outlander finale

Eye of the Storm Ep 114

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Eye of the Storm 313

Written for television by: Matthew B. Roberts and Toni Graphia

Directed by: Matthew B. Roberts

 

Below are my play by play thoughts. To hear my complete musings, you’ll need to listen to the podcast. Enjoy.

Starz Synopsis: Claire is forced to play a game of cat and mouse with an old adversary as she searches for Young Ian. The Frasers race through the jungles of Jamaica to prevent the unthinkable.

My Summary: Claire is in danger. Young Ian mans up. Unhinged Geillis confronts Claire. The prophecy riddle is solved. Lord John saves Jamie’s neck. Leonard is crushed. Young Ian is being hauled off. Claire is locked up. Jamie frees Claire. They find a dance party. Yi Tien Cho declares his love. Margaret prophecies and channels a child. Yi Tien Cho kills Archibald. Abandawe is reached. Geillis chooses her sacrificial lamb. Jamie gets beat up. Claire stops the traveling. Young Ian is saved. The gems are recovered. Claire remembers the bones. Back to sea, Claire and Jamie play. A storm rises. Woman overboard. Jamie goes in after. They wash up ashore. It’s the New World.

How it played:

  • Holy hell she’s drowning.
  • “I was dead.”
  • A procession of maroons in progress.
  • Where’s her fancy dress? How did she drop off her clothes?
    So, she went back to town changed her clothes then went all the way back to Rose Hall?
  • Batshit Geillis is accusing Claire of being after the treasure.
  • “I’m tired of yer blethering, so leave me be or get on wi’ it, you bitch!”
  • Young Ian fights back. Braw laddie.
    Uh Oh, Hercules grabs Claire brings her to Geillis.
  • (I love Geillis’ gray hair).
  • Claire’s not a good liar.
  • Yeah, sure I’ll sit.
  • Jamie and The Leonard are met by redcoats.
  • LJG saves the day.
  • Bwahaha, no warrant, no Jamie.
  • No affidavit, no Jamie.
  • ” Scurrilous gossip of the lower deck.” Oh, Lord John.
  • Nay, nay you’re no on the sea.
  • Damn, John let the Thomas have it.
  • “Thank you, Lieutenant Leonard!”
  • What has Jamie done for John?
  • Freedom for Jamie and not even a hug.
  • But LJG has honey lips.
  • Geillis doesn’t believe Claire.
  • FFS Geillis.
  • Geillis is unhinged.
  • WTF Geillis. The new king.
  • Brahan Seer you say?
  • Enter the photos. Oh, Claire did you have to?
  • Remember 1968?
  • “He was one of my favorites. Handsome. Such a lovely cock.” Damn Geillis.
  • “A 200-year-old baby, imagine that.”
  • Hey, Claire, you may want to count the photos.
  • What a messed-up apology.
  • Extra creepy hug.
  • Frenemy’s forever.
  • Bloody hell, there’s Young Ian, and I’m locked in.
  • Someone’s coming, eke.
  • Jamie returns and frees Claire.
  • Sure, go toward the drumming, what could happen?
  • Um, sir, is that a crocodile on your head?
  • Claire and Jamie are peering at the scene like Frank and Claire at Craigh na Dun.
  • The ceremony is in full swing.
  • Jinx, Claire it reminds me of the dance at the stones too.
  • And they’re caught.
  • Yi Tien Cho is so gangster, “They are with me.” And the croc head hat wearing leader, nods. Peace out.
  • Campbell is sharing her visions.
  • Yi Tien Cho declares his love for Margaret and her for him.
  • Yay team Cho/Campbell to Martinique they will go.
  • She freaks Jamie out a bit.
  • Creepy she sees Jamie at Culloden.
  • And she sees Claire in the future with the bird.
  • Then Brianna talks through her.
  • Young Ian is at Abandawe.
  • That Maggie, she has some deep skills.
  • Archibald returns.
  • Jamie threatens.
  • Brahan Seer prophecy and the 200-year-old baby. Aha Claire gets it.
  • Claire counts the photos – Bree is the 200-year-old baby.
  • YTC challenges Archie and kills him. Whoa.
  • All the while the ceremony rages.
  • Chicken down.
  • Archie is part of the sacrifice.
  • Abandawe or bust.
  • The stone circle.
  • The cave.
  • Jamie and Claire make a just in case pact.
  • Geillis has Young Ian.
  • Geillis made a circle of gems to sacrifice Ian within.
  • Jamie takes an ass whoopin from Hercules.
  • “A life for a life sweet Claire.”
  • For the greater good. FFS you deserve to die just for saying that.
  • You never loved your baby Geillis.
  • Claire goes in for the tackle!
  • “Dear Geillis, I do not condone murder for the greater good. And please stop being a b*tch. God.”
  • Swashbuckling Claire for the goal. She nearly beheads Geillis. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
  • Jamie frees Hercules.
  • Jamie frees Young Ian.
  • Claire stop looking in the pool. Stop.
  • Young Ian grabs gems. What a merc.
  • They escape the cave and stone circle.
  • Young Ian such a sweet boy.
  • AWWWW Jamie kissing his nephew.
  • Reality hits Claire hard bro.
  • Super Claire breaks down.
  • Dem bones in the future are Geillis. Yep, that’s right.
  • The Abernathy connection, yep you got it now?
  • Jamie comforts Claire as she realizes the bones she examined with Dr. Joe are Geillis.
  • GROUP HUG.
  • Back on the Artemis.
  • “It’s different.”
  • Pro Tip: Wash the soap off before engaging in face to lady bit contact.
  • “Feel free to rough up my tender bits.”
  • All is well, and it’s time for some sexual healing.
  • Talk dirty to me you Scot
  • “We shall see what noises you dinna make then Sassenach.”
  • If the cabin’s rockin’, don’t bother knockin’.
  • A storm is coming.
  • Storm rages.
  • Why would the ship’s surgeon need on deck Claire?
  • EKE so scary the ship is coming apart.
  • That wall of water, WTF are you on deck still?
  • Claire goes overboard.
  • “I was dead.”
  • OMG, she’s going down attached to the rigging.
  • Jamie jumps in after her.
  • She’s sinking. Jamie’s terrified.
  • Love’s kiss.
  • Drags her to surface. Is she alive?
  • “Damn you Sassenach. If you die here now, I swear I’ll kill you.”
  • They float to the shore on ship’s debris.
  • “Hey mister, you alive?” Poke.
  • On the shore, she’s alive.
  • The Artemis is near with survivors.
  • They are in the New World, Georgia.
  • Panning into the New World.
  • The music is glorious.

