“Do No Harm”
Directed by: Julian Holmes
Written by: Karen Campbell
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Summary:
Claire, Jamie, Young Ian, and Rollo arrive at Aunt Jocasta’s plantation, River Run. Aunt Jocasta extends every hospitality learning they were robbed. Young Ian and Rollo meet a wicked predator. We meet a mountain man. Claire’s sensibilities and beliefs are on edge. Auntie Jocasta hatches a MacKenzie style plan. There’s a party with the who’s who of the area in honor of their arrival. An incident puts Jamie and Claire between what’s right and what’s the law.
Themes:
- Jamie is again in a down and out position and feeling responsible for it all.
- Family matters and Jocasta needs an heir.
The Confusing:
The timeline isn’t discernible for how long Jamie and Claire’s stay is at River Run before the dinner party or the incident with Rufus and Overseer Byrnes. This is important to why Jocasta named him heir so swiftly without seeing him really acting administratively or performing the business management duties she needs help with. Jamie appears not to have looked at Jocasta’s business dealings until after the public announcement. Really? One discussion with Wolff and Jocasta following his business acumen from afar. He was laird of Lallybroch for a short time with Jenny and Ian doing most of the work, he worked for Jared in Paris for a short time, yet successfully, he was in hiding, in prison, working his sentence off, and then became a seditious printer and smuggler. His bonafides don’t add up without Jocasta seeing him in action.
The plot device of Jamie only learning about the difficult slavery laws of the colony AFTER the announcement to make him an heir and the incident between Rufus and Byrnes. Jamie knew about other laws and even the Regulators. Surely, he would’ve asked about slavery and all it entailed. He was so pie-eyed and Pollyanna about working to release them if he took on the running of River Run. It is a kind and right notion, but as we find out, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Squares and Round Holes:
John Quincy Myers the wild mountain man just happens to be on the property and is the one person who knows how to help Young Ian with the skunk perfumed Rollo. Then he goes poof, and we don’t see him again during the episode. This screams, “Hey viewers, he might be important later, and we wanted you to meet him now.” Secondly, he’s either ill-mannered or completely oblivious in speaking to Young Ian, a lad of 16, in such a way. Book readers, I think you get my vibe on this scene.
The Good:
Maria Doyle Kennedy as Aunt Jocasta Cameron. She convinces me she IS a MacKenzie through and through. The other new faces Ulysses, Phaedre, Lieutenant Wolff, John Quincy Myers, and Farquard Campbell are also well cast and believable. I am always struck wondering what the experience is playing the part of a slave or a slave owner. Both cause my heart to ache.
Claire and Jamie being in partnership they can’t own slaves, how they proceeded together in trying for true justice, treating Rufus, and subsequently understanding his soul is what matters. They stand unified.
Young Ian’s sweet heart when learning about Jocasta’s blindness and his compassion for the American Indians as people and not savages. He also shows great steel as Claire’s surgical assistant.
Jocasta’s butler Ulysses speaking plainly to Claire about what is to come for Rufus if he lives and how saving his soul is better than what’s to come. He’ll be used as an example for the other slaves to obey. Jamie says the same thing to Claire when he realizes Rufus will not be allowed to live no matter what. I like how these conversations mirrored each other, one from each, a free man and a slave.
Claire’s loving and kind bedside manner connecting with Rufus as he was dying. We have seen her do this before to send a soul off peacefully and with comfort.
Finally, Jamie’s prayer as the clock strikes midnight, Rufus dies from the poison, and Jamie delivers the limp body to the waiting men. Jamie crosses himself and prays, “I’m bending my knee in the eye of the Father who created me. Pour down from heaven the rich blessing if thy forgiveness. Be thou patient wi’ us. Grant to us savior of glory, the love of God…And the will to do on earth at all times as angels and saints do in heaven. Give us the peace.”
Mixed Bag:
Claire’s unwavering belief that people should not be owned. Seeing her fight the need to save the young man and not to cause unintended harm, was a beautiful struggle to behold. Sometimes the right answer requires courage in action we can never see coming. The downside to this staunch and brooding belief is that she isn’t culturally aware or sensitive. Did she have to bludgeon the idea home over and over. It is revolting, but she could have found a way to not sulk around and find a way through the situation without inadvertently putting the slaves in harm’s way, and without threatening Jocasta’s home and land, which she did. SLAVERY IS UNCONSCIONABLE. History, when allowed, will speak it loud and clear without Claire being more entrenched and rasher in action because of her 20th-century beliefs.
