Outlander TV: The Relationship Between Dougal and Colum in Episode 212 – “The Hail Mary”

This post is the second one associated with Episode 212 – “The Hail Mary.” In my last post, I discussed the relationship between Alexander and Jonathan Randall. Here is the link: The Relationship Between Black Jack and Alex.

In regards to Colum and Dougal, there are some aspects of their relationship that are appealing to viewers. Both of them are proud. In this episode, Colum appears out of a sudden in the Jacobite camp. Even though he was able to travel all the way from Leoch, his condition is feeble. However, he still has a sharp mind in a weak body. He wants to discuss the issue of succession. Colum is convinced that Jamie would be the best guardian for Hamish, who has not come out of age, instead of Dougal. Is this fair? Colum’s logic is that Jamie would not sacrifice his men for a lost cause. He will keep his men safe and choose what is best for the clan. Colum’s assessment is supported by the differences between Jamie and Dougal when it comes to training and recruiting men for the Jacobite cause, and also by the argument between Dougal and Claire in Episode 209-“Je Suis Prest.” Of course, Dougal is hurt. He is Hamish’s father, and he carries the MacKenzie last name. However, Colum does notice that his brother is not as popular as he tends to believe since not many men followed Dougal to support the Bonnie Prince. In their final conversation, Dougal is drunk, a parallel to Black Jack’s condition when Claire tries to convince him to marry Mary. However, Dougal reminisces of some events from the past, especially the one in which Colum fell off his horse, and his physical strength vanished. When Dougal tries to explain himself how he felt about this event, how it affected him, Colum expires. Therefore, Dougal is unable to express himself, and that saddens him.

“So you turn your back on me one final time, and you leave me alone in the dark. The darkness of the world. And all I hoped to say to you, it remains trapped in here. Right here. Unsaid. Forever.”

The incident with the horse seems to have caused a lot of trouble between the brothers. It appears to be that the differences between them, physical and ideological, started to emerge after that event. Since then, they have always been arguing about anything. However, I do believe that there was love between them. If Colum was harsh with Dougal, it is related to his physical disability partially. Dougal crying for his brother shows that he cared about Colum too. However, because of their pride, they could not resolve their differences earlier. If we compare this scene with the one associated with the Randalls, Alex dies knowing that the woman he loves and his child would not be destitute. When it comes to the MacKenzies, Colum dies before Dougal can express his feelings. The ideal thing would have been for both MacKenzie brothers to have a scene similar to the one between Claire and Colum, in which he acknowledges his mistakes. In this episode, Colum apologizes to Claire for not being accepting of her marriage to Jamie. He acknowledges he was wrong: “I was wrong. That’s one of the pleasures of dying. I can finally admit my mistakes.” This line is emphatic of Colum becoming more humble as death approaches. He reveals that he wants to commit suicide because of the pain caused by the degenerative disease that afflicts him, and Claire provides him with yellow jasmine oil. He also tells Claire that Geillis’s baby is alive, a boy given to William and Sarah MacKenzie to raise. Dougal is aware of the existence of this child as per Colum’s comment: “The boy is but one more mistake my brother has to live with.” I am glad that this detail was added since we will be seeing Roger MacKenzie in the Season Finale.

I will be away this weekend. I will try to have the post about the season finale published by Tuesday morning.

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