Final thoughts: I really liked it. I was never bored. The Yi Tien Cho and Margaret relationship is a little hokey, but I’m a romantic, so it passes muster. Yi Tien Cho murdering abusive Archie was shocking and over the top. I’m not sure the label suits him.  Claire and Jamie finally seem settled and comfortable with each other. The tenderness toward each other is moving and speaks volumes without words. The past is washed away. It’s a reset toward the future into their new life together.  There’s the two of them now.

What coming up? Week 1 Drums of Autumn read-a-long December 17, 2017. Chapter 1. There will also be a bonus Season 3 wrap-up podcast coming up.

How can you participate? To have your questions/comments added, email (contact@adramofoutlander.com) or call the listener line (719-425-9444) by Friday each week. Join the weekly Twitter chat Wednesday nights at 6pm PT/9pm ET to discuss the previous podcast using the hashtag #ADoO. Comments or messages may be included in the podcast or a written post.

The entire Outlander book series is written by Diana Gabaldon. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Visit Outlander Starz on social media, like or follow: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and the official website. All photos are the property of Starz/Sony.

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A Finale. My Fan Expectations Shattered.

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I’ve spent the week since the Outlander Season One finale, pondering why I am so discontented over it.

I’ve said repeatedly in my writing and podcast, these are two different Outlander universes. We get to keep our book friends while experiencing and enjoying our screen friends.

I completely understand how adaptation works. Adding characters, shifting timelines, creating new storylines, broadening parts, having an actor’s hair, height, or eye color be different, does not have to be a big deal to the heart and path of the story.

So why if I know this, am I struggling with the focus, content, and ending to the season?

I was desperately trying to stick to my own advice, to separate the two universes, yet I cannot lie, the last episode was a deep letdown. So much so, I worry what the next seasons will look like. Will there be any semblance of what I and others so treasure and love?

This one thought keeps brimming to the surface as my mind will not quiet on the subject.

