**This is not a spoiler-free review of this episode. This review is also from a non-reader, and any comments revealing spoilers from the books will be deleted.**
Episode 802: “Prophecies”
Written by Barbara Stepansky, Directed by Caitríona Balfe
A BEAR? ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?
Fraser’s Ridge continues to traumatize me on a routine basis.
I’m just over here watching the intro thinking, “Oh, that’s so cute, a black bear munching on berries, so cute,” and then the bear decides to go MUNCH ON A FACE.
Outlander TV News reached out to the bear for comment and did not hear back at the time of publication.
Jokes aside, I absolutely loved that this episode was Caitriona’s directorial debut! She really said, “Y’all have put Claire through so much BS, I’m going to show you how it feels.”
An evil mastermind.
So basically, the Outlander version of a girls’ night is berry picking with beary bad consequences (someone, take my laptop away from me).
Lizzie (Caitlin O’Ryan), Brianna (Sophie Skelton), a very pregnant Rachel (Izzy Meikle-Small), and Amy (Joanne Thomson) are all having a lovely afternoon chatting and collecting blueberries when a BLACK BEAR RUINS EVERYTHING by mauling poor Amy.
This was not a very good moment for Team Bear when it came to the “man or bear” question, was it? (For those unfamiliar with that question, it basically presents a scenario to women: Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear? A lot of women end up choosing the bear.)
The scene was a very good reminder that even though Claire, Brianna, and Roger are all from the future, they are all very much in DANGER in the 18th-century Carolinas. Poor Bri tries to shoot the bear, but the attack is painfully quick.
Claire realizes Amy can’t be saved. We haven’t had one of those moments in a while where Modern! Doctor Claire could have saved her with advanced medicine. But, as I said, they’re in the WILDERNESS, and that reality becomes painfully evident with Amy’s death.
She just wanted BERRIES, are you KIDDING ME?
Jamie (Sam Heughan) tries to give Amy’s eldest son the opportunity to avenge his mother by having him shoot the bear. Cunningham (Kieran Bew) beats them to it, and the moment is bittersweet. The bear is dead, but that was a moment for Amy’s son to avenge her life. Jamie looks at Cunningham suspiciously, and I don’t blame him.
Rachel finally gives birth, and it gives me the chance to get emotional about Jamie admitting to Young Ian (John Bell) that he never really got the chance to be a dad, so to speak, having met all of his children when they were fully grown. Young Ian’s joy upon becoming a father was so sweet, a well-earned moment of happiness after Amy’s death.
And then there’s this jerk.
Kudos to Outlander for making me completely cringe over the ONE character with an American accent in the episode. Benjamin Cleveland (Turlough Convery) is really rude to Claire. He challenges Jamie to join his militia — and bluntly admit he was behind hanging the Tories in the season opener.
Sounds like the Founding Fathers had sound reasons for adding the right to a fair trial in the Sixth Amendment, or something. The way Benjamin happily admitted that he hung men just because they were Loyalists sent chills down my spine. Of course, I want to root for my team in the whole WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE, but this was a good reminder that both sides played dirty and KILLING PEOPLE JUST FOR THINKING DIFFERENTLY IS NEVER, NEVER, NEVER OKAY.
Meanwhile, Jamie learns the importance of not reading spoilers.
Poor Jamie is really going through it with the whole “I might die in a year” thing. Can you blame a guy? I do LOVE how Jamie and Frank (Tobias Menzies) continue to haunt each other over the seasons — in the past seasons, it was Jamie’s spirit that kept Frank awake at night, and now Frank is having his last laugh.
Frank really said, “Reverse uno, BITCH.”
I got CHILLS down my spine when Frank’s voice asked Jamie, “Who’s going to take care of her when you’re dead?”
The rivalry between these two men has been very interesting to me as a viewer. They’ve never been able to duke it out physically, but Frank is definitely one-upping Jamie right now psychologically. I’m downright curious how the show is going to answer the question of how Frank saw Jamie’s ghost in the first episode, given that the final book isn’t finished.
Naturally, Jamie frets when he realizes that Benjamin was one of the men named in Frank’s book who Jamie supposedly dies with a year from now. He turns down the offer to join the militia, but I’m downright curious how long he can fight fate. If he does ultimately end up joining Benjamin’s militia, I’m assuming it’s because he has no other choice. Like someone threatens Claire, and Jamie has to fight to keep her safe.
Also, Cunningham’s revelation that his son prophesied that he’d die in seven years was an interesting one. It explained why he faced the bear so fearlessly.
Claire and Jamie just want peace at this point in their lives, but they can’t ignore the war around them forever.
And bears, apparently.
Oh yeah. William (Charles Vandervaart) continues to be a sad boy.
Seriously, who tells their COUSIN at their WEDDING that their BROTHER IS DEAD??
William, that’s who.
It was sweet to see Mercy (Gloria Obianyo) and Henry (Harry Jarvis) get married. But apparently, Henry’s brother Benjamin (so many Benjamins in this episode, and yet I’m still not rich) may not be dead? William loses a lot of karma points by DIGGING UP A GRAVE and realizes Ben isn’t in there.
I’m still struggling to care about this subplot when Frank is literally HAUNTING JAMIE.
Also, shoutout to Claire for having two men obsess over her in two different centuries. She should publish a book — The Sassenach Method.
UNTIL NEXT TIME.
NEXT WEEK ON FRIDAY, MARCH 20TH, AT 8 PM ET: EPISODE 803: “ABIES FRASERI.”
Synopsis: “A new neighbor relies on the Frasers for help, and Jamie exposes a false ally; William looks into the mysterious circumstances of his cousin’s death.”
