Divinely Ordained Outcomes. It is what Roger (Richard Rankin) must contend with when he arrives at the Mohawk village, and the spirituality he eventually reveals in episode 412 Providence. It is the fast paced, action and regret filled episode that brings a man to question his soul, and in which Richard Rankin has a chance to shine in this moving performance as a man struggling with his own actions, his very purpose in existence, and what his previous actions have brought him to.
We open where we left off in the previous episode. Roger has failed the gauntlet in the Mohawk village. One of the Indians says he is no good, meaning if he cannot survive the simple, brutal bullying of the tribal warriors, then he is not fit to be assimilated into the clan. He must remain a hostage or slave to the tribe. Kaherton (Braedon Clarke) continues to be his main tormentor, yet in a strange way, the one Indian trying to understand why Roger would have been abandoned and outcast by his people. He asks him if he has done a dishonor to his family, frankly not understanding how he could be so treated. He must be bad.
Later he is ordered around by Kaherton to gather and distribute wood, something made difficult by the beating he has taken, his injured arm making it difficult. One tribe member to another treats him with contempt until he meets with Joheihon (Sera-Lys McArthur), a Mohawk woman who carries a mixed race baby in her arms. She asks him if he speaks French, and Roger is overjoyed that he can finally communicate with someone. This angers Kaherton who is still suspicious of Roger, and he tries to keep them from talking. He he says not to talk to Roger, he is a dishonorable man. Roger continues to struggle, he is constantly being insulted and trying to keep himself alive by not causing conflict, however he does so no matter where he turns. The one Indian that has tried to communicate with him is being told he has no honor.
Roger later makes a grave error while being told to continue with keeping the wood fires fueled in the camp, as he sets down wood and points while trying to talk. Kaherton is offended and Joheihon intervenes, explaining that the man does not know that it is rude to point or talk while another is talking. Kaherton tells the chief that the man is no good to them, and the chief, Tehwahsehwkwe (Tom Jackson) tells the men to put him in the hut.
Koherton asks Roger where his loyalties lie as he is dragged to the hut. Was it honor, did he break his word? How did he become outcast? Roger tells him it was a mistake. It was about a woman. He is then told that he should not smile at Johiehon.
The Virtue of Forgiveness
Lord John Grey (David Berry) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) are keeping up appearances as a newly betrothed couple at River Run. Lord John brings news of Stephen Bonnet to Brianna, that he has been apprehended and is being held on his previous convictions for killing and escaping his execution. He has concerns that she need not trouble herself with the matter, or continue pursuing him for justice, that she should allow the proceedings to be dealt with, saving her honor. Brianna counters that she must see him, Lord John protests that the travel and viewing of an execution would be dangerous for her in her condition. Brianna assures him that she only wishes to confront him, prior to the hanging. Lord John is puzzled by such actions and she explains that it is about the letter that he brought her from Jamie (Sam Heughan).
Brianna is deeply troubled by the letter, which Lord John reads. In the letter, Jamie begs his daughter’s forgiveness, that he will do everything in his power to find and bring Roger back to her. He asks that she not take revenge herself, that she does not condemn her own soul for such an action. It must not be herself that kills Bonnet, to leave that to others. Brianna tells Lord John that she must go and confront the man in order to create some closure for the sake of her child.
Wilmington
As a character, Marsali (Lauren Lyle) has grown exponentially this season. She has set aside her childish distrust of Claire, and has taken on motherhood as a crown. The Goddess in her is shown in this episode as Fergus (Cèsar Domboy) comes back from the botched capture of Bonnet, and Murtagh’s (Duncan Lacroix) imprisonment in Wilmington. Fergus is plotting how to take action, and Marsali catches him using spools and other objects to represent men as he plans a Gaol breakout. She is glad Fergus is taking action, finally finding a purpose, even if it’s an extremely dangerous one. Yes, there is a small baby to care for, but they cannot abandon Murtagh to rot in a cell. Marsali joins in with the planning, and they decide that maybe it is time for them all to make a getaway, and take the Frasers up on their offer of land on the ridge. After what they are planning, they cannot stay. Marsali leaps to the challenge and packs their belongings and readies a getaway wagon.
Fergus meets with two militia men, Fyke (John Mackie) and Cranna (Martin Donaghy), he explains how Murtagh sacrificed himself when they were caught trying to leave with Bonnet. They agree they must free Murtagh.
What is taken from one of us, is taken from all of us!
The militia begins to secretly organize around the Gaol in town, getting in position and laying power lines and kegs to blast the jail and create a diversion after freeing Murtagh. The encircle the guards and force their way in.
You are impossible not to like.
Lord John and Brianna arrive in Wilmington, and have a discussion in the street. She hesitates. Now that she has come to face her attacker, she must gather herself to cross the threshold. She tells Lord John she is ready, and is escorted to the Gaol. Arrangements have been made for them to meet with Bonnet. The jailer informs them that he has chained Bonnet to the wall for safety. Lord John keeps cautioning Brianna and intends to wait a little ways off so she can have her meeting.