Since the show was first announced, book fans were assured the story was in good, capable, and understanding hands. Showrunner Ronald D. Moore repeatedly stated publicly to the existing fan base, that he promised (not exact quote) his longtime book fan wife and Head Costume Designer, Terry Dresbach, he would not mess up her book. The fact that half  the writers’ room team were avid fans as well forebode that this would translate into the screen version in essence faithfully.   Great news all around.

I cannot dare speak for all book fans, only for myself. I understood this to mean that the essence of these beloved characters, the relationship development, important events and key scenes would remain intact if at all possible.

I began to feel unease after the second half of the season started, though initially amazing, writers’ room concoctions began to take more screen time leaving less for the core relationship and story development.  Episodes were counting down with extensive material yet to cover. I pushed aside the reader worry, and kept the trust alive. I kept reminding myself what Ron said, what he promised, along with Diana Gabaldon’s assurances. I believed redemption would be had.

My first viewing of To Ransom A Man’s Soul left me utterly shocked and angry. I could not take off my reader goggles no matter how I tried.

Is that really it? Is that all? Wait, wait, what?

The next viewing, I had more success taming my inner book fan and reviewed it strictly on what I saw on-screen, negating my foreknowledge. The third and fourth viewings, simply left me in a quandary of dissatisfaction.

But why? I can see an adaptation for what it is an enjoy it. Why not this instance?

Since I could not make peace, I allowed my reader goggles back on and pondered all these days off and on. I critically thought it through. Still I found no comfort.

The heart and spirit of the material was watered down. Claire appears more fragile and weaker than she is. Her digging deep into the supernatural, pushing herself to the brink of her own limitations, expressing a fierce love toward Jamie in necessary fashion was truncated and diminished.  Her strength where he had none lacked follow through.

Jamie’s healing is cruelly shortchanged. The powerful love they share that binds forever who they are together, is a mere spark of what it ought to be. Jamie had saved Claire from certain death. This was her chance to pull him from darkness, to champion his body and very soul. He didn’t get to fight back and win his freedom through Claire pretending to be BJR. She did not get to push him to healing and wholeness. The emphasis was on the darkness with a passing nod at ransoming Jamie’s soul.

My heart beats hollow. Our beloved friends seem glancing imitations of who they should be at the end of this episode.

I kept thinking that even without complete restoration of soul and spirit, and knowing there would be no hot bath scene, surely, there would be an intimate, passionate reclaiming of each other through sex as healing medicine. If not, then a deeply connected time of conversation, holding of each other, sharing, crying, nurturing scene of healing. Nope wrong again.

Instead an unnecessary beach scene with Willie, Angus, and Rupert saying goodbye to Claire and Murtagh while Jamie sat in the row boat occurs. Then once on board a lackluster and almost impersonal exchange between Claire and Jamie on the ship’s public deck ending with her blurting out she is pregnant. They are left without virtually any individual and relationship structural reinforcement.

Deer in headlights. THAT’s the end. What just happened? I never ever saw that coming.

Bottom line, I feel terribly misled by the powers that be by the continued assurances, by the promise not to mess it up for book fans. I trusted fully. Shame on me for taking it at face value. I take responsibility for my lapse into the Pollyanna. Right or wrong my feelings and interpretation along the way.

I say write a great adaptation,give us excellent storytelling, and incredible acting. Defend and own your new vision without inferring the core will remain.  Please don’t sell me something that you know will not delivered upon.

Feeling cleansed and purged, I’ve now little expectation of what is to come in Season Two or down the road. Like other adaptations, Outlander is venturing down alternate unknown paths.  In all truthfulness, that is quite fine with me. Now that my rose-colored glasses of expectation are in the trash, I will be able to watch with no interference from the Outlander bookverse no matter what any power that be says. One harsh reckoning for this book fan and in the end needed to break any ties to the written word.

I end this no longer grieving how Season One ended. I am a clean slate sailing away with television Jamie and Claire. I’m ready for whatever comes our Outlander way.

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Screen Caps Outlander Season Finale Ep 1×16

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   ***********Warning some of the images are graphic in nature.**************

Screen captures from To Ransom A man’s Soul episode 1×16 the Outlander Season One Finale. 

  

                                                      

                                                                              

And now on to Season Two based on Dragonfly in Amber.

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To Ransom A Man’s Soul Ep 1×16 Review

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WARNING: Mature subject matter follows.  

Take a moment. Breathe slowly in and out. You along with Jamie Fraser survived the Outlander Season One Finale. 

