlines, I memorized the phone numbers of my close friends and family. As technology has evolved, people don't need to do it anymore so they tend to forget that info since technology takes care of it easily. Also, people did answer the phone after a couple rings or they had a service or office to pick up the message. Joe is a doctor who works at a hospital. The operator or an assistant will be able to get their message to him and Bree knows to make sure they can be available if at a store. Landline phones had to be everywhere in urban areas.

I knew a few phone numbers. Now, I don't even know my office phone. You could also actually call a pay phone, so they could just leave a message to call at a certain time. 

mythoughtis

mythoughtis

(edited)

Everyone in the 70s knew all the phone numbers of the people they called daily.  Bree certainly knows her own and  some  others. She got pregnant the first time almost immediately after she landed in the past, so she’s only been gone 5 years or less.    Her mom was a surgeon and Frank had a high paying job … there’s most likely enough money in her family’s accounts to pay cash ( at a discount no less) for that surgery if she had to. No one is going to ask for birth certificates for medical care in the 1970s- probably not even IDs.   They might sell the house after and travel back to the past… or she and Roger could pick up their lives and move on.  There are ways to get birth certificates for the kids and she and Roger could marry in the future.  There were out of wedlock births in the 70s.   
 

Bree also knows now that she should hunt for Jamie and Claire in historical documents, not just assume that they actually died in that fire.  Even if she doesn’t know… I bet she would still research them, Ian, William, Lord John, Fergus etc.  She would stumble on something.  My thoughts are that Jamie and Claire leave the deceased in the remains of the house and strike out for a different location. The paper is told that they died.  

Edited by mythoughtis
  • Like 3
SassAndSnacks

SassAndSnacks

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Now, I don't even know my office phone.

Truly, this happened to me at work today.  I was leaving a message with a client.  I completely panicked when I got to my phone number, and I frantically had to pull out my own business card to remember my office phone number.  I've worked at my current job for five years.  As of a few hours ago, my office phone number is now written on a Post It that is attached to my computer monitor.  

I'm a book reader, so I won't weigh in on the rest of this topic, but I am really enjoying everyone's practical speculation.  

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BitterApple

BitterApple

3 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

 

Bree also knows now that she should hunt for Jamie and Claire in historical documents, not just assume that they actually died in that fire.  Even if she doesn’t know… I bet she would still research them, Ian, William, Lord John, Fergus etc.  She would stumble on something.  My thoughts are that Jamie and Claire leave the deceased in the remains of the house and strike out for a different location. The paper is told that they died.  

Agree with all your points. I definitely think they research and whatever they find motivates them to return to the 1700s. I have to say though, that would be such a mind fuck to know when all your loved ones are going to die. Maybe Bree and Roger think they can prevent or change things. It hasn't really worked out previously, but I could see them wanting to try.

With regards to the fire, I imagine that's the impetus for Claire and Jamie to move into the city and become more active in politics and the Revolution. I'm just curious to find out how/why the false death notice was printed. Claire was cleared for Malva's murder so it's not like they're on the run (although perhaps they will be for something else?). 

j5cochran

j5cochran

5 hours ago, Athena said:

I don't know about the other older people around here, but back when we used landlines, I memorized the phone numbers of my close friends and family. As technology has evolved, people don't need to do it anymore so they tend to forget that info since technology takes care of it easily. Also, people did answer the phone after a couple rings or they had a service or office to pick up the message. Joe is a doctor who works at a hospital. The operator or an assistant will be able to get their message to him and Bree knows to make sure they can be available if at a store. Landline phones had to be everywhere in urban areas.

Back when I used landlines, you could dial 0 and ask the operator to make a collect call to, say, Joe Abernathy in Boston, Mass. from Brianna Randall, and you would be connected. I suspect that Bree would try to call in the evening, to catch Joe at home.  Phone booths were absolutely everywhere - that's how Superman changed clothes!

Some people would make a collect call to their parents when they got back to college, and the parents would refuse to accept the charges. Not that I ever did that, but I knew some folks back in the 1970s......

😁

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Noneofyourbusiness

Noneofyourbusiness

11 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Its too bad that the stones don't let Jamie travel into the future, I would love to have his take on the 70s. That's why he cant go to the future right? How the stones work is never exactly consistent.