Brianna meets with Bonnet (Ed Speleers), and in true snarling form, and his contempt for life, he looks at Brianna as if she is but 1 inch tall. She asks if he remembers her, and he implies that he remembers parts and his pleasure, but no name. She proudly states her name as Brianna Fraser, no longer using Randall, and daughter of Jamie and Claire Fraser whom he robbed after Jamie saved him from the noose. 
He remembers of course and acts as if it was of no consequence, but remembers the pretty bauble she had as payment after her services. Brianna stands her ground, announces her condition, and Bonnet snarls that it isn’t the first time a woman has tried to fob off a child
She is not deterred, and declares that her child will never know of him, that she was only giving him peace, knowing that something of him would be left on the earth long after he was gone. She makes to leave, he begs her back and pops a ruby out of his mouth, for the child’s maintenance. Brianna states she will not need his assistance, however foolish in her time traveling situation it is to not have a jewel at the ready. She makes to leave again.
The militia men have forced their way in to where Lord John is and he disarms and holds one of the men. Fergus makes to free Murtagh, and on bringing him out finds Brianna in the hallway, they greet and Lord John is exasperated to of course find Murtagh in the heart of a prison break and seeks to remove Brianna from the possible danger. To add to it, the place is about to blow. Murtagh postures that he will take charge of Brianna and make sure she is safe, and Lord John argues that he won’t. Fergus, using reason, points out that a lady traveling with an escaped convict will not be safe and her reputation ruined, being with someone favored by Governor Tryon will guarantee her safety. Murtagh reluctantly concedes, but not without the air being thick with contempt, as only he can make it. She is his kinswoman. Finally seeing time is of the essence, they all make escape, including Murtagh telling the men to pick up the incapacitated jailor and they all barely make it out before the place is blown.
Brianna and Lord John go one direction, Fergus and Murtagh dash in the back of Marsali’s getaway wagon as she conceals them, and they exit in another direction.
Introspection and Journeys Taken
Roger has been kept confined in the hut that serves as the village jail. His only companion a fallen priest named Father Alexandre Ferigault. Roger realizes how many hundreds of miles he has been dragged to get there. Over the course of the day, Roger learns from the priest how he came to be at the village, Shadow Lake. This village is located in the colony of New York.
Roger asks the priest what his story is, Ferigault tells him of how the chief invited him to the village, to convert the people and they had got on well. Then he became ill and was cared for by a woman. He fell in love. They had a child, and the chief wanted the child Baptized, but he could not. He was a fallen priest and not pure. Roger tries to reason with him, that he could say some words in Latin, they would not know. But the priest is adamant about his loss of purity. He tells Roger of the punishment for refusal, that the natives will burn him by the feet on a pyre, that it can take days to die from this.
Roger is stunned by the priests lack of self preservation, or finding a way to continue for his child and woman. Roger talks about a saying back home, look out for number 1. That is what he should be doing. Roger talks about what he has gone through, and begins a self realization process. Before Roger came through the stones, he had been an academic man. He thought knowing history would prepare him, but it had barely covered the harsh reality of living 200 years before his time. He does not tell the priest of the time travel, but it is there under the surface. He speaks of his following Brianna on the impossible journey, finding her, wedding her, the terrible argument. He left her, almost went back through the stones, but hesitated and was brought back. Why had he kept coming back? Her father beat him, and had him sold to the Mohawk.
The Mohawks come for Ferigault in the morning and torture him to try to get him to Baptize the child. When he is returned, naked and battered, with his ear cut off, Roger tries to clean him and reason with him. He tells the priest he has a plan to dig out of the enclosure, it is difficult with one arm, but if they work together, they can escape. Roger tries to reason with him, to meet his woman and escape with the child. The priest is reluctant, but with his impending death, the priest comes around and together they dig through the night. At daybreak they have run out of time, Ferigault tells Roger he will go and meet his fate, it will give him more time and he can get through the rest of the hole and save himself.
Roger is frustrated with the priest, however he manages to break through to escape and makes it about half a mile from the village. He is failing at looking out for number 1. He argues with himself, don’t go back. He has given in so many times and look where it has landed him. But his conscience gets to him, and he turns around to see if he can rescue Ferigault.
Roger arrives back at the camp and takes action. I will not go into the details, it really should be seen what transpires as imagery is everything in this episode. I will say the journey that Kaherton takes in this scene will also change the young fearless Mohawk forever. Perhaps he will have his soul to contend with and become a new ally to Roger.
The season finale episode 413 Man of Worth will air on Saturday January 26 at Midnight on the Starz® App, and Sunday January 26th at 8 PM EST on Starz® network USA, 10 PM Sundays on Canadian W Network, 6:30 PM Mondays on Foxtel Australia, and Mondays on Amazon Prime in the UK.
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An Outlander Muse 