I was struck hard at the closing sequence. I applaud the realistic and brutal portrayal of slavery as it was in the American Colonies. I believe we must confront the good and bad in our collective history through any and every medium. The entertainment industry is an important vehicle, especially when the simple and often harsh truths are allowed to be represented, and no agenda or politics get in the way. Time might heal some wounds, but others need intervention and social change to be righted even a little bit. That said, I do think like the theme of circles in episode 401, it was heavy-handed without allowing the viewer to make the emotional, ethical, and moral leaps on his or her own. Outlander viewers are by and large people who can critically think and get what the writers are trying to say.
The idea Jocasta would assume Claire to be a Quaker because of her abolitionist beliefs is simply odd. The Southern Colonies had slaves, the northern Colonies did not. For some reason, viewers REALLY, REALLY need to know that Quakers may be of importance to future storylines.
CORRECTION: There was slavery across the colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries. And the first organized group of white people to speak out against slavery was indeed the Quakers (The Society of Friends) who stood alone as a group for quite some time. I misspoke in my critique. With the exception of Claire’s speech, Jocasta may have been correct in this assumption.
Things to Ponder:
- The color blue is seen throughout the décor and in clothing during the episode. Is it a nod to the indigo trade or something else?
- Will we be meeting Quaker’s in the future?
- Will we see more of John Quincy Myers?
- Will Jamie take Governor Tryon’s offer?
- Will we see Jamie in a kilt this season? He is free to wear one.
- Have we seen the last of Stephen Bonnet?
- Where’s Murtaugh?
Favorite Lines:
There are numerous warm fuzzies from the book regardless of who the lines were given. These stand out in particular for me.
- We learn Jocasta has lost most her vision but has “now been gifted with hearing that would be the envy of many gossip, and the ability to scent truth from lies, if ye catch my meanin’.”
- There’s been a run in with the scary and horrible skunk. Young Ian says, “It lifted its tail and sprayed a foul liquid from its arse.”
- Jocasta says to Claire, “Jenny was right about you. You are a peculiar lass.”
- When Jocasta adds definition to how Claire speaks her mind on all manner of topics whether she knows about them or not, Claire responds, “the same could be said for Jenny.” There’s the humor! Jocasta likes her fiery spirit.
- Claire to Jamie after he tries to be positive about benevolent slave ownership and forging change, “Fuses often lead to explosions.”
- Jamie’s response to Claire, “Aye, but when the dust settles, oftentimes the devil yer fightin’ is gone.” Mayhaps, he’s talking about Black Jack Randall?
Links of Interest:
- About where the phrase “Do No Harm” comes from. It’s not in the Hippocratic Oath. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/first-do-no-harm-201510138421 and https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6426.full
- About Quakers and their stand on slavery. http://web.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/speccoll/quakersandslavery/commentary/themes/white_slaves.php
- Information about the poison Aconite Claire uses on the young man. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-609/aconite
Bottom Line:
It took me two viewings before I could get a handle on this episode. I think us devoted book readers need to watch more than once to firmly separate one from the other. We have the blessing and curse of knowing the material being adapted. I like this episode for the most part. I’ve a few gripes so far this season: the choppiness in the flow scene to scene and episode to episode (why didn’t they discuss the ring being taken too), the sense of feeling rushed from one place to the next without taking time to savor or deepen important moments or characters, then slowing way down for one event, and being spoon-fed what the writers deem important. If the writing is solid, there’s no need to put the point on repeat.
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A Dram of Outlander 
Thank you for this! I tend to agree on almost all points. The choppiness is jarring. I find myself saying, “The show is the show” and shrugging more often these days. I’m thrilled we have it, but I thank DG and God that we have the books! There is just SO much in them that can never be addressed on the screen. I don’t want the series to end until all of the books have been adapted, but I do find it troubling that I am constantly pinning my hopes on the next episode. “Maybe the next episode will be better”. I hear that a lot from myself. I did ADORE Aunt Jocasta though! Wow! Thank you for your thoughts. Love your blog! – Dawn
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Dawn,
Your sentiment of “maybe next time” is not what keeps viewers. It’s challenging and I see why readers choose to watch or not. We’ll see. I am in it for the long haul. When the show is done we have the books and talking about the books.
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I believe the blame for our discontent should be placed with STARZ. ” They do not ken ” what a gift they have been given in these books and the LOYAL readers and watchers. I am late to OULANDER so have the 1st 3 seasons on DVD. At the end, there are recaps, outtakes and director’s things usually about why scenes were cut. They are almost always cut due to time constraints for STARZ. Come on STARZ You have time. Half your stuff is reruns of movies,etc. Spread the stories out and do proper to the books. You already have the costumes which were a huge expense. BTW I watched last night 3 times and still picked up on things I missed. I have not read DRUMS yet, working my way thru Lord John as I am anal about following in logical order. So I do not know what was in the book for continuity. I did pick through the book because I couldn’t tell which ring Claire saved so you are correct about the ring story too.
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