Only people who can hear the stones buzzing can use them, which is hereditary. Jamie can't go through the stones at all.

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SassAndSnacks

SassAndSnacks

12 hours ago, j5cochran said:

Back when I used landlines, you could dial 0 and ask the operator to make a collect call

In the 90's (gasp!), this is how my parents knew to pick me up from after-school activities.  I would make a collect call, and when the operator would ask me to say my name, I would say "Come get me!" and then my parents knew I was ready and they wouldn't have to actually accept the charges for the call.  

Tricks my children will never need to know...

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taanja

taanja

21 hours ago, Athena said:

I don't know about the other older people around here, but back when we used landlines, I memorized the phone numbers of my close friends and family. As technology has evolved, people don't need to do it anymore so they tend to forget that info since technology takes care of it easily. Also, people did answer the phone after a couple rings or they had a service or office to pick up the message. Joe is a doctor who works at a hospital. The operator or an assistant will be able to get their message to him and Bree knows to make sure they can be available if at a store. Landline phones had to be everywhere in urban areas.

I am old. 🙂 I remember land lines and phone booths and of course memorizing everyone's phone numbers.

Like I said -- the show will skip the logistics- because they will just drop back in as if they never left!

In reality it could be days before they are able to connect with Joe (we are assuming Joe is the contact person???) and are able to wire money to a specific place (generally it was Western Union) you had to actually go to the Western Union Station to get the money. Things were not instantaneous. it could in reality take a few days.

So. Where do they stay in the meantime?  Out in a field with a toddler and a tiny baby??? Ha! i am being facetious!!!

I know! I know! I am obviously overthinking this!

next week will answer all my questions.

 

  • Like 4
ww92

ww92

5 hours ago, taanja said:

I am old. 🙂 I remember land lines and phone booths and of course memorizing everyone's phone numbers.

Like I said -- the show will skip the logistics- because they will just drop back in as if they never left!

In reality it could be days before they are able to connect with Joe (we are assuming Joe is the contact person???) and are able to wire money to a specific place (generally it was Western Union) you had to actually go to the Western Union Station to get the money. Things were not instantaneous. it could in reality take a few days.

So. Where do they stay in the meantime?  Out in a field with a toddler and a tiny baby??? Ha! i am being facetious!!!

I know! I know! I am obviously overthinking this!

next week will answer all my questions.

 

Plus, there  is no guarantee that they'll end up in Boston or even in the US or that it will be the mid 1970's. Depending on the year they travel to, they run the risk that they'll end up in 1950 or something and Joe hadn't even met Claire yet, much less know who Bree is. And the surgery Mandy needs hasn't been discovered yet. Or they'll end up in 1990 and find out Joe has died and made no provisions for Bree's money, figuring she was long gone.

They also run the risk of Jem freaking out because he's never seen the modern world before and/or ratting them out, as young kids do, by telling everyone that he time traveled.

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mythoughtis

mythoughtis

10 minutes ago, ww92 said:

Plus, there  is no guarantee that they'll end up in Boston or even in the US or that it will be the mid 1970's. Depending on the year they travel to, they run the risk that they'll end up in 1950 or something and Joe hadn't even met Claire yet, much less know who Bree is. And the surgery Mandy needs hasn't been discovered yet. Or they'll end up in 1990 and find out Joe has died and made no provisions for Bree's money, figuring she was long gone.

They also run the risk of Jem freaking out because he's never seen the modern world before and/or ratting them out, as young kids do, by telling everyone that he time traveled.

So far everyone has ended up 200 years in the past or future from whatever date they walk through the stones.   That’s why the same amount of time has passed for both Jamie and Claire before her first trip into the past and the second.  That’s why Claire returned to the future 3 years(?) after she left,   Bree and Roger will end up  in the 70s a few years after they left.  They will also end up at the same location they were when they walked into the stones in the part.  So somewhere  in North Carolina? 

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Hanahope

Hanahope

12 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

So far everyone has ended up 200 years in the past or future from whatever date they walk through the stones.   That’s why the same amount of time has passed for both Jamie and Claire before her first trip into the past and the second.  That’s why Claire returned to the future 3 years(?) after she left,   Bree and Roger will end up  in the 70s a few years after they left.  They will also end up at the same location they were when they walked into the stones in the part.  So somewhere  in North Carolina? 

well, except for Gellis, who went back in the late(?) 1960s and arrived earlier than Claire (i.e. pre 1740).  

