Embarking on this recap, I already felt a pang of reproach as my visiting father casually mentioned that he and my stepmother had abandoned "Outlander," deeming it too melodramatic. I hastily protested, arguing that its melodramatic nature was inherent, yet unfortunately, this episode offered a compelling endorsement of their stance.
With Claire immune to typhoid and Jamie securely aboard the Artemis, the series seemed at a loss for making the epidemic resonate with authenticity and emotional depth. Their solution, reminiscent of how young Fergus was awkwardly integrated into the Paris timeline last season, was to introduce Claire to an innocent, earnest 14-year-old assistant, whose impending doom was almost as obvious as if a raven perched on his shoulder and a hooded figure with a scythe trailed him incessantly. Take heed, Claire; attachment is futile.
It almost seemed as though Sam Heughan was enduring a root canal during the filming of this episode, as his screen time amounted to a mere two minutes, and his visage was predominantly concealed behind bars. This was due to Jamie’s impulsive attack on the captain, a move as idiotic as it was unplanned. Jamie, intent on orchestrating a mutiny to reach his beloved Claire, expected Fergus to spring him – the logistics of his intended coup d'état on a British warship equally unclear to me. Fergus, however, wisely declined, responding with a resolute “No thanks.”
Regardless, this twist provided the narrative pretext for Jamie to finally grant Fergus and Marsali his blessing to marry, employing the timeless strategy of “defying me proves you’re a true man.” Henceforth, these whirlwind lovers would share in the miseries that befell everyone else. That was pretty much the extent of developments aboard the Artemis; let’s revert to the main narrative.
Claire, busy alienating yet another cohort of men, had made significant strides. She had identified one of the galley hands as the Typhoid Mary of the Porpoise, despite his vehement denials, and had him shackled and consigned to the brig. This act incensed the already surly cook, but fear not; he would soon have a moment where his intentions towards Claire bordered on rape, for this was still "Outlander," after all.
We are all profoundly impressed by Claire's determined efforts to disseminate the theory of germs among the masses, albeit with mixed results. However, her unwavering commitment to this mission has led her to compromise everyone's rum rations, prompting some to muse that they might prefer the fate of typhoid over her interventions. Nevertheless, Claire takes her work with the utmost seriousness.
My husband, valiantly enduring the episode of 'Outlander' beside me on the couch while attempting to immerse himself in John Keegan’s 'The Price of Admiralty', offered a litany of scorching critiques regarding the show's naval inaccuracies. I am confident that you would have found his insights as captivating as I did. His critique was gathering momentum when Claire caught sight of a Portuguese flag, momentarily hoping that the HMS Porpoise had encountered the very ship that had carried our beloved Ian away.
Having sneaked into the captain's cabin in search of more information, Claire swiftly realized that Ian's plight was the least of their worries. A crewmember had recognized Jamie as the infamous A. Malcolm, renowned for his seditious pamphlets and, shockingly, murder! This crewmember was none other than the milky-eyed henchman of the odious Sir Percival, whom we had narrowly evaded in Aberdeen. Personally, I believe Claire should have dispatched him then and there, but unfortunately, the captain was already privy to this information, rendering such action futile.
Claire, having conveniently forgotten the man she had killed, feigned ignorance when confronted with the accusation of murder. The henchman reminded her of the corpse found in the crème de menthe, quipping, "We found a crème de menthe in the crème de menthe," to which she responded with a belated realization, "Oh, right, gotcha."
Now, Claire must move mountains to warn Jamie of the impending danger awaiting him in Jamaica, where he will surely be thrown into chains upon arrival. However, before she can do so, we are compelled to confront the promised melodrama. Our sweet, innocent Elias has contracted typhoid and passes away almost instantly, clinging to life long enough to ask Claire if she is his mother. With tears in her eyes, she replies, "Yes, Elias, it's Mother," and sews him into his shroud. It is a heart-wrenching scene, and we bid farewell to Elias, whose brief but beautiful presence we cherished over the course of one and a half episodes.
At least Claire has forged a friendship with the Dutch woman entrusted with the well-being of the ship's goats. (Imagine the putrid stench of goats aboard a ship devoid of plumbing!) This bond aids her in her first, aborted escape attempt and, hopefully, paves the way for a successful one. Claire is indeed a wandering soul, and I harbor genuine concerns about her ability to swim to the Artemis. Moreover, I wonder what fate awaits her upon reaching it. But these are questions to be answered in due course!
