Outlander TV: What I like About Episode 213 – “Dragonfly in Amber”

I stayed at home for the weekend to watch the Season Finale of Outlander. I enjoyed watching it, even though my husband does not agree with me (he said it was a boring episode). One of the reasons why I liked Episode 213 is that it portrays the notion that the past and the present are co-existent. Time seems to be non-existent when it comes to the love between Jamie and Claire, a strong feeling that has never faded. Of course, the viewer experiences Claire’s dismay of not living with the one she loves. We will have to wait another year to witness how Jamie endures life without Claire.

The Observant and Inquisitive Daughter

The episode opens with the wake of Reverend Wakefield. Claire and Brianna were visiting London when they heard of the Reverend’s passing. They introduce themselves to Roger Wakefield (MacKenzie), the Reverend’s adopted son. Both Roger and Brianna are students of history. She reveals that she finds Scotland attractive and that her parents had some experiences there years ago. Of course, it is eventually revealed that she has excellent perception and observation skills.

Since Roger tells Brianna about the beauty of Scotland, they go around visiting several historic places including Fort William. According to Roger, the Scots called it “The Black Garrison,” in Scottish Gaelic, a name that reflects the treatment that the prisoners used to get (at least from the Scottish perspective). Of note is Brianna’s uneasiness at the flogging post, establishing a connection between her and Jamie, and a hint to the gift of second sight, which she inherited from him. There is also a reference in their conversation to locations and characters/historical figures from later books: Fort Ticonderoga, George Washington, Nathan Hale, Ethan Allen, and Benedict Arnold. The conversation then shifts to Frank Randall. Brianna regards both Frank and Claire as kind. She describes Frank as the kindest man in the world emphasizing a real connection between them. However, it seems that the connection between her and Claire is not as strong as the one that existed between her and Frank as implied by the remark about her mother living in another world. She also suspects that Claire did not love Frank and that she does not miss him much. When being questioned by her daughter about her love for Frank, Claire evades Brianna by walking away and avoiding eye contact.

Brianna is suspicious that something happened between her parents the last time they were in Scotland. Her inquisitive mind leads her to ask Roger for help. They decide to check the Reverend’s journals, and they find interesting documents. One of them is the Letter of Commission from King George II to Jonathan Randall. The Reverend was investigating Captain Randall, but Frank told him to abandon the research. One can deduce three things:

  1. Frank did not want to find more about his ancestor because of Claire’s experiences with Black Jack.
  2. He discovers that he is not a direct descendant of Captain Randall
  3. Since he asked Claire about not mentioning Jamie anymore, it is understandable that he probably stopped researching everything associated with him. However, I tend to believe that he did this at the beginning. He found interest in Jamie later due to the Fraser prophecy.

They also find the newspaper article with the title of “Kidnapped by Fairies” from Episode 201. Brianna figures out that Frank is not her father because of the timing of Claire’s appearance back in the present. She wants to know the truth even though Rogers warns her that what she finds might not be something she likes. Subsequently, she is aggressive towards Claire. Eventually, Brianna becomes interested in learning more about her father. Claire explains that she was not bored with Frank and that she tried to avoid falling in love with Jamie. I loved the scene in which Claire reproaches Brianna specifying that there was deep love and not only sex in the relationship between her and Jamie. However, Brianna considers her mother delusional for fabricating a fairy-tale to justify her relationship with another man.

Of note is Roger MacKenzie’s role in the relationship between Brianna and Claire. In regards to the books, I got the impression that he first builds a rapport with Claire. He just finds Claire’s “fairy-tale” fascinating. In the TV adaptation, he seems to be building a relationship with Brianna first. He does not even accompany Claire to visit Geillis at her house/apartment. However, he does explain to Brianna that her mother has a legit document with her signature dated in the eighteenth century (the deed of sasine). He is objective when dealing with Claire. Of note is Roger’s perception of the relationship between Brianna and Claire. He notices that Brianna could never get close to Claire. I tend to suspect that Claire saw Jamie in her daughter, and the physical similarity put a barrier of some sort between them, especially because she was not supposed to mention his name. According to Brianna, Claire lives in another world, and Roger thinks it is time to see this other world. While reading the books, I have always considered the past and the present not as isolated but as different worlds co-existing at the same time. Time seems to be non-existent sometimes. The jumping from the present to the past in this episode puts an emphasis on this notion. Eventually, Brianna and Roger realize that Claire’s story is not a fairy-tale once they see Geillis going through a standing stone and disappearing. Brianna requests her mother to tell the truth from now on (she does resemble Jamie).