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DoctorAtomic

DoctorAtomic

12 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

So far everyone has ended up 200 years in the past or future from whatever date they walk through the stones.  

That's been consistent about the stones. I'm assuming they can walk to Wilmington without too much of a problem. 

7 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

well, except for Gellis, who went back in the late(?) 1960s and arrived earlier than Claire (i.e. pre 1740).

She murdered her husband to do it, and I think she told Claire she ended up overshooting where(when) she thought she landed. 

taanja

taanja

12 hours ago, ww92 said:

Plus, there  is no guarantee that they'll end up in Boston or even in the US or that it will be the mid 1970's. Depending on the year they travel to, they run the risk that they'll end up in 1950 or something and Joe hadn't even met Claire yet, much less know who Bree is. And the surgery Mandy needs hasn't been discovered yet. Or they'll end up in 1990 and find out Joe has died and made no provisions for Bree's money, figuring she was long gone.

They also run the risk of Jem freaking out because he's never seen the modern world before and/or ratting them out, as young kids do, by telling everyone that he time traveled.

OMG! Right!

I never even considered that but the whole time travel through magical stones seems pretty unreliable!!!!

I was actually thinking about that little boy. He seems to be at least 4 or 5 years old. He plays with a wooden airplane but he has never actually seen a real airplane. He probably thinks it's a bird like ian.

24 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

well, except for Gellis, who went back in the late(?) 1960s and arrived earlier than Claire (i.e. pre 1740).  

Yeah and that other time traveling dude who laid his hands on Claire after she almost died giving birth to Faith. Where did he come from? Where did he go? Who the hell is he? The show has never addressed this.

Hanahope

Hanahope

honestly, i don't think Jem is a problem.  He's young child.  no adult is going to believe him and even if they did, all his parents have to say is they lived near a historical re-enactment center and went all the time.  and Jem himself might not even realize such a change because he's so young.  

i wonder if Gellis' murdering her husband gave her more "control" over the when she landed (since she 'overshot' the timeline), and if you don't kill someone, you get the default 200 years.

sashabear21

sashabear21

I figure if they land in the late 70's/early 80's people still hitchhiked back then and young family probably wouldn't raise suspicion if they ran into a bind and needed to travel to Boston that way. They could always say they were part of a re-enactment group or part of a traveling theatre group who had their show close unexpectedly with no money to travel back home to explain away the clothing. I'm sure they could come up with something, if they've been living 200 centuries in the past for the last few years and haven't learned how to think on their feet by now then they probably shouldn't be time traveling at all!

I've seen a few pay phones in the wild recently and just looking at one post-pandemic makes me want to take a chemical shower. 

Salacious Kitty

Salacious Kitty

5 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

That's been consistent about the stones. I'm assuming they can walk to Wilmington without too much of a problem. 

She murdered her husband to do it, and I think she told Claire she ended up overshooting where(when) she thought she landed. 

I'm pretty sure they mentioned Ocracoke, and they were seen in a boat. Ocracoke is in the Outer Banks, so it will take a bit of doing to get back to Wilmington. Or the show will handwave it away. I guess they could hitchhike back to town. 

  • Like 1
TV Anonymous

TV Anonymous

There are plenty of comments ITT that Joe could help Roger and Brianna to get birth certificates and SSN. IMO, AFAIK Joe is a just a doctor. Home birthing, for example. Even if it was possible, someone like midwife would have to attest to the act of birth. Unless we speculate that Roger and Brianna and their network are to commit in fraud. But again, they are not Raymond Reddington who has access to get whatever documentation needed.

Cdh20

Cdh20

On 6/29/2023 at 10:30 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

I think that's what we were speculating at the time. Gellis alluded to it in the episode, but I don't recall anything specific and concrete established by the show. There's no instruction manual anywhere. 

I certainly would welcome more discussion on the show, but they just aren't going to do that. 

 

Geilis was actually writing an instruction manual, we saw that in 213, Claire took it.

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