The acting raw, gritty, and terribly truthful. Absolutely outstanding across the board throughout. Each cast member raised their own bar to meet the other.

The Darkness Inhabited 

  
Special kudos for Tobias Menzies and Sam Heughan.  Incredibly bold and brave. Deeper into the sadistic, twisted desires of Black Jack Randall together viewers are taken. Sheer brutality and indignities upon Jamie Fraser. 

The horrific terrors of rape are offered up too easily by Black Jack Randall. A desire to overpower, gain submission, and twist emotions that force the breaking of Jamie for his sadistic drive.  Played to exquisite perfection.

More than the physical side of rape is shown by the use of disturbing psychological tools invoking Jamie’s desire for Claire to finally get the response he is after. As Jamie says, “He made love to me.” A heartbreaking moment for a broken Jamie and viewers. Randall has accomplished his end goal. 

Definitely a difficult watch. It is shocking, absolutely enough to induce memories of those who’ve endured sexual assault.  
  
These scenes are straightforward with a no holds barred view of Randall. Black Jack Randall is not lauded or given a sympathetic point of view. He is darkness, not evil. Evil infers the supernatural, darkness is of this earth. 

Jamie is plunged so away from the light he wishes to die by any means when Randall’s promise to kill him are thwarted by his rescue.  As he put it Randall hurt him too much and not enough.   


By Highland kine stampede Jamie is rescued and lovingly carried out of the prison by Murtagh. What a brilliant and unexpected plan using reveille to disguise the noise of the encroaching herd.  What a clever decision usings cows as a means to rescue.  Hope given by hooves.

  
More hope is offered to viewers in Black Jack Randall being crushed under the trampled door presumably dead.  Momentary satisfaction and relief as the story moves ahead. 

Darkness continues to hang on after taking refuge in a monestary with FatherAnselm and Brother Paul.  The devastating effects are obvious in Jamie’s demeanor. He wants to die, cannot touch or look at Claire, vomits up all food and drink, and though physically healing well is fevered and lacking will to live. These symptoms of deep trauma are examined with consideration and reality.  The desperation spreads through Claire, Murtagh, and the Brother.  They recognize wisely there is more at play causing Jamie’s want of death as escape. 

  
Murtagh seeing  Jamie needs to be joined in the darkness by Claire to find out what he is hiding and reclaim him from it. The idea is sound, the execution goes off mark. Claire sets herself up to invoke the memory of Randall in order to get Jamie to share the secrets, to fight back. The use of lavender oil is smart but then instantly he realized it is Claire he is fighting and not Randall. They slap, kick, tumble to the floor? Why, if not to fight Randall? How does fighting Claire help him regain himself and begin healing? It doesn’t quite make ends meet. 

  
In this process the brand is exposed. After which he does reveal the secret of being broken and ferls unable to be a husband any longer.  A small breakthrough. Then something awkward occurs. Claire makes it all about her and says she will die right here with him if they cannot be together.  That is what turns him back toward her and he begins to come back. Again this math doesn’t quite add up in my estimation. What about what he needs to feel strong and whole? Virtually left out of his process back.  

Claire’s fierce protection is also not displayed to what we know it can be during the scenes at  the monastery. She seems partially present outside of setting his hand. Her demeanor is more fretful than proactive as she usually is.

  
A solid move and return back to path happens in Murtagh cutting out the brand from Jamie’s skin by his request while sober and in his right mind. Finally we are getting somewhere.

 
 The exit to France is a clean departure from Scotland into the future. The conversation between Claire and Jamie on the deck of the ship feel strange and forced. It was a sore disappointment how Claire divulged her pregnancy. The lack of intimacy of the outdoor location of a ship’s deck  was a misstep, though Jamie’s first real smile in a couple of episodes warms the heart. Seeing them in a state of sexual reconnection and emotional coming together would’ve wholly altered this sequence.

    

The first season sails off to France where season two will pick up. Hope, a pregnancy, and trying to change the future together.

Overall this episode gets an A-  for the strength of the first half of the episode and the efforts to get on point in the second half.

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Podcast To Ransom A Man’s Soul Ep 1×16 Review and Recap

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 Outlander Season One has come to a close.  We get drawn into the world of Black Jack Randall in a disturbing and real way. We see the aftermath upon Jamie and Claire. Can he survive his ordeal? Can she save him? Where will they go?

Listen to my recap and review for all the information.

 

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