Chased by Ghosts

Claire saying "goodbye" to Jamie in Episode 213
Claire saying “goodbye” to Jamie in Episode 213

Claire’s musings while wandering the Reverend’s house are of interest. She remembers how Mrs. Graham advised her to stop chasing or looking for a ghost, Jamie. However, the ghosts are starting to chase Claire again. Of course, the memories are resurfacing, and Claire starts frequenting familiar places from the past. She visits Lallybroch, which is in ruins. In this scene, memories from the past are heard. They represent some of the happiest moments that Claire experienced in her life. There is also the conversation between Jamie and Claire about her belonging to Lallybroch and the image of Jamie appearing at the archway. This scene resembles the following passage from Dragonfly in Amber, in which both Jamie and Claire are experiencing a short period of happiness at Lallybroch. (Jamie to Claire):

. . . “Well, it’s only I was thinking, seeing ye come down the hill wi’ the basket on your arm, how bonny ye looked wi’ the sun on your brown hair. I thought you looked as though ye grew there, like one of the saplings – like ye’d always been a part of this place. . .” (ch. 31)

During the first night at the Reverend’s mansion, Rogers asks Claire how she managed to say goodbye to a person she has loved the most. Claire mentions that she has never been great at saying goodbye and that life goes on without the loved ones. Later, TV Claire does what book Claire never does – she visits Culloden Moor to say goodbye to Jamie, which she never did in the past. This scene is intense and “bitter-sweet.” She tells him about their daughter and how he was right to send her back to her time. She confesses her sacrifice of living a life that she did not want but that she remained strong for their daughter.

There is also the scene at the beginning of the episode in which Brianna is sleeping, and Claire covers her. Claire voices her daughter’s significant resemblance to Jamie, in both looks and mannerisms. Overall, it seems that Claire has been having a hard time living with somebody who looks like a ghost from the past. A similar scene that brings back memories is the one in which Claire finds the dragonfly in amber at Culloden House. It reminds her of Dougal MacKenzie who perished in that location.

The Future Cannot Be Changed

Geillis giving a speech in Episode 213
Geillis giving a speech in Episode 213

Gillian Edgars (Geillis Duncan) is giving a nationalist speech at an Institute. The audience gets an idea of Geillis’s madness once she starts mentioning, “I am Bonnie Prince Charlie, . . .” After her speech, Geillis meets Brianna, who reveals her last name as Randall. Of course, this is a deviation since Brianna and Geillis never speak to each other in the books. In her research, book Geillis wrote down the names of people who have disappeared or died in the vicinity of the stones. One of the names that she wrote down in her grimoire is “Claire Randall.” I wonder whether TV  Geillis will make a connection between Brianna and her mother before meeting Claire in the Caribbean. It also brings to mind about the timing in which she became aware of the Fraser prophecy (probably she knew about it before going through the stones).

Later, Claire finds a pamphlet that Geillis gave Brianna during their first encounter. Of course, there is a picture of Geillis on the pamphlet and Claire recognizes her. Claire feels that she should stop Geillis from traveling to the past. However, she has her concerns about what would happen to Roger MacKenzie if Geillis is prevented from going to the eighteenth century since she is his ancestor. Of course, Claire thinks she owes Geillis a favor and wants to save her. Roger keeps his composure even after the revelation that Geillis is his ancestor. Of note is Roger’s response to Claire’s concern about his existence: “I am here. I cannot evaporate.” He even says that at least Geillis can be warned not to travel back in time. He will accompany Claire not to prevent Geillis from time-traveling but just to warn her. Of course, he is incredulous about going back in time through the stones, but also because of his Protestant upbringing (predestination). The future cannot be changed.

A few days ago, I wrote about time traveling in both Outlander and Game of Thrones. It seems that people can affect the past, but the future cannot be changed. The future is predetermined. Here is my post: Time-Traveling in Game of Thrones and Outlander.

In regards to Claire visiting Geillis’s house, she meets her husband Greg, who misses his wife. His life has deteriorated since she left. He is an alcoholic. He gives a detailed description of his wife’s activities. She is a Nationalist, a member of the Roses. She likes to research Scottish folklore and has written her observations and findings down in several notebooks. Once Greg passes out, Claire takes Geillis’s notebooks with her. She discovers about the use of gemstones for protection and guidance, and human sacrifice to survive the time passage. Of note is the fact that Greg ends up being the human sacrifice. Like many other of Geillis’s subsequent husbands, he is in love with her for a reason that is not clear. Geillis is a real femme fatale.

