Outlander recap: The British attack Fort Ticonderoga
Even though more than 200 years separate Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Bree (Sophie Skelton), the mother and daughter are dealing with the same problem. The men in their professional lives are condescending and rude. And both ladies are not willing to back down because they are women.
Claire, for example, is in Fort Ticonderoga with Jamie (Sam Heughan), who commands a crew of men in charge of building defenses in case of an attack. Claire falls under the authority of Lieutenant Stactoe, a man who acts like a surgeon but most definitely is not one. When he's not barking orders at people, he's looking down his nose at Claire, wondering why she's not behaving like a good little nurse.
In our current '80s timeline, Bree, wearing fabulous bangs, is excited to start her new job as a plant inspector. Unfortunately, those under her supervision haze her on her first day by locking her in a valve room. She's forced to walk under the dam through potentially treacherous terrain to see daylight again.
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Jamie isn't doing much better. After assessing the fort and surrounding environment, Jamie is confident that one of the nearby islands is the perfect place for the British to attack. Fort Ticonderoga is simply too vulnerable without stationing men immediately. General Fermoy, who helps lead the Continental Army, dismisses Jamie without a thought, claiming that only goats can negotiate that ground.
To quote Jamie, "Where a goat can go, a man can go."
He voices his frustrations to Claire, annoyed that Fermoy doesn't care that the British will take the fort by force. And in Jamie's opinion, the easiest way to do it is a cannon on that hill across the water. But Fermoy will not listen to the concerns of a subordinate.
Claire shares a story about the war during the Battle of Singapore and how everyone thought the Japanese would not attack through the jungles because they were too dangerous. But they did. Seeing is believing.
Jamie smiles at that last phrase, kisses his wife on the cheek, and orders his men to follow him. Later, he asks Fermoy to join him on the bridge, where he hands his commander a spyglass pointed in the direction of his men boldly standing on the hill across the water with one of the Continental Army's cannons pointed directly at the fort. Jamie waves, the cannon is fired just shy of hurting anyone, and Fermoy blanches.
It doesn't stop him from freaking out on Jamie, shouting at him for disregarding authority. However, Fermoy is really outraged that Jamie humiliated him in front of everyone. As punishment, he forbids Jamie from sending men over to the hill and commands Jamie's men to stay in the fort to protect the inhabitants from the LAND attack that is inevitably coming.
A few hours away, we see William (Charles Vandervaart) traveling with Denzell and Rachel Hunter along a road heading north. They debate whether it's a sin to take someone's life if the person was trying to harm you. Or your sister, for that matter.
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Cut to the trio running into a man named Mr. Johnson in the woods. William is surprised to learn they are on the wrong path to Fort Ticonderoga and must turn around. Since it's near nightfall, Mr. Johnson insists they stay at his house with his wife.
These humble people were thriving before the army started marching through, taking their horses, supplies, and clothes off their backs. When William inquires which army, Mr. Johnson sadly reports, "Both of them." The reality sobers everyone around the table, especially when Mrs. Johnson lovingly sets a bowl of rat stew before each person's plate.
Seriously. There was a tail and everything. Poor Rachel (Izzy Meikle Small) kindly requests some air and bolts for the door. I'm with you, sister. How can William scrape each furry morsel into his mouth without puking all over the table?
I suppose it takes a few hours for the vermin to digest because William's stomach gurgles in a way that can't be good for anyone, let alone someone who will have to rush quickly to an outhouse situation. Luckily for him, his digestive distress hits just as the Johnsons creep downstairs to murder William and the Hunters.
Denzell (Joey Phillips) and Rachel take on Mrs. Johnson, while William essentially sword fights with Mr. Johnson using a fire poker. The makeshift weapon's pointy end lands in the old man's gut. Then William has to rush over to help the sibling team, who are having a time with Mrs. Johnson. The scrappy old lady won't go down, but since William is a gentleman, he punches her lights out and ends the scuffle.
This is what we call art imitating life. Rachel is totally cool with William killing Mr. Johnson to save their lives. It's nice for William to hear, particularly since this is the first person he's ever killed. Mrs. Johnson admits that she and her husband have been hustling visitors on the road for years and even confesses by showing Denzell all of the treasures they have acquired in their murdering sprees.
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Mrs. Johnson is left alive. We don't know if Denzell chopped up her husband to figure out how a small intestine responds when a piece of steel is thrust through it. (He does like to experiment with cadavers.) The brother and sister hop in their wagon and head to Fort Ticonderoga while William heads north to Albany.
Meanwhile, Ian (John Bell) is sent to the Mohawk tribe to deliver a letter. Before he leaves, he talks with Claire about the child he lost with his wife, Emily. Knowing he's about to return to their camp brings up many sad memories. Is Emily's grandmother right when she said his spirit wasn't strong enough to bear a child?
Claire calmly explains that it has nothing to do with his spirit. It's science. Plus, women can lose babies for several reasons. There's nothing wrong with him, and he should feel confident that he will father a child one day.
The question remains: Did Ian father a child with Emily? It certainly leans in that direction, as evidenced by Ian asking to see Emily's son, who looks Caucasian with lighter skin and blonde hair. His name is Swiftest of Lizards, and the little boy is very proud to tell Ian that his grandmother thinks he is the "child of your spirit."
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Emily asks Ian to choose a name for her son. One of his people. Ian smiles, looks down on the boy, and deems him Ian James. Then we all tear up and scratch our heads, wondering if this is symbolic or real. And then we are all okay when we can't decide because this is a show that helps people time travel through rocks.
Back at FT, Claire hears the annoying surgeon arguing with another professional about amputating a man named Walter's leg. When Claire agrees with her snooty non-surgeon boss, she's surprised to hear Denzell's assessment that the artery in Walter's leg is in danger of rupturing. Therefore, it does matter where they amputate.
Claire can't believe this young kid has so much knowledge and is thrilled when he asks her to join him in surgery. And yes! She can sterilize his instruments with boiling water. What a great idea!
The surgery is a success, which is a huge bummer since the red coats are currently marching in on the hill Jamie predicted they would attack. Fermoy fumbles when the major general asks if the cannon can reach the fort from the hill. We all know the answer is yes, but Fermoy continues to pretend he has no idea that this is the absolute worst-case scenario.
Jamie finally steps forward and suggests that they evacuate the fort immediately. The water will carry them, and his men have boats and canoes ready. Sadly, Walter can't come because his sutures won't hold if he's carried out. But Claire promises him the British will show him mercy. Then she gives him a bottle of painkiller that I'm willing to bet Walter downed in its entirety before the red coats got to him.
As Claire, Jamie, and all the other women and children float off, watching the fort burn in the distance, the scene changes to current-timeline Bree sharing a brave story with her children of how their mother escaped the underground maze because she did her homework. Then she tells Roger (Richard Rankin) the truth, which is that her day royally sucked.
Roger gives her a pen to help her mood, as in a writing instrument. Ironically, it does help her attitude because nothing says love like a nice Montblanc. He's proud of her for being a badass. That gives Bree the courage to go to the pub, sit with her male co-workers, and threaten to fire each one who crosses her in the future. Cheers!
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Just so you know, Mandy and Jemmy are both seeing the water horses now, which is highly concerning. When Roger goes outside Lallybroch to check out the person Mandy swears she saw, we get a sense that someone is watching from the bushes far away.
Is it a mystical creature? A bad man? You know how I like to blame the fisherfolk. Did they come through the stones? Or is it the spirit of Jamie and Claire who watch their children grow from the nearby graveyard? We may never know. What we do know is that it's complicated.
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