A Tale of Four Bookends: Love & Loyalty in The Fiery Cross, Violence & Vileness in Between Two Fires
I will never joke about tarring and feathering again.
The Angel of Migraine is rapping* at my window, begging to be granted entrance, and weakening my grasp on S5E2 Between Two Fires, despite the episode’s obvious plot movement and character development – not to mention its showing off some of Claire’s and Jamie’s beautiful new clothes. (Trish Biggar has already made a big impact on Season 5 and I can’t wait to see what else she has hanging in her New Country closet.) I do know the episode’s overall mood is certainly dimmer than last week’s.
Random Thoughts & Observations
Jamie rides a white horse. Lt. Knox rides a black one. Light and dark. Hero and villain. And Jamie is able to see both sides of the Crown-Regulator argument. A couple of times Knox seemed capable of empathizing with the other side, but he never quite got there. He is the King’s man.
Once their initial shock dissipated, their reactions to Mr. Farrish’s autopsy clearly showed which of Marsali and Brianna is surgery lieutenant material. I really like this elevation of Marsali’s role in the story. Lauren Lyle is so good, and Marsali is as funny as she is intelligent.
Do you suppose the same butcher that coached Sam in S3E2 Surrender coached Lauren?
We now know which tongue-twisting wedding guest is Ronnie Sinclair: the man who delivered the news about the Hillsborough unrest to Jamie and Lt. Knox.
I realize Jamie is walking a tightrope between two fires in his effort to appear loyal to the Crown, but his covering for Lt. Knox after Knox killed Ethan Mackinnon made my skin crawl.
Tufty Fluffytail: Only you can prevent crosswalk collisions.
Jemmy has hair ticks! We’re growing in numbers.
Despite her gut reaction, pun intended, to Mr. Farrish’s autopsy, you could see Marsali’s growing interest in Claire’s work, both in her face and in her slowly walking closer to the body while Claire delivered her sales pitch. Marsali’s being sold on, “Stitch him up? Like a seamstress?” reminded me of Father Gow’s being sold on his church’s receiving new windows in S1E7 The Wedding.
It breaks my heart to see Highlanders’ regarding Jamie as the enemy.
And the dichotomy of diction of Highlanders’ speech amuses me. Sometimes they enunciate each syllable so precisely, words sound like they’re coming from a metronome. Sometimes they string together a series of missed vowels and rolled Rs so quickly, words sound like they’re delivered by a growling dog.
Sigh… the king was being poisoned, and learned physician Dr. Miller is a quack.
I don’t know if Claire’s sitting at the table, separated from the other women, was because her task, or if it was designed to show Claire as Herself and the other women as tenants, but… I wonder if Claire’s fine-healer knowledge and advice would be better received if she were standing or sitting among the other women?
Maybe not, but I remember how she sat with the women at the outdoor table in S1E12 Lallybroch, swapping recipes, and how the Lady seemed more relatable to those women. Chatting vs. lecturing. “Dr. Rawlings’ Recommendations” was a great save, though.
I really like how the show is maintaining the books’ Claire-Roger relationship. They have been confidantes since Reverend Wakefield’s death, and I don’t perceive any ick factor like some readers do. Roger definitely admires Claire’s intelligence and appreciates her beauty, but on the romance front he is 100% Team Brianna. He was so young when he lost his own mother. Mrs. Graham helped to raise him, bless her, but she was no Claire Fraser. Claire is both trusted friend and surrogate mother. (Spoiler alert: James Fraser might be Roger’s colonel today, but he becomes the father Roger will dearly miss someday, albeit temporarily. Whew!)
Speaking of relationships, in last week’s episode Roger called Jocasta “Brianna’s” aunt, and in this episode he laments Reverend Wakefield’s being the last of his family. Wake up and smell the bloodline, Thrush! It’s true your “some times great-grandparents” Claire mentions are somewhere in America, but… Jocasta is your aunt. Jamie and Brianna are your cousins. You’re surrounded by family. Don’t forget, you’re a direct descendent of war chief Dougal MacKenzie.
In case you missed it, the Regulators’ watchword is Clan Fraser’s war cry: Caisteal Dhuni.
The Quakers of The Revolution are herrrrrrrre. I got concerned about “Mr. Hunter’s” being with Hermon Husband at Murtagh’s camp, mistaking him for Dr. Denzell, and thinking his presence does not make sense, but that Hunter is James. Carry on.
I admit my brain is strained right now and I’m not doing my best thinking, but how does this make sense? Claire: “Jamie, even though he’s not a time traveller, his very presence here has affected the future of a lot of people who are not breathing anymore.” O… kay…
Spirituality aside, what kind of future do people who are not breathing anymore have?
Is this an awkwardly expressed statement? Has Claire over imbibed? Do I need to medicate and/or lie down? What am I missing?
Joy to the World. Mary-Jane, Andrea, and I could have used Roger’s guitar accompaniment when we performed a wee Jeremiah-was-a-bullfrog song and dance number at our Grade 6 class Christmas party. I remember Glen got my name and gave me a box of Black Magic chocolates. But I digress…
Brianna’s first word was “dog.” Is Jemmy’s “hey?” So cute!
I know something very barbaric happened after Bonnet felled his duel opponent, but I might never see it if I manage to avert my eyes each time that part of the episode arrives. Two viewings, two misses, so far...
He’s a father now? F*&k you, Bonnet. To quote your purported son,
“I want to see the wallygator eat the pirate.”
*noise, not music
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Photo: Starz Gifs: @whiteraven-s @stewartandclarke @scotsmanandsassenach @tzaharasykes
#Outlander #Personal #Review #Written while stunned #The Fiery Cross #S5E2 Between Two Fires #Claire Fraser #Jamie Fraser #Murtagh FitzGibbons Fraser ⚔️ #Brianna MacKenzie #Roger MacKenzie #Jemmy MacKenzie #Marsali Fraser #Isaiah Morton #Ronnie Sinclair #Lieutenant Hamilton Knox #Hermon Husband #James Hunter #191 #022420