Events in the Past and the Heartbreaking Goodbye

It is a few hours before the battle at Culloden Moor. Jamie tries to dissuade Prince Charles from marching into boggy ground. However, the Prince is confident in his victory. He does not listen to Jamie’s concern about the Highland army being smashed. It seems that he only trusts O’Sullivan. The Prince is a valiant fool. It reminds the viewer about that scene before the Battle of Prestonpans in which the Prince decides to fight the English putting himself at risk. This notion is supported by Claire’s description of the Bonnie Prince while visiting Culloden House in the twentieth century: “. . . A fool turned into a hero. . .”

Noticing Jamie’s despair, Claire brings to his attention the solution to the problem: the assassination of the Bonnie Prince by using yellow jasmine. At this point, Murtagh’s suggestions about murdering the Prince in Paris looks like it was the only solution (even though, I believe the future cannot be changed). Of course, they are plotting privately in a room at Culloden House, but Dougal is eavesdropping. He accuses both Jamie and Claire of being traitors and tries to kill them. Book readers are familiar with the motives that are pushing Dougal to commit murder. He is jealous of Jamie and sees him as a potential rival, somebody capable of claiming Leoch and the MacKenzie lands. The TV adaptation has also added the detail of the poison, the yellow jasmine. Dougal notices the empty bottle on his brother in Episode 612. He knows that his brother committed suicide and that Claire was also the provider of the poison. Hence, she is a witch to him. He is in grief, most likely hungry and not thinking correctly. In the books, it is only Jamie who kills his uncle. However, the TV adaptation portrays Claire helping Jamie in the stabbing. Sincerely, I would have preferred Jamie to do it, but it seems that Dougal’s death would be an extra guilt that Claire would carry for the rest of her life. Of course, there is a witness to this murder: Rupert. In the books, it is another MacKenzie, but this knowledge will be transmitted to somebody else somehow in the adaptation.

Realizing that everything is lost, Jamie proceeds in safeguarding Claire and Lallybroch. By signing a deed of sasine witnessed by Murtagh and Claire, he transfers the property to his nephew, young Jamie. Of course, the document is dated before the rising to avoid losing the property to the crown. Jamie assigns Fergus to take it back to Jenny. Of note is Jamie telling Fergus that he loves him as his son (it reminds me a little bit of the relationship between Jamie and Murtagh). Claire has also grown to see Fergus as her son. I loved seeing Claire hugging him. Jamie assigns Murtagh to take his men back to Lallybroch. He does not want his men dying for a lost cause. Jamie tells him that he will be taking Claire to safety and that he will be coming back to die at Culloden. Murtagh mentions that he will be back to fight and die with him.

Jamie takes Claire to Craigh Na Dun. She is reluctant to leave him. In fact, he is the one who eventually says goodbye to her. Of note is the fact that Claire can hear the buzzing from the stones, and Jamie cannot, which means that he cannot travel with her. What I like about this scene is the incorporation of book lines, especially the one describing 200 years without her to purge the sins that he has committed and the acknowledgment that he has done good too by loving the rare woman God gave him. They exchange the old wedding vows and gifts, a physical reminder of each other. Claire gives him Hugh Munro’s wedding gift to her, the dragonfly in amber which eventually ends up at Culloden House. Jamie gives her his father’s ring as a gift for Claire’s unborn child. She decides to name the child Brian after Jamie’s father.

Other Highlights

  • In a conversation with Claire at the beginning of the episode, Roger reveals that he does not want to give away the clutter of books belonging to Reverend Wakefield. There are plenty of rare editions and information concerning the Bonnie Prince and Culloden. Of course, having the books handy makes it easier for Roger to find the fate of Jamie Fraser subsequently. In Dragonfly in Amber, he has to do more research and traveling to find him.
  • Something that attracted me in this episode is the portrayal of the 60s. There is The Avengers on TV (is that Diana Rigg?). There are also catchy tunes from that period. However, what I liked the most is Claire’s hair being straight and the cat-eye glasses she is wearing. Her look is stylish and classic.

All images are from Outlander-Online.

Sources

Gabaldon, Diana. Dragonfly in Amber. New York: Bantam Dell, 1993. Print.

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